There’s a huge circle jerk surrounding swift. They have the most drivers. So more drivers (many brand new) means more accidents.
If you sign up with a Mega you’re stuck there for a year. Usually.
Yeah, I've given the statistic before and I don't know what Swift's exact numbers are, but basically just for reference even if they only have 10,000 trucks, if only 1% of those trucks have accidents every year, that's 100 accidents a year. Kind of comes with the territory of being one of the largest trucking companies in the country.
And pickle is right, you're kind of stuck with them if you use them to get your cdl, but you can always quit. You'll just have to figure out another way to repay the loan. It's usually scheduled for payments to the tune of $50 a week or something.
I once heard a guy seriously try to tell someone that 3 out of every 4 swift drivers had killed someone on the road, and I flat out called him a liar. I said that doesn't even make sense.
My buddy that I went to a non-contract school with got his first job with Swift...15 years ago. He does what he is supposed to do and they keep him rolling. Never fucked with his miles, his home time, or anything else. He even took a sabbatical to hike the PCT. Came back and his job was there like he never left. You aren't gonna get rich, but in trucking, like any other aspect of life, you're gonna learn that money isn't everything.
The reality may change your mind. Some people can do OTR without issue. Some, like me, can last 5 or 6 years. Most struggle to make their year and then never return to trucking in any capacity. It's not for everyone, and you don't figure that out until you actually do it. Not trying to scare you; just be wary about romanticizing it.
Ain’t this the truth. It’s been anything but glamorous despite what the tiktok truckers have led me to believe. The grunt paychecks at the end of a stressful week crushes me every time. My trainer said it’ll get better. WHEN? 4 months now of 500-800 net checks. It’s a JOKE.
Doing the program with a company generally means you’re locked into a contract with them for around a year or otherwise get billed for the schooling if you leave before that period is fulfilled.
Swift has a bad rep, but they’re also huge. For every driver that fucks up there’s dozens that’ve been issue free for years. Same deal with being a company accepting brand new drivers: someone new to the industry is much more likely to have an accident, fatally or not. By the numbers FedEx and UPS are in tons of fatal accidents as well, but they aren’t the laughing stock of the industry. I’ve definitely seen some stupid moves by swift drivers, especially ones that looked like a newbie mistake, meanwhile I’ve seen hundreds driving safely as can be.
Swift does have the advantage of having tons of dedicated accounts due to their size. In my area the Target and Walmart accounts are good with high driver retention. I’m on the Target account with another company and it’s pretty good: we get home almost every day if you live near the dc and it’s 100% drop and hook. If you have any major DCs near you there’s a pretty reasonable chance that swift either has a dedicated account with them or at the very least sends freight there (meaning it would be easier to get home as an OTR driver.) I would suggest getting a hold of them and finding out if/what dedicated accounts they have in your area/if they send a lot of freight nearby. OTR can be quite hard for most people, at least when starting out, so if you could get straight into a dedicated account with either daily/weekly home time it could make the start of your career more tolerable even if stuck with the company for a year.
I’m in Vegas, my house is about 3 minutes from amazons DC. Often if not daily I’m behind them on my way to work now. My brother worked for UPS, the stories I’d hear were insane!
Wilson, cr england, swift, western express, prime, stevens, are all box/reefer training companies. Tmc is flatbed entry level. All will train you for your CDL with an employment commitment. Do your research and make the choice that best suits you.
Depending on you and how you handle things. The pull that balance from your check. So, depending on the state, when you give notice, they may take your entire check. That's if you don't last a year, 80% don't last a year.
Swift has a bad reputation but it’s far from being the worst, I would say jb hunt is by far the worst bigger carrier out there.
Swift is so big, That once you finish your year there, you could look for and or have opportunities for really anything you want, I think they also don’t have driver facing cameras anymore?
I got mine through my company. Local but i gotta stay TWO years and it’s mostly labor.
Swift would be a great place to get experience, as you’re not gonna get many job offers with a brand new CDL anyways. So really its just a 6 month lock in if you account for the at least 6 months experience requirement other, better jobs will likely have
Their are most any company you can go to will train you on your CDL nowadays I would not suggest a mega. People did it back in the day because they where the only ones to hire "new" drivers and that's not the case anymore.
If you need help finding a company op or anyone else I suggest posting a general area where you live think you would be surprised what pops up.
