I went to swift orientation and went out 6 weeks with a mentor. They sent me home and told me that it would take a week to get a truck,its been 3 1/2 weeks and still no truck. I quit swift and us xpress put me in a truck right away.
Of all the tricks they pull on their drivers the one I like is lay-over pay. If you don't get dispatched within 24hrs.of your last load then you get lay-over pay...yeah right. Right at the 22nd or 23rd hr. they'll dispatch you on some shit load knowing you'll turn it down. They offered the load, you turned it down...no payola. Even if everything was on the up and up it seems like your driver manager gets memory loss when you tell her about it after payday...but she'll check into it...forget it.
Of all the tricks they pull on their drivers the one I like is lay-over pay. If you don't get dispatched within 24hrs.of your last load then you get lay-over pay...yeah right. Right at the 22nd or 23rd hr. they'll dispatch you on some shit load knowing you'll turn it down. They offered the load, you turned it down...no payola. Even if everything was on the up and up it seems like your driver manager gets memory loss when you tell her about it after payday...but she'll check into it...forget it.
Man as a driver this is crazy.. icant believe this guy, how he lied and turned out to be a swift mark...this was 2008...He states he didnt expect much..in about 1yr and half.. he went through 3 trucks ending up in a new customized chromed vovlo..5k worth of electronics in it, his own show, his own merchandise, and a metal polish he was promoting...and now no longer works for Swift...he must have gotten a better deal...Maybe hes ceo of Werner or JB...
Damn I looked at more of this guys videos.....in less than 2 years hes at a show somewhere with a BRAND NEW custom paint Volvo,,with swift and BIGCAT trucker on the side urging ppl to come to swift...And notice he has nothing negative to say about Swift....Swift...they really think ppl cant think for themselves
Its real simple...as a beginner if u dont know anyone that has a trucking co that can get u experience your going to have to go through the bullshit...ANy company that hires trainees and has more than 1ok trucks is a slave driver..The key is to get 6 months experience..with a clean driving record and then parachute from the Swifts, JB Hunts, Sheinders and CRSTs of the world.. for 10yrs i made 60k and was home everynite...dont believe that cross country crap once u get experience
@stevefromPA2 hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
@PREPARE4THEHYPOCRITE the companies u mentioned, there are ppl that reamin with them for years, but the vast majority of drivers leave their first big carrier trucking job in the first year Trucking compaines that pay a fair wage usually want drivers with experience I doubt if ull make more than 30k ur first year with a major company..their profit is in paying u the least they can..this happens cause they will treat u like a JITD...Just In TIme Driver.So u may sit for days until the customer
Everyone has to start somewhere and SWIFT is not a bad company to start out at. I personally started their and besides the pay I did not have any real issues. However, my belief is that you create your own experiences where ever you go, so maybe that's why my experience wasn't so bad.
@MyBuyandSellNetwork hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
Hey Big cat you seem like an eager person to find out about trucking just like me i wanted to know if you had any luck yet ?Im getting out the army and already have a cdl , thanks look me up on facebook flavio santana thanks
how would u know if schneider good company have u work there b4??? >>>>rolls over laughing out loud swift .....u grown make ur own choices at the end dats what u guna do neway swift sucks
Ok, this is hilarious. First off, the MAIN thing I saw when I opened this page was the severe lack of grammar knowledge. Also, people complaining that you don't get paid for your miles. ALSO, the fact that you ONLY drive on the range. And finally, how they soak every penny out of you. I will tell you right now, that these are all LIES. Let's break it down shall we?
@Tsukasa981 1) LOGGING. If you log your miles, log your on duty/driving/off duty times, and EVERYTHING ELSE NEEDED TO BE LOGGED, you will not be jacked out of your money. YOU control whether or not you get paid, not Swift... THEY TOLD YOU IN THE ACADEMY...
2) Yes, you drive on the range for quite a bit. Why? Because they don't want you out on the road, first day, destroying everything in your site... They put you in the range to get the feel of the truck, to learn how to control the trailer...
@Tsukasa981 I did log my miles and there was always a discrepancy between what the computer paid and what I actually drove. Above all your pay is not guaranteed and you don't know how much you will be making. When one is governed at 60 mph and one is not getting paid all the miles they drive, then there are problems. I also wonder how many more expenses Swift missed (i.e. tolls/showers etc etc).
@Tsukasa981 (Continuing 2) They do in fact put you out on the road for about a week. I'll agree, they really could increase the time out on road week. BUT they get you ready for the CDL test and afterwards, you have your MENTOR to teach you everything you need to know.
3) They don't soak money from their drivers... Yeah, you pay OUT OF YOUR PAYCHECK for the academy. And after a year, they PAY YOU BACK HALF... What the hell were you all doing in the Academy..? Sucking cock all day long? >_>
@Tsukasa981 u must work for the shitty bastards or something??? well swift sucks ass and u do to swift could potentially be good but too many chiefs not enough indians and trainers are to damn young and nieve think they the shit lucky i had a great mexican shot out thomas at swift but swift is horrible i got no miles there my check was bout the same as my fucking weight 200something. now u mite be asskissing gettin miles but sum dnt do that
@Tsukasa981 Swift has been known to do bad business. As I recall they broke union lines in Dublin, VA and tried to do a truck decking operation which was a complete failure. They drove their experienced drivers out of that operation and they didn't compensate fairly for that project to begin with nor did they give me proper training to do the job at hand. At last check that operation was no longer in existence. The company has treated drivers very very poorly.
@shaithis80 hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
@Tsukasa981 LOL, you don't get paid for all the miles that you drive and Swift did that during the time I was there and I knew their system was shorting me miles and their routing software sucked. Swift did shave miles and the icing on the cake is when I caught the company misisng expenses on every other trip. Back tracking 3 mos worth of trips to recover expenses was enough to finally leave and bear in mind I had enough issues when I was handling loads to Canada. Swift does bad business.
i can honestly say if you looking for a good company swift is not the choice swift is the worst company to ever be around. then when you put ur home time in they wanna give u a big run but before then they give u shitty miles.
@turbo98gt hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
I have been a driver since 1992. I hate to see these crummy companies screw the newbies so bad I posted this advice. I have haz-mat with TWIC and Canadian qualified and a very good record with about 2 million miles. Ask SWIFT recruiters what their driver turnover rate is and the will not tell you its 300 to 500 %. They treat the newbies VERY VERY BAD !!! P.S. they PAY the driving schools to recruit the newbies that dont know any better. Stay AWAY...................
@meadowlarkable once again, don't know what your talking about. The schools get payed by the students and the students get a bonus for being loyal, so the students go to school for free if they stay for 26 months. They rate the drivers based on the drivers record of being on time. if you suck at being on time then yes you may have a problem with Swift. Do as your asked and you agree to (what you get payed for) and you will be rewarded,
yeah now i see i have talked to somebody that works for them and i agree with everyone swift is not very good that cheat u and lie to u thanks everyone for advice
you cant go on what other people say some of the people talk crap about a company because they are complainers and didnt want to work. They bitched and complain because they didnt get what they want and you cant be that way if you are then you will not get the miles. Any company you go with is going to have a bad side and a good side but u got to start somewhere and whether are not your first company may not be that great but at least its a job.
@country8595 LOL the point to be made is you can't make a living based on an unstable pay check. Also there is no excuse for any company shorting drivers on miles or missing expenses. And you clarify the obvious. No enough miles to go around and that is true when general freight is shipped via rail lines. Hmm that truly impacts my job and what miles I do get. Swift would seem to over hire and yes they would seem to play favorites. 2+ years of loyalty got me nowhere.
@shaithis80 true i have been driving log trucks for four years and the pay is very unsteady but i have talked to people and everybody has a opinion on Swift. Yeah they may not be the best but i have been thinking bout driving otr and everybody i talked to will not hire me unless i have 6 months to a year of otr exp. and they are the only one that will so they may have a bad rep but everybody has to start somewhere
@country8595 insurance has played a big role in determining how the hiring process works and that is how bullshit the industry has gotten along with the DAC bullshit. As far as Swift goes, you are being had cheap. Now if you have been driving log trucks for 4 years, that should count as experience so I don't know what the issue is about nobody wanting to hire you. I'd shop around with that experience and keep looking for a company because you are not getting paid for your experience.
@country8595 it would sound like Swift is finding an excuse not to credity your time put in behind the wheel and that is not right. Just to rememeber if you decide to run general freight then you will be in a governed truck never maxing out your miles and you might not get all the miles to make a good living in those 6 months. Were you getting paid for the time put in when you were driving that log truck because there will be hours that go unpaid with Swift.
@shaithis80 the governed trucks help save the company nearly 6 billion dollars a year in fuel which gets put out to the drivers. Are you really so stupid to not think abouta truck doing 70mph getting 6-7 and a truck doing 60 getting 10-12. not to mention 10 mph only saves you 5 minutes every 1 hour and most states won't let you do more then 65 mph so 70 means a ticket and a possible level 1 so you trying to gain 5 minutes just lost 2 hrs
@country8595 your time spent picking up and delivering at shippers and consignees is not what Swift pays for so they do nickel and dime where they can. How important is your time and then you have to ask yourself if you are getting paid fairly for a 60-70 hours work week. Unlike other companies, Swift doesn't have established lanes so you will never know how much you will be getting paid monthly. All the factors to consider before starting in on any orientation. I'd assert your experience.
