Swift Transportation Don't work for these crooks Phoenix Arizona

I had decided to work for Swift 3 years ago. 
As a father of 4 children and due to our financial situation, this offer was of gold for me but end to be a real nightmare.
I went through the whole training and got everything set up. I was doing great and had a route that was not quite bad at the exception that they were give us the new guys all those second hand truck who in most case are defective. So I end up being hired by the compagny and was on my second week of driving on my own when the truck start getting slow and giving me some issue. So I stop at the main station and was stold that it was fixed. So when I drived back to and I realized that my truck had still the same problem. So to make it brief I stop there again and they find the issue. As my truck was going to be repaired and take some days, I took adventage to go home because I was over sleeping from time to time and I start to really concern me. I would go to the ER get that check and fix and get back to work all good. But Instead of that, I got a spinal tap that when wrong and since than I m having constant spasm and am on medication to also manage the extreme pain that it cause me. I would have call or make it right if I could but my medication is messing with my mind and I can not stop it. I need a walker and a wheel chair to move and can't drive without having spasm that could put myself in a crutial situation, I can t find a job because my mind is barely remembering what I did few second before. And Now that they had me fired, they are coming with law suit. But there is nothing really I can do but thinking of ending this nightmare with either a pill or other alternative. If there is anyone that could help in all this I'm just at the end and see nothing good coming out this.

My 1st trucking experience was with Swift and then I went on to work with two other companies. Swift was terrible, gave me my 1st truck and it was a piece of crap which I expected but was full of bedbugs which I am hoping is not an industry standard. My trainer was a lot lizard and apparently VER GOOD at it. She had a wad of bills that would put any independent to shame. I could never stop just to use the restroom and get back on the road because she would disapear and turn at least one or more tricks. I got to the point in order to keep the wheels turning where I would not drink and barely ate. I bought a large fountain soda and when she whined to stop for the bathroom I would empty the cup and hand it to her and tell her NO you use this and get rid of it. She did probably because I am not someone you want to make mad and men back down from me too. I am about keeping the wheels turning. I drove for (((REDACTED))I had to stop driving because I fell of a curb and rebroke my foot from a prior injury. I did NOT lie and claim workman's comp. I instead drove with a broken foot for three days and made my way home and hung it up and had to quit driving because my health deteriorated and it took almost a year to heal.

I hated turning down loads so I took them and drove illegally because if you told them NO you sat for 1-3 days with Swift. I was honest everytime and had no problems with JB Hunt and Hogan. Got another load right away. Swift always had paycheck issues, this or thst was lost and that included swcale tickets and toll receipts constantly. I just got to the point where to save time I slid the tandems to my best guess and when in doubt I drove around the scales to save time and not have to deal with Swift's crap. I had to argue with my Swift dispatcher because she was a liar and a cheat constantly. (((REDACTED))) both treated me with respect and like royalty. Probably because I drove up north in tough weather and I had no problem spending the nite in the middle of nowhere and I did a good job. Swift is a starter company and they do everything to set you up for failure plain and simple so they do not have to reimburse3 you for your training.

I get tired of listening to people's complaints about what they do and do not get. It's funny how people take everything at face value without doing any real research before they accept positions at different companies. You had plenty of opportunity to explore everything that was told to you before you took a position with the company and make an informed decision.

You all knew exactly what they paid. And half of you didn't listen when instructed how to do something. I.E. Toll receipts(or the lack thereof) Keep a receipt book on you write your own receipt and include all the pertinent information and you'll get reimbursed. Works for laundromats and other things related to your expenses that don't give out receipts. So quit whining about  things that you failed to do. The buck stops with you. Quit passing blame or get out of the business because these are things that will continue to be problematic for you even if you transfer companies because you still won't follow direction and do the things you need to do to protect your income and again it will be the same game... Blame the company for your lack of action.

Swift isn't the greatest company out there but they are definitely not the worst. They give you 5 raises in your first year. And that .25c a mile thing, well that applies for trips over 300 miles. There are cases in which you'll make more.  Just like any other company they aren't going to pay their students and new drivers top pay, you're disillusioned if you think otherwise.  I haven't been with swift for very long and I do not like everything about them, however I don't think smashing them because of your own ignorance is very professional nor conducive to a productive environment for yourself... 

I bet half of you complaining(if not more) are the one's in the lobby sitting around when they are calling out on the intercom for drivers to make additional money complaining about what you don't get and don't get off your fat tooshies to grab the extra work.  I also can bet that the ones complaining about not making enough money are the ones taking advances using up their company store credit, stopping at every truck stop across the country dropping quarters in the slots of video games and are refusing loads just to refuse them. You are also the ones who can't build relationships with your dms so they look at you when other drivers decide they don't want to do the job they were hired for. 

Trainers- I have two thought processes on this. IF someone wants to be a trainer and hasn't had enough time to develop bad habits in the industry, I would think that a company would want them to train because they are still doing things the way the company wants them to do it..... Yes there will be some real retards out there but that is also true of seasoned drivers.

As far as everything else? Who cares. If you don't like your job quit. It isn't show friends, it's show business. Learn to think outside the box and determine your own pay. Only you can do that

We all know that we can sit here and make a list of complaints about Swift and any other otr company that would reach around the world. The problem doesn't lie with any one company, it lies with the industry and the groups that represent it. some being good but inefective and some have the power to do what they will but use that power to take away from drivers and fatten bottom line (ATA).

what our industry needs is unification and organization among drivers but no one wants that. the companies or the goverment. the last time this industry was even close we all know what happened, there still digging for him. 5 million drivers that voted would have the abillity to put Presidents in and out of office. we would no longer be the people that are ignored and raped buy the same country that we sacrifice so much to provide for.

