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Report: #389007

Complaint Review: Swift Transportation, Inc. - Phoenix Arizona

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: Olive Branch Mississippi
  • Author Confirmed What's this?
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  • Swift Transportation, Inc. http://www.swifttrans.com Phoenix, Arizona U.S.A.

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I'm telling you now. After 20 years of experienced Driver. Take yourself back to college and forget about the trucking industry.

Swift, aka... Swoof, has got to be the worst chickenshitoutfit I have ever worked for. You will be expolited and enslaved if you sign their 1 year contract agreement. And... if you quit before the one year has expired.

You're done in the trucking industry via the DAC report.

DAC should be illegal, but it's not because it's a private report between corporations and not a public report. A legal loophole for corporations created by their hot shot lawyers and their Congressional lobbyist.

Please! go back to college and get a degree. The trucking industry is not worth your time and suffering. If you don't listen to me now... remember my words. " I told you so and your'll be sorry you didn't lsiten to me!"

Swift is a Fascist Dictaitorship Corporate entity. You'll be expolited, cheated, worked to death, their trip planners will mess with you big time and lie to you, withhold critical data and restort to trickery. You won't get to see home much and they'll cheat you out of home time, too. When they put you in a hotel... prepare for a rat hole and or a dangerous neighborhood in a strange city. Then they will call that your home time. If you take a load going to California, you'll be stuck out there for a week sometimes waiting on a load going east.

I worked 70 hours a week and barely made $350 a week. The cost of eating at truck stops is very expensive. Average about $150. per week.

The trucking industry and the DOT got together to change the DOT regulations to work a driver almost nonstop. If you run out of hours the planners know you are not logging in the company's best interest and you'll get the no good load assignments. That means less money!

CORPORATIONS DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR NEEDS. THEIR NUMBER ONE OBLIGATION IS TO THEIR WALL STREET SHAREHOLDERS TO TURN A PROFIT AT ANY COST!

The cost will be labor cost. That means you will sacrifice and they will profit.

If you can't afford college and don't qualify for a Pell Grant. Try buying and selling under the table. Better yet, apply for social security benefits and take a vacation abroad in another country like I did. Nice to exchange your money for 7 times or more and live like a king on $500 USD a month.

Experienced driver_11
Olive Branch, Mississippi
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 11/07/2008 03:19 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/swift-transportation-inc/phoenix-arizona/swift-transportation-incswift-transportation-inc-swift-trans-method-of-exploitation-p-389007. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
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12Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#12 Consumer Comment

No Offense...But...

AUTHOR: Anthony - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, January 25, 2009

...I consider anyone who would sign on with Swift, to be totally masochistic.

Consider the fact that as I type this, there are people who were desperate for a job a few years ago, who attended the Millington, Tennessee facility, and are now facing the revocation of their CDL's.

This is strictly due to the fact that Swift skirted laws and regulations regarding the issuing of CDL's. There is no way to accurately count those affected, but it is likely that thousands of drivers are facing the loss of their jobs, or the inability to retest, or who know nothing about this mess, because they may have moved and will not receive the notice in the mail that their CDL is in peril.

Swift will not help those who have left the company for other jobs. They will barely help anyone who may, by some miracle, still be employed with them today.

The simple fact is that there are far better ways to get into trucking, if one is determined to do it. They just have to do enough research to discover what their options are, and to select the best one.

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#11 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Lets face it!

AUTHOR: Jpdriver - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, January 12, 2009

Swift is like any other big company. There goal is to make money. Its not a bad place to get a few years experience so you can move on. A few things you need
to learn about swift . Your DM is not your friend. There job is to manage your time
to benefit the company. They will say what ever it takes to move fright , and yes they lie and will blame a driver to save there own a***. When Swift has to down size they start weeding out drivers buy firing them because of idle time. It has nothing to with fuel they see you as a driver who can't make them money and they
will use this the weed out non performers. If you want to make trucking a carrier,
Put up with the BS and get aleast one and a half years experience then quit. As
far as the Dac.. Yes its a BS system however you can use it to your advantage.
Don't hit anything!!! If you do keep your month shut. A clean dac is a blessing
when you decide to move on. I worked for swift for 2 yrs and I hated it. I was under paid, lied to, and I felt like I was being pimped. I knew that there was a light
at the end of Swifts tunnel thru hell, so I drove thru it and kept my month shut, kept a awesome record. The day finally came. I had enough time and a out standing service record with swift. I quit and found a small trucking company
and I could not be happier. I look back on swift and think and Kind of thank
them for the lesson . I learned to drive. Bottom line, Deal with um for a few years
and get far away from them....................................