@shaithis80 no company gives you money for sitting when loading and unloading, not to mention Swift is 95% drop and hook, If you are held over by the shipper for more then 2 hours you do get detention pay, and Swift is the largest Fleet period, over 17000 trucks and 20000 drivers (teams) not to mention all the dedicated routes like costco, walmart, home depot, lowes. you get on a dedicated and its the same pay every week and your home most nights, no OTR unless you ask for it
@TheZiggy75g and you prove my point. You are NOT getting fairly compensated for the work that you do. Working 60-70 work weeks and not getting paid adequately for it. It's a rip off. Do the math, your miles are governed you are not maxing out your pay. Also if Swift is paying for the mile, if they are still paying mover's guide then you are not getting paid accurately. I can plot a route online or on MS Streets and Trips and know the exact mileage.
@shaithis80 hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
@TheZiggy75g the bigger argument is over the road where there was actually no money in it. I was even sent to pick up a damaged trailer once that I lost time for where I wasn't fairly compensated in sitting waiting for someone in Jersey to come and fix it. I've been fucked over so many times it is not funny. You might want to check grocery warehouses sometime. I wasn't compensated for sitting half the night waiting to be unloaded. FYI, Swift has failed in other operations before.
@TheZiggy75g I've never seen a company so disorganized such as Swift miss expenses to the tune of every other trip. Once I found out what was going on, it was a matter of time before I walked away from a very corrupted company. I backtracked a period of 3 months. That is how fucking disorganized Swift is. Paperwork lost/miskeyed/not entered correctly. Having to recoup expenses while on vacation. Not good business when you are relying on drivers taking loads into Canada LOL!
@TheZiggy75g FYI, Swift overcharges for the training of getting your CDL and it is a con designed to put people in debt. After seeing the way Swift has operated I wouldn't rely on them to process much of anything. They do bad business. Not worth the effort of playing the owner op game or even supporting the beast as a company driver. How disorganized is Swift, didn't they have an FBI investigation awhile back? They don't value their experienced drivers and have had very poor training.
@country8595 the point I'm making is if driving a log truck required a CDL, then your experienced. Insist that Swift pay you what your worth and get it down on paper. If I had time put into the industry, then last thing I'd want to do is start over at the bottom of any pay scale. Just making those points. Good luck to you.
@country8595 I went to the Lewiston School that Swift provides and the instructors do everything they can to prepare you. the hotel sucks but show me one that any company pays for that doesn't. Not to mention Swift has so many drivers right now that some are waiting to get a truck and most newbies are getting 2010 and 2011's.
@country8595 it doesn't take much to type Swift sucks on a Google search and find comments on Rip Off Report or other trucker forums. Anyone entering the industry should understand the dynamics and then make an informed decision before they get ripped off by Swift or other companies when getting their CDL. Training is overpriced and doesn't reflect how much you will make in the first few months. Your pay is not guaranteed and your miles are limited because you are in a governed truck.
@country8595 nowadays I think most general freight companies are just in it to facilitate their bottom line and will do what is not in the best interest of the truck driver.Low miles/Low wages and you can't make a living on an unstable paycheck. I worked alright for Swift at one time. Did all 48 states, and pulled out of JFK airport and picked up in Jersey. Swift won't see that because you are just a number nor will they see they time you offered to fuel up a reefer unit when it was low on fuel.
@country8595 the trucking industry doesn't judge you based on time put into the workforce nor does it consider time put into the industry after you've taken a break from driving. That is the real story about trucking. I earned my experience and kept my driving record clean and maintained a stable work record yet that is just not enough to satisfy being hired back. So people like me will tell it like it is and cause newbies to think twice before stepping into a slave labor mill like Swift.
@country8595 if there is still a high turnover of drivers leaving Swift, then all I can say to that is that Swift still engages in doing bad business with their employees to this day. They did that with me for about 3 months and what I didn't like was wasting my time off catching up on expenses that they missed. That is gross negligence or incompentence and a sign of a broken company. Seems to me none of that has changed especially if they still overcharge for training for a CDL.
@shaithis80 This is one of those you don't know your ass from a hole in the ground situations. To go to the School is $3900. they take $300 a month for 13 months. IF you have the nuts to stay, they give you a $300 bonus starting month 14 until month 26. Let me do the math for you $3900 payed to company, $3900 payed back to you. cost of schooling $0.00, thats seems pretty cheap to me. compared to renting a truck for $500 and you still don't know how to back up in a straight line.
STAY AWAY FROM SWIFT!! unless you don't have any other choice! They treat there drivers like shit, there training is a joke, you don't even drive on the road in training, all you do is drive around in circles in a parking lot and when you get assigned a trainer in you home state you will probably get some retard who has been driving for a year or less!
@1966omc what do you mean they treat people like "shit"? and why someone who've been driving for a year or less must be a retard? i don't know why comment like yours gets thumbs up. probably retards give it a thumb up.
@eastcoastnj LOL I gave Swift 2+ years of my time. Wasn't worth it. They overhire and don't have the miles to guarantee a steady pay check. Unpaid overtime is another way to look at it as well. Basically any company that governs their trucks, unless you are getting paid a decent mileage rate to compensate, then it is not even worth it. Stick with a company where you know exactly how many miles you will get a week because you won't make a dime running general freight for Swift.
@shaithis80 Now, that makes sense LOL. But seriously, how else can you start trucking if not being exploited to the fullest at one of the companies similar to Swift? Swift or not they all pay close to nothing and no such thing like overtime. Heard of Any decent company hiring without experience out there?
@eastcoastnj well 1st off don't go into debt or take advantage of any company training. Price out your CDL and go with the cheapest schooling available. Above all study the Commercial Vehicle Handbook. Getting the permit is the easy part. As for testing look up CRST sometime as they have study guides for your general knowledge and endorsement testing.
@eastcoastnj what you might not know about the industry is that being exploited just adds to the stress which can lead to an unwanted incident which can affect your DAC. Sure you might be able to maintain a clean MVR but seems like it won't help if you are blackballed by Swift and countless other companies. Weigh it all in heavily and ask yourself if you want to sacrifice the time to any con artist company that is out there.
@eastcoastnj should you decide to go with Swfit, the biggest secret is keep on submitting those applications and line up your next job within 6 mos to a year. Don't count on Swift or any other general freight company to take you up through retirement. Keep jumping until you are making what you want to make. This being loyal to anyone company is all completely bullshit and seems like Swift has been known to play favorites. That's just my take. Good luck in your pursuits.
@eastcoastnj the major problem I had with the industry in general is that you don't get credit for time put in. So if you go off and try to work in other parts of the workforce, the time you put in is not recognized by a good portion if not all the companies out there. Kind of discouraging to return to that type of industry. I think that is why I drive the point home to weigh in your decision carefully because it can take its toll on you depending on your lifestyle needs. Regards.
@shaithis80 Thanks buddy, I appreciate it. I just wonder what exactly did you mean by saying that you dont get credit for time put in? You mean that other industries dont want to count your time as work experience when been a truck driver? Regards.
@eastcoastnj that is exactly correct about the industry. If you have any significant gaps in your trucking experience then anytime put into the industry can be viewed as null and void. That is how f'd up the general freight companies have become. Mainly the trucking industry is no longer based on merit and time put in. Any gaps will cost you. They won't consider overall employment in different parts of the workforce.
@eastcoastnj you don't have to take my word for it. Ask around and find out all the ins and outs and know what to look for in a starter company. The final nail in the coffin for Swift was when I had to backtrack approx 3 months to get my expenses reimbursed and the expenses missed were pretty major during the Volvo driveaway project I was on. It is not just driving a truck. There is other bullshit associated with it now and frankly to me it was not worth it.
@eastcoastnj if you are intent on your CDL. Get your initial experience in and take your license to the public sector in wherever your home state is or find the companies that offer guaranteed miles/salary where you know how much you'll be getting paid. Kind of hard to maintain a homebase in some parts of the U.S. when you don't get paid farily for your time. Again good luck to you in your future prospects.
@shaithis80 you're right,if not paid fairly it's hard to live in some parts of the US. apartments are expensive and renting one bedroom apartment in some places might not be easy if you make 25,30c per mile while driving 60Mph ,10 or so hours a day. Get stuck in NYC traffic, then get your load , then get out of NY and you probably will make 20 bucks that day. I take allthe info I gather into consideration yet choices are limited.Thanks again. If you got anything to add please go ahead. Regards.
@eastcoastnj that was all I pretty much had to say in regards to the reality of the situation. However if you are still pursuing your CDL and do go through Swift. Get a cheap living situation sorted out first. Rent a room/find a boarding house and use it as your address and just save where you can. For the most part it is a place you will rarely see. Just wish states would make a hardship exemption and just allow you to rent a private box from the UPS store or a PO Box.
@eastcoastnj the other thing to add about trucking companies in general is that they do ship by rail so that also affects your pay as well. They just need truckers to haul the shorter distances and that is about it so when it comes down to general freight companies, I'm under the impression that they do overhire where there just isn't enough miles to go around. It all factors in to how much you will really be making. Just because Swift is the biggest doesn't mean much if ur not getting miles.
@eastcoastnj I have talked to a few there so called "trainers" when I was waiting around to get loaded/unloaded a few times and I wouldn't feel save letting them drive my lawnmower in a vacant field! And I have ran across my fair share of Swift trucks with drivers that had no idea how to even put the chains on there truck the right way and couldn't back a truck into a hole with 50 feet on each side to spare so ya there trainers pretty much suck!
@1966omc if I might add back in 2002 it was $1,250 pd to Swift to train at the school they were utlizing. More than likely I take it they overcharge and for the record you are not going to make the cost of training back in a 1 month time frame so right there you are getting screwed. Get your CDL the cheapest way possible and don't do business with the Swift Academy. Remember you are not getting much to start out with in the industry.