Im so tired of the statments by managment that we knew what the rules policies and pays were when we hired on. Yes we did. but im here to say that with unification and orginization amung drivers we have th ability to not settle for the norm but take what is right. Mr/Ms manager put a price on all the nights our wives sleep alone put a price on the number of events that we miss with our kids put a price on the high divorce rate in this industry. pay us .25 per mile and call it competitive. Jimmy help us. God give me the wisdom and guidence to bring unification and orginization to this industry.

Jim from Reno, Nevada:

I've written this rebuttal for the third time. If all you or anyone else can do is bicker and complain about how so mistreated you are and how you spent so much money being trained. Then Trucking is definetely not your cup of tea.

Get real will you, The first two years are your training years and one should not expect to make the amount that they quote in their brochures. Those are averages of thousands of driving averages and not everyone is going to be lucky enough to make them. Locality, Availability of loads in your area or the area you are in, dictate what can be given you, hours of driving availability also.

The first two years are considered training years and give you and your driver manager an idea of what type of driver you are or want to be. Problems will arise and how you approach and way you solve them may well be the deciding factor in whether or not you will be happy or at least satified with your coreer choice, even in a Company that doesn't meet up to your expectation or their recruiting promises.

Get real, crying over a fifty cent toll, hell I had a five dollar unattended toll, and it only took coins. I had to travel sixty unpaid miles from and back to get coins I should have had the forethought to have on board and also checked my trip map to see if I had any tolls to pay. I ate the mileage and five dollars and wrote it off to a learning experience. I then noted it on my trip sheet, wrote myself a receipt noting my trip log sheet on it as well, with the date truck number, my ID number and all, then when I got back to a terminal, I had them sign my note to show that they agreed with my toll and kept it for my expences on my tax return. Why bother them when I could find my own way of getting paid back. As a home owner, I am allowed to deduct non reimbursed expenses related to doing business as a truck driver.
No, I think this person has more problems than what he thinks he had with Swift.

Swift is a joke. There is NO WAY anyone with less than 2 full years OTR should be training anyone. As far as the training goes, there usually is none. The trainer runs "team" miles and usually sleeps while the trainee is driving, and uses the trainee to do all the dirty work.

Before you respond, I have seen this and it has happened to me as a new driver. It has nothing to do with being a "wimp" as you put it, or not being able to get along with people. A trainee is just that, a TRAINEE and should be learning at all times under the direct supervision of a QUALIFIED trainer. Notice the key word here being QUALIFIED.

I have 1.5 million logged commercial miles, and I am uneasy about training someone. So how can someone with 6 months experience train anyone? This is the blind leading the blind!

The only real companies out there are the ones where EVERYONE in the office holds a CDL and has OTR experience. Those companies work. Swift does not.

A Swift truck is the most dangerous truck on the road, just under the U-Haul.

i was asked to train for swift when i had a mere 1 year experience, now i have been driving 2 years.

I have met their mentors, they are THAT bad sometimes, I have had 3 trainers with 2 different companies, i was lucky that i got the trainer i did.

Ive seen a trainee who hasnt been on the mentors truck even 5 minutes be instructed by the trainer, in front of everyone watching from the smoking area, tell the trainee to slide tandems on the scale, give him handle signals, tear up the scale, and the differential going out coincidentally at the same time.

Heather, since you obviously didn't read my previous note (a qualification for Swift staff?), there isn't much sense in a long reply. I only note that I never sent directed messages after the first week, only free-form ones, and those are the messages that no one read.

As far as what your "experience has shown," I doubt very much that any of your experience has been on the road - or that any experience at all is actually involved in your insult.

I can't imagine that anyone would stay with this company if they had a choice - unless all trucking companies are equally bad, which is possible, I suppose.

Go to the below URL and in the "Business Name" box type in any trucking company's name that is based in Phoenix and watch what pop's up Some have MANY law suits. I wonder why! I mean MANY LAW SUITS!

superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/docket/
civil/caseSearch.asp

Some have MANY PAGES with 25 law suits on each page!

Experience tells us that people that have multiple trainers have dificulty working with people. Did you ever think that maybe you shouldnt send directed msgs? We ask that you send free form msg's so if someone is not logged on, someone else can help? Its not rocket science.

I just want to add to those who have criticized Swift here. I went to their school in Millington, where I had 2 road instructors in 5 days. I had 15 minutes on a simulator to learn how to shift. But I passed the test for a CDL and that's all that counts with them.

I had more than one mentor over 6 weeks (I won't say how many). The first one drove on my log book as well as his; I hardly got any drive time at all with him. He popped pills to stay awake and pissed in a bottle to avoid stopping to take a leak. When I did drive, we changed drivers while going down the road at 65 mph. The rest of my time in training wasn't much improvement. But Swift doesn't care whether you learn to drive so much as they care about weeding out people who cause trouble, so here I am.

At Millington, they say you will get 3600 miles per week as a solo driver. No. You get maybe half that, maybe less. And forget everything you were told about logging in school. Your mentor teaches you how to log so as to make money, which is *not* to log for real. Nobody who obeys all the regulations can make money in the this business. I can't imagine what will happen when Swift goes to electronic logs; they'll lose at least 1/3 of their loaded miles.

Anyway, things don't get much better after you go solo. I just spent 3 days in the yard because they couldn't (or wouldn't) figure out how to detach a load from my truck which I had T-called. So since the computer still showed me under that load, and I wasn't taking that load, I had to sit there. Sad, but typical.

I have to laugh when I read on this or other sites that everything will work out if you just communicate with your DM. My first DM, who started work almost the same day as me (blind leading the blind ...) has been fired, and I don't have a DM now. Of course, most of the time I wouldn't have a DM anyway since they work regular business hours and I'm on duty 24/7. I never know who will read my Qualcomm messages, if anyone. When I get tired of trying to get someone to respond on the computer and call them, they put me on hold or hang up on me. If I have a problem out here, I'm all alone. It's useless to ask for advice; they just pretend not to understand my question or ignore me. So I use my best judgement.