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#10 Consumer Comment

Let's Be Perfectly Clear...

AUTHOR: Anthony - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Bobby States: "the point is Swift is not different it is your attidude and the quality of your dm and planners"

My Response: Attitude is a great thing and normally I would agree with you, but you admit that Swift has issues with their quality of driver managers and planners. Who can maintain a great attitude, if there ARE issues with driver managers and planners? And since most people coming on with a company are not allowed to pick and choose those who will oversee their workloads and ultimately things like what they will earn, just how is this issue to be handled, if Swift is not taking care of it themselves?
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Bobby States: "most trucking companys are the same , this old adage 'the difference with trucking companys is 800 number' is so true."

My Response: That is absolutely NOT true. There are companies out there that play at trucking, but who serve the corporate bottom line interests FIRST, by concentrating solely on short term profits, while ignoring what would serve them profitably in the long term.

Swift is an example of the worst among those who operate in the former manner. From their strategies of relying on inexperienced and ignorant people to fill empty trucks by coercing people into contracts of indentured servitude, to their abject refusal to address the safety issues that plague them, to their blackballing and illegal collection tactics that former employees are subjected to, it makes Swift a company to avoid at all costs, ESPECIALLY by those who have never worked in the trucking industry before.

Contrast this to the company that I work for - a company that has roughly 160 drivers on staff, 85% of which have been with the company for at least three years. Of the 15% of those with with less time on board, the vast majority of those drivers have that limited time in with the company, only because they were hired to staff a new terminal opened two years ago.

We are not paid above average wages. Our benefit package is not that great. We are subjected to the absolute strictest of safety standards, and there is no cheating, not for one minute, because we have EOBR's on the dash that will send a message to safety the SECOND we go into violation. I've had to take a ten hour break, mere minutes from the house a time or two, and that's okay. It's worth it because I like my job.

What sets our company apart from many out there, is the fact that we are offered choices from the moment we sign on. They create a job and all relevant working conditions around the driver's desires. They sit down with you and find out what makes you tick. They find out how often we want to be home, and how long you want to be there. They find out where we like to go, and where we don't like to go. We are never forced to do anything. We are always asked. If a problem arises, they take the time to sit down with a driver and get to the bottom of the problem, and then they fix it. The LAST thing they want is to have to fill an empty truck.

There ARE companies that do care about their drivers, and it shows in their seniority lists.
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Bobby States: "I have had some of the best planners, one of the most wonderful DM's in the fleet and been supported within this company more than you could ever guess. But I do my job , if I screw up I take my hand slapping or 3 days or whatever and learn from that."

My Response: Look back up there and read what you wrote. Are you offering that if you "screw up", you are sometimes penalized by being sent home for three days?

That right there explains a great deal as to how drivers are treated by Swift. They consider them to be children, and they treat them accordingly. The attitude, from what I have always gathered, is that Swift feels the need to hold the hands of those who work from them, from daylight to dark.

If they offered jobs that professional and experienced drivers wanted, they would be able to hire those kind of people on a regular basis. I offer this in general. I am in now way categorizing YOU or ALL as those kind of people. But let's be real; The vast majority of those who drive for them are NOT professional drivers. They are people in transition. They come there to learn, and all but a very few, eventually leave to go on to bigger an better things, or they leave the industry in disgust, because if that's what trucking is about, they want no part of it.
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Bobby States: "I dont blame others for my failings. now we do have some real waste in dm seats as we do in driving seats but if you and your dm don't get along then change dms .as most have found out they do hold the ability for you to make money in their hand."

My response: One of the biggest problems in this industry is the fact that people will not take the time to work out issues on a job. In trucking, drivers have less patience. They move on.

I'd love to know the true number of people that have revolved through Swift's doors over the past two decades. I would bet that it would be fast approaching a six figure number. You don't attain that kind of a statistic for no reason. People do not quit good jobs. They quit bad ones. People don't leave when things can be salvaged. They quit when they are exasperated, without any hope that things will improve, and when their crap holder is filled to the brim.
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Bobby States: "I think the biggest problem is the influx of new people that think the world (Swift,JB, Werner etc.) owe them somthing."