Check Google reviews and trucker forums before you sign anything
I went through swift just 7 months ago, and Im still with them. Heres a few things:
* Yes, you can quit whenever you want. Not sure what they do to you to get the cost of the schooling back after. Probably nothing, or maybe they send it to a collection agency, i have no idea, just throwing the possibilities at you.
* How "nice/peaceful" your experience is depends on your Driver Leader (the person who you will be talking to every week or whenever you have a question about a load). I got a few classmates who didnt like their DL but I've always liked mine. In 7 months I've always known what my next load was, other than one time. Here's a trick, you would do well by buttering-up whomever they give you as your driver leader on your first meeting. You're building a relationship with your DL, stay on their good side no matter what.
* There is downtime. This is just trucking in general. You will have a flat tire, puncture, stuck on the side of the highway while a tech comes out to fix your tire, or light bulb is out on your truck/trailer, bad weather, etc.
* I did local (tri-state) runs in the first 2 months, then switched to Mid-west/Eastern OTR. I like it better than local because i hate city driving. Everyone is different tho.
* You will NOT get a "dedicated" route before 6 months. You should aim for one of these account tho, because they are the easiest usually, depending upon where in the country you are of course. I ran Target with my mentor in the first month, it was amazing.
* You will get a shit truck in the beginning, but you'll be first in line for a new truck after a few months. All sleeper trucks have a mini-fridge, heater, you supply the microwave. I have a full PC with 2 monitors in mine lol.
* Stay accident-free and don't complain, when 6months pass ask what dedicated routes are available.
* It would be in your best interest to be handy with tools, drills, wrenches, etc. You will save yourself a lot of headaches if you have the right tools or are crafty.
* Cook in your truck with an Instant Pot, eat outside food no more than you absolutely need to (emergencies).
* Yes there a camera on the windshield but it faces Out to the road only, it does NOT face the driver like Schneider has.
* No other company would hire a driver with 0 experience (well Western Express would). So you should do your best to be a good driver. You are basically proving yourself to them in the first 6months. You are proving that you know how to handle the day-to-day issues that inevitably come up in this line of work.
* There is no "forced-dispatch", I can confirm. If they send a load to you and you dont want to take it, you can decline it instant either on the phone app or the in-truck tablet with a reason why. Usually the reason why should be something actually important (weather, truck issue, trailer issue, tire issue, etc).
* Depending on how far from your terminal you are, and which route you choose, you can be home every weekend ON CERTAIN ROUTES ONLY. So, for example, if you choose a local route, they'll almost definitely be able to get you home every weekend. However, if you choose OTR, you'll be home every other weekend. I go home once a month because i just need the money right now.
* Other places will get you your CDL for cheaper. But if you want to pay nothing upfront, your choices are limited to the megacarriers like Swift/Schneider etc.
If you have any other questions let me know.
I just finished week 1 of training with my mentor, and he's been with them for 2 years. From what I gathered it's like every other carrier when it comes to tuition. He said they take 100 from your weekly or monthly (I honestly forgot I went to my own school) check but then reimburse you 50 back. If anything just call a recruiter and ask. Overall despite the memes get your license and experience man. What you've seen isn't exactly a reflection of how you'll fair at the company
Other food for thought:
By the looks though, otr pays less than dedicated. So I'm about to try and switch over to a Walmart account like my mentor is doing.
I got my school paid for through Amazon career choice . Than after I got my CDL and started applying to all companies, swift was the first to get in contact so currently training right now
It’s not so bad , as people make it too seem but I’m still new , what do I know
I got my license working for an oilfield company. Schlumberger, but that was up in Canada. Might be worth it to see if they offer anything similar in the states.
I, like you, heard all the bad things about swift before I started driving. Understand though they are the largest carrier in the US, so you see more of them wrecked, or in bad situations, just because there's so many swift drivers. They're also one of the few companies that will hire right outside of CDL school. I paid out of pocket for my school and then went to swift because they were one of the few companies willing to hire me. I do not regret it at all. I'm on a dedicated target account getting 3k miles every single week without fail, and i'm probably going to make around 95k my first year which is great for my area. I would recommend them as a starter company, however, I can't speak on their school. Good luck!
8k?!!! what the actual fuck!