I could go on, but this is long enough. I don't know if other trucking companies are better than Swift, but I certainly hope so.

Susan, I'm sorry if you didn't have a good experience at Swift. How ever perhaps if you had gone through the proper chain of command,(dm,fleet mgr, terminal mgr, Drivers services, Safety.)you might have been able to get things corrected and found out how to get the money you claim they cheated you out of.

I have been with Swift for almost 8 yrs I too have had a problem once in a while, but I spoke to my DM about things not only to find out how to get it fixed but since I', an adult and now how to ask questions in a civil tone ( not ranting and raving like a lunatic) I always seemed to be able to find out how to avoid the same probelm in the future.

Now if the company preplanned you on a load you didn't have the hrs to run, Why would you accept it. Decline it, stating on that macro
you don't have the hrs to p/u and or dlvr on time. they will pull the ld off you and send you something you can run providing you sent in your
driver status correctly and with acurate hrs remaining on your driving time and 14 hr clock for that day. Also lets get something straight. If Swift or any other company sends you a trip, and you have the hrs to run it, and you refuse it because it didn't go where YOU wanted to go. The
company tells you, you have to take it this is not forced dispatched, it's giving you the work you signed up for.

Remember it's a trucking company not a travel agency. All to often drivers expect the company to give them trips going where THEY want to go, when they want to go there. If you didn't get reimbersed for co. expenses while on the road did you fill out the receipt correctly (driver code, truck#, trip#)??? I myself have talked, in person, to payroll people and found out if this info is on the receipt thats all they need. If you'll do all you are supposed to do, you won't have problems that can't be resolved.
Swift has good pay good benefits, Hell they even pay detention pay to the tune of $16.00 per hr, paid in 15 minute increments, provided your on time. If you feel screwed then you didn't ask enough questions, or ask the right people questions. So as you can see teamwork has to include you working too.

As an owner of a training school it is discouraging to hear the complaints filed in this report. I wonder how many of you actually recieved help in locating an entry level position in this industry. As with many schools you probably heard from many recruiters from various companies. They all promised you the world. The majority of what they promised is true..........in a perfect world.
How many of you asked questions when the recruiter was there or did you sit there and take it for the truth? How many of you sought out advice from their drivers before making a decision? How many of you thought that trucking was going to be like Smokey and the Bandit or some other glamorous show?

You should all accept some of the fault yourself. Trucking is not an easy career. It is even harder for the uninformed and the ill prepared. You were making a lifestyle adjustment and when it wasn't a bed of roses you start spreading blame. You knew how much they paid when you signed on. You could have figured you couldn't survive on those wages. You knew you were going to have go through their training program even though you just graduated a school. You should have known there would be expenses on the road. Did you expect there wouldn't?

You were probably attracted by their tuition reimbursment program. Many companies have them. But do you honestly expect they are going to pay top milage and pay your tuition? Granted, it is better than a company sponsored program because at least you know upfront what you owe.

Bottom line. It takes every new driver 6 months to a year to adjust to the new lifestyle. If you gave up before that time frame you did not do yourself justice. Your real income comes with experiance. Do you think you should make as much as the guys who have been on the road for 5, 10, 15 years or more. Come on folks, you are rookie drivers. You have to pay your dues and learn the system. If you were a new law graduate starting work with a new law firm, would you expect the same pay as their senior lawyers? Would you expect the same high profile cases as the senior lawyers. It is a new job and you are at the bottom of the food chain.

I suggest you get yourselfs informed and try a career with another carrier. It is a productive career for those not afraid to work and understand the lifestyle they have chosen.

Good luck to everyone.

I just got out of school and as far is swift is concern so I have to put up with the amateur trainers as far is the training to what they told me as far is orientation are two different animals between the class room and road one of them didn't teach anything about the Qualcomm and the log book and loog book the mentour was driving on my log book while he was in the sleeper berth on his time in the first four weeks
didn't take showers two and three days of the time it is the first time since I been over the road in such character I also read each one as far the other complaints goes even the Driver Trainers don't treat you right at all they say they are under paid too as a trainee was making more

The reason you guys get yourselves in this condition is that you have no representation. Like it our not, you have no protection from Swift because they pay hardball and an individual is helpless against any company this large. They've bought the government, (Jerry Moyes in on the Bush reelection committee in Arizona) you're not a union shop, you sue them and you'd be in court until you're broke.

If Swift was warm and feely, if it really gave a d**n about you they wouldn't hire recruits out of the puppy farms and then have a 100% turnover rate. They don't buy failing companies and make them profitable without passing the suffering on to the driver. I'm not telling you anything. If you're smart enough to post on the web, you're also smart enough to figure this out on your own.

The rules are against you no matter where you drive. The Department of Labor can't help you when you're shorted fair pay, the DOT can't help you when you're forced to drive overhours because they aren't there (they don't have real enforcement power and no guts to use what they have) Isn't it about time you stood up for yourself and spoke up?

Contact your congressman or congresswoman. Tell them that you've had enough, big business may have the money to buy them, but, you have the vote. Talk about it with your buddies, talk about it as you're driving. But, for god's sake, use this energy to end the sweatshop tactics this industry uses against you. Maybe they need to earn more money, but not at the expense of the few drivers willing to eat at overpriced and dirty truckstops.

Here's where you can write your congressman http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Here's the place for your Senator http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Reference:

The Motor Carrier Exemption Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Section 13(b)(1) of the FLSA is an exemption from overtime. The provisions of Section 7 (overtime) do not apply with respect to any employee to whom the Secretary of Transportation has power to establish qualifications and maximum hours of service pursuant to the provisions of Section 204 of The Motor Carrier Act of 1935.

