Thousands of Tennessee Issued CDL's Suspended, Pending Retest

[Mike]

This folks, is the result of the raid on training schools that SWIFT Transportation was partnered with. I know, you have to be grinning just a little when you read this......

The invalid part of the test was the ACTUAL DRIVING TEST

I know this sucks for the drivers involved in this, but for all the SWIFT jokes you hear, and all the things you see some of these drivers do out on the road, it is just a little comical to find out the invalid part of their testing was the "driving test".

From the article:

Drivers who obtained a commercial driver’s license through an unnamed third-party tester in Tennessee between May 2005 and January 2008 may be required to do a complete retest, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety.

Tennessee has mailed letters to the approximately 1,300 CDL-holders in that state who obtained CDLs from the third-party tester – one the state declines to name – between May 2005 and January 2008, said Laura McPherson, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Safety.

The department has a breakdown of affected drivers by state, McPherson said, including about 1,200 from Georgia and likely at least 5,000 nationally who were issued CDLs from the third-party tester during that 32-month span.

Swift Transportation, for its part, has acknowledged the raid, and the subsequent shutdown of the testing facility run in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Safety, although a driving school in the Memphis facility is still in operation.

Dave Berry, Swift spokesman, said Swift is trying to find out more specifics about the Tennessee CDL issue.

“We don’t know if they’re referring to us or not; we’d like to help the state,” Berry told Land Line. “If these are our guys, we can help them get retested, get notified or do what’s proper. It’s very peculiar.”

Berry pointed out that no law enforcement agency has charged anyone associated with the testing facility or Swift with wrongdoing.

As the company understands it, Swift believes problems related to the testing facility were on the skills test portion, not the written test.

“We’re cooperating fully, 100 percent. Like the state, our interest is safety,” Berry said. “Our drivers, the state, everybody’s number one concern is safety. This is about the skills test. They don’t need to take the written exam, or do these other things. As near as we can tell – my advice to the driver would be – first of all – I’m sorry that something like this is happening. I would advise them to follow the instructions they had from the state.”

Full Story

 

[Mike]

How much of the testing you will have to retake depends on the State you transferred your license to upon leaving this CDL mill....er....um..... School.

Kentucky - This state will require you to not only retake the skills (driving) test, but also everything else including the written portion and the eye examination.

Virginia - according to a source in the above report, the driver only had to take the driving test over.

If you went to these schools in the past 3 years, you better find out if the license you have in your pocket is currently valid or not.

 

[Tn. Truckers Wife]

My step son attended a third party testing school about a year ago in TN...... Was hired on at Averitt and was stuck in a truck immediately..He was not ready to be out on his own, even his trainer stated this in writing to the company... They turned him loose anyway....He only made it about a month on his own before he was fired.... He spent $5,000 going to school for this....

 

[lunachic]

Gee it was only the SKILL not the written....swifty at it's best

 

[Lucid]

Berry pointed out that no law enforcement agency has charged anyone associated with the testing facility or Swift with wrongdoing.

Typical. The driver's get the shaft and nobody else did anything wrong.

 

[SilverSurfer]

Something definitely stinks with this...

-ss-

 

[FlatBroke]

I have a friend, who went through the school for SWIFT in TENN. He worked for swift for about 2 years, and the run he was on (Family Dollar Account) was under bid by JB HUNT.

Well, needless to say without listening to my complaints about jumping ship he moved to JB to stay with this account.

He told me today that a few drivers had told him they have received letters stating their license was no good and that they would have to retest.

He asked me what was going on, I told him at the most he would have to do was to go and retake the test's through KY where he lives. But he has not received a letter, yet.

 

[Mike]

If he has moved, it might take some time.

The best thing he can do is check it out for himself, just all the DMV.

If he gets pulled over, or pulled in for an inspection and the license is expired, it will be bad situation.

 

[Mike]

Yep, and what stinks to me is the fact that a company sent students to this location, and it is a big company.

I won't make an accusation here, because I have no proof, but I just don't feel like SWIFT didn't know what was going on here. This just smells like a scam gone bad, and somehow SWIFT came out clean.

Something definitely stinks with this...

-ss-

 

[FlatBroke]

If he has moved, it might take some time.

The best thing he can do is check it out for himself, just all the DMV.

If he gets pulled over, or pulled in for an inspection and the license is expired, it will be bad situation.

