Question:
Probably opening a real can of worms here...
I'm a pre-hire for Swift and just finished 4 weeks of training at National Transportation (any comments about them?) and start orientation Monday. Two guys in the class read a lot of forums and said they heard nothing but bad about Swift. I realize that there are a lot of problems/complaints about most carriers, but would like to have an idea of what I'm getting into with Swift. I don't know enough to ask inelligent questions, so any comments you have is appreciated.

Answer:
See where this area is on your pages?

Click on the search feature and type in 'Swift'. Your computer should go crazy with 'hits' on posts, threads, etc.....
BTW, welcome to TruckNet.

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Haven't heard anything good except "Glad I left there."
Sure
Wish
I
Finnished
Training
They are the biggest, have the most contract's.
And the largest number of accidents.
And Jerry figured that heck we will have new driver train new drivers. Kind of like have Michel Jackson watch your kid's. I pass.
You can only do better.

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Ex Swifty here: Jan thru Sept of 1999.
I started with Swift, and lasted 9 months with them before I could not take the incompetance of the office people any longer. A handful of people do well at Swift but the majority do not. If you get lucky enough to get one of the fleet managers that seem to give a crap about their drivers it wont be too bad, but most of the FM's could care less about anything except drawing a paycheck each week.
The load planners also seem to have their head's stuck up their butts most of the time. I refuse to count the times I have been kept sitting empty all day long or for 23 hours (just before layover pay would kick in) and then be expected to run a 500 mile load in 9 or 10 hours. (This was back when Swift was 60 mph). What made it bad was that every hour or two they would want you to either call or message in to see if they had a load for you and to remind them that you need one. If you didnt then they would message you and chew your azz for not following procedure.
My lowest check with Swift was $78 net (and yes this was for a full week on the road) and my highest was just over $650 gross.
Swift's training program is a crap shoot. You never know what you will get. You may get a trainer who has been driving for onyl 6 months, you may get one who could care less about teaching you anything, you may get one who only wants you for a log book so he can run the truck 5500 plus miles per week. You may get lucky and get one of the 2% of trainers they have that want to make you into the best driver they can in the time they have to work with you.
You will be a number at Swift and little more.
At least this is my observations and experience with this company. While I will not go so far to say Swift is the worst training company out there it is pretty close to the bottom IMHO.
Answer:
i lasted 2 weeks at swift, in their flat bed side. i gave them a brand new truck back.
one saturday night, i found a little hill in texas, got up to 75 mph. the following wednesday, i got a verbal warning about it, on the phone.
i didn't like their attitude. and i do not trust any swift driver i get close to, anywhere on the road. they do dumb things, all the time.Government Ain't YO' Friend. Nor your Servant.
A Tax Reduces Incentive & Capacity. A Regulation is also a TAX.


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My reply would be almost a carbon copy of U-Turns.
I was fortunate in the sense that I had a great trainer.He did not run the truck as a "team" operation.He made me do 90% of the backing.This is a good thing.Never seemed concerned with the money aspect of it.Paid for all my meals.I truly got lucky.
I stayed with Swift for right at 8 months.Got tired of the incompetance and turned in a new truck as well.
Luck prevailed and I landed a good local gig hauling lumber in the D/FW area.
Swift still calls every 90 days or so asking if I'd be interested in coming back.
Perhaps when hell freezes over.
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Thanks for all the input. I've learned a lot about trucking in this forum. And thanks for the welcome, Hoss. Your posts have been most informative and level-headed.

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hoss talks a lot.Government Ain't YO' Friend. Nor your Servant.
A Tax Reduces Incentive & Capacity. A Regulation is also a TAX.


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Well I've tried everything and haven't found sht on Swift. I'll work for them for a year, get them paid back and get some experience and move on if all I hear turns out to be true.

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Go here:
http://roundtable.truck.net/search.php?mode=results
Type in swift
sit back and read for days

Answer:
Harrys:
You are just graduating from truck driving school. Congratulations on passing, but you will be very limited until you have more experience. All the posts around here seem to be negative about large companies that train new drivers, and sadly, most of them really are lousy places to work, but as a new driver, you don't have too many choices. And except for a few small details, these companies are about the same. Your company choice comes down to either a white truck, a blue truck, a red truck or two, an orange truck, and maybe a few others.
So if you are determined enough, look past all the negativity and get driving. You will learn more on your own than with any trainer, so just get through the training, get your company truck, do your time, and then see if you like it enough to continue.
Good luck

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Thanks Jack. I've worked in three saw mills for the last 21 years; 8 years, 10 years, and 3 years respectively, and hate to move around. I would have retired from each one of them if there hadn't been good reason to leave (lost overtime at starvation wage, no highschool in tiny town, and shut down). The saw mills have been going down for a long time, and I've always wondered what I would do once the work ran out. I've always wanted to drive truck, but couldn't untill now...my four kids are grown and I'm going on the road. I'm a loyal, dedicated employee and will probably do ok whoever I end up with. I can put up with a lot of bs, but won't put up with it forever, and I've heard some good things about some carriers. Also, I'm thinking that truckers are a lot like milwrights and welders: opinionated and independant, so I take most of what I read with a grain of salt. I've learned more about this business reading these posts than I probably would in a year on the job. I'm happy to see all the good safety advice and level-headed suggestions.

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Checkout http://home.mia.net/~detailer/Diary/home.htm
This guy posted some good info on his time at SWIFT

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Hey now! I resemble that remark.
One thing I've noticed (from reading stuff here), the bigger training companies seem to micro-manage everything you do. Routing, fuel stops, etc.......
Once you've been with a company a while and learn how they operate and how their system works, you can usually make their system work for you.
Good Luck with whatever company you choose.

Answer:
Here we go. Swift this and Swift that.
I understand everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, and I have mine.
But I dislike the comment made by 55sams about not trusting any Swift driver or that they always do dumb things. There are many good and decent men and women who work for Swift and I have many of them as friends still, even though I don't drive for Swift any longer.
I have seen plenty of so called dumb stuff by many other company drivers.
As to all the folks who have had a bad experience with Swift, it happens. But it also happens with all big training carriers. I, myself, had three trainers and the third one was the charm. So, it can make a difference.
They have there problems, sure, but all carriers do, and you have to find the right one that is a fit for you.
Codger"Stop holding me back. I'm going to clown college." Homer Simpson