Swift Transportation


Sean I don't think you're totally to blame and never did.I know what all u went thru.Remember I was once a new driver.It was just as bad then as it is now.Only I didnt let it eat me up inside.Sean there is no perfect trucking job out there.Sean if u really want to pursue driving trk then u have to go by the companies rules and if theres things u dont like or agree with,dont fly off the handle before talking to somebody higher up within the company.You dispatcher is the last person u want to talk to if u have problems.Alot of times the big boss actually does listen to the drivers and does get things resolved.I think u could actually be an excellent driver if u give the industry a chance.
 
Sean I don't think you're totally to blame and never did.I know what all u went thru.Remember I was once a new driver.It was just as bad then as it is now.Only I didnt let it eat me up inside.Sean there is no perfect trucking job out there.Sean if u really want to pursue driving trk then u have to go by the companies rules and if theres things u dont like or agree with,dont fly off the handle before talking to somebody higher up within the company.You dispatcher is the last person u want to talk to if u have problems.Alot of times the big boss actually does listen to the drivers and does get things resolved.I think u could actually be an excellent driver if u give the industry a chance.

No problem, but can't help it eating me inside because of how things were done. And the lack of a job has made things tougher for me in my other line of work. I was going to use my trucking money to keep my ratings current in aviation for when I went back to that again. The lack of income set me back with aviation and other things in my life. So this has caused me more problems than just driving. Just too much has happened, and I just made the wrongest of decisions at the wrongest of times. Swift did not have to do what they did. Racer did mention that there was no way I could know if things would have worked out or not without driving 3 hours to Richmond to start the Smith System. I DID know, because getting to Richmond at 2 or so in the afternoon would have been too late to start the Smith System. And when I did it with Werner at the Lakeland terminal, the time it took justified my knowing what I knew when I would not drive to Richmond for Swift. I knew then it was an all day thing, and when I did it with Werner, we started early in the morning with classroom, then the Computer Based Tests (CBT), and on the road driving which was several hours since several of us went out together and took turns with the examiner. Covering all aspects of the Smith System, we did not get done until about 4 in the afternoon - so the Smith System is pretty much an all day affair. So I did know it at the time it would have been a waste of money, and not knowing how long I would have to wait for a truck after that, and knowing I would not be reimbursed by Swift, and the fact Matthew Thompson told me they dropped the ball - that was enough for me. I did not have the money to throw away at the time, but even if I did, I still would not have done it for the horrible pay in this job/lifestyle for newbies.

BTW 007: Matthew Thompson's boss was Forrest Vance in Greer (higher authority than any supervisor he may have had in Ocala), but Forrest took Matt's side, and I was too mad to talk to anyone any further anyway.

So yes, I did know I could not accomplish what needed to be done when Matt finally told me what I did not know about. There was no time for the Smith System to say nothing of the other things Matt told me about that I did not know about.

About the Smith System: How could ANY driver not know what that is (I know you knew Patty) ? Unless you are a contractor driving for yourself for hire for a long time now, I'd have thought anyone working for any company knew what the Smith System is. I learned that way back in C1 trucking school. Maybe I am a lucky and well trained newbie.

Dispatch was not the issue with Swift, that was Werner. But I'll leave that out and keep the Swift thread on subject - Swift.

Thanks for saying I could be an excellent driver. That's all I wanted to be (more for my safety and the safety of others on the road than for the company). I know there is no perfect trucking job - there is no perfect job in any industry - so I was not looking for perfect. And I have no problem following company rules as long as they don't re-write rules they have no right to re-write. I WAS giving the industry a chance, I just wish they'd give me a chance without nonsense that is not necessary and should not exist. I was just in the wrong places at the wrong times.

It may take a while, but we'll see what happens in the future.

This is sort of long again - sorry - I just type too danged fast.

Stay safe everyone - winter's not over yet.
 
well driver as long as you keep re-hashing things your situation will never get any better.....and going on and on doesn't make it any better your time for "experiencing" this should be long past by now.....I can only suggest one thing to you....get over it and for goodness sake let's MOVE ON!
 
