Swift Is Good

so the road test sounds like the one you do for the DMV to get your CDL. That schouldnt be to bad.

 

It all depends on how you quit. I drove for them for 13 months, and I got a call from a local company that I wanted to drive for. I was in Florida when I got the call, the job was in Kentucky, and my terminal was in Ohio. I just called my DM and told him I had a local job offer that I was going to accept, went and dropped my ex off at home and got all my stuff out the tractor, she followed me to the Columbus terminal where I turned in my truck and signed off on it and went and said my goodbyes to the people in the office and I was on my way. That was in the course of like maybe 4 days. That was all the notice I gave, and they didnt put anything at all on my DAC. If you just show up and tell them you quit, drop the truck and be an ### about it, they just might put a little something on your DAC. Who knows.

 

Best thing is to do one year. So many companies want one year or more OTR experience. Other companies do not want you to have more than two or three jobs in a year. If you stay for at least a year, you open up more options. In that year you may find, like others have, that you like Swift and want to stay there. The fewer companies you drive for the better as all those companies can show up on your DAC. Say you drive for 3 companies over the next 2 years and then find a high-quality company that you really want to drive for. They may choose not to hire you because you appear to be a job-hopper. Plus, most industry consultants will tell you that you lose money during each transfer.

 

Well it think swift will be a better option for me then the company i was going to start with. Swift has a few things I like that would work better for me. Like the comfort zones the home time and the trucks are a little nicer then the Boise company's 1999-2000 Internationals. I will stay as long as I can with Swift, but if I am treated really bad I will only stay about 6 mos. I hate to Job hop. I was in Banking for 6 years and only worked at two Banks the first was 3 years the second was almost 3 years. So I like to stay put. The part I am more concerned about is the 6 weeks OTR training. After that its what i make of it, thats how I look at it. Aslong as i make desent pay and benifits arent to bad and they don't treat me to much like crap then I schould be good. Nothing could be as bad as my last boss, or the company in boise. No training pay for the 4 weeks OTR trainig. No benifits for one year, .21 cents a mile plus a .07 perdiem, and really really bad trucks. Lots of drivers I had spoke to in the yard say the break down at least 1-2 times a month.

 

If you are going to run a comfort zone, you will most likely get less miles. I started off driving the 902 (southwest) because my home terminal was in the center. I never saw home for the first three weeks. It got a little better after that. I went to California and then to Utah and back a couple of times before getting a load out. California is always hard to get out of yet easy to get to. I finally went to what was the 908 ABQ to ATL Canada border to Mexican border and saw my best miles and pay. To change comfort zones (which you can do) you have to be in the comfort zone you want to transfer to at the time of the request. Just some info for you.

 

In 04 after 6 months I quit without notice during hometime (truck was at in the shop) left trucking all together. 1 1/2 yrs later went back to Swift. Last year left Swift to go with a local company gave 3 days notice. After 3 months things with the local company did not work out, went back to Swift.

 

Wow Son, you really diggin the Swifty huh?

 

Well I head out on the 8th i hope this all works out to be a good choise. The recrutier said i would go out for 2weeks with the trainier come home a few days then go out till my 6 weeks are up. I kinda like that Idea. So i will let you guys know how it goes

 

When it comes to time out during training it really depends on your trainer. Some trainers stay out the full 6 weeks. When I trained I would go out for about 19 days get home for a weekend. Then stay out to finish my "students" training. Sometimes we may have a night home if we get in our area. I would also sometimes work with the student if he needed to get home for something special. Every trainer has their own ways of doing things. When he/she calls ask what the training schedule is, will you have time home during your 6 weeks. Good Luck, remember training only last 6 weeks after a while it may feel like 6 months LOL.

 

That would also work for me to stay out as long as we can they go home for a weekend i really would like to learn all i can but get the six weeks over and done before it starts to feel like 6 mos