Section 13(b)(1) of the FLSA provides an exemption from the overtime pay provisions, but not from the minimum wage (Section 6) requirements. This exemption has been interpreted as applying to any driver, driver's helper, loader or mechanic employed by a carrier and whose duties affect the safety of operation of motor vehicles in the transportation on public highways of passengers or property in interstate or foreign commerce.
http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs19.htm


If you'd like to know what little the USDOT has done and how hard Swift fights back, check these unsuccessful efforts to convince this company to comply with the rules and not treat drivers fairly go to http://dms.dot.gov and do a simple search on these document numbers. You may have recently read some of the excerpts in the Arizona Republic.

Document FMCSA-2001-10674
Document FMCSA-2003-16743
Document FMCSA-2004-17248

THE LETTERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, This company is the lowest of the low, hiring all rookies and giving them little or no expierence with s**t for brains trainer's, SWIFT, SURE WISH IHAD A F-ING TRAINER, Again, the letter's speak for themselve's, they can't back, can't see straight, can't PARK, god why do such idiot's exsist,I would be embarassed to drive for this compnay, no communication here people think about it, and yes, they do have a piss poor payroll dept. how the hell can you live off .25 a mile? with only what...1800 mile's a week? IF THAT? these guy's need training and really need pre schooler's school all over, DOT NEED'S TO TAKE ACTION WITH THIS GARBAGE COMPANY, SWIFT is the lowest in the trucking industry and thank you god for showing me this b4 i signed on

SWIFT IS STICTLY A NEW DRIVER COMPANY

I STARTED WITH SWIFT TRANSPORTATION FEB. 2002
AND QUICKLY REALIZED HOW THE COMPANY MAKES THE MONEY BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF NEWCOMERS TO THE PROFESSION. GIVE THE WORK AND HIGH MILES TO LOW PAID NEW DRIVERS WILLING TO BEND THE LOG BOOK A LITTLE MORE, OF WHAT I CALL "MONEY CAHSERS" SINCE THEY GO INTO EXTREME FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS FROM PAYING FOR DRIVING SCHOOL, GOT TO MAKE THE MONEY!!!! THE AVERAGE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LEGALLY MAKE ENOUGH TO PULL THEMSELVES OUT OF THE FINANCIAL HOLE WITH A NATIONAL BEGINNING AVERAGE OF TWENTY SIX CENTS A MILE.

SWIFT IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO UNTILL THE INCOMING NEW DRIVERS DEMAND HIGHER PAY RATES BUT HOW CAN THEY FIND OUT ABOUT IT? THEY WILL NOT, SOME WILL EVEN DEFEND THE LOWER RATES IN DEFENSE THAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS FREIGHT TO BE MOVED TO ECONOMICALLY
SURVIVE NOT REALIZING THAT THE ECONOMY IS BENEFITING FROM THEIR OWN IGNORANCE.

I WAS IN THE SAME SITUATION BUT AM NOT IGNORANT AS MANY OTHER DRIVERS THAT I HAVE MET. AS SOON AS I BECAME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS SET BY OUR GOVERMENTS (FROM FEDERAL TO LOCAL) AND THE FINES THAT COULD INCUR IF I WERE CAUGHT I STARTED TO RUN LEGAL.

I RAN OTR OUT THE OCALA FLORIDA TERMINAL FOR FOUR
MONTHS WHEN I STARTED OUT SOLO IN MAY 2002 UNTIL I SOUGHT OUT THE MANTENO TERMINAL AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MORE UNLOADING FOR AN EXCLUSIVE K-MART CONTRACT W/SWIFT $100 AN UNLOAD AND GET HOME MOST WEEKENDS I WORKED THERE FOR THE REMAINING TIME GETTING MY TRAINING STATUS AND
THATS WHAT INFORMED ME OF THE "EYE" WATCHING OVER
MY ACTIONS AND THE ACCESS DOT HAS TO IT THANKS TO SAFETY COORDINATOR THAT TAUGHT MY TRAINING CLASS, I DID EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK FROM THEN ON AND EVER SINCE THEN I RECIEVER FIVE SERVICE FAILURES AND SEVERAL DISTURBING CONVERSATIONS WITH MY DRIVER MANAGER WHICH HAS NO KNOWLEGDE OF THE FMCSR AND DOESNT CARE TO LISTEN WHEN I OFFERED INFO TO HER.

SO I GOT FED UP AND CALLED SAFETY IN PHOENIX AND THEY SAID I HAVE TO GET HER
CONVERSATIONS ON Q-COMM FOR ANY RESONSE TO MY PROBLEM, BUT NOBODY IS STUPID ENOUGH TO DO THAT SO I DO MY BEST UNTIL I WAS PHASED OUT. K-MART WENT THROUGH MANY CHAGES SINCE THERE BANKRUPCY AND NOW INCREASED LOAD VOLUME,AND THERE PUNCTUALITY WENT OUT THE WINDOW FOR LOADS BEING READY TO TAKE OFF WITH ON TIME BUT THEY WANT US TO TAKE THEM ON TIME DELIVERY ANY HOW, PROBLEM IS WHEN I PLAN RUN A LOAD THAT IS SUPPOSE TO BE READY A 2300 BUT ISNT UNTILL 0200 IN THE MORNING
I HAVE ALREADY USED UP TOO MANY HOURS TO LEGALLY
RUN.

SO THEY DECIDED FOR ME TO SWITCH BACK TO OTR AND I AGREED UNDER THE SAME DRIVER MANAGER BUT THAT LASTED FOR TWO WEEKS UNTILL THEY TOLD ME I MUST RUN K-MART AND I DISAGREED TO DO SO AND THEY LEFT ME WITH NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO TRANSFER TERMINALS (NOT EASY SINCE I NOW LIVE HERE) OR QUIT.