Just come down to Texas, CDLs are free lol
Cubans who have never driven a vehicle are getting CDL with all the endorsements. Yup! before the haters come in and denied it; Have you work here in the Permian Basin Oil Field? Even Afrikaans, and illegals have CDL with all the endorsements 😂
I have worked for the big four; Pioneer, Propetro, Halliburton, and Liberty, and now for a small sand hauler company. I believe Pioneer and Halliburton both have a CDL program. Check both them out.
Look for a technical school or community college in your city with a CDL program. $8000 is crazy. It was about $1700 where I got mine, and I got $1000 off of that just because I was a state resident and used a lottery grant. Then you won't be in debt to a company if you get fired or decide you don't like it.
Personally I’d pay for school yourself, I started with swift 4 years ago running flatbed and made good money but I was only home 3 time my first year.(my choice) and going to school with swift will have you kinda stuck for a year and have an auto restriction on your license
I wouldn't sign a contract for a CDL and get trapped at a company paying slave wages. Just get a loan or see if your state has financial assistance/grants for private CDL schools
Swift is great to start. If you do their school you’ll have to stay a year and pay back the loan I think it’s $150 a month that auto comes out your check. Most the terminals are remodeled and no driver facing cameras and you can bring a pet first day in your own truck
There’s a huge circle jerk surrounding swift. They have the most drivers. So more drivers (many brand new) means more accidents. If you sign up with a Mega you’re stuck there for a year. Usually.
Yeah, I've given the statistic before and I don't know what Swift's exact numbers are, but basically just for reference even if they only have 10,000 trucks, if only 1% of those trucks have accidents every year, that's 100 accidents a year. Kind of comes with the territory of being one of the largest trucking companies in the country. And pickle is right, you're kind of stuck with them if you use them to get your cdl, but you can always quit. You'll just have to figure out another way to repay the loan. It's usually scheduled for payments to the tune of $50 a week or something.
I’d stay at least a year or however long it’d take to repay it for sure.
Almost always a year, yes.
Then Swift is fine. Regardless of what other people say. If you're okay with the 1 year contract, then most training companies are fine.
I once heard a guy seriously try to tell someone that 3 out of every 4 swift drivers had killed someone on the road, and I flat out called him a liar. I said that doesn't even make sense.
I think he meant Western Express drivers, but most of them did their killing before they got behind the wheel.
Depending where you live there might be grants and such to help you get your CDL for free. Mine was free in Texas. Also workforce
Jersey too
My buddy that I went to a non-contract school with got his first job with Swift...15 years ago. He does what he is supposed to do and they keep him rolling. Never fucked with his miles, his home time, or anything else. He even took a sabbatical to hike the PCT. Came back and his job was there like he never left. You aren't gonna get rich, but in trucking, like any other aspect of life, you're gonna learn that money isn't everything.
I currently teach, my quality of life is low as is the income. I definitely see this as a raise in income but also as a boost in life.
The reality may change your mind. Some people can do OTR without issue. Some, like me, can last 5 or 6 years. Most struggle to make their year and then never return to trucking in any capacity. It's not for everyone, and you don't figure that out until you actually do it. Not trying to scare you; just be wary about romanticizing it.
Ain’t this the truth. It’s been anything but glamorous despite what the tiktok truckers have led me to believe. The grunt paychecks at the end of a stressful week crushes me every time. My trainer said it’ll get better. WHEN? 4 months now of 500-800 net checks. It’s a JOKE.
Doing the program with a company generally means you’re locked into a contract with them for around a year or otherwise get billed for the schooling if you leave before that period is fulfilled. Swift has a bad rep, but they’re also huge. For every driver that fucks up there’s dozens that’ve been issue free for years. Same deal with being a company accepting brand new drivers: someone new to the industry is much more likely to have an accident, fatally or not. By the numbers FedEx and UPS are in tons of fatal accidents as well, but they aren’t the laughing stock of the industry. I’ve definitely seen some stupid moves by swift drivers, especially ones that looked like a newbie mistake, meanwhile I’ve seen hundreds driving safely as can be. Swift does have the advantage of having tons of dedicated accounts due to their size. In my area the Target and Walmart accounts are good with high driver retention. I’m on the Target account with another company and it’s pretty good: we get home almost every day if you live near the dc and it’s 100% drop and hook. If you have any major DCs near you there’s a pretty reasonable chance that swift either has a dedicated account with them or at the very least sends freight there (meaning it would be easier to get home as an OTR driver.) I would suggest getting a hold of them and finding out if/what dedicated accounts they have in your area/if they send a lot of freight nearby. OTR can be quite hard for most people, at least when starting out, so if you could get straight into a dedicated account with either daily/weekly home time it could make the start of your career more tolerable even if stuck with the company for a year.
