Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

"Their safety rating is in the toilet and has been for quite sometime. "

SafeStat reports that Swift for driver caused accidents at 63.02 and vehicle caused accidents at 42.15. Werner is 36.71 and 42.85 respectively. Taking into considearation that Swift is twice the size in no. of drivers and trucks the ratio is about the same so I'm not sure what you mean when you state there is an error in fact data?

"Werner as of They are consistently late in getting freight where it goes and they have a national reputation for not being that upfront or nice to their customers on the pricing end. The reputation is not just with the drivers like some of these pro-Swift people think. Also If Swift is so great, then tell me why their drivers are constantly defending the place. "

Each driver should take pride in how they present themselves to s ahipper so how Swift or Werner treats them is irrelevant. Also Swift won awards for customer service based on polls of CUSTOMERS so again not a good argument!

"They can do the cutthroat prices on the freight and operate more than 35% of their company trucks at a loss (which they do either operate at a loss or are barely breaking even on them), but you can only do that so long until your quality catches up to you."

This again is none of your concern you are a driver. If you care so much about profit/loss on a company balance sheet open your own company!!
I'm not promoting ANY company but I find it a pain when bitter drivers come on here blasting whoever claiming they know "the facts" when thier logic is crap!!

 

Actually this should concern you--since no profit--no paycheck. If they continue to operate this way in this economy, they might as well say hello to bankruptcy and you might as well start looking for a job. Im not bitter, but I refuse to sit back and watch people who know nothing sing the praises of a company that anybody in trucking knows just dont have their stuff together. BTW, you quoted percentages based on accidents/incidents per million miles driven. Last time I checked 62 was quite a bit higher than 36, no matter how big they are--might want to do that math again.

Also, thank you yet again for proving my point!

 

Timtruck is not someone you want to get information from; unless you want lies, misinformation, etc. The little red block on the right side of his post shows he has a low reputation on here. Most of us have been able to see right through the garbage he spreads on here.

Actually, outside examiners are better. Insiders, like at the school you attended, have a vested interest in signing you off. In other words, they will let things slide just to keep their graduation rates up. And before you get on your high horse, that is exactly what you have accused Swift of.

And what is your source for this information. Their safety rating is in the 60-70 range as opposed to many companies in the 90's. Why don't you list your company here or the company you started with so we can check their safety rating? It sure is interesting that they continue to get Carrier of the Year awards from the largest companies in the country. Kind of hard to do if you are always late and have a bad reputation don't ya think? Oh that's right you just want to rag with no factual basis for your comments. They have to be defended from people like you who tell nothing but lies. Why is it that so many choose to go to work there?

Hate to give you this breaking news but the "ousted" chairman once was and again is the owner of the company.

So list the companies so we can check your facts. Oh, that's right, you don't have sources just stories you make up as you type.

Well, they must be doing something right to be among the top 8 of all the companies that haul for Sears. I have been to Sears Distribution Centers and there must be at least 60 or 70 different major companies whose trucks are bringing product in and out.

What a lame excuse for not telling who you work for and where you went to school! I hate to break it to you but that is not what the forum rules are referring to when they talk about advertising. If that is the case then the "good companies" forum could not exist. Hundreds of companies are mentioned by name there and the moderators haven't banned those folks. The only one that displays a know-it-all attitude is you. You know so much about Swift and yet you cannot even provide sources for your information.

Plus the purpose of this forum is for people to share THEIR experiences with a company. I believe you are in violation of the rules then because you are not sharing YOUR experiences with Swift.

Swift has lots of million plus milers. At least they did when I worked there. Here is a newsbreak for you: Swift has made one of its goals to be a company who will take on new drivers and train them. They hope they will stay, and many do, but they also know that many come there for the year or two experience needed to go somewhere else.

Why don't you hold your breath for Swift to go bankrupt? You don't even work for the company and yet you know how "terrible" they are. You are probably one of the few drivers that Swift fired and are ticked off because you couldn't make it there. So your going to come on here and get back at them. The only point that is being proven on here is just how little you really know and how bogus your facts really are.

