What is it like to work for Swift?

This post should be pinned.

 

Hardly confused. I'm speaking to the environment now , as opposed to "then". I've been at it 22 years, my first ride was a 62 mph 91 FLD with a 290 Detroit , at FFE. I was 21 years old . A Swift truck rear ended me on I 15 in a snow storm coming back into Utah after loading potatoes in Idaho. Ripped his condo open , suit cases everywhere . Being young and dumb I didn't sue for medical and later the Swift claims lady told me that they settled out for an average of $70,000 it incidents like that. I just felt bad for the guy because he told me he was a rookie and him and his wife shouldn't have been driving, but they're told to make the load no matter what. So I told Swift I wouldn't sue if they let the drivers keep their jobs stupid me ha ha. Anyways my point is that they are simply the biggest target on the road because they have 16,000 units and drivers for XYZ kill people , roll over their trucks, get fined , obtain their CDL in a sketchy manner, screw up loads , etc , you just don't notice it as much because your eye isn't on them and the metrics of size as relates to accidents plays out to more volume even if the ratio is average . Every man or woman is a human being at the end of the day, I've seen 18 -year-old intrastate drivers that have more skills and commonsense than some cat that's been out here on the super slab for 30 years, and it wasn't too long ago that a Walmart driver killed all those people on the East Coast so it could happen to anybody....trucking is about inches and seconds , sometimes

 

Boy if you think England is a savvy company and swift is great. you did not learn a darn thing in the military about recruiters! The only time they tell the truth is when their mouths are closed.
you stated my Job in the Air Force was not all it was cracked up to be. Well guess what Neither is trucking. you are not out there lolly gagging sightseeing you are there to haul freight period! putting on 120,000 miles a year! one day off for every seven you work! up to three days off! one week vacation after one year. This is not the Airfarc where it is 9-5 work and easy slack crap.
If you want to go in to trucking fine go but go in to it eyes wide open. use your GI Bill and go to a CDL school or Community college. Do not have a trucking company give you your CDL. Period! go earn it. find a company like Schneider, TWT, GTI, and a whole host of other companies that do give a darn who they put in their seats. All the rest are bottom feeders.

 

Trust me. Their contracts is nothing like any you've signed before. I went with C.R. England. Signed their contract for 6 months. They fired me after I rolled their truck and now they are trying to collect 3K from me for the school. They broke the contract and yet somehow I am still responsible for it.

You still have your GI Bill benifits? I didn't. Go to an independent school with your GI Bill. get your license free and clear of any contracts and then go into trucking at one of the less evil megas or even a small company. There are plenty of options for you in Fontana.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you learn from the countless number of us who have gotten screwed by the megas contracts.

 

Yep, use the GI Bill and go to a private school. After you have your CDL find either a great company that repays school costs or a company that has a VA affiliated apprenticeship for the extra first year pay.
DOT Foods in Modesto is hiring ....

 

Yes, that is about everybody's experience with Swift. A Swift driver use to average about 1700 miles a week before elogs; It dropped to 1500 miles after, and dropped even lower after "plus 1" crap. That is why turnover is 100% at Swift.

But some still believe the BS the recruiter tells them and never bother to check. Just because they work hard does not mean they get the miles. Just watch some Swift lovers boil over reading this.

 

Don't forget at Swift driver Cameras will be watching you!
If you yawn and drive a lawyer will come after you lol

 

Another part that nearly no one knows. Here's a be hind the seems look at it. Trucking companies get$10000 to hire people. They get another $5k to 6k to train each person. Then they bill back the school to the new driver. Another $4500 to $5000. So I know when they go to cash in the gi Bill. They are hitting it for the $7500 or $8000 in it. It's a pyramid scheme mega fleets have going. And believe me. There are far better companies out there then swift that will hire you.
Think of it like a marriage. Your going to be there for 3 years or more. Pick a place that is more beneficial to you as them.