What is the state of the big guys?

If you're going to team, your outlook may be better than what the solo's are getting. Everone's doing a lot of sitting.

 

I have a friend here from Petoskey, who went with Swift. 6 months later he is telling me that he gets far less pay per mile than what is driven. He drives the routes they pick, but he gets paid for only about 80 percent of those miles. He only gets 29 cents per mile in those first 6 months, but getting paid for only about 1500 miles per week. I drive more than double that for a small company. He is stuck out on the road for many hours at a time waiting for loads. With my small Co. I usually know where my next 3 loads are. He gets health care, but he pays for part of it. I rather get high miles and purchase my own. He has to follow much tighter rules, and is subject to being fired because he is just another driver. We only have 10 drivers. and I do not have a driver number!!!!! My name is David! not #21720! He got a trainer quite fast. and with in a week had a truck. I never had a trainer. I took the road test, passed it and the same day had my truck. (road test over 200 miles) not some arround the block thing.

 

From opinions, let me say that again from opinions from drivers and from forums it seems You may wait awhile after training to get your truck. There was a picture at my school of the last day hours graduation most was Werner/Swift/UsX one left a email and I emailed him and he said he had to wait about 3 weeks after Swift training but thats from 1 person.

 

For the record, I just hung up the phone from talking with a local terminal manager for Conway. Company wide, their freight is down 30%, they are running NO training programs for student drivers, and they currently have 1,700 drivers laid off. I don't expect that I'll be going to work for them anytime in the forseeable future, LOL.

 

with the present economy, a lot of drivers are sitting. people arent buying, no business to haul = no or low miles. with the slow economy a lot of carriers arent taking on anyone but experienced drivers. had to say it, cause i am going to be looking in the next 90 days. best of luck and dont lose hope, things will pick up.

 

luvtheroad,

The economy is in the tank, and I'm not terribly encouraged about the future. There are, however, jobs available out there. I'm already scheduled to attend orientation with two different carriers and both are 'good' carriers, not the bottom feeders. I've got a few days yet to make a final decision. I was calling Conway just to check it out because they have a terminal 5 miles from my house. I guess I was hoping for that all elusive 'local haul' but if it comes, it won't be with Conway... not anytime soon anyway.

 

yes, the economy is in the tank and probably was long before most people recognized that fact. but, as you say, there are jobs out there and decent jobs too. best of luck in your new job. i always like to think that the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train. lol

 

You may have saw my posts in other places but I think SWIFT is cool for new drivers. You can try driver solutions, the kinda streamline PAM, USA TRUCK and a few others. Its basically the same deal....go through training and you gotta pull for them for a year. The next year you can get paid the equivelent in bonuses.

 

I didn't mean my post to be all gloom and doom, please don't think that I did. Actually I'm pretty optimistic about the economy turning. Maybe not as fast as what I'd like to see, since I'll be out there with the rest of you looking for a job late April. All I'm saying is that its slow... There are jobs out there and that's good for all of us who are new or re-entering the industry. Just do your homework and make sure that it's a wage that you can survive on. Best of luck and here's hoping that we can all have a safe and profitable 2009!