 

Here is a newsbreak for you:

The fact still remains that the VAST majority of Swift drivers have very little experience,(and, 1 year=very little) therefore, they are no where near as proficent as drivers working elsewhere with far more time on the road.
Thus, your "law of averages" example is not valid.

Swift has achieved the goal you stated above...Their primary source of driving employees are new licensees.

I have suspected for years that Swift derives nearly as much income from their "schools" (which I strongly suspect only teach a student to pass the test)and their "Apprentice Program" as they do from moving freight.

Following this example, it is in the companies interest to get newbies trained (to Swift standards) run them as long as possible at newbie pay, knowing that they are indentured servants for 1 year, then have them quit, to be replaced by another new driver, fresh from the Swift CDL factory.

This seems to be the buisness model they have adopted, since you don't achieve turnover numbers like Swift has by trying to keep employees for the long term.
Sure, some do stay, they probably have a dedicated route that works for them, or something else that keeps them.
Here's the deal...There are no where near enough of these type of jobs to keep experienced guys working there, Swift accepts this, and instituted their "revolving door" driver retention policy. It must work for them, I'm sure they have a staff of high dollar actuaries telling them so.

 

Two words come to mind...."kettle" and "black".

and i love the 'ive thrown off trainees out of my truck before'. Tell me, you wearing your blue tights and red cape, Superman?

And if those who drive for Swift are so unhappy and leave after a year or get canned before they make it that far, and Swift accepts their high number of turnover, then we shouldn't ever see any Swift driver with more than a year experience, yes? Then explain to me how i've run into two swift drivers passing thru the local truck stop, and BOTH have been with Swift for 3+ years. Kinda shoots your theory out of the water.

 

I'm a swift newbie too. Got released to solo three weeks ago. I've met and chatted with a total of eight Swift drivers at truck stops since I've been out on my own, and seven out of eight were just starting out, like me. I won't jump to any conclusions because of that though, since it hasn't been but a few weeks...

 

Another person showing their intelligence by their responses. Obviously if Swift were making more money off of the schools than hauling freight, they would reduce their risk of liability and just go to running schools. And of course they are going to have a high turnover rate. Part of those numbers are all the wannabees who find out that driving a truck is work. They thought they were joining to see the country and travel while being paid. They leave and don't look back. And there are a number who go there for a year to go someplace else they want to work. I find it personally disgusting to be told by a director of recruiting to go drive for someone else for a year and then come back and talk to us. This was told to me by the director of recruiting at Schaffer. I doubt he would like it if I came to work for them for a year just to go to someone else.

Face it, Swift does the industry a great service by weeding out alot of wannabees who can't hack it on the road. Rather than ripping them apart for doing what many other companies are too afraid to do, you ought to be grateful.

And on the flip side they have thousands of drivers who have been there in excess of two years, som give your bogus arguments a rest. It is an old story that is just as false today as the day it was first started. If you haven't driven for Swift then you really shouldn't be commenting as this is for people to share their experiences with a company.

 

Since this appears to be a reply to me, I will reply to you...

Of course Swift accepts the turnover, they have been operating this way for many years!

Your sample of (2) drivers is not enough to indicate a pattern. Try asking the next 100+ Swift drivers you see, or ask the next few if they expect to be working at Swift 10 years from now, and report your results.

The likelyhood is that these guys were staying on until they had enough experience to move on.

My "theory" is undamaged.

Your staunch defense of an outfit that you have not even worked 1 day for is amazing.

You would do well to keep your eyes and ears open, and your mouth closed, no matter what company you end up working for. Otherwise, your driving career is liable to be short lived.

I mean no disrespect, but if I were in your shoes, I would lose the chip(s) on my shoulders.

Believe me, we have all seen drivers with this sort of "I'm going to tell them what's what"
attitude, with their companies as well as with customers, cops, DOT, etc..

Usually they don't stay around long.
Dont let it happen to you...

 

well the items in my signature line are there to be funny, the one in red is the way i will operate. You said earlier that 'nobody stays longer than a year. I just ran into two who have been there 3 and 4 years. According to your theory, i shouldn't run into any. Havent worked for Swift, no. Have you??

 

You all have great info
But we need to be more civil to each other!!!!!!!!