@1966omc hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
hey just wondering what company u chose.. i am due 2 leave dec 7 2010.. to start my training with swift..i have scrolled the internet.. heard alot of bad things about swift..i know all the companies say this say that.. just want 2 get with a alright company 2 get some trucking under my heels...please all respond cuz my time is ticking tick tock...
@cammay327 Big Cat Trucker would seem to be a spokesperson for Swift and this would seem to be a publicity stunty to attract newbies to the industry that don't know any better.
@Pnutt5100 hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
Ive been trucking since 1992, have lots of experience with haz-may and twic. My advice is that Swift is one of the WORST companies ever !!! You will get screwed by them in a thousand ways.
@meadowlarkable man, im looking into this stuff now, and your comment is not helpfull at all. give some examples instead of talking about nothing...they will screw you, or like others they are shit, will treat you like shit, they are joke...etc...it brings NOTHING to conversation and makes one wonder what kind of people dislike Swift? who can't provide any evidence or factual info and explain themselves what they actually mean by "WORST"? Do they attack you when you sleep in your cabin? LOL
@eastcoastnj Swift does not necessarily have the greatest track record. If they are governing your truck, your getting screwed, if they are paying by the mover's guide you are not getting paid for all that you drive, they do tend to miss expenses every other trip (I had to back track 3 mos), you will never hear about how they fucked experienced drivers on a program they once had running out in Dublin, VA under the name American Truckaway which was Volvo driveaway (delivering new trucks).
@danthehitman741 try being governed at 60 mph for two years. Too slow and not making any money. Also if you are doing general frieght, your paycheck is not guaranteed any set amount and I think where you start getting screwed are on all the short hauls you are given as that eats up your time vs. always getting longer runs. Traffic is a negative factor with governed trucks because you can't make up those miles governed and you can't pass as easy when you need to.
@shaithis50 Ouch 60? their is no reason to run trucks that slow 65 (Ehh) i wouldnt like it but i would do it.. The truck im currently driving isnt governed but it does have a little babysitting device "BLACKBOX" that will report you for speeding...it sucks..be safe and truck on...
@danthehitman741 yep roughly about 2+ w/ Swift governed at 60 mph '02-'04. I've been out of the driving game since 2004 anyway. Still have my CDL, have more stable work and I'm home every night. CDL is just a backup if I really ever need to tap that, however I have built up other skills. Blackbox would seem to be a new one. I always thought weigh stns. just logged you in at one part of the state and tracked you that way. Stay safe as well d741.
@darealist1314 I never liked how their computer planning system was always trying to get me home when I wanted to stay out east way longer before going west like for the entire winter. Made it a policy to always keep away from Sparks, NV which was my home term. and far away from Donner Pass. Tried to keep east of the rockies in the winter time.
@bjsh55 dont go throught thier school for training, if u can go to a private school and pay for it with a personal loan. if u go through the swift school u have to work for them till ur loan is payed off, basically they got u by the balls. I went to a private school and drove for the swift flatbed division for almost a year till i found a local job so i could be home with my wife and 6 mos old son, truckin is very hard on a family
@trysegai don't go to Swift period. If they are still paying zip code to zip code/movers guide for miles, you are already getting screwed. It's 2010 already and there is more accurate software that can tell you exactly how far it is from point A to point B.
@trysegai I wouldn't even take on a loan for training. New people looking to get their CDL through Swift have to realize back in 2002, it was $1,250.00 cash up front to go through an independent school and that was in northern NV. Paying 3x the amount I paid translates into getting ripped off as you are not making much starting in the industry with the bigger general frieght outfits. Find the cheapest training available and attend class everyday.
hey man im getting ready to go to swift myself, i already have my cdl lic, im a newbee, i drive a stright truck now, and im ready to go otr and get some more exp, and swift is the only company that will hire me right now with my driving record, so im going to go for it, i just wanted to know what you thought ab it? thanks man for your video hope to hear back from you
@BM95ss you need to think if it more as a business relationship and if Swift is worth doing business with as a company driver. The complaints are out there to make you think twice. I wouldn't rely on Big Cat for info as he seems to be promoting the company big time judging by some of his other vids. Big Cat seems to be glamorizing Swift making it look way better than it really is. I've worked for them and know 1st hand how they operated. Be warned.
swift sux man. i went through the school, waited and waited and waited on a truck (which they lied about said they would have one for me the week after i got outta school, and ended up waiting a month on one, with no pay by the way) drove for them and they always had an excuse about y they fucked my paycheck up.... well u didnt trun in ur lumper recept *which i did and had copies of* and still never got paied for it.... just stupid shit... so i parked their truck in my home town when i was
that's funny cause when I drove for them, I drove flatbed division, they had a truck waiting for me when I got my solo tests done. I guess it just depends on what terminal ur out of. But I do agree the pay blows, for the first 3 months or so I only made about 300 a week, after that the pay got better and better. When I turned in my truck I was makin nearly 1000 per week. I had to leave to save my marriage, being gone a month at a time is hard on a marriage
@inkfreekk LOL, I had to backtrack 3 months of expenses when I wondered why I was getting full checks. They missed major expenses on every other trip. That is a gross error on the company and something I didn't tolerate because I had enough issues crossing into Canada and managing that paperwork. If Swift is still prone to making gross mistakes not having your back while you are in the field, then don't work for them.
@BigCatTrucker I am thinking about joining the Swift family. I have been doing the whole local stuff for a while now and to be honest, its getting boring as all hell.
Thanks for posting this video. I have watch a couple of your video postings so far great. I am signed up now with NAT'S for cdl. Thinking about getting with swift once I have license.
Just want to know if there any east coast swift truckers out there can share there experience about swift? Or are they pretty much same across the board? Thanks
Thanks for posting this video. I have watch a couple of your video postings so far great. I am signed up now with NAT'S for cdl. Thinking about getting with swift once I have license.
Just want to know if there any east coast swift truckers out there can share there experience about swift? Or are they pretty much same across the board? Thanks.
swift is a bad deal i worked foe them for about eight months this was a bad deal they took my checks 4 about 2months i got voids checks and they act like they didn't know why they were taking my money
Great video, this is a very intelligent way to gather information. The world needs more people like you who know how to ask questions and not just take whats told to you. Good luck in you new career.
It's all good... Just get ur CDL and hit the road.
I do about 7,500 - 8,000 miles a week. I gots a little refridgerator in my truck, loaded-up with JOLT and RedBulls and Mountain Dew. - That stuff keeps me going all day and all night.
There not a bad company for you to start with. I assume you are going thru there school and agreeing to work for a set amount of time. Read the contract you must fufill or they will go after you for the school bill. the pay is on the low end but you will get your cdl and be able to move on after you get school paid off. Make sure you learn about how to shift the axles and fifth wheel, and what this does to weight distribution. Make sure you learn when and how to adjust brakes.
i think pam is good if theres one near they run local, that is most of the time they run local swift is not the best as i said i rec amend pam if theres one near
BY THE END OF 1 YEAR IN SWIFT I WENT AS EVERYBODY WHO STICKS FROM 26 TO 31 CPM,ONLY 1 MONTH SINCE I BEGAN I DROVE A BRAND NEW
VOLVO,NOW I AM AT SCHNEIDER AND MAKE 36 CPM AND HAVE MORE MILES TO RUN,LOOKS LIKE THEY R REALLY EXPANDING,THE ONLY DOWNSIDE I C ABOUT IT THAT 36 CPM IS THE TOP RATE, WHILE IN SWIFT A DRIVER WHO HAS SAY 5 YEARS UNDER HIS BELT MAKES 40 CPM( not practical miles for both companies}
2 B honest with u , Once u obtain the License CDL . Is 1 thing getting the xperience is another . With CRST , Swift . Werner , Schneider you wil get the training But the pay sucks. Like 21 to 31 per mile . ? But if u are truly into it just do not give up . on it .
yea? hows thoose volvos? i heard they suck. im planning to start my trucking career with them, but id like to get a freightliner insted, but i doubt they will.
Vovlos make the best truck, problem is that it has to be a VOLVO CERTIFIED mechanic to work on em, where as any mechanic can work on, KW, FL, Peterbilt, ETC.... And trucks break down. So it's just a matter of finding the mechanics. I think KENWORTH is #1
You are going to need atleast 3 months solo experience just to open the door to more companies. Remember this..all trucking companies are going to screw you over one way or another. I drove for a few and realized these companies make a killing off new drivers. FYI- dont sign up for the per diem, isnt worth it.
listennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn,NO MATTER WHAT ,your 1st yr is gonna suck,because the only companys that will take a new driver will screw you spit on you and shit on you faster than you can say youtube,but you stick it out,AND I MEAN STICK IT OUT AND AFTER A YEAR,there plenty of good companys to go 2.........PEACE1
Also if you want to see my inside vids, I have them on my area of youtube as well... /dlstorminc and I provide vids on their idling, hometime and routing. I've done a lot of idling videos on their idling practices as well. You need to find out what you will enjoy, like fratbed, van, or whatever. Go with a company that will back the driver, Swift DM's have a lot of lying to their drivers, such as myself. If you need more advice, look up trucking forums and see what they say. no company is perfect
Advice for you is to stay as far away from Swift as you can. I'm an enployee with them, been with them for almost 6 years now. The company has gone a 180 since I started with them, no idle policy allows for idling for 20 minutes and your truck stays off in the heat or the cold. No idling. Home time could be better. Goto Heartland, Crete or another other then Swift. Goodluck with the hunt. - Will
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I saw a dumb fucking truck driver yesterday hauling ass down the road and the light turned red, well the fucker was going so fast he couldn't stop and just blew right through it about 4 seconds after it turned red. If he would have hit someone I would have been a witness for the victim. I hate you fucking truck fuckers.
