Swift CDL Training in Richmond, Virginia

Anyone have any experience with the CDL training for Swift in Richmond, Virginia? I just want to get a feel for what the training is like and what its like working for Swift. How long is training? When I am finished with training will I be driving by myself? The website does not give much info and the recruiting office is closed.

I know you have to stay with the company for 26 months so I am not sure if I should go to school with a company or go to a county college. Not sure if I can get financial assistance though because I am in a bit of debt.

I have a CDL B license and my Medical Card, I started driving a school bus but I would rather drive across country by myself. I hate dealing with the kids too.

 

Look for another company. Swift is the laughing stock of the industry.

 

You are gonna hear the comment the other trucker (debatable since its not listed that he is). I went through the training in Va. and learned a lot. They have an excellent program and u will do fine as long as you study ask questions and don't be a know it all. I've been with them less than a year and make 44cpm. They are giving another raise after first of the year. They have acquired a lot of companies and I just learned they own 51% of Werner, don't know if its a fact but was told from a member of management that. They are in the process of cleaning up their company from a bad reputation. I am always getting asked when I stop for fuel about the company from drivers that used to work for them but went elsewhere only to find out they should have stayed.

 

Thanks kefner, making lots of money isn't really a top priority for me but .44 cpm sounds good though. How long was training? When you were done training what type of cargo did you haul and did they let you drive by yourself?

 

I had to do 240 hrs, think its only 200 hrs with a trainer. You haul whatever you are assigned. My first haul was in NY at a farm, had to back down a driveway to a barn, they put a roller into the back of the truck and literally hand loaded it full if hay. Then when it was full, after pulling forward, they took a tractor with a bucket and packed it in a little tighter. We hauled it to NC to the outer banks area where it was taken to another farm and the trailer was parked in this guys front yard and exchanged for another empty Swift trailer that was there. You don't drive alone until you are completely out of training, but your mentor let's you drive alone once you complete the first part and they feel like you can run as a team.

 

Trolls abound even on the Swift board, but if you haven't found us we are in here somewhere.... lots of good, bad, and even honest complaints about some of the stuff the guys deal with from the company, and reviews and experiences from other Swift schools. But you will also read and talk to successful Swift drivers. Nobody ever seems to share this miracle company that gives them every weekend home, 3000 miles a week at $2.00 a mile, with no hassles at drops or pick ups, and no do do from the boss. I don't care if you flip burgers or work on wall street everyone has bad days, bad bosses, that phrase "s___ happens" is because it does, to everyone.

 

Swift is a good starter school. I got .25cpm my first year.

New guys now make .32 to start. Nothing to bash swift over.

 

That's well put witchywoman, every company has pros and con's, I don't care how wonderful they tell you they are or how bad they are. I trained at another school, very "so called prominent company" and their mapping class consisted of my trainer telling me there was a map on the dash, I could look at it if I wanted but they didn't use it cause they had a nav system. She also made me sleep on the top bunk while she drove. I had total of 45 minutes on the driving pad before going out in a loaded truck, had never ever drove and barely knew the gears. Within 2 hrs, she was in the bunk asleep and said I would be fine just keep it between the 2 white lines and if the alarm went off when I got on the sidelines just move back over into my lane.