No, he did not move...He went to school for Swift and they required him to switch his license to Tenn at the time of school...2 years or so ago...Then when out of school he transferred them back to KY...I will inform him today to call the DMV and have them check it out...it would be bad to get caught on expired license...I agree

 

[Mike]

ok, probably should clarify on that since the school required you to do this.

This is weird situation for a student, and something that really needs to change.

I had to surrender my license when I went to school and get an Oklahoma drivers license when I got my CDL. I lived in Texas, but had to go to Oklahoma for the school, so I had to get my CDL there, and then go home to Texas and retake the written portion of the test to transfer my license. Pure ignorance as far as I am concerned.

 

[hrlyman28]

cdl fraud

I would like to know if there is any legal action we as drivers can take against Swift Driving Academy, Swift Transportation , city of Millington, the county,and the state for failure to provide adiquite oversite of the third party testers who were swift employees. There are enough of us (cdl holders) to get a class action law suit going.

 

[lunachic]

I would like to know if there is any legal action we as drivers can take against Swift Driving Academy, Swift Transportation , city of Millington, the county,and the state for failure to provide adiquite oversite of the third party testers who were swift employees. There are enough of us (cdl holders) to get a class action law suit going.

I would think so, and if I am not mistaken swift already has another class action law suit going agaisnt them now.

 

[Mike]

failure to provide adiquite oversite of the third party testers who were swift employees.

The testers were SWIFT employees? I thought they were completely separate from SWIFT.

 

[SilverSurfer]

Yep, and what stinks to me is the fact that a company sent students to this location, and it is a big company.

I won't make an accusation here, because I have no proof, but I just don't feel like SWIFT didn't know what was going on here. This just smells like a scam gone bad, and somehow SWIFT came out clean.

My point exactly...

-ss-

 

[SilverSurfer]

I would like to know if there is any legal action we as drivers can take against Swift Driving Academy, Swift Transportation , city of Millington, the county,and the state for failure to provide adiquite oversite of the third party testers who were swift employees. There are enough of us (cdl holders) to get a class action law suit going.

That's a guestion to ask a legal eagle. If you're a member of OOIDA, there is a legal department at the member's deposal for these type of questions.

One of the few benefits, I feel, that warrants my continued membership.

-ss-

 

[hrlyman28]

Yes they were swift employees with the swift uniforms and name badges and trucks as well. i was there in 07 and i am no longer with the company so when i recived my letter i called swift and the woman on the other end of the phone said swift has been cleared of any wrong doing in this matter and i need to take it up with my home state bmv

 

[FlatBroke]

Yes they were swift employees with the swift uniforms and name badges and trucks as well. i was there in 07 and i am no longer with the company so when i recived my letter i called swift and the woman on the other end of the phone said swift has been cleared of any wrong doing in this matter and i need to take it up with my home state bmv

I confirmed this through my friend also..he claims that some paid an instructor off, to receive their passing grade. I told him, he better call the local DMV and find out if his license were valid.
On another note, the company he now works for (JB Hunt) told him they would allow him the use of one of their tractor and trailers to re-take the test if needed. But for a small fee, they have lawyers working on this to see what is really going on.

 

[wmbhad83]

Class Action Suit

Ok, right now there is a class action suit against SWIFT for underpaying their employees based on a flawed mileage calculation.

I want to find out of there is, or will be, a class action suit against SWIFT for these CDLs which are now invalid. I just received a letter last week from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation saying that I have until March 5, 2009 to retake the test, or surrender my cdl and pay a fee to have a duplicate non-commercial driver's license made. If I fail to meet either of these requirements my license will be invalid all together. I haven't driven for awhile, and don't have a need to maintain the CDL certification. However, I still owe approx $1500 on my student bill. Seeing that it was questionable practices that caused my CDL to be invalid, that should be a contractual violaton. Everything I dealt with was SWIFT. My instructors and practical testers were paid SWIFT employees. If they weren't then they did a good job advertising themselves as such. Badges, blue button down SWIFT shirts, tractor trailers labeled either "SWIFT" or "M.S. Carriers". They knew 100% what they were doing, as they even provided all the answers for the state's written test from day one. At this point I am going to be speaking to a lawyer, and also advising SWIFT that I will not pay anymore on my student loan. If anyone knows of a class action suit for this particular situation please let me know. I would like to recover all costs incurred, however I would be happy not having to pay another penny. Any information would be much appreciated.

 

[rebel]

One of our newer members goes by the handle "shyster" a former lawyer.
PM him and see if he has any advice, ya know - friends in low places.