Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

TT, when I went through Millington I didn't have any complaints with the instructors. I didn't see any of the problems you were describing as related to them. They did ,however, pass a few students that should never ever be allowed anywhere near a truck. Not even to wash it. And at the risk of being repetitive, anyone who is thinking of going to the swift school, find a way to pay them up front for the training. Borrow it, put it on a credit card, whatever. That gives you only a 6 month contract and then you get the full amount back. In the meantime, since you don't owe them anything the money you would have had withheld from your pay you can use to make pay on your card/loan. Then pay it off when they reimburse you.

 

That's some good advice.

I'm in no way disputing what you offer, but you're one of the few that have had nice things to say about the Millington Academy.

Hey...maybe you hit them on a good month.

 

I went to work for swift twice,out of the richmond,va. terminal as a solo driver from 6/ 1998 to 11/99 an again as a husband and wife team out of richmond,then switching over to the phoenix,az. terminal,from 4/2000 to 10/2002.I ran as a northeast solo driver my first time around 5 days out
2 days off.that was some tough running but great experience.I made about 550.00 to 750.00 aweek.always got home,I never once can remember not having aload matter of fact They ran the crap of me ,remember that was 1998 they didnt pay much then maybe 25cents a mile.But after 6 months I got to A load to phoenix picked up a brand new truck brought it back.They piss me off from time to time ,you sleep all night ,no load till 5pm been up all day got to run all night,and its a driver unload. Hey its the northeast and it was general freight,its the job I chose.I found out quickly, driving was not just a job but a way of life.Hurry up and wait unless your on a dedicated fleet all drop and hook,trucking is rough at times dont got nothing to do with swift its just the way it is people.I personally think most drivers who attack swift do it because hey everybody else does it so they do.I personally dont have a desire to attack any company expecially a driver because he chose to drive for swift.Theres more to driving than how fast your truck goes.I seen lots of drivers including swift drivers who couldnt back up very well.Hey newsflash most of them are new drivers ever thought of helping them out.I've helped be a second set of eyes for many drivers who were having a hard time not just a swift driver.Im sure all those drivers who dont drive for swift did it all on there own perfectly the first time.Thats because there truck runs triple digits right ,boy thats alot safer than a slow truck huh?go figure that logic.Who you chose to drive for isnt any of my business?Is swift the best company I dont know probably not ,so whos the best I dont know do you? That truck backed up just like the rest I got alot of experience out of it.I and the wife switched over to the phoenix terminal and got onto a dedicated team run,jc penney all drop and hook at different dc"s coast to coast out 30 days off 5.we brought home $1800-$2200 a week,we paid off $20,000 in credit card debt that 1st year saved enough to put 42,000 down on our first home.Thankyou swift!Easy #### no we busted ###,At first we team drove out of richmond general freight, it sucked we almost quit.we barely made solo miles.Swift has about 38 terminals.You can run out of any of them.we had a great dm out of Phoenix,a sucky one in richmond.Ive worked for three other companies first fleet out of phoenix,biagi bothers out of williamsburg,va.,ccc out of west point,va.ccc was the worst. the latter three being local.The best way to make money is team drive with your wife or gf.get on dedicated run.why did i quit swift well wife was burnrd out, me too,after 9/11 jc penney slowed way down.Driving can b tough no matter who u drive for ,the problem is drivers are under paid most of the time, companys and drivers have no dedication to each other,everybody is looking for the perfect job,good luck.In a nutshell swift is a great starter company,they pay more now ,there trucks are faster,65mph I hear.Same as many others.Heres what I want I want to team drive with my wife I want 60 cents a mile,I want a dedicated coast to coast run all drop and hook,I want to take my time off when i want, come back out when i want, 4 weeks of paid vacation a year,all paid holidays off.Unlimited paid truck washes.shut down anytime I desire.Im sure if I posted my phone # it ring off the hook from recruiters,huh,those jobs are dime a dozen right?One other thing I promise this is it,all those drivers who complained and ran there mouth never once said anything to me outside my truck in a truckstop and I had swift logos on me,why was that?

 

My research goes far deeper than that. It's documented.

And I don't think that anyone who finds them detestable would blame the driver for the actions of the company either. My focus certainly is on the company.

So have I. Swift isn't the only company discussed on this site, or viewed negatively.

I suppose than anyone who wanted to live in a truck for most of a year, with little or no time off could do that, but most of us have a life outside of our trucks. Thanks, but no thanks. You and your wife were obviously a dream team. I comment you.

Why thank Swift? You and your wife did the work. For all that you made between yourselves, double that. That was their take. Any team willing to live in that truck and roll at the rates you stated, would get miles at just about any company out there. You were a cash cow to them.

And who needs to burn out? You made your money by burning up those roads to the tune of up to 300,000 miles a year...right?

