Need some advise please...

Best advice I could give you if you haven't already is to talk to a swift driver...... I wouldn't talk to the recruiters just yet from what i've heard they will tell you what you want to hear anyway....Good Luck

 

Have no Illusions about it , Truck driving is a WORLD all it's own! and I mean ALL IT'S OWN!!
Here is a question, If you cannot handle Truck Driving, can you get back into a job that you are doing now? Just think about this!
A lot of people get out here, and find out that they just cannot handle this type of work!
I am not trying to scare you , I am just trying just to make you think about what ALL it takes to be a Truck Driver!
1.You are a Truck Driver
2.You are a secretary/answer you phone for company use!
3.Partial mechanic!
4.Navigator/Map/Directions
ECT!!!!!
That is just a list off the top of my head!
A lot of people get into Trucking and find out that it is not what they do not like it or cannot handle it!
Do your research first a bout Trucking and you will be fine, Because there are a lot of good information out there, and a lot of scams so beware!
Best of Prayers to YA!!!

 

You could make twice as much money, but more than likely won't. You may be lucky to make 28k, really lucky,then have all the expenses of being on the road! I'd stay till your job ended................

 

I stopped at the Flying J there south of Chicago at Lowell last winter and there was a full grown man, Crying and shaking out of control! I asked him what the problem was thinking that something bad had happened. But that was not the case. His Nerves were completely shot after driving down through Chicago and he wanted to quit!

Some people love driving. (me included) Many hate it.
Swift? Well, Read up about them and talk to drivers that drive for them for sure.

 

I drive for swift, I like swift. I team with my husband. Swift has treated my husband and I okay but then again we're newbies.

We went with Swift knowing the pay was low for the industry due to the fact we ARE newbies and we were untrained.


Okay here's the blunt facts:

You may see a large number of trucks but that doesn't mean they're stopping there. It means they're going through there. BIG Difference.

Swift is in business to move freight. Not to give drivers a large income and a happy hometime whenever we want it. Do they want you to have hometime? Sure.......but it's all about the freight.

If there is no freight, there are no miles, and no miles mean no money for you. So it's all about the freight for the driver too.

Freight.

Freight doesn't give a darn if you see your daughter's dance recital or not. Neither does the customer whose freight you're hauling.

If you run OTR (long haul) you will not get home every week. Forget it.
You'll be lucky to get home every 3-4 for your 3 days off. And you'll be late getting there. Get a doctor who'll see you when you can get in. Tell your wife not to buy tickets to expensive places and tell your son you won't be seeing "the big game".

Look........if you're in Chicago and you want hometime in San Antonio......they aren't going to send you there empty. You're going to wait until there is............FREIGHT to get you there. Your driver manager will do his/her best and so will the trip planners but.........FREIGHT is the king.

Money: As a solo driver you will most likely NOT make 28K your first year, especially starting during the winter season. Freight dies off.

No freight = no miles = no money.

It's expensive on the road and you'll pay more to drive a truck than you paid to drive that cubicle.

Swift has a dispatch order with team drivers at the top and guess who is at the bottom? BINGO! solo drivers. That means they're going to keep their teams, o/o and mentor trucks rolling before yours. Why? Because your truck makes the least money with the most overhead for Swift.

A team truck or mentor truck rolls almost 24/7 which means it hauls the FREIGHT and makes the money of 2 trucks for Swift.

Freight = money

It's hard on the road. It's lonely.....even in a team truck. There is no potty, no stove, no ......no anything you freaking want at the time you want it. (oh wait that's just me LOL)

The only way to drive and be home is a dedicated fleet and usually those are very difficult to get. We're on one now and frankly it's the good life. Almost guaranteed miles, a set area we drive in, a great fleet team and we get home every week. Good money.

Swift isn't for everyone, they've burned some people. As have every company I've heard of. However, they've given a huge amount of people their start in trucking. And so far they've treated me very well.

Keep researching.......think long and hard. Read this forum for a few months. And honestly.......wait till towards the end of winter to change jobs so you'll hit the ground in the spring when the freight is up. Most of the industry will see a decline in late December till late Feb. (at least that's what I'm told......I could be wrong)

Good luck to you and one thing in your favor is that San Antionio and Phoenix are the only two Swift schools doing the old program so you'll have some benefits during training that others don't.

If I can help in any way please let me know.

 

Don't do it! There are other trucking companies to work for besides Swift, and if you think you will be home often, think again. My husband and I just both recently left swift after combined years of service, with perfect records, in both safety and delivery, of almost 7 years. I went to Swift's Schools, and the ONE and only thing I took from school to the road was the actual D.O.T. weight requirements on each axle of a truck/trailer combination. If you choose to go to school, which I have done, I am a woman, mother of 3 grown kids, and I love it. I wouldn't give it up for the world! But, think long and hard about Swift. They are cutting back and cutting corners so much now that you can't even get a towel for a shower! They will fire you for looking at someone the wrong way, and their owner operator program is a rip off! If I sound disgruntled, I am, because I dedicated so much effort to my job at Swift, and saw between the "hooplah" out on the road, only to find out two years down the road, my cdl was invalid because I attended Swift's academy in Memphis. Please do your homework! There are other trucking companies that you can drive for, but steer clear of Swift! On the home time thing... you will most likely be sitting for two days thousands of miles from home, not at home. Trust me, I know this for a fact! Good luck in your search! Lori

 

That's terrific! I start my training in late October and wrap it up on December 22nd! Not very encouraging Nana. hehehehehehe

 

Well said. I agree with most everything you stated in your quote, however, having been, and most recently dealt with the owner operator division, having leased 4 trucks through swift, both as team drivers, and solo drivers. We NEVER ran 24/7 with Swift. No wait. Central Freight dedicated Dallas/Phoenix from Nov. 07 to Mar. 08. Short lived, but the money was great. Too bad we were so tired, we couldn't spend it! Everyone who starts out with Swift, gives them the benefit of the doubt, because they give you an opportunity that most companies don't. That's the affordable training and the start as a new driver. Other than that, It has very little to offer, especially compared to the old days. Ask any MS Carrier driver that now drives for Swift. If you want horror stories... ask them!

 

Sorry Sam.