SO THAT IS WHAT SWIFT HAS TO OFFER TO YOU $.26 A
MILE AND YOU FEND FOR YOUR SELF USE YOUR LOG BOOK AND RULES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO GET HOME. IF YOU ARE ASIGNED A TRUCK AND HAVE A CLEAN RECORD THEY CANT FIRE YOU SO USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY AND GET HOME. BECAUSE SWIFT WILL LISTEN IF THE TRUCK IS SITTING STILL AND THEY WONT LISTEN SO LONG AS THE TRUCK IS MOVING.

SWIFT IS STICTLY A NEW DRIVER COMPANY

I STARTED WITH SWIFT TRANSPORTATION FEB. 2002
AND QUICKLY REALIZED HOW THE COMPANY MAKES THE MONEY BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF NEWCOMERS TO THE PROFESSION. GIVE THE WORK AND HIGH MILES TO LOW PAID NEW DRIVERS WILLING TO BEND THE LOG BOOK A LITTLE MORE, OF WHAT I CALL "MONEY CAHSERS" SINCE THEY GO INTO EXTREME FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS FROM PAYING FOR DRIVING SCHOOL, GOT TO MAKE THE MONEY!!!! THE AVERAGE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LEGALLY MAKE ENOUGH TO PULL THEMSELVES OUT OF THE FINANCIAL HOLE WITH A NATIONAL BEGINNING AVERAGE OF TWENTY SIX CENTS A MILE.

SWIFT IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO UNTILL THE INCOMING NEW DRIVERS DEMAND HIGHER PAY RATES BUT HOW CAN THEY FIND OUT ABOUT IT? THEY WILL NOT, SOME WILL EVEN DEFEND THE LOWER RATES IN DEFENSE THAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS FREIGHT TO BE MOVED TO ECONOMICALLY
SURVIVE NOT REALIZING THAT THE ECONOMY IS BENEFITING FROM THEIR OWN IGNORANCE.

I WAS IN THE SAME SITUATION BUT AM NOT IGNORANT AS MANY OTHER DRIVERS THAT I HAVE MET. AS SOON AS I BECAME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS SET BY OUR GOVERMENTS (FROM FEDERAL TO LOCAL) AND THE FINES THAT COULD INCUR IF I WERE CAUGHT I STARTED TO RUN LEGAL.

I RAN OTR OUT THE OCALA FLORIDA TERMINAL FOR FOUR
MONTHS WHEN I STARTED OUT SOLO IN MAY 2002 UNTIL I SOUGHT OUT THE MANTENO TERMINAL AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MORE UNLOADING FOR AN EXCLUSIVE K-MART CONTRACT W/SWIFT $100 AN UNLOAD AND GET HOME MOST WEEKENDS I WORKED THERE FOR THE REMAINING TIME GETTING MY TRAINING STATUS AND
THATS WHAT INFORMED ME OF THE "EYE" WATCHING OVER
MY ACTIONS AND THE ACCESS DOT HAS TO IT THANKS TO SAFETY COORDINATOR THAT TAUGHT MY TRAINING CLASS, I DID EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK FROM THEN ON AND EVER SINCE THEN I RECIEVER FIVE SERVICE FAILURES AND SEVERAL DISTURBING CONVERSATIONS WITH MY DRIVER MANAGER WHICH HAS NO KNOWLEGDE OF THE FMCSR AND DOESNT CARE TO LISTEN WHEN I OFFERED INFO TO HER.

SO I GOT FED UP AND CALLED SAFETY IN PHOENIX AND THEY SAID I HAVE TO GET HER
CONVERSATIONS ON Q-COMM FOR ANY RESONSE TO MY PROBLEM, BUT NOBODY IS STUPID ENOUGH TO DO THAT SO I DO MY BEST UNTIL I WAS PHASED OUT. K-MART WENT THROUGH MANY CHAGES SINCE THERE BANKRUPCY AND NOW INCREASED LOAD VOLUME,AND THERE PUNCTUALITY WENT OUT THE WINDOW FOR LOADS BEING READY TO TAKE OFF WITH ON TIME BUT THEY WANT US TO TAKE THEM ON TIME DELIVERY ANY HOW, PROBLEM IS WHEN I PLAN RUN A LOAD THAT IS SUPPOSE TO BE READY A 2300 BUT ISNT UNTILL 0200 IN THE MORNING
I HAVE ALREADY USED UP TOO MANY HOURS TO LEGALLY
RUN.

SO THEY DECIDED FOR ME TO SWITCH BACK TO OTR AND I AGREED UNDER THE SAME DRIVER MANAGER BUT THAT LASTED FOR TWO WEEKS UNTILL THEY TOLD ME I MUST RUN K-MART AND I DISAGREED TO DO SO AND THEY LEFT ME WITH NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO TRANSFER TERMINALS (NOT EASY SINCE I NOW LIVE HERE) OR QUIT.

SO THAT IS WHAT SWIFT HAS TO OFFER TO YOU $.26 A
MILE AND YOU FEND FOR YOUR SELF USE YOUR LOG BOOK AND RULES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO GET HOME. IF YOU ARE ASIGNED A TRUCK AND HAVE A CLEAN RECORD THEY CANT FIRE YOU SO USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY AND GET HOME. BECAUSE SWIFT WILL LISTEN IF THE TRUCK IS SITTING STILL AND THEY WONT LISTEN SO LONG AS THE TRUCK IS MOVING.