During the years of 2000-2002, I drove less than 60,000 miles a year for both of those years, and made about what you and your wife did. I was home 5 nights out of 7 each and every week. I was never more than four hours away from home. Every trip I made was a $400.00 minimum. Of course I owned my truck and trailer, and was in business for myself.

I don't offer that as a brag. The point is, there are BETTER ways to make money in trucking than to live in a truck all the time, traveling 5,000 to 6,000 miles a week, in order to make a decent living.

As near as I can tell, and this is a loose guess, you and your wife were splitting around 40 cents a mile. The fact that you were married made that rate pan out to something decent for you. That's not going to be the case for a solo driver, or one that has a family that would care to see him every once in awhile. So while you offer testimony that sounds great, it needs to be put into perspective.

Those things don't make me give them MY endorsement.

Why would they? The commentary in here, and what you hear over the CB are two separate things. We discuss companies...not the drivers.

Thanks for offering your side of things in regard to your experience with Swift.

 

Two things that bother me,if you pm you,the first thing someone asks is about a job,you get paid for refering even if you are not a recruiter,also you mentioned swift and freightliners while comparing trucks at martens,why did you not mention the volvos,more volvos at swift than freightliners? At least it seems that way. While I have seen and talked to many Snieders drivers that have stayed for years there,they have the years on their uniforms,I have not talked to or seen many older drivers at swift. They leave by greyhound and come back in a few weeks by greyhound as well as Jb hunt,those two are the most prevalent according to greyhound drivers I have talked to,I did my research and tried ats once and came back before I started . Read my post to my nightmares.

 

Two things that bother me,if you pm you,the first thing someone asks is about a job,you get paid for refering even if you are not a recruiter,also you mentioned swift and freightliners while comparing trucks at martens,why did you not mention the volvos,more volvos at swift than freightliners? At least it seems that way. While I have seen and talked to many Snieders drivers that have stayed for years there,they have the years on their uniforms,I have not talked to or seen many older drivers at swift. They leave by greyhound and come back in a few weeks by greyhound as well as Jb hunt,those two are the most prevalent according to greyhound drivers I have talked to,I did my research and tried ats once and came back before I started . Read my post to my nightmares.

 

I really don't understand why anyone would stay at Swift that long. The big outfits pay is such that if you are there more then a few years you are actually losing money to inflation.

Why run 3000 miles a week to make what most experienced drivers make at 2500? I guess some just don't like change and will settle for less.

Actually I think Swift is as good a starter company as any, since if you can put up with their bull for 6 months, you will be able to make it most any place.

 

Hi yall: I see Swift is still a hot topic. I think the biggest problem with swift is it is to Big. Any time you deal with big companies you are going to have problems, they got big by working for the dollar and putting the money they made in the company not the people, like I said I quit driving late last year and have gone to work for a company in the trucking industry and am in upper management and the pressure to maintain a productive budget is just unreal, when I want to buy a piece of equipment that will help the employees the first thing I hear is can we get it cheaper. Swift has such a bad rep for abusing its drivers and I know while I was there one of my most used expressions was "ok so you want me to park your truck where?" while I was at USxpress same thing, the only place or places where I didnt have to use that one was the smaller companies with 3 to 15 trucks, and of course at home when I was a kid on the ranch. The main thing I have learned over the years was that the big companies will try to intimidate it's drivers and make them do things that aren't right and the drivers only recourse is to park their truck, and find an outfit you can work with, gotta go ya'll be careful out there and enjoy what your doing. I know there are good companies out there and once you establish with them that you are a proffesional it does make a difference, So in the end it does get better, Yall are always in my prayers

 

I've been a local driver for my whole driving career. I told a friend of mine 3 months ago, if he got his CDL? I would team with him.
Well, He did just that. Currently he's doing his 42 days of driving with a Swift Mentor.
Why did we choose Swift? That was prety much a choice by my friend. He didn't want to have to pay $3,500.00 out of his own pocket, so he opted for a sponsorship at the CDL school he attended. Sure he has a contractual obligation now. But, after that 1 year, we can move on to greener pastures.
Are we going to experience the same crap, and mistreatment that so many people swear goes on at Swift? I don't know. But, it's what you make of it. Were not expecting to go out there and be handed the world on a silver platter. It's a way of life, not just a job.
If it doesn't work out at Swift? We chalk it up as a learning experience, and move on.
I have read ALOT of forums on Swift. And while there are many disgruntled current, and former driver's. There's also ALOT of satisfied current, and former driver's.
June 5th I report for orientation in Sumner, WA. Let the adventure begin!

 

I am getting new eyeglasses,in all my years out here I don't remember seeing only but a few drivers that were old enough to drive for swift for 7 years,i only see the newbees ,I guess the old drivers are in the sleepers catching zees. I have on the other hand seen alot of older drivers with schneider and they have the stripes to prove it on their jackets,which I think is a nice touch,other than Swift putting the sign AWARD WINNING DRIVERS,on their trailers,everytime i see one of those it cracks me up to no end.