Swift question

Hang in there; trucking is a good career.

 

@Chinatown is our mega expert

 

It isn't even that at all.
So narrow minded.

Much of it is the people you work with, how much control you have over how you do things.
Surface Pay is secondary.

I never need to ask for the extra pays, because the people with me take care of it up front.
I never need to explain myself, or how I choose to run my loads.

There is a good reason why, after nearly 10 years, I am still at the same company.
The money is not the reason.
And it never should be.

 

Get some sleep; you're grouchy.
Accessorial pays are as important as CPM. You've only worked for Swift so can't make comparisons.
I made $65K per year @ .36 cpm, so how did I do that? Accessorial pays is the answer.

 

true... swift pays a quarterly bonus and pays what miles you ran in that quarter
each level you achieve pays more cpm which makes a nice extra pay
also add detention and layover.

 

Right, I was even paid to fuel the truck, pre-trip, post-trip, 10 hr. break, detention, etc.
For a 34 hr. re-start, we had a choice of $50 cash or a hotel room. I always took the cash because we were allowed to idle the truck.
There's two companies that pays hourly and it's OTR. Hourly pay starts when you leave the terminal and stops when you return to the terminal. That could take several days. There's probably more, but I know of two.
MacFarlane Pheasants is one of them; pays $25.00 hr.
Also pays for cdl school.

 

I am a Swift reefer freight driver. I've been solo almost 1 year. I'd like to add one thing into this. Swift is a training company. Their culture is designed to grow new drivers. That said, they have a decent set up for doing that. They really do have a fairly strong safety culture. One thing I have definitely learned is that driving a rig is much more different than a 4 wheeler than you think when you start out. Almost all the rules and habits I've had driving a 4 wheeler have been altered and changed for driving a rig. IT TAKES TIME and experience to get that and learn to adapt. Most folks abhor having a camera in their truck. But, I learned it isn't there to punish you but to help them help you. If you don't adapt your driving habits to safe habits for a semi, you don't make it. The camera catches those habits that will need to change. Your driver leader and the safety folks will instruct you on what you have to change. They are not trying to punish you, they are trying to develop you into a safe driver in a vehicle that weighs a great deal more than a 4 wheeler and performs VERY differently than one. Different habits and attitudes have to come. If you don't, they will eventually cut you loose. But, importantly, they don't just throw you out there. They are set up to develop drivers.
So, in my opinion, Swift is a good company to start with, even if the pay may be better elsewhere. Once you get a year or two and have developed good, safe driving habits, chances are you'll be able to make it elsewhere if you think the grass is greener.
But, in the beginning, I think it really is worth it to drive for a company that will help you to develop into a good, safe, professional driver.
My opinion anyway.

 

I can't disagree more. I work to make money to provide for me and mine. Everything else is secondary to that as if I had the money to do what I want I'd not even be working. As I'm working and not with family and friends, I want that time away to be worth as much as possible.

Is it nice to have good coworkers? Of course, but I'll take better pay over better co-workers any day of the week.