Relevance of having a company terminal location close to home?

Sounds like you are no longer with Swift milkman? I may venture to guess what type of product you are hauling now from your screen name?

 

That's right. I left Swift last year and have been driving for Schneider since. I milked cows in my youth; hence, my screen name.

 

I was guessing wrong. Assumed that you were driving a milk tanker now.

I wondered if you would give me pros / cons to both Swift & Schneider since you have experience with both while living in the same area as me. I have developed some opinions on my own from my research but that is from the outside looking in. You've been there. I want to be as informed as I can.

I do not think I have enough activity for a private message. If you do not want to give me your answer here maybe an email? If here is fine than that's good with me. Let me know, thanks.

 

I haven't driven over the road for Schneider, and that's mostly what I did with Swift, so I can't compare directly a lot of things, such as length of haul, pay rates, breakdown response, and other things you'd be interested in, but I can make a couple of comments about the two companies in general.

Both are large carriers, and haul similar freight in similar trucks with similar options. Schneider is probably more regional- and dedicated account-oriented, while Swift is more over the road. From my experience, Schneider has a better reputation among drivers, though that has a lot to do with the number of experienced drivers they employ (Swift has a high percentage of first-year drivers). A bad driver will be hired sooner and retained longer by Swift, though that's probably dictated by the insurance people. The bottom line for me is that although both Schneider and Swift are known as training companies, Schneider is a much better place to be for experienced drivers.

I know that's a pretty general response, but I hope it helps. If I were you, I'd look at as many companies as possible.

 

Thanks for the info. Two more questions. What division of Schneider are you with, Intermodal, regional or dedicated? Also would you recommend or discourage either Swift or Schneider based on your experience with each?

I intend on and expect OTR for awhile in the beginning and than look for one of the options I listed above. Since Schneider readily has all of that seems to make more sense to start with them in the first place. Seems like Swift OTR really is all 48, all over the place. This appeals to me at least short term in the beginning but not to the point I would want to unnecessarily change employers after a year. I worked at my last job for over 21 years and tenure and longevity has its benefits. I guess to make it easier to answer, would you take the path you did, starting with Swift and than moving to Schneider or would you have gone with Schneider in the first place if you had to do it all over again?

 

No problem, John. I'm a regional intermodal driver, but our region is basically NY State, with a rare trip to PA. Making the move from Swift to Schneider has been a positive for me, and I have no regrets for doing what I did. Like I said before, I have no experience with Schneider's training program nor OTR division, so I really can't compare the two companies in those areas. I enjoyed most of my time at Swift: made some money, got some experience, and visited all 48 lower states and a lot of Canada. I left mainly to be home more and make more money, and I'm satisfied with what I'm doing now.

I understand your desire for a stable company, and for that reason, I would recommend Schneider over Swift; however, you have several companies to choose from that have a presence in this area, and I would also take a good look at the Wadhams companies (Earl T. Wadhams, ARG, and RIST), DOT Foods, and all of the local LTL companies. Even if companies advertise as only hiring experienced drivers, some will make exceptions for good new drivers with initiative and a strong work ethic. Good luck to you. Hope that helps.

 

Thanks milkman, all good info. You understood what I am looking for.