SWIFT TRANSPORTATION AVOID SWIFT LIKE THE PLAGUE PHEONIX Arizona

The trucking industry is a place to work, not a place you go to get assigned a truck for a round trip, paid vacation all around the country.

I currently work for this trucking company, and it is the same at any trucking company you hire on with. You are not going to be assigned a brand spanking new truck when you get hired on after orientation, no matter who you are. You have to prove yourself to your Driver Manager or Dispatcher before you are rewarded the newer equipment and more miles. It is the same principle with any job or occupation. You can't expect to placed at the top of the list as a "new hire". It's just not going to happen, no matter what trucking company you decide to go to work for.

There is good and bad with every trucking company out there. None of them are perfect. If you can't be away from home for 3-5 weeks at a time, you are in the wrong line of work. Stop whining and complaining and get a local driving job.

And finally, you are going to have to shell out some money while you are out on the road hauling freight. It's just part of the job. If you handle this the right way without complaining, you will be reimbursed by the company, probably within a week or so.

When you get into this industry, you need to do so only with the understanding that it's a job, you're there to make money and not to have fun. I have been driving for swift for about a year and a half now. After I trained I was assigned an older Volvo truck with 414k miles on it. Although this truck had clearly been used quite a bit and wasn't the prettiest or fastest one on the road it did the job. It wasn't very clean when I got it but I asked to get it detailed and swift paid for it. And it got me from shipper to final to home many times over the 4 months I had it. I never even had to ask them to put me in a better truck, because I knew it would be sold and replaced anyway just like your truck probably has been (swift doesn't have any columbia's older than 2004 anymore) but that's not the point. You can't expect any company to give someone with no experience and 6 weeks training a piece of $110k equipment. If they did that with all new drivers they would never make money... the trucks would all be damaged by new drivers. You take what's available and run with it... there's better things out there if you're willing to wait (and OCCASIONALY complain). I was out of that truck within 4 months and into a much newer truck once I proved that I could safely drive and maintain what I had.

Also... NEVER turn down a pre-plan unless you can't safely or legally run the load. You can't just pick and choose what you get. I've had weeks where I ran 2900 miles and weeks where I was lucky to get 1000. Depends on the freight and depends on the economy... that's just how it works. When you turn down loads you're turning down money. Period.
Complaining about how miles are paid won't help you much (to a certain point). For the record, mileage is paid city center to city center. Yes, you get shorted. Yes, it sucks. But if you're short by more than 10% all you have to do is call your DM... He/she WILL fix it. That's their job... to help make it easier on you so you can do your job (concentrate on moving freight).
Finally, expenses are part of the job. There have been weeks where I've shelled out 50 bucks or more for tolls, scales, coolant, oil, washer fluid, you name it. So long as you turn receipts in promptly, you get the money back promptly. It's not difficult to understand. And as far as your complaints about OK and OH tolls all you need to do is get to phoenix or memphis and see permits. They will square you away with whatever you need.
Long story short, there's plenty of things that may be wrong with this company, but what you've described is maybe a slightly more difficult experience (if that) than most have when starting out. Your first 6 months or so suck and that's just kinda how it is. If you can't handle that than you need to find another line of work.

Hey you guys, I am looking to start a career in the trucking industry, and I have been browsing through the rip off reports doing some homework before I commit to this.

The filthy conditions described in the trucks are simply unacceptable and NOT an option for me at all.
What happens if I go through the school and they try to dump one of these infested stink mobiles on me, and I refuse to take it?

I am also curious what you guys mean when you say that you dont actually get paid for all the miles you are driving? I cant imagine how this is legal. Can you please elaborate a bit for me so I understand?

I have been getting really excited, and am already heavily invested mentally in going forward with this. After considering several companys I thought that I had finally narrowed it down, and that I was going to choose "Swift" as my best bet for training, and gaining experience, but I cant be cooped up in a can that somebody has been urinating in, and is full of bugs. (absolutely disgusting).