I hear what you're saying sean.But unfortunately the trucking industry is always changing the rules without any given notice.I know it sucks but u learn to live with it.You know not every company out there is like Werner and Swift.Many companies SAFETY COMES FIRST and many are more into safety then ever before.You can get fired for fixing your logs.You should just keep on looking,it may take time but there is a company out there that will suit u.All companies ask is if u can't make ontime delivery,u tell them right when u get the load info and the reason why.Most are pretty understading and will work with u and if they wanna keep questioning u as to why u can't be there ontime,dont make a fuss about it,just go to the terminal manager,not the dispatchers boss.
No problem, but can't help it eating me inside because of how things were done. And the lack of a job has made things tougher for me in my other line of work. I was going to use my trucking money to keep my ratings current in aviation for when I went back to that again. The lack of income set me back with aviation and other things in my life. So this has caused me more problems than just driving. Just too much has happened, and I just made the wrongest of decisions at the wrongest of times. Swift did not have to do what they did. Racer did mention that there was no way I could know if things would have worked out or not without driving 3 hours to Richmond to start the Smith System. I DID know, because getting to Richmond at 2 or so in the afternoon would have been too late to start the Smith System. And when I did it with Werner at the Lakeland terminal, the time it took justified my knowing what I knew when I would not drive to Richmond for Swift. I knew then it was an all day thing, and when I did it with Werner, we started early in the morning with classroom, then the Computer Based Tests (CBT), and on the road driving which was several hours since several of us went out together and took turns with the examiner. Covering all aspects of the Smith System, we did not get done until about 4 in the afternoon - so the Smith System is pretty much an all day affair. So I did know it at the time it would have been a waste of money, and not knowing how long I would have to wait for a truck after that, and knowing I would not be reimbursed by Swift, and the fact Matthew Thompson told me they dropped the ball - that was enough for me. I did not have the money to throw away at the time, but even if I did, I still would not have done it for the horrible pay in this job/lifestyle for newbies.

BTW 007: Matthew Thompson's boss was Forrest Vance in Greer (higher authority than any supervisor he may have had in Ocala), but Forrest took Matt's side, and I was too mad to talk to anyone any further anyway.

So yes, I did know I could not accomplish what needed to be done when Matt finally told me what I did not know about. There was no time for the Smith System to say nothing of the other things Matt told me about that I did not know about.

About the Smith System: How could ANY driver not know what that is (I know you knew Patty) ? Unless you are a contractor driving for yourself for hire for a long time now, I'd have thought anyone working for any company knew what the Smith System is. I learned that way back in C1 trucking school. Maybe I am a lucky and well trained newbie.

Dispatch was not the issue with Swift, that was Werner. But I'll leave that out and keep the Swift thread on subject - Swift.

Thanks for saying I could be an excellent driver. That's all I wanted to be (more for my safety and the safety of others on the road than for the company). I know there is no perfect trucking job - there is no perfect job in any industry - so I was not looking for perfect. And I have no problem following company rules as long as they don't re-write rules they have no right to re-write. I WAS giving the industry a chance, I just wish they'd give me a chance without nonsense that is not necessary and should not exist. I was just in the wrong places at the wrong times.

It may take a while, but we'll see what happens in the future.

This is sort of long again - sorry - I just type too danged fast.

Stay safe everyone - winter's not over yet.
 
well driver as long as you keep re-hashing things your situation will never get any better.....and going on and on doesn't make it any better your time for "experiencing" this should be long past by now.....I can only suggest one thing to you....get over it and for goodness sake let's MOVE ON!

I hear what you're saying Driver. This experience just did not go down well at all (too hard to swallow actually) - never had a dealing like this ever in my life before, so I guess I was not ready for failure. Tough to get over, and just takes quite a bit of time for me. Anyway, we'll see what happens over the coming weeks, months, or whatever.

I hear what you're saying sean.But unfortunately the trucking industry is always changing the rules without any given notice.I know it sucks but u learn to live with it.You know not every company out there is like Werner and Swift.Many companies SAFETY COMES FIRST and many are more into safety then ever before.You can get fired for fixing your logs.You should just keep on looking,it may take time but there is a company out there that will suit u.All companies ask is if u can't make ontime delivery,u tell them right when u get the load info and the reason why.Most are pretty understading and will work with u and if they wanna keep questioning u as to why u can't be there ontime,dont make a fuss about it,just go to the terminal manager,not the dispatchers boss.