SWIFT IS STICTLY A NEW DRIVER COMPANY

I STARTED WITH SWIFT TRANSPORTATION FEB. 2002
AND QUICKLY REALIZED HOW THE COMPANY MAKES THE MONEY BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF NEWCOMERS TO THE PROFESSION. GIVE THE WORK AND HIGH MILES TO LOW PAID NEW DRIVERS WILLING TO BEND THE LOG BOOK A LITTLE MORE, OF WHAT I CALL "MONEY CAHSERS" SINCE THEY GO INTO EXTREME FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS FROM PAYING FOR DRIVING SCHOOL, GOT TO MAKE THE MONEY!!!! THE AVERAGE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LEGALLY MAKE ENOUGH TO PULL THEMSELVES OUT OF THE FINANCIAL HOLE WITH A NATIONAL BEGINNING AVERAGE OF TWENTY SIX CENTS A MILE.

SWIFT IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO UNTILL THE INCOMING NEW DRIVERS DEMAND HIGHER PAY RATES BUT HOW CAN THEY FIND OUT ABOUT IT? THEY WILL NOT, SOME WILL EVEN DEFEND THE LOWER RATES IN DEFENSE THAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS FREIGHT TO BE MOVED TO ECONOMICALLY
SURVIVE NOT REALIZING THAT THE ECONOMY IS BENEFITING FROM THEIR OWN IGNORANCE.

I WAS IN THE SAME SITUATION BUT AM NOT IGNORANT AS MANY OTHER DRIVERS THAT I HAVE MET. AS SOON AS I BECAME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS SET BY OUR GOVERMENTS (FROM FEDERAL TO LOCAL) AND THE FINES THAT COULD INCUR IF I WERE CAUGHT I STARTED TO RUN LEGAL.

I RAN OTR OUT THE OCALA FLORIDA TERMINAL FOR FOUR
MONTHS WHEN I STARTED OUT SOLO IN MAY 2002 UNTIL I SOUGHT OUT THE MANTENO TERMINAL AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MORE UNLOADING FOR AN EXCLUSIVE K-MART CONTRACT W/SWIFT $100 AN UNLOAD AND GET HOME MOST WEEKENDS I WORKED THERE FOR THE REMAINING TIME GETTING MY TRAINING STATUS AND
THATS WHAT INFORMED ME OF THE "EYE" WATCHING OVER
MY ACTIONS AND THE ACCESS DOT HAS TO IT THANKS TO SAFETY COORDINATOR THAT TAUGHT MY TRAINING CLASS, I DID EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK FROM THEN ON AND EVER SINCE THEN I RECIEVER FIVE SERVICE FAILURES AND SEVERAL DISTURBING CONVERSATIONS WITH MY DRIVER MANAGER WHICH HAS NO KNOWLEGDE OF THE FMCSR AND DOESNT CARE TO LISTEN WHEN I OFFERED INFO TO HER.

SO I GOT FED UP AND CALLED SAFETY IN PHOENIX AND THEY SAID I HAVE TO GET HER
CONVERSATIONS ON Q-COMM FOR ANY RESONSE TO MY PROBLEM, BUT NOBODY IS STUPID ENOUGH TO DO THAT SO I DO MY BEST UNTIL I WAS PHASED OUT. K-MART WENT THROUGH MANY CHAGES SINCE THERE BANKRUPCY AND NOW INCREASED LOAD VOLUME,AND THERE PUNCTUALITY WENT OUT THE WINDOW FOR LOADS BEING READY TO TAKE OFF WITH ON TIME BUT THEY WANT US TO TAKE THEM ON TIME DELIVERY ANY HOW, PROBLEM IS WHEN I PLAN RUN A LOAD THAT IS SUPPOSE TO BE READY A 2300 BUT ISNT UNTILL 0200 IN THE MORNING
I HAVE ALREADY USED UP TOO MANY HOURS TO LEGALLY
RUN.

SO THEY DECIDED FOR ME TO SWITCH BACK TO OTR AND I AGREED UNDER THE SAME DRIVER MANAGER BUT THAT LASTED FOR TWO WEEKS UNTILL THEY TOLD ME I MUST RUN K-MART AND I DISAGREED TO DO SO AND THEY LEFT ME WITH NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO TRANSFER TERMINALS (NOT EASY SINCE I NOW LIVE HERE) OR QUIT.

SO THAT IS WHAT SWIFT HAS TO OFFER TO YOU $.26 A
MILE AND YOU FEND FOR YOUR SELF USE YOUR LOG BOOK AND RULES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO GET HOME. IF YOU ARE ASIGNED A TRUCK AND HAVE A CLEAN RECORD THEY CANT FIRE YOU SO USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY AND GET HOME. BECAUSE SWIFT WILL LISTEN IF THE TRUCK IS SITTING STILL AND THEY WONT LISTEN SO LONG AS THE TRUCK IS MOVING.

SWIFT IS STICTLY A NEW DRIVER COMPANY

I STARTED WITH SWIFT TRANSPORTATION FEB. 2002
AND QUICKLY REALIZED HOW THE COMPANY MAKES THE MONEY BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF NEWCOMERS TO THE PROFESSION. GIVE THE WORK AND HIGH MILES TO LOW PAID NEW DRIVERS WILLING TO BEND THE LOG BOOK A LITTLE MORE, OF WHAT I CALL "MONEY CAHSERS" SINCE THEY GO INTO EXTREME FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS FROM PAYING FOR DRIVING SCHOOL, GOT TO MAKE THE MONEY!!!! THE AVERAGE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LEGALLY MAKE ENOUGH TO PULL THEMSELVES OUT OF THE FINANCIAL HOLE WITH A NATIONAL BEGINNING AVERAGE OF TWENTY SIX CENTS A MILE.

SWIFT IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO UNTILL THE INCOMING NEW DRIVERS DEMAND HIGHER PAY RATES BUT HOW CAN THEY FIND OUT ABOUT IT? THEY WILL NOT, SOME WILL EVEN DEFEND THE LOWER RATES IN DEFENSE THAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS FREIGHT TO BE MOVED TO ECONOMICALLY
SURVIVE NOT REALIZING THAT THE ECONOMY IS BENEFITING FROM THEIR OWN IGNORANCE.