@bartondustin99 no they wouldnt.....they wouldnt even be here cause they would've starved to death since the groccery stores' selves would be empty! LOL
dsteele, It is obvious this rayair fellow is in need of attention badly. Anyone who posts that they are going to follow truckers to get them in trouble either has no life or just needs attention but my guess is both.
Also, I'm a little tired of being passed by so many other carriers trucks!
Very tired of sitting for 1,2,or 3 days waiting for a load and finally get one thats 600 miles but it picks up on Mon and delivers on Fri. And feeling forced to take it or you have to wait for another that may be just as bad as the one you just turned down.
Hey all, it's been a while since I've posted on this topic.
My opinion has changed about swift, I did get good training, had a great mentor. But I'm having issues getting paid and paid for every trip I do. Also having issues getting paid for some layover days I've had.
This may all just be my DM's fault or it may be a downfall of the company in whole, I'm not sure but I am getting very discouraged.
I have been with swift since early 2006. I have had none of the problems that I have heard people complain about on here. I did at one time quit swift (for 2 weeks) and went to Boyd Brothers. Then I was begging Swift to let me come back to work for them. I now have 2 trucks leased to them, and I'm thinking about adding a third. I have no complaints with them.
when they fold, I'll be ROFLMFAO. I stopped driving for them back in October, 2004 for the final time. They just never got their shit together and probably did me a big favor turning me down for rehire back in 2007. Now you have this Tennessee mess to go along with it. I'm sure Jerry Moyes will be just fine either way, but this company has been ripping off drivers for the longest time. All I can say is to drivers in the field, monitor your expense reimbursements as Swift misses a lot.
Highly doubt there going to fold. I think they may see some error in there old ways. They have gotten rid of 1400 admin jobs including DM's and another 2500 people that they gave false cdl's. Which there is a class action lawsuit pending. Regardless of what other's may say. Swift is hiring and making payroll. Thats good enough for me considering the economy. Bullshit comes with any job...
Yeah and I've gone through a lot of bullshit. When Swift misses major expenses on every other trip, then they deserve to lose their experienced staff and a lot of qualified people b4 me on one particular project back in '04 went broke due to failed reimbursements. They may be hiring, but 2 me they are not worth having a trucker/company business relationship and it does affect a driver depending on the level of bullshit. Just ain't worth putting in the time if you are constantly getting screwed.
w8bad, on a positive note, Swift did get me to Canada. I don't know if they still run out that way, but there were a few little perks. But when you are governed at 60 mph for 2 yrs as was my case, then in can get old really fast since one is not maxing out their daily pay. Perhaps one day they will improve again, but sounds as if these companies go through their good and bad bullshit. I'll stay more regional if I ever re-enter the industry. See all I've wanted to as an OTR driver. Be safe.
everyone is governing down these days.. A faster truck only means more passing, more lane changes, thus more work. my mentor is 0/0 @ runs 65mph and there is lots of passing. I am actually looking forward to 62...Then the only folks I'll have to pass is Schneider. Swift so far has been what they say... The trainers are great, the pay sucks, you wont be home every weekend but its a job with benefits...
They ought to govern you down to 55. I was pacing one asshole truck driver on a freeway late one night at 90 MPH! Needless to say I immediately called 911 and had him pulled over,fined, inspected and logs checked since i have local PD connections.
Now how would you know he was doing 90 mph? What was the speed limit on the road you said you were going 55 so is that it? You sound like one of the steering wheel huggers that lean forward to check the first 50 feet in front of your car and never know what is happening on the road. Truckers are for the most part safe drivers most car truck accidents are the car's fault.
Because I was pacing him while I was dialing 911 to contact the West Virginia State Police. I got him pulled over, inspected, fined and possibly a revoked CDL! LOL!
You a non police officer SPEEDING, what makes it ok for you but not him? You are one of the people who drive slow in the inside lane and never really look in front of them to see what is happening and that's why you do not like truckers because you never see there turn signal and almost run into the trucks. I am not a trucker but I watch what is going on around me and very seldom do I see a trucker doing anything wrong after all there job depends on no accidents and keeping a CDL.
That's it, next weekend me and my friend are going on highway patrol and we are going to get some truck drivers ticketed. We are armed with cell phones, 2-way radios and video cameras (so we can video the speeding truck with the drivers picture and send it to the management at his company!)
We are going to get some CDL's revoked next weekend!
That's it you are a jack ass, and your issue with trucks proves it. Im sure you find a lot of people honk at you, guess what I drive a lot and may get honked once a year thats 1 honk for around 30,000 miles
If I'll see you once upon a time I will crash you, your friend and your fuckin car into pieces. Go and get a job yourself and don't mess someone who wants to work. You don't have a cdl... am I right asshole. Pass on the cdl then we can talk. You are shit.
That is EXACTLY why we do what we do. To get you fucking bums off the road at all costs! We spend thousands of our own money every year in recording equipment, radar guns, cell phone minutes and gas money.
That would have been a funny phone call to hear you make to the police, RayAir1. "Yes, I would like to report a speeding truck going 90mph, I know hes going that fast cuz I am too so can you please pull us both over!" I am not a trucker RayAir1, and I have to say you are one of the biggest losers on youtube after reading your unintelligent comments towards people you depend on to make sure your ass is wiped weather you like it or not!
Maybe a dumb ass like you azgilbertboi would say that. I said " Hello, I would like to report a speeding truck driver, he is passing all traffic recklessly and weaving. I think he may be half asleep or drunk also. He just blew right by me and almost hit my mirror. The description of the truck is .......... and its plate is ............"
I went to swift orientation and went out 6 weeks with a mentor. They sent me home and told me that it would take a week to get a truck,its been 3 1/2 weeks and still no truck. I quit swift and us xpress put me in a truck right away.
TheOmnipotentidiot 1 month ago
Every company has its pros and cons....
dav7722 4 months ago
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Of all the tricks they pull on their drivers the one I like is lay-over pay. If you don't get dispatched within 24hrs.of your last load then you get lay-over pay...yeah right. Right at the 22nd or 23rd hr. they'll dispatch you on some shit load knowing you'll turn it down. They offered the load, you turned it down...no payola. Even if everything was on the up and up it seems like your driver manager gets memory loss when you tell her about it after payday...but she'll check into it...forget it.
peetee1000 5 months ago
Of all the tricks they pull on their drivers the one I like is lay-over pay. If you don't get dispatched within 24hrs.of your last load then you get lay-over pay...yeah right. Right at the 22nd or 23rd hr. they'll dispatch you on some shit load knowing you'll turn it down. They offered the load, you turned it down...no payola. Even if everything was on the up and up it seems like your driver manager gets memory loss when you tell her about it after payday...but she'll check into it...forget it.
peetee1000 5 months ago
@peetee1000 this is indeed true.
shaithis80 5 months ago
He still drives for Swift Ive seen him out on the road not so long ago like a couple weeks ago to be exact.
iraqikiller420 6 months ago
Man as a driver this is crazy.. icant believe this guy, how he lied and turned out to be a swift mark...this was 2008...He states he didnt expect much..in about 1yr and half.. he went through 3 trucks ending up in a new customized chromed vovlo..5k worth of electronics in it, his own show, his own merchandise, and a metal polish he was promoting...and now no longer works for Swift...he must have gotten a better deal...Maybe hes ceo of Werner or JB...
stevefromPA2 7 months ago
@stevefromPA2 seriously? BC no longer works for Swift?
shaithis80 5 months ago
Damn I looked at more of this guys videos.....in less than 2 years hes at a show somewhere with a BRAND NEW custom paint Volvo,,with swift and BIGCAT trucker on the side urging ppl to come to swift...And notice he has nothing negative to say about Swift....Swift...they really think ppl cant think for themselves
stevefromPA2 7 months ago
Its real simple...as a beginner if u dont know anyone that has a trucking co that can get u experience your going to have to go through the bullshit...ANy company that hires trainees and has more than 1ok trucks is a slave driver..The key is to get 6 months experience..with a clean driving record and then parachute from the Swifts, JB Hunts, Sheinders and CRSTs of the world.. for 10yrs i made 60k and was home everynite...dont believe that cross country crap once u get experience
stevefromPA2 7 months ago
@stevefromPA2 hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
PREPARE4THEHYPOCRITE 3 months ago
@PREPARE4THEHYPOCRITE the companies u mentioned, there are ppl that reamin with them for years, but the vast majority of drivers leave their first big carrier trucking job in the first year Trucking compaines that pay a fair wage usually want drivers with experience I doubt if ull make more than 30k ur first year with a major company..their profit is in paying u the least they can..this happens cause they will treat u like a JITD...Just In TIme Driver.So u may sit for days until the customer
stevefromPA2 3 months ago
Everyone has to start somewhere and SWIFT is not a bad company to start out at. I personally started their and besides the pay I did not have any real issues. However, my belief is that you create your own experiences where ever you go, so maybe that's why my experience wasn't so bad.
MyBuyandSellNetwork 8 months ago
@MyBuyandSellNetwork hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
PREPARE4THEHYPOCRITE 3 months ago
Hey Big cat you seem like an eager person to find out about trucking just like me i wanted to know if you had any luck yet ?Im getting out the army and already have a cdl , thanks look me up on facebook flavio santana thanks
FLAVOR1984 8 months ago
swifts is ok company, i like they will do u right in return...
