Stay Swift dedicated or move on?

I really want to find a better paying company.

Backstory: We drive a Swift dedicated account that goes to Florida, Georgia and Alabama. 95% of the runs are to Atlanta which is high-stress and one of the two major reasons I want to leave this company/account so bad.

We make 0.31 cents per mile!
(6-months experience)

I’m a team driver. If we drive hard and get a week full of loads we’re able to pull $800-900 a week at the absolute MOST! On weeks they’re slow they give us 2-3 days off which we end up making $600-700 a week.

There’s a catch. We get NO HOME TIME. We live very far from home, it’s about a 5-6 hour drive, but this account was the only one that would hire us since we’re from South Florida. Therefore, on our days off we just sit in the truck. It feels like we live at work.

We called Swift payroll and asked when we’ll get a raise and they said after a year of doing this account we’ll get HALF A CENT raise. Yes, you read that correctly. Bumping us to 0.32 cents per mile.

We’re looking for a dedicated account in the Southeast region that’ll pay us at least $1000-1300 a week.

It doesn’t feel like much to ask considering we’re team drivers, but I have yet to find a company that’ll hire us because our driver’s license address says South Florida therefore they hit us with “sorry, we can’t get you home. You live too far from our terminal.”

They told us since CDL school “team drivers make good money!” Really? Where? I have yet to see it. For us to not even make $1000 a week with a multi-billion dollar company is an absolute joke.

So, any company suggestions in the Alabama/Georgia/Florida region?
Any help is appreciated.

 

Suggestion: do what I did when I was at Schneider--transfer to a different division, but stay at the same company.

One of the advantages of driving for a "big dog" like Swift...is that there's really A LOT of potential opportunities there--if you look around.

With 6 months experience--see if you can tranfer to either: (a) a reefer account (steadier freight), or (b) intermodal duty (that's what I did--"where the rubber meets the rail" ). Intermodal is good experience.

Another suggestion: if you can -- get out of south Florida! That location "pidgeonholes" you from A LOT of good freight opportunities.

-- Lual

 

Jeeze, dude. Where are you located in Florida? My buddy @Chinatown can probably find something much better. That's BS money

 

Florida Beauty Express runs teams out of Miami to the West Coast. Sometimes do a triangle, Miami to California to New York, back to Miami.
Take as much time off between runs as you want without fear of losing your job. It's one of the benefits.
Florida Beauty Express Inc. is based out of Miami and possesses 231 trucks in its fleet.
~
Florida Beauty Express, Inc.
1351 Nw 78th Ave
Miami, FL 33126
~

 

We currently haul reefer and it’s been nothing but a great experience in comparison to dry van.

How would I go about finding out where I can get on another dedicated account but still stay with Swift?

 

I’m originally located in Fort Lauderdale, but I work 5 hours up north of Florida with this current reefer/dedicated account.

I don’t care where in Florida I go as long as I get to stay in the state, preferably. The benefit of working up here, up north, is that I get to travel to farther distances which I thought would’ve meant more money, but no.

Chinatown is the reason why I signed up to these forums and kept coming back here lol. He’s a Godsend when it comes to asking for help.

 

I think this is an older photo of Florida Beauty Express.

 

Indeed... @Chinatown has been a blessing to many, many members.
Have you considered food / beverage delivery? Pays good, but it's a bunch of work.
Good luck

 

And you have Indian River (tanker) and Cypress (flatbed)

 

$800-$900 for a TEAM.

Whatever you do, don't stay where you're at within the company. Even if you go to another division, doing what you're doing is NOT an option.