My Response: This thread is posted in the 'Driving School' section, so I will address it from that point of view;

I seriously doubt that people who seek to enter the trucking industry today, come into it expecting anything more or less than a decent job, with steady and decent pay. They often come to Swift broke, desperate for a job, and with little if any knowledge of the trucking industry, but the job sounds interesting.

What they more often than not find when they come to Swift, is an environment where they are suddenly thrust into a world of exploitation. Let's digest just the first couple of months of life for a newbie at Swift, into a Reader's Digest version:

Their initiation into the world of trucking starts when they are made to pay a non-refundable FEE to start their new job. They sit for the first week in a classroom and are fast-tracked on the basics of trucking. They have paperwork shoved under their noses, with barely an explanation offered as to what they are signing, and what implications there are when they sign the pages. Over the course of the first two weeks, they witness person after person disappearing, all the time wondering if they are going to be the next one called into an office and then sent out a side door, without being allowed to speak to any of their new found friends in class.

If they survive the vetting process, they are then shoved into trucks, given brief moments to learn the dynamics of driving a truck, being shown just enough to barely pass a driving test for their CDL. They then move on to the in-truck training phase, where they are paired, if they are lucky that is, with someone who will actually train them to drive a truck, and show them the ropes of the real world of trucking. The unlucky ones are paired with misfits, who yell at them constantly, complain every time they miss or scrape a gear, get impatient with them and never take the time to show them how to back a truck into a dock or a parking slot in a truck stop, and instead use them as a team driver of sorts, in order to selfishly make more money for themselves.

They work for the first eight weeks or more for wages that are only rivaled by working at McDonald's, part time. If they have spouses and/or children, they are made to stay away from their families for that same period of time with no visitation whatsoever, worried sick about the lack of income that they have slowly come to realize is not adding up to what they desperately need to survive. They never bargained on the fact that they would be spending half of their pay to live out on the road. The walls of that 8 by 8 foot cell will quickly start to close in on them. This is of course, if their mentor has not already kicked them out in some truck stop because he can't deal with them anymore.

If a newbie makes it past that eighth week, they are more than likely paired with another newbie for another stint of several weeks under the guise of there being no trucks to place them into as a solo driver, where they are forced to split meager earnings between two people again, painfully short of what they expected to be making by this time, IF they had a clue at all that things would be so lacking up to this point. The miles are short, the days long, and their spirits begin to wane even more. But at least, as newbies in the same boat, they at least have each other to lean on, until the day they actually get a truck of their own to drive.

The statistics? Out of a class of 100 newbies, 30 will be cut from the class before any of them gets to turn the key on the switch of a truck for their first time. 20 more will quit or be cut before they take their CDL driving test. By the time two months has rolled around, another 25 will have given up the ghost. They can't take another minute of living with little spendable income. Of the 25 that are left at this point, 5 will have a chargeable accident and be fired shortly after going solo. By the time 6 months rolls round, all but 5 will have become disillusioned with life, disgusted with trucking, and/or divorced from their spouses.

By the time it comes to celebrate a year's service with their fantastic employer, maybe...just maybe...there will be one or two left out of the 100 that came on board when they did. These drivers will likely be without any home or apartment to live in, will likely have not been married from the time they came on board with Swift, and happy as a clam, because at least they have the truck to live in, and they actually have a little something left over to spend every now and then, because they are only supporting themselves.
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The bottom line is simple. If you have nothing to lose, then Swift may well be your kind of company. They'll be glad to have you.

If you are looking for a career that ideally consists of a decent job with decent working conditions, then you might want to look a little farther down the road. It's not impossible that you could accidentally fall into a good crack and actually do okay at Swift, but with statistics like those above, are you willing to take a chance that you will buck those odds?

Those revolving doors at Swift Transportation Company terminals, that are lubricated with a constant drip of 90 weight gear oil to keep them from seizing, are not turning at such high speeds for no reason. People flow in and out of them because they found out like so many before them, that Swift is a bad place to place a bet.

The house always wins.

