Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

A real trainer?

With 2 years (showing on your info block) experience....what would you know about a "real trainer"? BTW....Swift hasn't had any "trainers" since 2001....they have "Mentors"!

Every student I had...had the keys in their hand as they walked out of the terminal to go to the truck....my first position on my log with EVERY student was Line 2...sleeper! That doesn't mean I was sleeping...you tell me what I can't do from center bunk (sitting) that I could do from the passenger seat!? What better way to give the new, nervous student at least a feeling of self confidence, a bit of time to "pound his chest"....he/she is (in effect) solo in the front of a big rig, at the wheel, nobody looking in can see the Mentor behind him/her....

Nothing but compliments for the first hour or so...then take an exit and a safe place to park and ask some simple questions like;

"Now what do you think you could improve on?"
"How could you have done that easier or smoother?"
"Tell me something you know you did wrong, and what made it wrong?"

Now step outside the truck together....a good pat on the back, a congratulatory hand shake, a rousing "WELL DONE"....

Once they are all full of themselves....you hammer them with...."BTW, you only have to chain up this rig, modified max, 7 or so times before you can graduate to Solo Status!" "Almost forgot...you also have to have 60 backs of various kinds.....guess we better get to work!"

Swift didn't require 60 backs.....I DID....SAME THING WITH THE CHAINS! YOU DON'T GET OFF MY TRUCK WITH MY BLESSING UNTIL YOU PASS MY CRITERIA....which is set to a much higher standard than Swift standards!

 

I guess some people expect the trainer to babysit and hold their hand the whole time they are behind the wheel. If this is your thought process, you're in the wrong industry.

 

I don't know what they do with their company trucks. They don't make me fuel anywhere. In most cases, I can find better fuel at a better price than following the fuel route. Sinclairs and more independent places like Shell or mom n pops have better pricing, in most cases. But, they aren't in the Swift network and Swift doesn't get kickbacks from most of the places I fuel.

 

If Swift's fuel optimizer program is anything like CRE's, I'd say no. Just because you get specific fuel stops doesn't mean you have to fuel there.

I get out of route fuel stops all the time at CRE. I just fuel where I want to and send in a macro 51 or a macro 20 to make the stop compliant.

 

As long as it was routed in your fuel solution, and you turned in the receipt....you always got it refunded to you.

I never once had a problem with getting reimbursed for out of pocket expenses for trips....as long as I was directed or authorized to make the expense. Anything under $20.00, truck related, you didn't need authorization....as far as tolls...there are equally as efficient ways to get around them if the delivery schedule is not tight to a schedule. Such as not going across IL/IN/OH on I-80...just drop down to the US highway.

 

In that scenario....you get a toll advance from your DM....so it doesn't come out of pocket...technically it doesn't show as an advance, but more like a lumper receipt with an authorization number attached.

If your DM wouldn't do that for you....he was one of many POS DM's Swift has had and still contends with ongoing driver irritation....(best, kindest word I could think of)

 

I'm a new student int he industry and originally was going to go and work for CR England, but realized they were not the company to start with, for me anyway. I now am starting with Swift, and thus far it's been ok. My question really is this: If every company out there is bad and everyone has a terrible story about them, then what company is the BEST? Is there one? No, I don't think so. With a thousand people saying company A or B is so bad, there are a thousand others saying they both are great. Just like any job we do, there are going to be good and bad things about them. Not every employer is gong to match every employee. So, to "report a bad company", is really just reporting a personal experience. I've had many bad experiences in life with things that others succeed at. (Sorry, just had to throw my two cents in; have a great day to everyone)

 

Mirage, keep that outlook. It will serve you well.

 

I just quit Swift. They are a very dysfunctional organization suffering by what I call 'management by cubicle'.

However nothing is all good or all bad. Swift (and a very few others) will take some dropout, 450pound, illiterate, low IQ Bozo and train them for a job that can lead to a lifetime of employment in a decent-paying field. We should remember that, in the good 'ol USA, everyone should have an opportunity, based upon their ability and motivation, to succeed. Swift does provide that service and should be commended on that.

 

Swift takes-on just about anyone and trains them. They have a very high % of 'inexperienced' drivers for that reason plus their 135% turnover rate. With 17000 drivers, many of them new, it seem logical that there would be more Swift trucks in a ditch somewhere. On one drive from PHX to LAX I counted 5 Swift trucks parked on the side of I10 (no accident) broke-down. All-in-all Swift is a place to get your training and 1 or 2 years experience. I will say that Swift absolutely does not value it's drivers at all....it's called 'Corporate Culture' and it's part of Swift's 'Business Model' to keep seniority low and therefore also labor costs low by high-turnover.