Swift...... I enjoy my job

At Swift, when they say average miles they are talking about dispatched miles, both MT and LOADED, averaging 2800 miles is actually driving about 4.7% more than dispatch pays. You are figuring it backwards yourself.

So having a 2800 mile average is driving 3000, give or take a few...but actually my miles when I was at Swift, I only had a 2.1% discrepancy...but I had a good DM who would fix the routing and pay what I drove!

 

Well that's cool.... good to know that a company actually works it out to the driver's favor.


........... Jim

 

We're talking averages here. When you sit all day at a dock, you're not getting any miles. When you're stuck at a repair facility, no miles. When you're going through traffic jams, or up and down mountains, it's slow going. Winter driving is slow going. Trucks governed between 60-67 mph.
There will be weeks when you might get lucky and get 2500-3000 miles. Those will be few and far between. Some weeks maybe 1300-2000 miles. There is too much down time in OTR trucking. Most weekends you will be laid over somewhere. There is no layover pay on weekends.

 

I wrote a long post and lost it......

Anyway. Now a short one.

I think you would be surprised frdr to see the real numbers that the average swift driver runs.
They are still very much a long haul company.
Many company's have shifted away from long haul, since it pays less per mile.
But Swift has managed to get ALLOT of huge long distance contracts.
The drivers will sit at docks to get loaded and unloaded. But they get allot of miles compared to many other company's.
I would say that 2800 miles per week average at the end of the year is probably about correct.
Talk to some of the swift drivers on here that have been with the company for a while. I think they would surprise you.

 

Atta boy Driver..unfortunatly there are gonna be folks who get something from peeing on someone elses parade..I have alot of respect for a Man who can appreciate something is better then nothing and will do what it takes to make their situation better..you and only you are responcible for your life and we all know creditors could care less how you pay them as long as it get's paid..Kudos to you darl'n..Safe Travels Always

 

With all of the negatives, it is nice to see someone with a positive attitude.
Keep up the good work, and let us know how you are doing.

 

ChromeDome is correct...over the 14 years total with Swift...my annual average was, per week, 3186 miles for solo, and 5792 for team (Mentor/trainer) and that team figure is counting the first week we ran solo miles and the last week the student ran the truck as if he were a solo driver...I was merely a watcher, only participated when the student was about to do something very, very wrong...and then we would discuss the options, and the student would make the final decision.

 

'Scuse me Massah, but we needs to talk!

Your math is good, your estimate of miles is WRONG! My last load was 1196 miles, the one I'm waiting to unload now was 1385. Would have been more. That's from last Saturday to today. I've only been solo for about a month and I don't have the figures right at hand (actually I do, but I'm not going to bother) but I can assure your that I have done at least 2500/week since I started solo.

Are you paying my taxes too? Thanks!

I can afford to spend $120/week for food... but I don't!

I enjoy what I do. If I work 80 hrs, I promise you I enjoyed 95% of those hours. (Oh yeah, the math.....that's 76 hours I enjoyed doing what I get paid to do!)

Your post? Well OK, we agree on that!

 

Those experienced drivers from Western PA....not much!

 

indigestion and a headache!