I WAS IN THE SAME SITUATION BUT AM NOT IGNORANT AS MANY OTHER DRIVERS THAT I HAVE MET. AS SOON AS I BECAME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS SET BY OUR GOVERMENTS (FROM FEDERAL TO LOCAL) AND THE FINES THAT COULD INCUR IF I WERE CAUGHT I STARTED TO RUN LEGAL.

I RAN OTR OUT THE OCALA FLORIDA TERMINAL FOR FOUR
MONTHS WHEN I STARTED OUT SOLO IN MAY 2002 UNTIL I SOUGHT OUT THE MANTENO TERMINAL AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MORE UNLOADING FOR AN EXCLUSIVE K-MART CONTRACT W/SWIFT $100 AN UNLOAD AND GET HOME MOST WEEKENDS I WORKED THERE FOR THE REMAINING TIME GETTING MY TRAINING STATUS AND
THATS WHAT INFORMED ME OF THE "EYE" WATCHING OVER
MY ACTIONS AND THE ACCESS DOT HAS TO IT THANKS TO SAFETY COORDINATOR THAT TAUGHT MY TRAINING CLASS, I DID EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK FROM THEN ON AND EVER SINCE THEN I RECIEVER FIVE SERVICE FAILURES AND SEVERAL DISTURBING CONVERSATIONS WITH MY DRIVER MANAGER WHICH HAS NO KNOWLEGDE OF THE FMCSR AND DOESNT CARE TO LISTEN WHEN I OFFERED INFO TO HER.

SO I GOT FED UP AND CALLED SAFETY IN PHOENIX AND THEY SAID I HAVE TO GET HER
CONVERSATIONS ON Q-COMM FOR ANY RESONSE TO MY PROBLEM, BUT NOBODY IS STUPID ENOUGH TO DO THAT SO I DO MY BEST UNTIL I WAS PHASED OUT. K-MART WENT THROUGH MANY CHAGES SINCE THERE BANKRUPCY AND NOW INCREASED LOAD VOLUME,AND THERE PUNCTUALITY WENT OUT THE WINDOW FOR LOADS BEING READY TO TAKE OFF WITH ON TIME BUT THEY WANT US TO TAKE THEM ON TIME DELIVERY ANY HOW, PROBLEM IS WHEN I PLAN RUN A LOAD THAT IS SUPPOSE TO BE READY A 2300 BUT ISNT UNTILL 0200 IN THE MORNING
I HAVE ALREADY USED UP TOO MANY HOURS TO LEGALLY
RUN.

SO THEY DECIDED FOR ME TO SWITCH BACK TO OTR AND I AGREED UNDER THE SAME DRIVER MANAGER BUT THAT LASTED FOR TWO WEEKS UNTILL THEY TOLD ME I MUST RUN K-MART AND I DISAGREED TO DO SO AND THEY LEFT ME WITH NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO TRANSFER TERMINALS (NOT EASY SINCE I NOW LIVE HERE) OR QUIT.

SO THAT IS WHAT SWIFT HAS TO OFFER TO YOU $.26 A
MILE AND YOU FEND FOR YOUR SELF USE YOUR LOG BOOK AND RULES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO GET HOME. IF YOU ARE ASIGNED A TRUCK AND HAVE A CLEAN RECORD THEY CANT FIRE YOU SO USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY AND GET HOME. BECAUSE SWIFT WILL LISTEN IF THE TRUCK IS SITTING STILL AND THEY WONT LISTEN SO LONG AS THE TRUCK IS MOVING.

I agree slave labor is there for Swift. The benefits are the worst in the industry. Schneider and Hunt offer better benefit packages than Swift. Have been told by powers that be in Phoenix that the insurance coverage Swift offers is the best. Explain how paying full price on prescription drugs and doctor visits compares to using a drug co-pay card to pay only maybe 14 dollars is better.

As far as the pay goes they are the lowest paid companies in the industry. With Schneider paying as much as 36 cents a mile for experience in some cases. With bonuses and holiday pay. They actually wait till you take your vacation to pay you then and not give it to you on your anniversery date.

Yes I drove for Schneider for over 7 yrs but left for one thing only and that is the dedicated account I am on where I can be home more. Swift has dedicated accounts and thats all that I can see that would have someone working for them.

Yes I could go on and on but I know too much that would make Swift look like a junkyard and the other companies look like a castle with all the trimmings. There are no comparisons to anyother company. Swift is at the bottom of the barrel and below it in the trucking industry.

I agree slave labor is there for Swift. The benefits are the worst in the industry. Schneider and Hunt offer better benefit packages than Swift. Have been told by powers that be in Phoenix that the insurance coverage Swift offers is the best. Explain how paying full price on prescription drugs and doctor visits compares to using a drug co-pay card to pay only maybe 14 dollars is better.

As far as the pay goes they are the lowest paid companies in the industry. With Schneider paying as much as 36 cents a mile for experience in some cases. With bonuses and holiday pay. They actually wait till you take your vacation to pay you then and not give it to you on your anniversery date.

Yes I drove for Schneider for over 7 yrs but left for one thing only and that is the dedicated account I am on where I can be home more. Swift has dedicated accounts and thats all that I can see that would have someone working for them.

Yes I could go on and on but I know too much that would make Swift look like a junkyard and the other companies look like a castle with all the trimmings. There are no comparisons to anyother company. Swift is at the bottom of the barrel and below it in the trucking industry.

