Swift Transportation - What The Recruiter Didn't Tell You

What's great about Swift is the diverse dedicated stuff! Everybody else is either OTR or regional. Swift has day cabs for local drivers. I am on my way to Phoenix now! Going to flatbed training! Swift will hire me right away everytime and orientation is a breeze once I'm in I can do just about any kind of hauling I want. I have decided that some flatbed experience would be nice to add to my resume and Swift is delighted to help me out. This is the second time I've told my goal to a Swift recruiter and got exactly what I wanted. First time I called Swift I just needed a local driving job to get a paycheck while the oil field company was taking a long time to process my application. I got put on a dedicated account in my area right away running the most raggedy day cabs ever!

 

I use opti idle every day have over 30% and have never been written up for it. Om dashboarda fhey remind me to lower it nad I remind them jts hot and I spend all my time in the truck so I'll be staying at 72F max inside. And its never an issue.

Fired for idling LOL yeah right.

 

Here is a shorter answer.

Yes, for the most part.

After you complete 50 hours of driving time the mentor can approve you for team driving.
After that, and until you complete your training, you will be a team operation.

You can figure that most of your time 'training' will be as a team operation.

 

Some people have been fired for it, from what I have heard.
I haven't been, yet, and I was once written up for it.

I ignored the write up.
Heck, it was done behind my back and I wasn't even called in to sign a paper!

But 30%?
That would be a very low month for me.
I would laugh at that, and Swift would cheer for me by keeping it that low.
(No, they wouldn't. They would bug me to get it below 17% or something.)
They will always pressure you to get it lower.

We get messages telling us to stay safe and comfortable, then other messages telling us to lower our idle time to save the company money.
Sorry, can't do both at the same time.

Swift could install APU's to save the fuel and keep us comfortable, but they don't see it as a viable option.
The cost and maintenance seem to outweigh the fuel usage during the average lifetime of the truck, since they lease the truck for a certain amount of time before they unload it.
So they leave it to the driver to save for them.

 

Really liked this post about Swift. First time seeing some positive comments about them after all the resource I have done on Swift Transportation!! I will start my school training on 08/01/16 in Richmond, VA (Home Terminal as well since I'm in eastern NC). Is it anything I need to know before starting the program?? Thank

 

That depends on the student, as well as the mentor.

In my case, with a total greenhorn (no commercial experience), it goes like this:

1st 50: Up front, on duty. I'll drive a few hours first if the load needs it.

50-100: Up front, off duty. I drive after the student finishes, if needed. I try to plan at least 6 hours shut down every night.

100+: Shorter shut down, and I generally catch a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon while the student drives.

After the first week, the student has a pretty good handle on how things work. They've dealt with shippers and receivers, macros (1-6, 11, 22, 54 [I'm on a JIT account]), fueling, and so on. I'm there the event that something a bit less common comes up.

I've had a student where we went full team at 50 (she had driven city bus for 22 years), and I've had one where I literally spent 197 of the 200 hours in the front seat.

Yes, there are mentors who go team at 50, but those are the ones (nearly always lease ops) who need the extra money to make their truck rental payments...

 

While I thanked your post for the overall gist of it, this statement is a bad idea. You have an HOS violation being off duty in a moving truck longer than two hours. Then you have to log sleeper berth. Logging sleeper berth while crossing the magic line of the curtains to sit in the passenger seat is a violation. Do not ask me how I know this.

 

How hard is the Lancaster terminal backing and road test?

 

Same as every other road test ... if you know what you're doing, easy. If you don't, oh well.

 

Oh wow. You all have to deal with so much bs... Jesus.

Seriously, there are other starter companies out there. Pay is similar and .. Wow. I would not survive out here if I had all that to worry about.

It's not like swift makes you sign a contract even if you go to their driving school... And so many companies offer tuition reimbursement...