I hear you. Like I said, just in the wrongest of places at the wrongest of times. It happens I guess. Maybe my Swift or Werner experience may have been less severe with the nonsense if I was a bit earlier or later going in. That's the best way I can look at it.


Be safe all. Winter's kicking butt again in the N.E..
 
TRY AGAIN,,WON'T HURT

Sad to hear that your relation with your mentor was not profesional,
,,
***first,,it's none of your buisness what goes on upstairs or in the trucking buisness because you have nothing to do with it,,just concentrate on getting hired,,go thru training,,get your truck,,DONT HIT OR BUMP OR SCRACTH OR EVEN GET NEAR OR CLOSE TO ANYTHING OR ANYBODY FOR THE FIRST 100.000 MILES( A YEAR )...

Remember,,your goal is to drive 2000 miles in a 7 day week,,,it can be 600 one day 24 the next 340 the next etc...,,,this is not a 9 to 5 job....it's how many miles you drive(ACCIDENT FREE) preventable or not,,in a week...YOU WILL NOT GET MORE THAN 2000 MILES IN A 7 DAY PERIOD FOR THE FIRST YEAR.

Just look and learn ,,stay the hell away from the DRIVER'S LOUNGE,,hell if you get hired again by Swift let me know and I'll set you up with a bad ass mentor,,or I might just train you myself,,but get hired first,,go to the terminal and request to speak to the Terminal Manager or Fleet Manager only,,keep it short and keep it simple,,,I WANT TO DRIVE FOR SWIFT,,I SCREWED UP,,WONT HAPPEN AGAIN,,I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN NOR WILL YOU REGRET GIVING ME A SECOND CHANCE",,if you say more than that your FKD,,,the reason I give this advise is because in all your stories you never mention money,,it tells me that your here because you like it and not just for the paycheck,,which sucks for the first year or two,,,ANYWAY,,get hired,,or move on with your life...

PTY,,don't take my advise of being good,,be bad and naughty,,just invite me,,hahajaja..
DRIVER 007
 
Well Sean maybe one day you'll wanna give trucking another shot.But if u do,rather then getting the inside scoop from any recruiters,talk to a few drivers for that company.Only they truely know.
I hear what you're saying Driver. This experience just did not go down well at all (too hard to swallow actually) - never had a dealing like this ever in my life before, so I guess I was not ready for failure. Tough to get over, and just takes quite a bit of time for me. Anyway, we'll see what happens over the coming weeks, months, or whatever.



I hear you. Like I said, just in the wrongest of places at the wrongest of times. It happens I guess. Maybe my Swift or Werner experience may have been less severe with the nonsense if I was a bit earlier or later going in. That's the best way I can look at it.


Be safe all. Winter's kicking butt again in the N.E..
 
Sad to hear that your relation with your mentor was not profesional,
,,
***first,,it's none of your buisness what goes on upstairs or in the trucking buisness because you have nothing to do with it,,just concentrate on getting hired,,go thru training,,get your truck,,DONT HIT OR BUMP OR SCRACTH OR EVEN GET NEAR OR CLOSE TO ANYTHING OR ANYBODY FOR THE FIRST 100.000 MILES( A YEAR )...

Remember,,your goal is to drive 2000 miles in a 7 day week,,,it can be 600 one day 24 the next 340 the next etc...,,,this is not a 9 to 5 job....it's how many miles you drive(ACCIDENT FREE) preventable or not,,in a week...YOU WILL NOT GET MORE THAN 2000 MILES IN A 7 DAY PERIOD FOR THE FIRST YEAR.

Just look and learn ,,stay the hell away from the DRIVER'S LOUNGE,,hell if you get hired again by Swift let me know and I'll set you up with a bad ass mentor,,or I might just train you myself,,but get hired first,,go to the terminal and request to speak to the Terminal Manager or Fleet Manager only,,keep it short and keep it simple,,,I WANT TO DRIVE FOR SWIFT,,I SCREWED UP,,WONT HAPPEN AGAIN,,I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN NOR WILL YOU REGRET GIVING ME A SECOND CHANCE",,if you say more than that your FKD,,,the reason I give this advise is because in all your stories you never mention money,,it tells me that your here because you like it and not just for the paycheck,,which sucks for the first year or two,,,ANYWAY,,get hired,,or move on with your life...