MrTibby34 10 months ago
how would u know if schneider good company have u work there b4??? >>>>rolls over laughing out loud swift .....u grown make ur own choices at the end dats what u guna do neway swift sucks
turbo98gt 10 months ago
Ok, this is hilarious. First off, the MAIN thing I saw when I opened this page was the severe lack of grammar knowledge. Also, people complaining that you don't get paid for your miles. ALSO, the fact that you ONLY drive on the range. And finally, how they soak every penny out of you. I will tell you right now, that these are all LIES. Let's break it down shall we?
Tsukasa981 10 months ago
@Tsukasa981 1) LOGGING. If you log your miles, log your on duty/driving/off duty times, and EVERYTHING ELSE NEEDED TO BE LOGGED, you will not be jacked out of your money. YOU control whether or not you get paid, not Swift... THEY TOLD YOU IN THE ACADEMY...
2) Yes, you drive on the range for quite a bit. Why? Because they don't want you out on the road, first day, destroying everything in your site... They put you in the range to get the feel of the truck, to learn how to control the trailer...
Tsukasa981 10 months ago
@Tsukasa981 I did log my miles and there was always a discrepancy between what the computer paid and what I actually drove. Above all your pay is not guaranteed and you don't know how much you will be making. When one is governed at 60 mph and one is not getting paid all the miles they drive, then there are problems. I also wonder how many more expenses Swift missed (i.e. tolls/showers etc etc).
shaithis80 9 months ago
@Tsukasa981 (Continuing 2) They do in fact put you out on the road for about a week. I'll agree, they really could increase the time out on road week. BUT they get you ready for the CDL test and afterwards, you have your MENTOR to teach you everything you need to know.
3) They don't soak money from their drivers... Yeah, you pay OUT OF YOUR PAYCHECK for the academy. And after a year, they PAY YOU BACK HALF... What the hell were you all doing in the Academy..? Sucking cock all day long? >_>
Tsukasa981 10 months ago
@Tsukasa981 u must work for the shitty bastards or something??? well swift sucks ass and u do to swift could potentially be good but too many chiefs not enough indians and trainers are to damn young and nieve think they the shit lucky i had a great mexican shot out thomas at swift but swift is horrible i got no miles there my check was bout the same as my fucking weight 200something. now u mite be asskissing gettin miles but sum dnt do that
turbo98gt 10 months ago
@turbo98gt so... in other words... you were a swift failure..?
Tsukasa981 10 months ago
@Tsukasa981 Swift has been known to do bad business. As I recall they broke union lines in Dublin, VA and tried to do a truck decking operation which was a complete failure. They drove their experienced drivers out of that operation and they didn't compensate fairly for that project to begin with nor did they give me proper training to do the job at hand. At last check that operation was no longer in existence. The company has treated drivers very very poorly.
shaithis80 9 months ago
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@shaithis80 hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
PREPARE4THEHYPOCRITE 3 months ago
@Tsukasa981 LOL, you don't get paid for all the miles that you drive and Swift did that during the time I was there and I knew their system was shorting me miles and their routing software sucked. Swift did shave miles and the icing on the cake is when I caught the company misisng expenses on every other trip. Back tracking 3 mos worth of trips to recover expenses was enough to finally leave and bear in mind I had enough issues when I was handling loads to Canada. Swift does bad business.
shaithis80 9 months ago
@Tsukasa981 I wonder how ur opinion has changed now that its been 7 mos..Im willing to bet ur not even working for swift...
stevefromPA2 3 months ago
i can honestly say if you looking for a good company swift is not the choice swift is the worst company to ever be around. then when you put ur home time in they wanna give u a big run but before then they give u shitty miles.
turbo98gt 11 months ago
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@turbo98gt hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
PREPARE4THEHYPOCRITE 3 months ago
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Hey big cat I am maken videos about adventures truck driving from cooking to travling and got alot ideas if you have sometime hit me up
xxkenai 11 months ago
Hey big cat I am maken videos about adventures truck driving from cooking to travling and got alot ideas if you sometime hit me up
xxkenai 11 months ago
I have been a driver since 1992. I hate to see these crummy companies screw the newbies so bad I posted this advice. I have haz-mat with TWIC and Canadian qualified and a very good record with about 2 million miles. Ask SWIFT recruiters what their driver turnover rate is and the will not tell you its 300 to 500 %. They treat the newbies VERY VERY BAD !!! P.S. they PAY the driving schools to recruit the newbies that dont know any better. Stay AWAY...................
meadowlarkable 1 year ago
@meadowlarkable once again, don't know what your talking about. The schools get payed by the students and the students get a bonus for being loyal, so the students go to school for free if they stay for 26 months. They rate the drivers based on the drivers record of being on time. if you suck at being on time then yes you may have a problem with Swift. Do as your asked and you agree to (what you get payed for) and you will be rewarded,
TheZiggy75g 11 months ago
yeah now i see i have talked to somebody that works for them and i agree with everyone swift is not very good that cheat u and lie to u thanks everyone for advice
country8595 1 year ago
you cant go on what other people say some of the people talk crap about a company because they are complainers and didnt want to work. They bitched and complain because they didnt get what they want and you cant be that way if you are then you will not get the miles. Any company you go with is going to have a bad side and a good side but u got to start somewhere and whether are not your first company may not be that great but at least its a job.
country8595 1 year ago
@country8595 LOL the point to be made is you can't make a living based on an unstable pay check. Also there is no excuse for any company shorting drivers on miles or missing expenses. And you clarify the obvious. No enough miles to go around and that is true when general freight is shipped via rail lines. Hmm that truly impacts my job and what miles I do get. Swift would seem to over hire and yes they would seem to play favorites. 2+ years of loyalty got me nowhere.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@shaithis80 true i have been driving log trucks for four years and the pay is very unsteady but i have talked to people and everybody has a opinion on Swift. Yeah they may not be the best but i have been thinking bout driving otr and everybody i talked to will not hire me unless i have 6 months to a year of otr exp. and they are the only one that will so they may have a bad rep but everybody has to start somewhere
country8595 1 year ago
@country8595 insurance has played a big role in determining how the hiring process works and that is how bullshit the industry has gotten along with the DAC bullshit. As far as Swift goes, you are being had cheap. Now if you have been driving log trucks for 4 years, that should count as experience so I don't know what the issue is about nobody wanting to hire you. I'd shop around with that experience and keep looking for a company because you are not getting paid for your experience.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@country8595 it would sound like Swift is finding an excuse not to credity your time put in behind the wheel and that is not right. Just to rememeber if you decide to run general freight then you will be in a governed truck never maxing out your miles and you might not get all the miles to make a good living in those 6 months. Were you getting paid for the time put in when you were driving that log truck because there will be hours that go unpaid with Swift.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@shaithis80 the governed trucks help save the company nearly 6 billion dollars a year in fuel which gets put out to the drivers. Are you really so stupid to not think abouta truck doing 70mph getting 6-7 and a truck doing 60 getting 10-12. not to mention 10 mph only saves you 5 minutes every 1 hour and most states won't let you do more then 65 mph so 70 means a ticket and a possible level 1 so you trying to gain 5 minutes just lost 2 hrs
TheZiggy75g 11 months ago
@country8595 your time spent picking up and delivering at shippers and consignees is not what Swift pays for so they do nickel and dime where they can. How important is your time and then you have to ask yourself if you are getting paid fairly for a 60-70 hours work week. Unlike other companies, Swift doesn't have established lanes so you will never know how much you will be getting paid monthly. All the factors to consider before starting in on any orientation. I'd assert your experience.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@shaithis80 no company gives you money for sitting when loading and unloading, not to mention Swift is 95% drop and hook, If you are held over by the shipper for more then 2 hours you do get detention pay, and Swift is the largest Fleet period, over 17000 trucks and 20000 drivers (teams) not to mention all the dedicated routes like costco, walmart, home depot, lowes. you get on a dedicated and its the same pay every week and your home most nights, no OTR unless you ask for it
TheZiggy75g 11 months ago
@TheZiggy75g and you prove my point. You are NOT getting fairly compensated for the work that you do. Working 60-70 work weeks and not getting paid adequately for it. It's a rip off. Do the math, your miles are governed you are not maxing out your pay. Also if Swift is paying for the mile, if they are still paying mover's guide then you are not getting paid accurately. I can plot a route online or on MS Streets and Trips and know the exact mileage.
shaithis80 11 months ago
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@shaithis80 hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
PREPARE4THEHYPOCRITE 3 months ago
@TheZiggy75g the bigger argument is over the road where there was actually no money in it. I was even sent to pick up a damaged trailer once that I lost time for where I wasn't fairly compensated in sitting waiting for someone in Jersey to come and fix it. I've been fucked over so many times it is not funny. You might want to check grocery warehouses sometime. I wasn't compensated for sitting half the night waiting to be unloaded. FYI, Swift has failed in other operations before.
shaithis80 11 months ago
@TheZiggy75g I've never seen a company so disorganized such as Swift miss expenses to the tune of every other trip. Once I found out what was going on, it was a matter of time before I walked away from a very corrupted company. I backtracked a period of 3 months. That is how fucking disorganized Swift is. Paperwork lost/miskeyed/not entered correctly. Having to recoup expenses while on vacation. Not good business when you are relying on drivers taking loads into Canada LOL!
shaithis80 11 months ago
@TheZiggy75g FYI, Swift overcharges for the training of getting your CDL and it is a con designed to put people in debt. After seeing the way Swift has operated I wouldn't rely on them to process much of anything. They do bad business. Not worth the effort of playing the owner op game or even supporting the beast as a company driver. How disorganized is Swift, didn't they have an FBI investigation awhile back? They don't value their experienced drivers and have had very poor training.
shaithis80 11 months ago
@country8595 the point I'm making is if driving a log truck required a CDL, then your experienced. Insist that Swift pay you what your worth and get it down on paper. If I had time put into the industry, then last thing I'd want to do is start over at the bottom of any pay scale. Just making those points. Good luck to you.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@country8595 I went to the Lewiston School that Swift provides and the instructors do everything they can to prepare you. the hotel sucks but show me one that any company pays for that doesn't. Not to mention Swift has so many drivers right now that some are waiting to get a truck and most newbies are getting 2010 and 2011's.
