Need more information on Swift, PAM, and Driver Solutions who recruit for PAM

i went to c-1 in indiana in sept of 2011. was not a bad experience. I had the option of usa and pam, kind of wish i had gone w pam, in hindsight. talked to one driver i ran into at a walmart after i started driving solo and asked what he thought of pam, he said thy treated him well and got him miles, even as a new driver. thats the only info i have on them. havent heard too much positive about swift... whoever you go with i would just recommend finishing your contract, if you have one...good luck!

 

I would say to you don't do it if you don't have the money upfront. They are a good place to get training. I went to North Little Rock division of C1.

{A man is only as good as his word.}

 

one more thing...driver solutions recruiter told me i would be taking home $800 a week. avg take home my 1st year was about 1/2 that.

 

Don't believe that. Expect $500/week before tax, $300 after tax. I'm sure you'll get started out at around 26-28CPM from the start.

{A man is only as good as his word.}

 

sounds about right. i had some decent weeks my 1st year, but few and far in between

 

All these company's are roughly the Same what really matters is the dispatcher you get that is what is going to make or break you

 

With Swift the dispatcher you get is determined by where you are at the moment.
And, they don't know you. You are just a number, and possibly the next in line for a load.
That can be an advantage.

 

Don't believe what the recruiter tells you when it comes to average pay or average miles. There J-O-B is to tell you anything and everything to get you in the door, and after that, it's on to the next fish. It's a like a military recruiter, but with even less incentive to be completely honest.

If you're a rookie and you are going with a starter company, depending on the company you'll be making between 25cpm - 32cpm. If you're going OTR, which I assume you are, you will be averaging 2000-2500 miles a week. Depending on how hard/easy you want to run, and the shape of the economy, you could be making under or over those numbers and that can vary from week to week. Most one-year drivers that I have talked to are pulling in about 400-500 bucks a week after taxes. Keep in mind that this number would be higher, but alot of rookie drivers are having to deduct around 50-75$ a week to pay back tuition loans, lock fee's, etc.

I'll be honest with you David, whether I had the money up-front or not, I would stay away from Driver's Solutions period. Myself, along with dozens of other users, have spent countless months researching all of the starter-companies and comparing them, and it's no coincidence most of the companies in the Driver's Solution network are the worst of the worst. Driver's Solutions is a middle-man that simply makes their profit by connecting you to a designated trucking company (usually PAM or USA). Driver Solution's training is less-than-average, and they have no motivation to improve it since you'll just be sold off to a company that doesn't care about the quality of it's drivers. That company will then run you like ####, pay you like ####, and treat you like ####. And does the trucking company have any motivation to change their ways either? Nope, because they know you'll either quit or get fired within your first 6 months or first year anyway, and hopefully be smart enough to move on to a better company.

David, your best bet is to CUT OUT the middle man, and choose your own company. Don't fall for the Driver's Solution theory, because in reality its just a highly-polished scam. It's goal is to take advantage of people that are financially unable to pay for private training, and that's exactly what it does. Take the advice of many, many people on this forum, and don't waste your time or energy with that company.

Whether you have money for school or not, there are way better choices than Drivers Solution. You'll have WAY more options! Do you know how many companies there are out there that will hire you NOW? And did you know most of these companies will TRAIN you better, PAY you better, and TREAT you better than any of the companies connected to Driver's Solution?

Check out some of these companies: Millis Transfer, Central Refridgerated, Roehl, Prime. All of these companies will train you for almost no up-front costs, including free housing and free meals. They will even pay your bus ticket to come out there. These are decent companies to finish your first year on the road, and when you move to a better company you will be more respected than someone coming from Driver's Solution. None of those companies I just mentioned are perfect, and there will be just as many bad weeks as good weeks. You'll have a terrible dispatcher one week, and a really fantastic one the next. No, you aren't going to be in a 2013 Full-Condo Peterbilt, but you will be in a #### good and fairly new truck. No you aren't going to be making 40cpm, but you will be making 31-34cpm, which is #### GOOD for someone on the road for their first year. The most important thing is to approach these companies with the right attitude. Tell yourself that you're going to have to bite the bullet and be a slave for the first year. Pretend it's an extended boot camp that comes with free training and decent pay. After you're on the road for 6 months, 9 months, or a year, talk to another company and upgrade your career. Don't expect any starter-company to be perfect, and you'll probably have to bend over more than once for them, but it's way better than being one of those gerbils in the Driver's Solution treadmill.