PTY,,don't take my advise of being good,,be bad and naughty,,just invite me,,hahajaja..
DRIVER 007
Listen to him,LOL on the last sentence of your post,LOL
 
Sad to hear that your relation with your mentor was not profesional,
,,
***first,,it's none of your buisness what goes on upstairs or in the trucking buisness because you have nothing to do with it,,just concentrate on getting hired,,go thru training,,get your truck,,DONT HIT OR BUMP OR SCRACTH OR EVEN GET NEAR OR CLOSE TO ANYTHING OR ANYBODY FOR THE FIRST 100.000 MILES( A YEAR )...

Remember,,your goal is to drive 2000 miles in a 7 day week,,,it can be 600 one day 24 the next 340 the next etc...,,,this is not a 9 to 5 job....it's how many miles you drive(ACCIDENT FREE) preventable or not,,in a week...YOU WILL NOT GET MORE THAN 2000 MILES IN A 7 DAY PERIOD FOR THE FIRST YEAR.

DRIVER 007

2,000 miles a week? 100,000 miles a year? I average 3,000 miles a week! That should work out to 156,000 miles a year, if things continue to go a steady as they have and I can keep up the pace.

Realistically speaking I will be happy with something near 130,000 this year.

I couldn't survive on 2,000 miles a week. Especially at the paltry pennies a mile Swift and Werner pay. I feel so fortunate that I didn't wind up at a company like them.

Oh, and this is my first year as a paid driver. My "year" will be finished in May. Yes I have been in and out of trucks since I was big enough to climb into one, but I worked on them for 30 years before I decided to take a turn at the wheel and make it a job.
 
I hear that Racer.I can't talk for Swift,but Werner has a pay sliding scale.You drive OTR you're receiving 20cpm.So the longer you're out the less pay u receive.Does'nt sound fair at all.The things we do to get the exp.
2,000 miles a week? 100,000 miles a year? I average 3,000 miles a week! That should work out to 156,000 miles a year, if things continue to go a steady as they have and I can keep up the pace.

Realistically speaking I will be happy with something near 130,000 this year.

I couldn't survive on 2,000 miles a week. Especially at the paltry pennies a mile Swift and Werner pay. I feel so fortunate that I didn't wind up at a company like them.

Oh, and this is my first year as a paid driver. My "year" will be finished in May. Yes I have been in and out of trucks since I was big enough to climb into one, but I worked on them for 30 years before I decided to take a turn at the wheel and make it a job.
 
That's just how Werner is,their pay is beyond slave wages.That's why they are one of the lowest paying companies out that.That's why I finally woke up and left.I got tired of making about what the students were making and many times even less.They say they start out at what 24 or 26 cpm,don't believe that.They fail to mention they have a pay sliding scale and pays OTR drivers 20 cpm.I think companies like Werner it's best to go recional,dedicated or local,NOT OTR.
 
Less pay for more miles? Doesn't make any sense to me.
Nope,it sure does'nt.But that's how they keep their cost down with so many drivers their.They figure u get the miles so we're going to give u less pay.But unfortunately you do not even get the miles.I don't know how anyone can survive a thousand miles or less a week at 20cpm.The 3 yrs with them I have NEVER did a 34 from too much running.Always from too much sitting I always got my 70 back.Sometimes you're sitting 2 days or more because u were forced to drop an excellent load at the terminal so another driver can take it and get the miles then you're waiting hrs or a couple days to do the same drill over.
 
You do realize you're discussing Werner in the Swift thread. Granted, the only difference between the two is the colour of the trucks, but, this thread is exclusively for Swift bashing.
 
Ya you're right.Actually we should'nt bash any companies but they drive us to it.
You do realize you're discussing Werner in the Swift thread. Granted, the only difference between the two is the colour of the trucks, but, this thread is exclusively for Swift bashing.
 
Sad to hear that your relation with your mentor was not profesional,
,,
***first,,it's none of your buisness what goes on upstairs or in the trucking buisness because you have nothing to do with it,,just concentrate on getting hired,,go thru training,,get your truck,,DONT HIT OR BUMP OR SCRACTH OR EVEN GET NEAR OR CLOSE TO ANYTHING OR ANYBODY FOR THE FIRST 100.000 MILES( A YEAR )...