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I READ ONE OF THE RESPONSES OF MACTRUCK TO MY REPORT ABOUT WHY DIDNT I GET AN OHIO TOLL CARD. I ASKED AND ASKED SOME MORE FOR AN OHIO TOLL CARD AND NEVER EVER GOT ONE AND I PAID FOR INDIANA TOO. NO ONE CARED AT SWIFT I TRIED CALLING PHOENIX I ASKED IN PERSON AT KANSAS FOR A STUPID TOLL PACKAGE WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR ALL OF THE TOLLS . I AM WITH A DIFFERENT TRUCKING COMPANY AND THEY MET ME WITH AN OHIO TOLL CARD AND TOLD ME I COULD HAVE IT TO HOLD TILL I GOT OFFICIALLY HIRED AT MY ORIENTATION AND I STILL HAVE THAT CARD BECAUSE I WAS HIRED. THEY STOOD BY AN WATCHED AND WAITED AS I INSPECTED MY TRUCK THAT I WAS ASSIGNED AND IT WAS IMMACULATE AND THEY HAVE DETAILED IT TWICE FOR ME SINCE I WAS HIRED AND THEY TELL ME I AM A GOOD DRIVER AND TREAT ME AS I SHOULD BE TREATED WITH RESPECT. THEY PRAISE ME FOR KEEPING MY IDLE DOWN AND ALL OF MY OTHER NUMBERS ARE IN EXCELLENT AREAS. ALSO UPON READING THE REBUTTALS FROM MY REPORT ONE OF THEM KIND OF COMES OFF AS MY RESPOSE THANKING MACTRUCK ABOUT THE TOLL CARD. DID NOT HAPPEN. ALSO MY TRAINER CALLED ME ONLY AFTER SHE SAW I WAS NO LONGER WITH SWIFT BECAUSE SHE DIDNT GET PAID FOR MY MILES. I WILL NEVER CALL HER AGAIN I AM SO SICK OF THE LECTURES ABOUT DRIVING AND ALL THE BULL FROM HER. I THOUGHT SHE WAS A LOT LIZARD, ALWAYS DISAPEARING, I WOULD GO TO SLEEP AND SHE WOULD BARELY DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD AND THERE WAS ALWAYS ANOTHER TRUCK CONVIENTLY PARKED BY US IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE OR WE GET A FREE MEAL FROM OUR NEW FRIEND. SHE WAS TRAINING FOR SOMETHING ALRIGHT. SHE WAS NOTHING TO LOOK AT BUT BECAUSE OF THE INDUSTRY YOU GET ATTENTION FROM MEN AND SHE ATE IT UP LEFT AND RIGHT AND BACKWARDS. I AM SO GLAD TO HAVE ESCAPED SWIFT I HATE BEING JUST ANOTHER NUMBER. ALSO AS I SAID BEFORE AND WILL SAY AGAIN DO NOT LEASE PURCHASE A TRUCK FROM ANYONE. I TELL NEW DRIVERS THIS AS WELL AS OTHERS. ALSO DONT START A WEBSITE SELLING STUFF THAT IS ANOTHER SCHEME I SEE DRIVERS FALLING FOR. I TALKED TO A DRIVER AT LENGTH ABOUT IT AND INSTEAD OF GETTING OUT WHILE THE GETTING IS GOOD HE WAS CHOOSING TO THROW MORE GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD.

Thanks for the advice. I should have included that in my previous comment that I told my DM about me paying for Ohio toll 8/11. I did receive my Ohio toll card 9/22. I have told my DM about my truck and I have been complaining to my DM about that issue. It basically took my truck to be broke down 4 times which is 9 days within a 21 day period to get her attention. I'm on the list for another available truck since my truck has been going a lot of breakdowns. If this is what I have to go through to get attention that's just plain ridiculous.

Van,

You should have a PrePass box affixed to your Freightliner's windshield. If not, contact Keith through Permits department in Phoenix. Specifically tell him that you need either a PrePass box or possibly a specific Credit Card for Ohio Turnpike (I forget whether the PrePass is good in Ohio).
Regardless, while I working for Swift 4 thru 2 years ago, I never paid cash for OH tolls, so either the PrePass worked or I used an OH Turnpike credit card. Illinois and Indiana used to NOT recognize PrePass, but more recently both now DO.

If you go through Oklahoma a lot, especially the toll road from Tulsa to Oklahoma City (from St. Louis or Chicago to OKC and the I-40), ask for an Oklahoma Turnpike box.

Scale fees are par for the course, part of trucking, and the smart Trucker always makes sure he/she is running legal weight on all axles. Swift always promptly reimbursed me on my receipts.

If your tractor cab needs to be detailed, your DM has the ability to get your truck detailed either at the terminal (especially either Phoenix or Memphis) or at a local Truck Wash. No one has to put up with such filth, but you have to be a 'squeeky wheel' and pester your DM until it is cleaned to your satisfaction. Park near the office building and invite your DM to inspect (and 'smell') your cab if they doubt your complaint. Safety & Cleanliness are the hallmarks of a professional Driver.

If you have a problem, ask your DM or talk to the Terminal Manager and "ask for advice", just don't 'b***h and moan' while complaining. Display a positive attitude.

I am a company driver. My hire date with swift is 6/5/08. With these 3 months I can actually support this report at least 90%. I currently have a 2003 Freighter (freightshaker) Columbia. The previous driver that was on my truck was freaking nasty. I don't know if they had a pet in there or not but it smells like animal urine. the upper bunk did not have a mattress. The restraints completely smells like urine (of course). The bottom bunk had a mattress the was completely soiled. Judging from the odor it was like that for a long time. Where the mattress sits on the wood where the bottom bunk lays on had absorbed up the odor. To solve this problem I had to get a new mattress for the bottom bunk but before i set the mattress on the wood i wrapped that bad boy in plastic. I also wrapped the entire top bunk in plastic as well. Like Sweetpea I also keep my things in bags.

Now on to the pay. She is right swift will work you and pay you little. I think getting paid per mile is the biggest rip off, especially when you're getting paid $.26 per mile. The communication is not the great with the company. Sweetpea is lucky that she gets 3 preplans back to back. I do not and I'm on my qcomm like white on rice. I do not receive responses a lot of times. I do not get a lot get a lot of long hauls. My short like 450 miles and under. (thank god to the sliding pay scale). also I'm being shorted on my miles and I too have had a bait and switch on paid miles between preplans and load assignments. You can fight that since its on the qcomm. The longer the trip the more miles you will drive for FREE. I'm having issues with the the Ohio turnpike tolls as well. Even tho swift will reimburse you, you could be waiting 2 weeks till you reimbursed. a person who brings home less than $550 a week is hit, especially when they have bills!

My opinion is that you get you experience from this company and move on cause that's what I'm doing. The Company has issuses that need to be fixed and for what we do and get paid for it's just not worth going through the stress.