Paid CDL options in Phoenix?

Swift is not as bad as ppl make it out to be , just dont add to their bad reputation aka dont be an idiot and just do ur best to manage your hours and swift will keep u moving, their flatbed division pay 42c a mile with average abt 2k mile a week sometime more sometime less, .. Im on pace to make between 45 and 50k this year with swift flatbed but i only go home every couple months and i manage my clocks pretty well so im not sitting ...since ur in phx like me be prepared to run alot of rebar and verco if u go flatbed, cant speak on dry van or refer, dont know anything about it good luck whatever u chose

 

Thanks. I figured with Swift, like anywhere else, just don't be an idiot and you should be fine. Main reason I'm thinking Knight is that they pay during training but I don't think Swift does. On the other hand I think Knight does more short and medium hauls and I'd kind of like to do longer I think. But then I don't really know, never drove a truck before. I need to contact them and see what they say.

I wouldn't mind flatbed if I was in better shape, but I spend way too much time sitting in front of a computer, so I'm probably looking at dry van or refer. Not super worried about downtime as I plan on doing some programming while I'm waiting. The eventual goal is to drive a truck while hopefully picking up some freelance coding jobs.

 

No problem, sounds like you're busy. I wish there were a million companies in Phoenix to choose from. I just gotta decide if I want to risk running into a trainer like another poster was talking about. I don't have the money to rent a car and drive 1300 miles back home if there's an issue. So I'm wondering if maybe I should pick up a temp job to raise some cash just in case. That would also give me more options for training as I wouldn't feel like I'm limited to Phoenix. Thanks for the update, good luck the rest of the way.

 

unfortunately, too much of what you actually do anymore, you won't learn in the classroom. You are going to have to hope you get a trainer who has some kind of clue as to what he/she is doing. be careful, too many companies allow drivers to become trainers after only 6 months of driving, some less. You really have to hope you get a trainer who actually knows what they are doing. I have met driver trainers from companies that thought an air brake test meant pushing the button on the dash that does the light test(it turns on all the lights while you walk around the truck and trailer, this is not available on all trucks). one even told me his brake light came on so his brakes must be good... and he was a trainer.
Just be cautious, and if you must, call safety and request another trainer.

 

If I hadn't gotten a local company flatbed gig right out of school in was gonna go with jim palmer. They have paid training but you sign a year contract. No biggy it's only a year. They have a dry van western 11. After my countless hours of research and talking with recruiters and drivers from different companies I really liked Jim palmer. You should look into them if you wanna do dry van and western 11.. they are averaging about 2800 to 3000 miles a week according to the drivers I've talked too.. even the recruiter said the western 11 rarely sees less than 2500 a week..

 

Yeah that's what if kinda figured out. But the amount the school charges, the training aids/materials they use I would be pissed I paid out of pocket.. I'd consider paying like 1500 maybe 2 grand, but 6800 if you finance or 5000 of you pay cash is a joke..

 

Swift pays you a base rate of 500 per week when ur with ur mentor... U get minimum wage for any hours over 50 that you are on duty.. Min wage will be based on ur home terminals... Its good to always run out ur 70 clock during training so u can max ur pay... At min u will make 500 a week.. But training is only a month, hopefully u get a good trainer to teach u things, but this job is not hard , if u are a comp programer u are way smart enough to figure this job out.. Driving is easy its just learning all of the logistical side of things and figuring out how swift likes to do things.. Im not sure what dry van or refer pay at swift but i know its alot ess than flatbed.. So ur probably looking at an average of 700 a week for ur pay when ur solo, u can decide if thats worth it for u

 

Do you run flatbed for swift?

 

Yep

 

I hear you there, I ended up paying $1500 for my CDL schooling, and another $100 for a little extra training time before my road test. I couldn't see paying 3000-4000-5000 for CDL school, when the classroom stuff you can do on your own. Now, the school I went to is not highly accredited, so few mega carriers would likely be ready to hire me directly out of school, but I do have my CDL in hand. Still looking for that first job . . .