Remember,,your goal is to drive 2000 miles in a 7 day week,,,it can be 600 one day 24 the next 340 the next etc...,,,this is not a 9 to 5 job....it's how many miles you drive(ACCIDENT FREE) preventable or not,,in a week...YOU WILL NOT GET MORE THAN 2000 MILES IN A 7 DAY PERIOD FOR THE FIRST YEAR.

Just look and learn ,,stay the hell away from the DRIVER'S LOUNGE,,hell if you get hired again by Swift let me know and I'll set you up with a bad ass mentor,,or I might just train you myself,,but get hired first,,go to the terminal and request to speak to the Terminal Manager or Fleet Manager only,,keep it short and keep it simple,,,I WANT TO DRIVE FOR SWIFT,,I SCREWED UP,,WONT HAPPEN AGAIN,,I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN NOR WILL YOU REGRET GIVING ME A SECOND CHANCE",,if you say more than that your FKD,,,the reason I give this advise is because in all your stories you never mention money,,it tells me that your here because you like it and not just for the paycheck,,which sucks for the first year or two,,,ANYWAY,,get hired,,or move on with your life...

PTY,,don't take my advise of being good,,be bad and naughty,,just invite me,,hahajaja..
DRIVER 007

Appreciated 007, and it looks like you have me at least partially figured out.

First, in some ways, what happens upstairs in the office or industry is in some ways my business. But only when it effects me.

On mentors: I did not have any unusual or extreme issues with any of the two mentors I had with Swift. Matter of fact, with the exeption of the one time we "got into it", my first mentor was cool as hell. Only a couple of years older than me, and a middle aged rocker like me. He did not even care if I blared the CD player while he was in the bunk and I was driving (he even told me to - beat talking to Swift bashers on the CB - ROFL). A shame he lost his training status because of logging issues (they could not read his logs - too sloppy), and I had to get off his truck after three weeks at the Edwardsville, Ks Terminal. My second mentor: Driving trucks 20+ years and with Swift as an owner/Op for well over 10 (I was not crazy about driving an Owner Op's Kenworth T-2000 because I heard if a student has a mishap, the student pays the deductable). He was the same as me in many respects; a total anal retentive (for lack of a better term) and a type A. He was petty about a few things, so I was a bit irritated. But he was a true professional who did not skimp on any training aspect, and like me, he went by the book. For the most part, he was easy going, and I got a lot out of him. So I'd say the experience was mostly professional. In saying I could not wait to get off the truck, I only meant I can not deal with a team operation when it comes to trucking. I am better off living and driving alone. But I was also anxious to get out of the truck, get my own beat up Volvo 670 (or maybe luck out and get something half decent), and get out on my own and run loads for them.

On Miles: I was prepared to drive whatever they threw at me (1,000 or 3,000 to start - whatever), as long as they gave ample time to deliver. Swift always did when I was in training, and I talked to solos who never really had much of a problem. I know I can handle 3,000 a week if the load scheduling is right. I already did in excess of 3,000/wk (on the hub) with Werner more than once. But if Swift wanted me at say 2,000 for safety, I could have dealt with that for a while. I do not have the expenses most people have. So money was not the issue - I knew the pay scales before I went in, and I NEVER bought into the "$40,000.00 your first year" being as easy as reading the ads, because I knew to do that, I'd have to drive near 150,000 miles at 26 cents a mile to GROSS that. I was looking at more like being satisfied with $500.00 - $600.00 a week. Any more would be an extra for me. And i knew I could be driving days some periods, and nights other periods - I was not looking for 9 to 5.