I agree slave labor is there for Swift. The benefits are the worst in the industry. Schneider and Hunt offer better benefit packages than Swift. Have been told by powers that be in Phoenix that the insurance coverage Swift offers is the best. Explain how paying full price on prescription drugs and doctor visits compares to using a drug co-pay card to pay only maybe 14 dollars is better.

As far as the pay goes they are the lowest paid companies in the industry. With Schneider paying as much as 36 cents a mile for experience in some cases. With bonuses and holiday pay. They actually wait till you take your vacation to pay you then and not give it to you on your anniversery date.

Yes I drove for Schneider for over 7 yrs but left for one thing only and that is the dedicated account I am on where I can be home more. Swift has dedicated accounts and thats all that I can see that would have someone working for them.

Yes I could go on and on but I know too much that would make Swift look like a junkyard and the other companies look like a castle with all the trimmings. There are no comparisons to anyother company. Swift is at the bottom of the barrel and below it in the trucking industry.

I agree slave labor is there for Swift. The benefits are the worst in the industry. Schneider and Hunt offer better benefit packages than Swift. Have been told by powers that be in Phoenix that the insurance coverage Swift offers is the best. Explain how paying full price on prescription drugs and doctor visits compares to using a drug co-pay card to pay only maybe 14 dollars is better.

As far as the pay goes they are the lowest paid companies in the industry. With Schneider paying as much as 36 cents a mile for experience in some cases. With bonuses and holiday pay. They actually wait till you take your vacation to pay you then and not give it to you on your anniversery date.

Yes I drove for Schneider for over 7 yrs but left for one thing only and that is the dedicated account I am on where I can be home more. Swift has dedicated accounts and thats all that I can see that would have someone working for them.

Yes I could go on and on but I know too much that would make Swift look like a junkyard and the other companies look like a castle with all the trimmings. There are no comparisons to anyother company. Swift is at the bottom of the barrel and below it in the trucking industry.

As I have said in other rebuttals, take your complaints to the Fleet Manager or higher. Swift is a better than average trucking company. Please don't get me wrong. There have been times when my Driver Manager has almost made me go POSTAL. Driver Managers are Swift's weak link. They have the worst Driver Managers I have ever seen. The also have a few good ones.

If you are having problems at Swift and can't get your Driver Manager to do anything for you, don't hesitate going to his boss the Fleet Manager. If he doesnt get any complaints he will never know what a turd he has working for him. If all of you would just complain to middle and upper managment about these bad apples Swift would improve.

There is always going to be your standard problems in the Trucking industry that will never change but as long as you fight for your rights Swift will give them to you. You know how to do it. Truck Drivers are professional complainers. Just start complaining to the right people at Swift and if you complaint is legit it will be taken care of.

Signed a Master Complaining Swift Driver

I am a MS "rollover" driver. While I agree that SWIFT is NOT the ideal Company;(no such thing) I take note the following:

(1)Swift pays by the same HHG as 99%+ of otr companys. About 10-13% short. The routing is a SUGGESTION not carved in stone. If routed thru a specific fuel/terminal they will pay if you COMUNICATE with them.

(2) If I pay a "cash" toll I make out a reciept stating why/what etc and they have never failed paid me back

(3) copies (same as #2)

HOWEVER
Swift has been 85% honest (too the letter if not the spirit) in their dealings with me. example

(1)"pay will not change" Mileage, vacation; and detention didn't BUT most other pays (stop offs;layovers;NYC)did change downward.

(2) "TRUCK SPEED WILL NOT CHANGE" trucks were not turned down (IF you were with MSC for the 6 mo before the merge AS THE CLEARLY STATED) however top end "downhill is monitored "HARSHLY"

I have been an otr driver for 17+ years and swift isn't perfect but no one company is. I will be the first to b***h but so far they are as honest as any other carrier.

I am a cynical driver and have looked (HARD) for out and out lies. However If i look at the facts SWIFT is "AS HONEST AS THEY HAVE TO BE"

First, the pay issue. Most companies out there pay on the same pay scale, or one close to Swift based on the number of years of experience. In addition, all trucking companies out there right now pay on the Household Movers Guide miles, not on actual miles. This is not something that is isolated to Swift.

On the spending your own money, Swift does reimburse anything that you have a receipt for. You are right about the $.50 in the toll booth that doesn't have a receipt available. However, this does not happen often enough to even complain about. We might lose all of $5.00 in a year for this type of incident.

On the copies, I have not been to a terminal yet that didn't make my copies for me - at no charge. You are not FORCED to pay for your copies. Yes, you do have to watch your pay - as you would with any other company. I have not worked for a company yet that didn't make mistakes on pay - this is also not isolated to Swift.

On the DOT rules, you can turn down a load if it is unsafe for you to run. The forced dispatch no longer applies when you are out of hours, etc. If anyone within the office tries to force you on a load like this, you should call the safety department and let them take care of it. (I know because I've been here, but rather than get myself in trouble with the law, I got the person who was trying to force the load on me in trouble.) I might add that there have been no negative reprisals as a result, except that they have not tried to force a load on me when I had no hours to run it.

On the showers, they are not in the best condition, that's why I shower at the truck stops and turn in my receipt for reimbursement. Swift has never denied payment on any one of these - you are not FORCED to use their facilities either.

I think that there are a lot of problems with this company, but not any more than any other company within this industry. I have been with Swift for 5 years.

If Swift transportation could treat their drivers as good as a Prison treats inmates, they would not have so many complaints. A person with any brains at all will find better employment shortly after they experience the rath of Swift. So what does that say about thier bone head trainers. I have been left with no place to sleep and nothing to eat all in the name of training. There is no hope for the company. Swift human resorces will always responde with a positive attitude and claim that they no nothing and that the trainer should have treated you better. If they are in charge, then why do the trainers not obey. I can't wait to see Swift Fall. I know it is comming because it is run by the Devil Him self.