TheZiggy75g 11 months ago
@country8595 it doesn't take much to type Swift sucks on a Google search and find comments on Rip Off Report or other trucker forums. Anyone entering the industry should understand the dynamics and then make an informed decision before they get ripped off by Swift or other companies when getting their CDL. Training is overpriced and doesn't reflect how much you will make in the first few months. Your pay is not guaranteed and your miles are limited because you are in a governed truck.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@country8595 nowadays I think most general freight companies are just in it to facilitate their bottom line and will do what is not in the best interest of the truck driver.Low miles/Low wages and you can't make a living on an unstable paycheck. I worked alright for Swift at one time. Did all 48 states, and pulled out of JFK airport and picked up in Jersey. Swift won't see that because you are just a number nor will they see they time you offered to fuel up a reefer unit when it was low on fuel.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@country8595 the trucking industry doesn't judge you based on time put into the workforce nor does it consider time put into the industry after you've taken a break from driving. That is the real story about trucking. I earned my experience and kept my driving record clean and maintained a stable work record yet that is just not enough to satisfy being hired back. So people like me will tell it like it is and cause newbies to think twice before stepping into a slave labor mill like Swift.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@country8595 if there is still a high turnover of drivers leaving Swift, then all I can say to that is that Swift still engages in doing bad business with their employees to this day. They did that with me for about 3 months and what I didn't like was wasting my time off catching up on expenses that they missed. That is gross negligence or incompentence and a sign of a broken company. Seems to me none of that has changed especially if they still overcharge for training for a CDL.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@shaithis80 This is one of those you don't know your ass from a hole in the ground situations. To go to the School is $3900. they take $300 a month for 13 months. IF you have the nuts to stay, they give you a $300 bonus starting month 14 until month 26. Let me do the math for you $3900 payed to company, $3900 payed back to you. cost of schooling $0.00, thats seems pretty cheap to me. compared to renting a truck for $500 and you still don't know how to back up in a straight line.
TheZiggy75g 11 months ago
swift fucking suck dont go to the
somethinglover78 1 year ago
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eastcoastnj 1 year ago
STAY AWAY FROM SWIFT!! unless you don't have any other choice! They treat there drivers like shit, there training is a joke, you don't even drive on the road in training, all you do is drive around in circles in a parking lot and when you get assigned a trainer in you home state you will probably get some retard who has been driving for a year or less!
1966omc 1 year ago 7
@1966omc what do you mean they treat people like "shit"? and why someone who've been driving for a year or less must be a retard? i don't know why comment like yours gets thumbs up. probably retards give it a thumb up.
eastcoastnj 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj LOL I gave Swift 2+ years of my time. Wasn't worth it. They overhire and don't have the miles to guarantee a steady pay check. Unpaid overtime is another way to look at it as well. Basically any company that governs their trucks, unless you are getting paid a decent mileage rate to compensate, then it is not even worth it. Stick with a company where you know exactly how many miles you will get a week because you won't make a dime running general freight for Swift.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@shaithis80 Now, that makes sense LOL. But seriously, how else can you start trucking if not being exploited to the fullest at one of the companies similar to Swift? Swift or not they all pay close to nothing and no such thing like overtime. Heard of Any decent company hiring without experience out there?
eastcoastnj 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj well 1st off don't go into debt or take advantage of any company training. Price out your CDL and go with the cheapest schooling available. Above all study the Commercial Vehicle Handbook. Getting the permit is the easy part. As for testing look up CRST sometime as they have study guides for your general knowledge and endorsement testing.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj what you might not know about the industry is that being exploited just adds to the stress which can lead to an unwanted incident which can affect your DAC. Sure you might be able to maintain a clean MVR but seems like it won't help if you are blackballed by Swift and countless other companies. Weigh it all in heavily and ask yourself if you want to sacrifice the time to any con artist company that is out there.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj should you decide to go with Swfit, the biggest secret is keep on submitting those applications and line up your next job within 6 mos to a year. Don't count on Swift or any other general freight company to take you up through retirement. Keep jumping until you are making what you want to make. This being loyal to anyone company is all completely bullshit and seems like Swift has been known to play favorites. That's just my take. Good luck in your pursuits.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj the major problem I had with the industry in general is that you don't get credit for time put in. So if you go off and try to work in other parts of the workforce, the time you put in is not recognized by a good portion if not all the companies out there. Kind of discouraging to return to that type of industry. I think that is why I drive the point home to weigh in your decision carefully because it can take its toll on you depending on your lifestyle needs. Regards.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@shaithis80 Thanks buddy, I appreciate it. I just wonder what exactly did you mean by saying that you dont get credit for time put in? You mean that other industries dont want to count your time as work experience when been a truck driver? Regards.
eastcoastnj 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj that is exactly correct about the industry. If you have any significant gaps in your trucking experience then anytime put into the industry can be viewed as null and void. That is how f'd up the general freight companies have become. Mainly the trucking industry is no longer based on merit and time put in. Any gaps will cost you. They won't consider overall employment in different parts of the workforce.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj you don't have to take my word for it. Ask around and find out all the ins and outs and know what to look for in a starter company. The final nail in the coffin for Swift was when I had to backtrack approx 3 months to get my expenses reimbursed and the expenses missed were pretty major during the Volvo driveaway project I was on. It is not just driving a truck. There is other bullshit associated with it now and frankly to me it was not worth it.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj if you are intent on your CDL. Get your initial experience in and take your license to the public sector in wherever your home state is or find the companies that offer guaranteed miles/salary where you know how much you'll be getting paid. Kind of hard to maintain a homebase in some parts of the U.S. when you don't get paid farily for your time. Again good luck to you in your future prospects.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@shaithis80 you're right,if not paid fairly it's hard to live in some parts of the US. apartments are expensive and renting one bedroom apartment in some places might not be easy if you make 25,30c per mile while driving 60Mph ,10 or so hours a day. Get stuck in NYC traffic, then get your load , then get out of NY and you probably will make 20 bucks that day. I take allthe info I gather into consideration yet choices are limited.Thanks again. If you got anything to add please go ahead. Regards.
eastcoastnj 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj that was all I pretty much had to say in regards to the reality of the situation. However if you are still pursuing your CDL and do go through Swift. Get a cheap living situation sorted out first. Rent a room/find a boarding house and use it as your address and just save where you can. For the most part it is a place you will rarely see. Just wish states would make a hardship exemption and just allow you to rent a private box from the UPS store or a PO Box.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj the other thing to add about trucking companies in general is that they do ship by rail so that also affects your pay as well. They just need truckers to haul the shorter distances and that is about it so when it comes down to general freight companies, I'm under the impression that they do overhire where there just isn't enough miles to go around. It all factors in to how much you will really be making. Just because Swift is the biggest doesn't mean much if ur not getting miles.
shaithis80 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj I have talked to a few there so called "trainers" when I was waiting around to get loaded/unloaded a few times and I wouldn't feel save letting them drive my lawnmower in a vacant field! And I have ran across my fair share of Swift trucks with drivers that had no idea how to even put the chains on there truck the right way and couldn't back a truck into a hole with 50 feet on each side to spare so ya there trainers pretty much suck!
1966omc 1 year ago
@1966omc if I might add back in 2002 it was $1,250 pd to Swift to train at the school they were utlizing. More than likely I take it they overcharge and for the record you are not going to make the cost of training back in a 1 month time frame so right there you are getting screwed. Get your CDL the cheapest way possible and don't do business with the Swift Academy. Remember you are not getting much to start out with in the industry.
shaithis80 1 year ago
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@1966omc hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
PREPARE4THEHYPOCRITE 3 months ago
hey just wondering what company u chose.. i am due 2 leave dec 7 2010.. to start my training with swift..i have scrolled the internet.. heard alot of bad things about swift..i know all the companies say this say that.. just want 2 get with a alright company 2 get some trucking under my heels...please all respond cuz my time is ticking tick tock...
cammay327 1 year ago
@cammay327 Big Cat Trucker would seem to be a spokesperson for Swift and this would seem to be a publicity stunty to attract newbies to the industry that don't know any better.
shaithis80 1 year ago
Stay away from swift they fuck u out of every penny they can!!!
Pnutt5100 1 year ago 5
This has been flagged as spam show
@Pnutt5100 be more specific if you want to be taken seriously.
eastcoastnj 1 year ago
@Pnutt5100 hi, i'm a newbie. i'm considering swift, crengland, schneider, central refer' and prime...i'm no looking to get rich, just at least , 30,000+ ...i'm only considering western reg' (11 states). i'm based in california but can relocate after training. please give me a few recommendations for trainer carriers. looking for a company that gives newbies decent regional miles, decent first year pay and not too much bs...mostly keeps their word. any advice appreciated, thank you!