Advice is appreciated on what to say if I tried to get re-hired with Swift. But I tried that a few months ago, and they did not want to take it on. As would have been true the first time around, Swift would not have regretted giving me a second go. All I ever wanted to do was run loads leaglly, safely and ontime. And not give or recieve any B.S., just do my job in as much peace as is possible on a road full of people who do stupid things around these trucks because they think they are in their way. But I think I burned my bridge with them anyway because there was some serious correspondance regarding the way I was forced out. Yes, I was and still am beyond infuriated with what happened. I was going to use the trucking job to fund my means to stay current with my flying, so trucking was going to keep my future intact. I lost that. The added anger was in that two of us living in a truck (which I hated) aside, my experience with Swift was actually pretty good. I was satisfied with the terminals (I've been to a dozen or so believe it or not - including the home terminal in Phoenix), and satisfied with the trucks and load runs. Even though it was not the money I am used to (and you are correct in your observation that money was not the issue for me), I was actually looking forward to putting in a year or two with them. So the rug got yanked out from under me - so to speak - from something that should not have been all that hard for me to get into.

Anyhoo, I was willing to try again with Swift a few months ago. When their attitude was they did not want to take it on again (like saying it was all my fault), I got twice as mad and now they can keep their job (and I still say my experience while training was mostly a good experience).

Trust me, I'm not in any way bitchin' at you and appreciate what you had to say.

I hear that Racer.I can't talk for Swift,but Werner has a pay sliding scale.You drive OTR you're receiving 20cpm.So the longer you're out the less pay u receive.Does'nt sound fair at all.The things we do to get the exp.

My apologies to XR first for going off topic in brief: Patty is right about the sliding pay with Werner (reading her posts, I know she drove for Werner and so knows this about the pay), and she is also right that dedicated is better than OTR with them. Werner is also Swap crazy, but I missed swaps because they had me under the gun with time so much I could not stop every hour the Qualcomm beeped - stopping would literally make me late if it was not for a swap. Anyway, Racer X and Diehard said it did not make sense to pay less as you drove more, and it's like making less by the hour as you work more hours. ABSOLUTLY TRUE, but trust me, that's how they pay. First I was OTR and got a flat 26 cents per mile no matter the distance. Then I was regional, and my top pay per mile was if I drove a load of less than 100 miles (I think it was 34 cents/Mi), and least when I drove the more common +500 (bottomed out at 25 cents/Mi). I think I covered this in my Werner threads and I plan to post this again for those going in and wondering about miles/money, so I'll shut up about Werner now. XR is right, let's keep it on Swift. As for "bashing", I bashed all I could, and in truth I wish they had not given me something to bash/complain/bitch about - I'd much prefer they had not. I told in detail what happened with me. But I also give credit where credit is due. Comparing Swift with Werner, they were a better experience. Their facilities are basically good (I have not been to all the 30+ terminals and I heard a few are dives - but that's any trucking company - like I said, I was not looking for perfection).

Sorry XR - Swift from now on.
 
Well Sean maybe one day you'll wanna give trucking another shot.But if u do,rather then getting the inside scoop from any recruiters,talk to a few drivers for that company.Only they truely know.

Sorry for the second post, but I wanted to respond to this but forgot to multiquote it :(.

I want to give trucking another try right now. One reason is I have a CDL school bill that I should not have, and I refuse to pay it unless I am driving semis. But like I mentioned, I think I burned my bridges with Swift after my correspondance with them. Not to mention my posts here (which any CEO or exec could be reading), which I do not retract and I fully stand by.

But whether it be Schneider, PAM, US Express - whoever calls me first - I'm there for the year.

This just may take a LOT of time. The economy is still crap, and jobs are still being lost.
 
All of this complaining, and cry babying about a job that you weren't satisfied with, sounds like a problem , that only one person can fix. That person would be "YOURSELF". I can understand venting your anger, but to drag it on, and try to upset other people so you'll feel good about yourself. I myself drove for swift for a short time. I drove with them as they were merging MS carriers, and was down sized so as to keep the older drivers from MS driving. My drivers trainer was very good to be with, and he was curious as to why I had to be trained. I spent 2 weeks with my trainer. I was placed on a dedicated run, from the Carolinas to Canada, carrying chassis'. I was ordered to drop my load in Shoals In. the weekend before New York got blown up. Kinda makes a person wonder what swift knew about that. Swift has the idealology of farming drivers. I now drive for a company where I'm home every day, and weekends.Quit crying about what happened, and learn from it. Another words GROW UP!!!, and move on.
 
Mark in seans defense,we had alot to to with him going on and on about swift and what he went thru.We post something and all hes doing is answering it.
 

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