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#9 UPDATE Employee

the point is Swift is not different it is your attidude and the quality of your dm and planners

AUTHOR: Bobby - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, January 04, 2009

i have been with Swift for 3 years now after taking a 10 year hiatus from driving (for the family) I started in 1976 with the purchase of my first truck, to now as a company driver(no headaches). the main thing people forget is that the "company" is made up of many individuals each has there own attitude, style and processes:
some are old style get it done so to speak, some are new to the business and know only what they are told. but most trucking companys are the same , this old adage "the difference with trucking companys is 800 number" is so true .I have had some of the best planners, one of the most wonderful DM's in the fleet and been supported within this company more than you could ever guess. But I do my job , if I screw up I take my hand slapping or 3 days or whatever and learn from that. I dont blame others for my failings. now we do have some real waste in dm seats as we do in driving seats but if you and your dm don't get along then change dms .as most have found out they do hold the ability for you to make money in their hand. would you argue with your boss in any other job and expect a raise more hour better conditions??? I think not I think the biggest problem is the influx of new people that think the world (Swift,JB, Werner etc.) owe them somthing. Like i tell my kids you are owed nothing in this world by no one. No matter where you work, desisions will be made that you disagree with, unless you can afford to do it yourself you have to follow the rules. If it is illegal you have a recourse( dot saftey board or legal representation in a court of law) if it is a financal decision (ie:no truck washes ,no reimursements for certain things) try and understand if this money was coming out of your paycheck would you spend it!!! if you would then do it and take the reciept of your taxes, don't complain about the company. if you turn down freight because its not going where you want when you want you can expect after a while to see fewer and fewer plans come your way. just like in the 8 to 5 world you turn down enough overtime / job posts/out of town jobs they will quit asking you (why waste my time he always says no but Joe will go for us attitude) sorry for the length of this but this whining always hits a sore spot with me you are going to cross swords with someone in this size of company sometime unless you are a mushroom, but that is not just SWIFT !!!!!!!!!!it is any company from the small family business to the mega carrier that we are.

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#8 UPDATE EX-employee responds

You must have a different driver manager than I had

AUTHOR: Anonymous - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, December 21, 2008

Who are you trying to fool? Not all dispatchers are created equal. Some of them will hold grudges longer than others. Think about it. One late delivery, a requested day off, refused a load, a legitimate complaint about home time. etc... And SUDDENLY your paycheck is affected.... for weeks!! If you have the experience, you know it happens to lots of drivers. Especially at Swooft.

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#7 UPDATE EX-employee responds

You must have a different driver manager than I had

AUTHOR: Anonymous - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, December 21, 2008

Who are you trying to fool? Not all dispatchers are created equal. Some of them will hold grudges longer than others. Think about it. One late delivery, a requested day off, refused a load, a legitimate complaint about home time. etc... And SUDDENLY your paycheck is affected.... for weeks!! If you have the experience, you know it happens to lots of drivers. Especially at Swooft.

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#6 UPDATE EX-employee responds

You must have a different driver manager than I had

AUTHOR: Anonymous - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, December 21, 2008

Who are you trying to fool? Not all dispatchers are created equal. Some of them will hold grudges longer than others. Think about it. One late delivery, a requested day off, refused a load, a legitimate complaint about home time. etc... And SUDDENLY your paycheck is affected.... for weeks!! If you have the experience, you know it happens to lots of drivers. Especially at Swooft.

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#5 UPDATE EX-employee responds

You must have a different driver manager than I had

AUTHOR: Anonymous - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, December 21, 2008

Who are you trying to fool? Not all dispatchers are created equal. Some of them will hold grudges longer than others. Think about it. One late delivery, a requested day off, refused a load, a legitimate complaint about home time. etc... And SUDDENLY your paycheck is affected.... for weeks!! If you have the experience, you know it happens to lots of drivers. Especially at Swooft.

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#4 Consumer Comment

This Is A Defense?

AUTHOR: Anthony - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Just A Driver Said: "Yes...admittedly...planners WILL screw with you"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver Said: "such as sending a preplan out to multiple drivers"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver Said: "or pulling one right after it's been sent"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver Said: "or worse...blow out your PTA for two or three days when you don't answer a preplan immediately"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver finally stated: "but that's all part of 'Truckin'.'...get used to it"

My Response: It might be truckin' in YOUR world, and you might even think that it's A-okay, but it's certainly not something that I have to put up with on my job.

Then Just A Driver so eloquently concluded with: "Lastly...if you do not ike Swift (there are even days I'm a little unhappy)...get another job..."