PREPARE4THEHYPOCRITE 3 months ago
Ive been trucking since 1992, have lots of experience with haz-may and twic. My advice is that Swift is one of the WORST companies ever !!! You will get screwed by them in a thousand ways.
meadowlarkable 1 year ago
@meadowlarkable man, im looking into this stuff now, and your comment is not helpfull at all. give some examples instead of talking about nothing...they will screw you, or like others they are shit, will treat you like shit, they are joke...etc...it brings NOTHING to conversation and makes one wonder what kind of people dislike Swift? who can't provide any evidence or factual info and explain themselves what they actually mean by "WORST"? Do they attack you when you sleep in your cabin? LOL
eastcoastnj 1 year ago
@eastcoastnj Swift does not necessarily have the greatest track record. If they are governing your truck, your getting screwed, if they are paying by the mover's guide you are not getting paid for all that you drive, they do tend to miss expenses every other trip (I had to back track 3 mos), you will never hear about how they fucked experienced drivers on a program they once had running out in Dublin, VA under the name American Truckaway which was Volvo driveaway (delivering new trucks).
shaithis80 1 year ago
SWIFT. SURE,WISHED,I FINISHED,TRAINING.
maplemanz 1 year ago
I thought about working for them awhile back but their trucks are too slow for me...i would get restless behind the wheel..
danthehitman741 1 year ago
@danthehitman741 try being governed at 60 mph for two years. Too slow and not making any money. Also if you are doing general frieght, your paycheck is not guaranteed any set amount and I think where you start getting screwed are on all the short hauls you are given as that eats up your time vs. always getting longer runs. Traffic is a negative factor with governed trucks because you can't make up those miles governed and you can't pass as easy when you need to.
shaithis50 1 year ago
@shaithis50 Ouch 60? their is no reason to run trucks that slow 65 (Ehh) i wouldnt like it but i would do it.. The truck im currently driving isnt governed but it does have a little babysitting device "BLACKBOX" that will report you for speeding...it sucks..be safe and truck on...
danthehitman741 1 year ago
@danthehitman741 yep roughly about 2+ w/ Swift governed at 60 mph '02-'04. I've been out of the driving game since 2004 anyway. Still have my CDL, have more stable work and I'm home every night. CDL is just a backup if I really ever need to tap that, however I have built up other skills. Blackbox would seem to be a new one. I always thought weigh stns. just logged you in at one part of the state and tracked you that way. Stay safe as well d741.
shaithis50 1 year ago
I liked working for Swift, but they were horrible with getting me home. This is when they used Memphis as a hub! MEMPHIS WAS FULL OF LIES!
darealist1314 1 year ago
@darealist1314 I never liked how their computer planning system was always trying to get me home when I wanted to stay out east way longer before going west like for the entire winter. Made it a policy to always keep away from Sparks, NV which was my home term. and far away from Donner Pass. Tried to keep east of the rockies in the winter time.
shaithis50 1 year ago
swift=see what i fucked up today
qball090872 1 year ago
can you plz reply if you went to there school for training? and how much do you make starting out per week/biweekly?
bjsh55 1 year ago
@bjsh55 dont go throught thier school for training, if u can go to a private school and pay for it with a personal loan. if u go through the swift school u have to work for them till ur loan is payed off, basically they got u by the balls. I went to a private school and drove for the swift flatbed division for almost a year till i found a local job so i could be home with my wife and 6 mos old son, truckin is very hard on a family
trysegai 1 year ago
@trysegai don't go to Swift period. If they are still paying zip code to zip code/movers guide for miles, you are already getting screwed. It's 2010 already and there is more accurate software that can tell you exactly how far it is from point A to point B.
shaithis50 1 year ago
@trysegai I wouldn't even take on a loan for training. New people looking to get their CDL through Swift have to realize back in 2002, it was $1,250.00 cash up front to go through an independent school and that was in northern NV. Paying 3x the amount I paid translates into getting ripped off as you are not making much starting in the industry with the bigger general frieght outfits. Find the cheapest training available and attend class everyday.
shaithis50 1 year ago
hey man im getting ready to go to swift myself, i already have my cdl lic, im a newbee, i drive a stright truck now, and im ready to go otr and get some more exp, and swift is the only company that will hire me right now with my driving record, so im going to go for it, i just wanted to know what you thought ab it? thanks man for your video hope to hear back from you
BM95ss 1 year ago
@BM95ss you need to think if it more as a business relationship and if Swift is worth doing business with as a company driver. The complaints are out there to make you think twice. I wouldn't rely on Big Cat for info as he seems to be promoting the company big time judging by some of his other vids. Big Cat seems to be glamorizing Swift making it look way better than it really is. I've worked for them and know 1st hand how they operated. Be warned.
shaithis50 1 year ago
swift sux man. i went through the school, waited and waited and waited on a truck (which they lied about said they would have one for me the week after i got outta school, and ended up waiting a month on one, with no pay by the way) drove for them and they always had an excuse about y they fucked my paycheck up.... well u didnt trun in ur lumper recept *which i did and had copies of* and still never got paied for it.... just stupid shit... so i parked their truck in my home town when i was
inkfreekk 1 year ago
that's funny cause when I drove for them, I drove flatbed division, they had a truck waiting for me when I got my solo tests done. I guess it just depends on what terminal ur out of. But I do agree the pay blows, for the first 3 months or so I only made about 300 a week, after that the pay got better and better. When I turned in my truck I was makin nearly 1000 per week. I had to leave to save my marriage, being gone a month at a time is hard on a marriage
trysegai 1 year ago
@inkfreekk LOL, I had to backtrack 3 months of expenses when I wondered why I was getting full checks. They missed major expenses on every other trip. That is a gross error on the company and something I didn't tolerate because I had enough issues crossing into Canada and managing that paperwork. If Swift is still prone to making gross mistakes not having your back while you are in the field, then don't work for them.
shaithis50 1 year ago
@BigCatTrucker I am thinking about joining the Swift family. I have been doing the whole local stuff for a while now and to be honest, its getting boring as all hell.
pezlinski 1 year ago
I came to watch this again, you have come a long way brother, very sucessful, give yourself a pat on the back. Your the man BC!!!
swift99354 1 year ago
look at you now... LOL
BigRigBros48 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Thanks for posting this video. I have watch a couple of your video postings so far great. I am signed up now with NAT'S for cdl. Thinking about getting with swift once I have license.
Just want to know if there any east coast swift truckers out there can share there experience about swift? Or are they pretty much same across the board? Thanks
MrAMMiranda 1 year ago
Thanks for posting this video. I have watch a couple of your video postings so far great. I am signed up now with NAT'S for cdl. Thinking about getting with swift once I have license.
Just want to know if there any east coast swift truckers out there can share there experience about swift? Or are they pretty much same across the board? Thanks.
MrAMMiranda 1 year ago
swift is a bad deal i worked foe them for about eight months this was a bad deal they took my checks 4 about 2months i got voids checks and they act like they didn't know why they were taking my money
perjcks5 1 year ago
Great video, this is a very intelligent way to gather information. The world needs more people like you who know how to ask questions and not just take whats told to you. Good luck in you new career.
Jersdaman 1 year ago
stay away from swift bro.find a small outfit .better trucks,pay
5150ramjet 1 year ago
It's all good... Just get ur CDL and hit the road.
I do about 7,500 - 8,000 miles a week. I gots a little refridgerator in my truck, loaded-up with JOLT and RedBulls and Mountain Dew. - That stuff keeps me going all day and all night.
VeteransAgainstKonop 2 years ago
There not a bad company for you to start with. I assume you are going thru there school and agreeing to work for a set amount of time. Read the contract you must fufill or they will go after you for the school bill. the pay is on the low end but you will get your cdl and be able to move on after you get school paid off. Make sure you learn about how to shift the axles and fifth wheel, and what this does to weight distribution. Make sure you learn when and how to adjust brakes.
sixtysguy 2 years ago
i think pam is good if theres one near they run local, that is most of the time they run local swift is not the best as i said i rec amend pam if theres one near
mower05 2 years ago
IS swift uses Qualcom are they paperless log??
mahea1999 2 years ago
BY THE END OF 1 YEAR IN SWIFT I WENT AS EVERYBODY WHO STICKS FROM 26 TO 31 CPM,ONLY 1 MONTH SINCE I BEGAN I DROVE A BRAND NEW
VOLVO,NOW I AM AT SCHNEIDER AND MAKE 36 CPM AND HAVE MORE MILES TO RUN,LOOKS LIKE THEY R REALLY EXPANDING,THE ONLY DOWNSIDE I C ABOUT IT THAT 36 CPM IS THE TOP RATE, WHILE IN SWIFT A DRIVER WHO HAS SAY 5 YEARS UNDER HIS BELT MAKES 40 CPM( not practical miles for both companies}
sweetsnider 2 years ago
2 B honest with u , Once u obtain the License CDL . Is 1 thing getting the xperience is another . With CRST , Swift . Werner , Schneider you wil get the training But the pay sucks. Like 21 to 31 per mile . ? But if u are truly into it just do not give up . on it .
exel234 2 years ago
Yo Rayair1, if your a College Grad. Why are you looking up stuff about swift trucking. Idiot.
juicelenz 2 years ago
Comment removed
RayAir1 2 years ago 4
@RayAir1 hey be nice this is the worlds racist and cruelty taking in on you
mower05 2 years ago
is it tru that swift trucks are govern?/ just to go 63 mph?
salvadoreannika 2 years ago
I went through Schneider. Training was OUTSTANDING! Also a great company to work for!
pezlinski 2 years ago 2
thx but I work for Swift now and they r great!!
BigCatTrucker 2 years ago
yea? hows thoose volvos? i heard they suck. im planning to start my trucking career with them, but id like to get a freightliner insted, but i doubt they will.
rymadness 2 years ago
Vovlos make the best truck, problem is that it has to be a VOLVO CERTIFIED mechanic to work on em, where as any mechanic can work on, KW, FL, Peterbilt, ETC.... And trucks break down. So it's just a matter of finding the mechanics. I think KENWORTH is #1
shootnmove 2 years ago
i was told swift,werner,schnider are good companys to start with for rookies but not good enough to stay with after a year or two experience
67500fan 2 years ago
You are going to need atleast 3 months solo experience just to open the door to more companies. Remember this..all trucking companies are going to screw you over one way or another. I drove for a few and realized these companies make a killing off new drivers. FYI- dont sign up for the per diem, isnt worth it.
