swift orientation

You're recruiter should've given you a phone number that you call and will have a recording saying what to bring and a ton of other stuff having to do with orientation and training.

 

Orentation is pretty easy, you'll watch some videos, Do a drive test, fill out paperwork, do a physical, do a physical test, At some point you'll meet your mentor.... When you see Steve the one in charge of training... Tell him ROTRO said hi...

 

I went to the Swift Academy in Millington, TN. If JV Jackson and JJ Jones are still there, you'll at least have some good teachers in the classroom. What you heard about people being sent home is very true. My class started out at 106 and ended up around 69 by the final day. They cut most people the first day due to lying on their applications, not passing the physical and such. The physical is just a basic DOT physical and then everyone has to take the flatbed physical test. Packing around 80-90lb crates, lifting 60-100 lbs crates and placing themn waist high and then above your head. That test claims a lot of people because they monitor your heart during it and a lot of people were sent home due to heart problems.

It's a terrible experience, in all honesty. However, if you're serious about a career in trucking I'm sure you'll survive. They have a lot of restaraunts in the area to go to. There's a Ryan's Steakhouse right next to the Admirality Inn where you'll be staying. There's a Freds Grocery Store, a Kroger and a Wal-Mart within walking distance. There's a Chillis and well, you get the point. The hotel sucks, you'll be four to a room in a 600 sq foot box for 21 days but I guess it could be worse. At least it's clean, if nothing else.

If you have any other questions about the Millington, TN academy feel free to ask. If I'm not running my truck and can get on the net I'll gladly answer them.

 

You'll be given a driver manager after you go through orientation. Wait until you get to a Swift terminal, if you can, and call your driver manager and tell them to get you a new mentor. Swift, from what I understand, is pretty accomodating when it comes to mentors. I got lucky and had two really good ones. One for Van and one for Flatbed. However, I had friends who had some bad mentors and Swift got them right out of that truck and into a new one in no time. The key is getting to a Swift terminal, though, before you get off the truck. Mentors run through the terminals daily.

 

Now, I can't comment about every single situation however, I doubt either of these is true. Per Swift policy, if you get an overweight or DOT citation while on a mentors truck the MENTOR is responsible for that ticket. The DOT officer may write the ticket out to you but once you sent it to Permits, the Permit department will deduct that money from the mentors paycheck, not your's. That is the way it is supposed to work. Since you're new, it is the Mentor's job to train you and if you're getting DOT and overweight violations then the Mentor isn't doing his job.

Also, Swift policy also states that mentors must drop students off at Swift terminals UNLESS the student requests being dropped off somewhere else. Mentors _have_ been fired for kicking students off their trucks at places other than Swift terminals, this much I know for fact. So, if a mentor values his job he'll get you to a terminal.

Wrong. After a year your tuition is paid. They take $75.00 a week out of your check and them reimburse you $37.50. At the end of 13 months your school is completely paid for. They don't start taking out the money until you are solo. During training they will pay you $350 the first 2 weeks, $400 the next 2 weeks and $500 the last two (I believe). If you elect to stay with Swift after that 13 month period they will then give you a $37.50 bonus each paycheck and if you stay the full 26 months, you will get your schooling for free.

 

Keep in mind that a lot of the "horror" stories that you hear about mentors come from people who most likely didn't finish training for one reason or another. And TBH mentors have FAR more horror stories about students/trainees. I'm not a mentor but I know a few and some of the stories I have heard frankly make my skin crawl. Like moving the sleeper curtain aside to find your student "shooting up" or "butt naked" under the covers of the lower bunk. For those that don't know typically the lower bunk will be the trainers and the upper bunk the students. But you cant sleep in the upper bunk when the truck is in motion for safety. So when it is in motion you will move to the bottom bunk. This is why its a good idea to just use a sleeping bag during your training time, easy to move around.

(Has the story was told to me)
I got had a new student who was overly polite to the point that you had to wonder what was up with him. Yes sir, No sir, Mister (Surname) I informed him that he didn't need to do that and to just call me by my first name. "Oh no Mister (surname) I cant do that this is how I was raised" ect. At the end of the week I took some home time when I got back to the truck.... The first thing that the student said to me was "I'm a chosen one".
Mentor "What?"
Student "God spoke to me and told me that I'm a chose one like Mosses."
Mentor "uh ok..."
Student "God sent me to save you."
Mentor "Wait now hold on here.."
Student steps up to the mentor "Your making me mad, you don't understand I was sent to save you."
At this point he said he grabbed a hammer out of the side box and told the student to stay the blank away from him. Needless to say he put that student off of his truck.

Side note Training pay was changed has of Jan 14 2008
Weeks 1-2= $450 (up from $350)
Weeks 3-4= $450 (up from $400)
Weeks 5-6= $500 (same)
$2800 total (down from $2500 wages +$500 bonus)
The $500 bonus for the first load has been done away with. So when you add it up you get 200$ more in pay the first four weeks. But in the end you get 300$ less becuse of loseing the first load bonus.

 

probably a dumb question... but if you already have a record of a successful DOT physical, would they accept that, or make you run through the physical again?

 

It has been my experiance that they will make you go through their physical. There were some experienced students at a trucking company, that still had to go through their physical, before they were able to go to orientation.

I also spoke with James. He sent my app to CR England then to Swift. He knows specific recruiters there. He seems professional and all over the phone, and seems to really give a hoot. I am sure he does get some compensation, but it does not bother me.

Once you start driving you pay $37.50 per paycheck ($150 a month) toward the training, and Swift matches that, so it is a total of $300 a month paid. You take $300 and multiply that by 13, you come up with the $3900 cost of the school. I did not know they start reimbursing you after the tuition is paid.

What is the pay scale? I had found something but know it has since changed.

I know it is broken up into:
cpm for first 4 months
cpm for 5th month
cpm for 6th - 11th month
cpm for 12+

Anyone know the formula they use to determine heart rate?

Side Note:
James Site... if you look at the website, the e-mails and contact all go back to one person, so he is his own company. Do NOT post the website on these forums.

 

If I remember right its 220-(age)X.9

 

That sounds about right, and to answer my own question:

Month: Pay:
1-4 .27 cpm
5 .30 cpm
6-9 .33 cpm
10 .34 cpm
12+ .35 cpm

Talking to the people at swift, the average weekly miles is 2300 - 2500
Is that accurate for the first year? If at all possible I hope to get a DM that would keep me around 2700 or better.