Questions for swift veterans

That might be a big surprise to all the long haul OTR drivers working for Swift.

 

I am currently a driver for Swift. I started in March and have been solo since April. I read a lot on here about them, and ultimately decided that everyone (companies) seems to have complaints, the drivers who were still with them seemed pretty content, and I figure that more people complain than share their good stories, so I chalked the disporportinate complaints vs compliments to that.

I work regional on a dedicated account, so I don't get a lot of miles, but the work is steady and consistent and because of their short-haul pay, the pay works out in the end.

I do consider going over the road vs the regional, but the regional is more in my "comfort zone" and gets me home usually about every weekend (if I choose to go home, rather than finding piece-meal work on the weekends), though I don't personally have any reason I need to be home regularly.

During my training, which was definately an adventure, I knew I had made the right choice for me, out of the companies that I was looking at.

I have no major issues so far, and mostly positive stuff to say about Swift and my experience so far. I have certainly had a few little issues, but everything has been resolved either in a timely manner, or with a bit of pushing on my end, a little longer, but always worked out in the end.

Since you have experience in the trucking industry, I don't have to tell you that I have found that many new drivers come into the industry with false hopes, dreams and/or expectations. Trucking is definately what you make of it, it is by far a perfect job, and I'm not sure the "perfect" company is out there anywhere. I think you have to chose the company that seems right for you, make the best of it, and if something bugs you, you have to understand that that's the way it is going to be with this company, and you then make the decision whether you will accept that, or not. If you do, then you lose the right to complain about it, and if you don't then you had better move on.

If I do go over the road, I want to do it as an owner operator. But only if I am able to purchase my truck outside of Swift and bring it to them. I won't lease. I thought about it, and after researching, and looking at numbers and opinions, I just don't think it makes sense. If you can't make it work on paper, you can't make it work in the real world either.

 

Saying Swift puts all their long haul on trains is a crock. I talk to my mentor every week. He did 2 back to back LA to Florida runs.

I just hauled a 900 mile run of empty pallets from NY to WI.

16,000+ drivers. Gonna be some complaints.

 

I agree about the 16,000+ drivers and the complaints. We just picked up a "T" call load from the Antioch (Nashville) yard and took it to Laredo, TX. 1100 miles. I don't recall ever being on a train for that one. I can't find anything to complain about. But I am sure if i ask enough Swift drivers, someone will have something bad to say. You just have to be careful about the small companies that have a lot of complaints. Swift = 16,000 drivers and, what, 400 complaints? Small company "A" with 1500 drivers and 400 complaints is a whole different story. Got to look at percentages.

 

Skipped over a bunch, so forgive me if I repeat.

The statement that "all long hauls go by train" is incorrect. Only about 5% of Swift's freight goes by train. It's still faster to move a load from Sacramento to Philly by a solo driver than by train. Some few customers prefer intermodal, so it is available to them. Do we see Swift trailers on trains? All the time. Most of the vans you see on train cars are empties being moved from one place with too many to another place with not enough. It's cheaper and more efficient to move empties to more productive regions en masse by rail than piece-by-piece via ground.

If miles is a problem, it's a new one on me. Just don't turn loads down, get there on time and keep a clean log book. You'll get all the miles you want. If someone is complaining about not getting miles, ask what he or she has turned down. Nine times out of ten, you will hear, "Oh, they sent me a BS 150 mile load. That's not worth my time to hook to a trailer." Thereby limiting their potential. What many of them don't seem to understand is that 150 mile load is taking them to a 1,500 mile load. Sometimes the planners will only send the one preplan to see whether you'll take it without question, ask for a backup load or turn it down. The smart thing to do is message your DM asking for a backup load, then call your DM and decide together whether to accept it or turn it down. I'm I/C, and even though I have the right to turn any load down for any reason or no reason at all, I still talk to my DM before I do.

 

Before you start beeching and defending your company,
relax, it's just a cool picture I found.................

 

Lots of companies do intermodal (putting trailers on trains). I dropped plenty of trailers at Chicago rail yards. If it's not a hot load, putting it on a rail car is fine. Plenty still has to be moved the good old fashioned way though!

 

This doesn't make sense.

 

Nana, I think he just means that it looks neat with all those containers on the train.

On a similar topic, heard on the news about a train getting derailed by high winds. It had a bunch of containers that get hauled by trucks on it. Easy way to lose a lot of freight.

 

Am I blind? Where's the picture? Seriously, I'm confused by his post LOL I'm not picking an argument.