Swift Truck Driving Institute

The simulator room at Swift TDI in San Antonio, TX

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• truck
• driving
• swift

[raspykat]

IF YOU HAVE A CDL FROM A LOCAL SCHOOL HOW DO YOU FIND WORK WITHOUT THE ROAD EXPERIENCE.I HAVE A CDL BUT ONLY ABOUT 2 MONTHS EXPERIENCE,SO IF I WAS TO GO TO SWIFT SCHOOL AND PUT WITH A MENTOR DO I STILL HAVE TO GIVE THEM A YEAR OR WHAT? I HEAR THE NEGATIVE SHIT ABOUT ALL COMPANIES AND WAS WONDERING WHO WOULD HIRE ME WITHOUT A YEAR OF EXPERIENCE.

[tshewmake]

@raspykat If you have the CDL, apply with Swift (or any of the starter companies). They will give you a road test during the first two days of orientation. Depending on how you do on the road test, they will either tell you that you have to go to the Swift Academy, which will cost you around $4000 (last I checked) and they will take it from your check for a year and reimburse you for 2 years. They may put you with a mentor for 6 weeks or 2 weeks instead, and you will be paid for those weeks.

[shaithis45]

@all users, if you want to get your CDL, find a local junior college vocational program. Don't pay overpriced tuition at Swift or anywhere else. Be in charge of your own future and work while you train for your CDL. Swift is a slave labor mill and nothing more and try asking Swift sometime to send you any contracts ahead of time before making a final decision on attending their training academy. Swfit underpays a lot of new hire starting out and that is just not right.

[meadowlarkable]

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...................

[SilverFox466]

If you are looking for a CDL and out of work, go to your states work force center and see if they will pay the tuition for you. Bill Clinton signed a Bill a few years ago that assists those in need. My CDL was paid 100%, that way your not stuck working for Swift or any other Crapy Newby company. Do your year and apply for a better company. Don't expect to make very much your first year, and if they finance your school then expect even less money.

[1966omc]

If you can't afford or don't have a truck driving school in your area they are a good way to get OTR experience so you can move onto a better company and most of the big company's do reimburses your tuition, some do it in 6 months, some in a year and some like Swift does it in two years, the down side you are stuck driving for them for 2 years if you want all your tuition back or how ever long they require for the company you hire on with

[1966omc]

oops removed the wrong posts, doh! Swift may have changed the way they do there training, point is if you have the funds the best way to go is to do your research and find a good truck driving school close to home. All the truck driving schools have recruiters from trucking company's that work with the schools so you should have a job before you are even finished with school and a good school will teach you how to pull doubles and even triples if allowed in your state

[tshewmake]

@1966omc All the "damn computer" does is teach drivers how to progressive shift. All the the company trucks use progressive shifting, so it's in their interest to teach it. We also had two weeks of logs and written CDL training, then two weeks of on-road driving in town and on highways. It wasn't a bad school - they did exactly what they said they'd do and taught me the basics and got me my license. 3 months with a trainer taught me backing, paperwork, and truck-stop courtesy.

[tshewmake]

@1966omc Agreed - to be fair, Swift reimburses your tuition over a 2-year period.