Question:
Are Swift's terminals just fuel and maintenance or do they also have food, showers, stores, etc? Swift's site says where they are but not really what's ther except fuel and maintenance.Why do drive-up ATMs have Braille on the keypads?

Answer:
I still wonder why newbies choose Swift, Werner and a couple others over other companies. I know their adds sound terrific but that's just advertising. The truth is in the numbers. When Swift boast 105 percent turnover their stating 18000 drivers walked in and out their doors last year. Thats no small number so just maybe their not all their advertising cracks them up to be.
I've heard Swift has both full service, drivers lounge and just drop yard type terminals. I'm sure like most big companies they have alot of all kinds of terminals.

Answer:
i drove for werner as a rookie and just left swift 4 cfi. the reason u join those companies as a rookie cause as a rookie those are the companies the school recruiter is pushing on you and they come off as friendly and have your best intrest in mind now we all know as drivers wit a few exp it's all B.S. but as a rookie your just happy if someone picks u up and want 2 pay u 2 train with them.
werner
swift
U.S. xpress
cr england are some of the biggest student hiring companys there maybe a few other smaller not such big name companys r out there but those 4 i listed r the biggest and most well known and a rookie dosen't really know any better there just geeked up and happy and not knowing what kinda BS there in 4.

Answer:
o yeah ...yes swift terminals r basically just shop and fuel and most have big lots for trailers...never got out 2 phoenix, az swift hq but i heard it more driver friendly with all kinda cool stuff 4 drivers but i never been there and i drove 4 swift for 2yrs. werner has some cool terminals in that are in the major citys like dallas and cali and omaha, ne werner hq is just beautiful and there lot of stuff to do on the terminal and in the surrounding area. but i haven't worked 4 werner in 4yrs so i imagine werner may have made a few more improvements..maybe...can't see y not the only company i know that buys kenworth and give them to rookies to drive t900 long hoods(help back 3 werner newbie in kwt900 in the last 2months)

Answer:
Got my start at SWIFT back in '99 and managed to last 13 months........I recall that MOST had a shop and ALL had showers(but they were far from anything you would want to shower in)
The HQ in Phoenix had a cafeteria that was open during the day and evenings
They have become alot bigger since I was there,but I doubt the offered amenities have improved recovering dweller..........oilfield trash division

Answer:
yeah i forgot to mention the swift terms have showers....don't use the new boston, mi term showers...those showers flood and get all you stuff wet..go to t/a 8miles down i-75 to shower. never use that terminals shower unless you wanna end up in a small flood.

Answer:

I can't speak for any other rookie, but Swift is the only company that seems to want to hire me. Talk about an ego booster. Truth of the matter is I have a job histiry from he!! and two terminations. Most of my jobs have been in sales for the past 5 years and I kept trying to find something I could sell. Well, too late, it dawned on me that though I am a very personable individual (I've been told) I couldn't sell ice water in hell. As far as the terminations, well I don't lie, cheat or steal and despise anyone who does, and refuse to work for a company that blatantly tells me to do any of them. When I refused to swipe some competitors uniforms (I admit, I didn't refuse "nicely") and then they found out I was job hunting, they fired me for "insubordination". Not becayse I refused to steal, but because I yelled. The other company that terminated me did so because I didn't fit into their "team". The owner threatened to fire the bottom three guys if ANY graffiti was found in the port-a-johns at the job sites, whether it was from our crew or not. I basically said that was stupid, and asked if we were supposed to carry Ajax with us to the jobsites to scrub the port-a-johns so we wouldn't get fired. BTW, this was construction, anywhere from 4-8 different companies and trades at any given time all using the same port-a-johns.
Wow, and I bet not a one of you really needed to nor wanted to know all that Well too bad I already typed it and I'm not undoing it. And yes that is 2 minutes you will never get back. Sorry.
So that is why this rookie is going with Swift. And why I think no one else wants to touch me right now. And I can't afford privare school and I don't have time to do community college.
I now return you to your regular program already in progress.Why do drive-up ATMs have Braille on the keypads?

Answer:
Well then go to Swift and turn around the job history. Take their schooling and stick out their contract time if you like it there or not. Not many carriers will care about what you did before driving after that. If they see you did good at Swift and stuck it out it will speak volumes above your non-driving history.
Just be prepared for some real schitt becuase you will have to deal with it for a while if you want to move ahead to another better company. Just be forwarned that better is in the eye of the person. Alot of companies are the same in almost all aspects except the name on the doors of their trucks. So while your sticking it out at Swift take the time to plan ahead. Give yourself some real hope by planning your career either as a driver or in another field. It can be done either way if you plan for it and make it happen. Planning will also make your present time at Swift or another training company more bearable becuase you have some thing to look forward to. Trucking is never what people think it will be and there is always life outside of a truck job.
It took less than 2 minutes to read your post. Hopefully you have learned from your mistakes and others.

Answer:
Thanks for the advice. The other companies that I want to switch to do have much better reputations than Swift. They are a couple primarily flatbed outfits. But yeah, I agree I am probably going to try to stick it out with Swift for at least a year.Although I am concerned about them apparently losing the Volvo account. I have no idea if it will affect me at all initially, but is it going to get other clients re-evaluating? That was rhetorical, BTW.
Anyway, thanks again. You and Shuffler I pay particular attention to on this forum, so I will take that as solid advice. Much appreciated.Why do drive-up ATMs have Braille on the keypads?

Answer:
They probably did the old bait and switch with Volvo and it didn't work. Most likely they low balled their initial rates and tried to up the anti at contract time. To bad for them because some one else was most likely there lowballing their rates to get the business. If Swift really wanted it they would have it. It's like their car hauling venture. They started out lowballing and couldn't raise the rates later on. But it goes a little deeper than that because they never really got out of it. Their still part owners with a couple others who run under a different name, Blue Thunder i believe. But the consequences to everyone is still continueing. Car hauling rates now like drive-away rates are lower than they use to be. When you can get newbies to work for pennies on the dollar and companies to bid so low it's rediculous we all pay for it in the long run. So drivers and O/Os suffer from the greed of the companies. I suppose it' nothing new.

Answer:
Good post man, I think I am going to be in the same boat as you, got a DUI in 98 and was forced to start selling so wandered onto some car lots and applied, although I was semi succesfull, I am just sick of listening to myself talk and want to get into trucking. like you my work history is pretty scattered I have been around more than my share of car lots in the past 7 years, its a gypsy business.
So I think I am probrably going to wind up with swift although Gordon is my first choice. My brother in law drove for swift for 2 years and said they treated him well so we shall see.


Answer:
I have to admit, Swift's recruiters responds to new applicant faster than any company I've ever seen. Apply on line and they will contact you the same day or early the next day. They basically take almost anyone that can past their workwell physical. They know that they have a high turnover rate so they recruit like there is no tomorrow. I think that one of the main reason's why driver quit Swift is because of their Driver Manager. If you get a good DM, you will stick longer. Unfortunately, there aren't many good DM so most new recruits are left to fend for themselves. If you can stick it through for 6 months, you'll get better loads and have more opportunities to get dedicated accounts. All of swift's terminals except for the one in Phoenix dont' have restaurant. They have a few dirty showers and a small breakroom with vending machines. Thats about it. Oh, one thing that I have to say about swift's terminal is that I really dislike the contractors that they use to clean their bathrooms. Seems to take forever with no regards to the driver waiting to use the bathroom. In lathrop, ca, its normal to wait 4 hours or more for them to clean the bathrooms before they let anyone in.