My Response: Now THAT makes perfect sense. Better yet, if anyone reading this is even thinking of calling this horrible company, take it from someone who works there.

"Get another job"....

Who needs to put up with all the crap that they heap out, just to try to make a living?

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#3 Consumer Comment

This Is A Defense?

AUTHOR: Anthony - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Just A Driver Said: "Yes...admittedly...planners WILL screw with you"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver Said: "such as sending a preplan out to multiple drivers"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver Said: "or pulling one right after it's been sent"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver Said: "or worse...blow out your PTA for two or three days when you don't answer a preplan immediately"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver finally stated: "but that's all part of 'Truckin'.'...get used to it"

My Response: It might be truckin' in YOUR world, and you might even think that it's A-okay, but it's certainly not something that I have to put up with on my job.

Then Just A Driver so eloquently concluded with: "Lastly...if you do not ike Swift (there are even days I'm a little unhappy)...get another job..."

My Response: Now THAT makes perfect sense. Better yet, if anyone reading this is even thinking of calling this horrible company, take it from someone who works there.

"Get another job"....

Who needs to put up with all the crap that they heap out, just to try to make a living?

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#2 Consumer Comment

This Is A Defense?

AUTHOR: Anthony - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Just A Driver Said: "Yes...admittedly...planners WILL screw with you"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver Said: "such as sending a preplan out to multiple drivers"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver Said: "or pulling one right after it's been sent"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver Said: "or worse...blow out your PTA for two or three days when you don't answer a preplan immediately"

My Response: Who needs to put up with that?

Just A Driver finally stated: "but that's all part of 'Truckin'.'...get used to it"

My Response: It might be truckin' in YOUR world, and you might even think that it's A-okay, but it's certainly not something that I have to put up with on my job.

Then Just A Driver so eloquently concluded with: "Lastly...if you do not ike Swift (there are even days I'm a little unhappy)...get another job..."

My Response: Now THAT makes perfect sense. Better yet, if anyone reading this is even thinking of calling this horrible company, take it from someone who works there.

"Get another job"....

Who needs to put up with all the crap that they heap out, just to try to make a living?

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#1 UPDATE Employee

Grow Up...

AUTHOR: Just A Driver - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, November 22, 2008

If you're doing nothing but eating in truck stops...you're trying to waste money!!!

Most experienced drivers eat in their "Home"...they shop at Wall-Mart and supply up every few weeks...as well as have ways to get a hot meal. I only eat in a truck stop about once a week...I promised myself when I got into the truck for the first time I would have a minimum of one "Sit Down" meal a week...

I am a driver for Swift...it ain't a perfect company...and yes, they will run you like a dog if freight is good enough; but, if you're working up to your 70 hours and only making $350 a week...you're incompotent or an idiot...during your 70 hour week...you are gonna drive at least 50 of those hours...if you average 50mph that is 2500 miles...even a newbie fresh outta training will make $650 gross (roughly $400/week take home)...if you're a 20 year driver as you say...that turns into $1000 (or about $650 net pay)...I tend to run a little more than most...and have been known to rebel from time to time to get a 12 hour break for rest...or get a 34 hour restart (again because I'm tired)...but overall...I run...because I get the miles...

I've been bouncing against my 70 hour ceiling for several weeks now and been averaging over 2800 miles a week. As a solo that is a little above average. but I also have no service failures, average economy over 7.5mpg and average idle less than 8%. In short, I prove myself every day to be worthy of the paycheck I receive. do other companies pay more...Yes. Are there companies who will treat you better...I am sure thre are, but I'm treated very well by my driver manager and fleet manager. I see my home every 5-6 weeks (just the way I prefer), but when I can get home isn't always matching my RDO (Remaining Days Out)...sometimes I get home a day or two after I'm scheduled (but that' the biz...and freight)...

...now...even though I've been a little light on freight and miles the past week or so...I'm actually a little thankful for the break and getting home for the holidays...then it's back to it...

Yes...admittedly...planners WILL screw with you...such as sending a preplan out to multiple drivers...or pulling one right after it's been sent...or worse...blow out your PTA for two or three days when you don't answer a preplan immediately...but that's all part of "Truckin'."...get used to it...

Lastly...if you do not ike Swift (there are even days I'm a little unhappy)...get another job...

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