Armysniper360 2 years ago
@Armysniper360 yeah, per diem is really fucked up, they take more out than putting in.
emam97 1 year ago
listennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn,NO MATTER WHAT ,your 1st yr is gonna suck,because the only companys that will take a new driver will screw you spit on you and shit on you faster than you can say youtube,but you stick it out,AND I MEAN STICK IT OUT AND AFTER A YEAR,there plenty of good companys to go 2.........PEACE1
crackerjacker31245 2 years ago
Also if you want to see my inside vids, I have them on my area of youtube as well... /dlstorminc and I provide vids on their idling, hometime and routing. I've done a lot of idling videos on their idling practices as well. You need to find out what you will enjoy, like fratbed, van, or whatever. Go with a company that will back the driver, Swift DM's have a lot of lying to their drivers, such as myself. If you need more advice, look up trucking forums and see what they say. no company is perfect
dlstorminc 2 years ago
Advice for you is to stay as far away from Swift as you can. I'm an enployee with them, been with them for almost 6 years now. The company has gone a 180 since I started with them, no idle policy allows for idling for 20 minutes and your truck stays off in the heat or the cold. No idling. Home time could be better. Goto Heartland, Crete or another other then Swift. Goodluck with the hunt. - Will
dlstorminc 2 years ago
try u.s.f.glenn moore
ccvanwinkle 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I saw a dumb fucking truck driver yesterday hauling ass down the road and the light turned red, well the fucker was going so fast he couldn't stop and just blew right through it about 4 seconds after it turned red. If he would have hit someone I would have been a witness for the victim. I hate you fucking truck fuckers.
RayAir1 2 years ago
you may hate truckers u dumb fuckers . but if there was not truck u be nacked dumbass
bartondustin99 2 years ago 7
@bartondustin99 no they wouldnt.....they wouldnt even be here cause they would've starved to death since the groccery stores' selves would be empty! LOL
cgspeeddemon1 1 year ago
rayair you are such a little snith bitch who is too much of a pussy to become a cop so suck a dick and and add that to your video.
dsteele1981 2 years ago 2
dsteele, It is obvious this rayair fellow is in need of attention badly. Anyone who posts that they are going to follow truckers to get them in trouble either has no life or just needs attention but my guess is both.
assphincter 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I would love to be a motor carrier cop. I would write truckers tickets all day, getting CDL's revoked! I should have been a motor carrier cop.
RayAir1 2 years ago
Also, I'm a little tired of being passed by so many other carriers trucks!
Very tired of sitting for 1,2,or 3 days waiting for a load and finally get one thats 600 miles but it picks up on Mon and delivers on Fri. And feeling forced to take it or you have to wait for another that may be just as bad as the one you just turned down.
1raysnw 2 years ago
Hey all, it's been a while since I've posted on this topic.
My opinion has changed about swift, I did get good training, had a great mentor. But I'm having issues getting paid and paid for every trip I do. Also having issues getting paid for some layover days I've had.
This may all just be my DM's fault or it may be a downfall of the company in whole, I'm not sure but I am getting very discouraged.
1raysnw 2 years ago
SWIFT= See What I Fucked up Today
CALL 911 TO REPORT DANGEROUS TRUCK DRIVERS
RayAir1 2 years ago
Call 911 to report dangerous idiots like you. There are much more dangerous car driver on the road.
atibi84 2 years ago 5
lol....thats funny!!!
BigCatTrucker 2 years ago
i have a video u might want to see? it can be really helpful.
gameover340 2 years ago
I have been with swift since early 2006. I have had none of the problems that I have heard people complain about on here. I did at one time quit swift (for 2 weeks) and went to Boyd Brothers. Then I was begging Swift to let me come back to work for them. I now have 2 trucks leased to them, and I'm thinking about adding a third. I have no complaints with them.
foltzenlogel 2 years ago 2
I feel ya!! Swift is a great company
BigCatTrucker 2 years ago
I used to work for Swift and they are by far the worst company out there. They are losing accts. daily. They are probably gonna fold soon.
chrisg21225 2 years ago
when they fold, I'll be ROFLMFAO. I stopped driving for them back in October, 2004 for the final time. They just never got their shit together and probably did me a big favor turning me down for rehire back in 2007. Now you have this Tennessee mess to go along with it. I'm sure Jerry Moyes will be just fine either way, but this company has been ripping off drivers for the longest time. All I can say is to drivers in the field, monitor your expense reimbursements as Swift misses a lot.
X23109 2 years ago
Highly doubt there going to fold. I think they may see some error in there old ways. They have gotten rid of 1400 admin jobs including DM's and another 2500 people that they gave false cdl's. Which there is a class action lawsuit pending. Regardless of what other's may say. Swift is hiring and making payroll. Thats good enough for me considering the economy. Bullshit comes with any job...
w8bad 2 years ago
Yeah and I've gone through a lot of bullshit. When Swift misses major expenses on every other trip, then they deserve to lose their experienced staff and a lot of qualified people b4 me on one particular project back in '04 went broke due to failed reimbursements. They may be hiring, but 2 me they are not worth having a trucker/company business relationship and it does affect a driver depending on the level of bullshit. Just ain't worth putting in the time if you are constantly getting screwed.
X23109 2 years ago
w8bad, on a positive note, Swift did get me to Canada. I don't know if they still run out that way, but there were a few little perks. But when you are governed at 60 mph for 2 yrs as was my case, then in can get old really fast since one is not maxing out their daily pay. Perhaps one day they will improve again, but sounds as if these companies go through their good and bad bullshit. I'll stay more regional if I ever re-enter the industry. See all I've wanted to as an OTR driver. Be safe.
X23109 2 years ago
everyone is governing down these days.. A faster truck only means more passing, more lane changes, thus more work. my mentor is 0/0 @ runs 65mph and there is lots of passing. I am actually looking forward to 62...Then the only folks I'll have to pass is Schneider. Swift so far has been what they say... The trainers are great, the pay sucks, you wont be home every weekend but its a job with benefits...
w8bad 2 years ago
They ought to govern you down to 55. I was pacing one asshole truck driver on a freeway late one night at 90 MPH! Needless to say I immediately called 911 and had him pulled over,fined, inspected and logs checked since i have local PD connections.
RayAir1 2 years ago
RayAir1
Now how would you know he was doing 90 mph? What was the speed limit on the road you said you were going 55 so is that it? You sound like one of the steering wheel huggers that lean forward to check the first 50 feet in front of your car and never know what is happening on the road. Truckers are for the most part safe drivers most car truck accidents are the car's fault.
solargw 2 years ago
Because I was pacing him while I was dialing 911 to contact the West Virginia State Police. I got him pulled over, inspected, fined and possibly a revoked CDL! LOL!
RayAir1 2 years ago
RayAir1
You a non police officer SPEEDING, what makes it ok for you but not him? You are one of the people who drive slow in the inside lane and never really look in front of them to see what is happening and that's why you do not like truckers because you never see there turn signal and almost run into the trucks. I am not a trucker but I watch what is going on around me and very seldom do I see a trucker doing anything wrong after all there job depends on no accidents and keeping a CDL.
solargw 2 years ago
That's it, next weekend me and my friend are going on highway patrol and we are going to get some truck drivers ticketed. We are armed with cell phones, 2-way radios and video cameras (so we can video the speeding truck with the drivers picture and send it to the management at his company!)
We are going to get some CDL's revoked next weekend!
RayAir1 2 years ago
RayAir1
That's it you are a jack ass, and your issue with trucks proves it. Im sure you find a lot of people honk at you, guess what I drive a lot and may get honked once a year thats 1 honk for around 30,000 miles
solargw 2 years ago
I look forward to getting you pulled over, inspected, fined, CDL revoked and FIRED! Who knows , one day maybe you will be driving down MY highway!
RayAir1 2 years ago
RayAir1
Apparently beyond being a jack ass you cannot read , as I have said in a prior posting
"I am not a trucker"
solargw 2 years ago
Well it sure sounds like you want to be one. And when and if you do I will be waiting, cell phone and video camera in hand motherfucker!
RayAir1 2 years ago
If I'll see you once upon a time I will crash you, your friend and your fuckin car into pieces. Go and get a job yourself and don't mess someone who wants to work. You don't have a cdl... am I right asshole. Pass on the cdl then we can talk. You are shit.
atibi84 2 years ago 2
That is EXACTLY why we do what we do. To get you fucking bums off the road at all costs! We spend thousands of our own money every year in recording equipment, radar guns, cell phone minutes and gas money.
RayAir1 2 years ago
That would have been a funny phone call to hear you make to the police, RayAir1. "Yes, I would like to report a speeding truck going 90mph, I know hes going that fast cuz I am too so can you please pull us both over!" I am not a trucker RayAir1, and I have to say you are one of the biggest losers on youtube after reading your unintelligent comments towards people you depend on to make sure your ass is wiped weather you like it or not!
azgilbertboi 2 years ago
Maybe a dumb ass like you azgilbertboi would say that. I said " Hello, I would like to report a speeding truck driver, he is passing all traffic recklessly and weaving. I think he may be half asleep or drunk also. He just blew right by me and almost hit my mirror. The description of the truck is .......... and its plate is ............"
LOL!
RayAir1 2 years ago
*yawn*
azgilbertboi 2 years ago