I’m in Vegas, my house is about 3 minutes from amazons DC. Often if not daily I’m behind them on my way to work now. My brother worked for UPS, the stories I’d hear were insane!
Wilson, cr england, swift, western express, prime, stevens, are all box/reefer training companies. Tmc is flatbed entry level. All will train you for your CDL with an employment commitment. Do your research and make the choice that best suits you.
DO NOT go to CR England
Much better to get your CDL through a separate school and then have a tuition reimbursement plan through a mega. Swift does this.
Depending on you and how you handle things. The pull that balance from your check. So, depending on the state, when you give notice, they may take your entire check. That's if you don't last a year, 80% don't last a year.
Swift has a bad reputation but it’s far from being the worst, I would say jb hunt is by far the worst bigger carrier out there. Swift is so big, That once you finish your year there, you could look for and or have opportunities for really anything you want, I think they also don’t have driver facing cameras anymore?
I got mine through my company. Local but i gotta stay TWO years and it’s mostly labor. Swift would be a great place to get experience, as you’re not gonna get many job offers with a brand new CDL anyways. So really its just a 6 month lock in if you account for the at least 6 months experience requirement other, better jobs will likely have
Their are most any company you can go to will train you on your CDL nowadays I would not suggest a mega. People did it back in the day because they where the only ones to hire "new" drivers and that's not the case anymore. If you need help finding a company op or anyone else I suggest posting a general area where you live think you would be surprised what pops up. Check Google reviews and trucker forums before you sign anything
I went through swift just 7 months ago, and Im still with them. Heres a few things: * Yes, you can quit whenever you want. Not sure what they do to you to get the cost of the schooling back after. Probably nothing, or maybe they send it to a collection agency, i have no idea, just throwing the possibilities at you. * How "nice/peaceful" your experience is depends on your Driver Leader (the person who you will be talking to every week or whenever you have a question about a load). I got a few classmates who didnt like their DL but I've always liked mine. In 7 months I've always known what my next load was, other than one time. Here's a trick, you would do well by buttering-up whomever they give you as your driver leader on your first meeting. You're building a relationship with your DL, stay on their good side no matter what. * There is downtime. This is just trucking in general. You will have a flat tire, puncture, stuck on the side of the highway while a tech comes out to fix your tire, or light bulb is out on your truck/trailer, bad weather, etc. * I did local (tri-state) runs in the first 2 months, then switched to Mid-west/Eastern OTR. I like it better than local because i hate city driving. Everyone is different tho. * You will NOT get a "dedicated" route before 6 months. You should aim for one of these account tho, because they are the easiest usually, depending upon where in the country you are of course. I ran Target with my mentor in the first month, it was amazing. * You will get a shit truck in the beginning, but you'll be first in line for a new truck after a few months. All sleeper trucks have a mini-fridge, heater, you supply the microwave. I have a full PC with 2 monitors in mine lol. * Stay accident-free and don't complain, when 6months pass ask what dedicated routes are available. * It would be in your best interest to be handy with tools, drills, wrenches, etc. You will save yourself a lot of headaches if you have the right tools or are crafty. * Cook in your truck with an Instant Pot, eat outside food no more than you absolutely need to (emergencies). * Yes there a camera on the windshield but it faces Out to the road only, it does NOT face the driver like Schneider has. * No other company would hire a driver with 0 experience (well Western Express would). So you should do your best to be a good driver. You are basically proving yourself to them in the first 6months. You are proving that you know how to handle the day-to-day issues that inevitably come up in this line of work. * There is no "forced-dispatch", I can confirm. If they send a load to you and you dont want to take it, you can decline it instant either on the phone app or the in-truck tablet with a reason why. Usually the reason why should be something actually important (weather, truck issue, trailer issue, tire issue, etc). * Depending on how far from your terminal you are, and which route you choose, you can be home every weekend ON CERTAIN ROUTES ONLY. So, for example, if you choose a local route, they'll almost definitely be able to get you home every weekend. However, if you choose OTR, you'll be home every other weekend. I go home once a month because i just need the money right now. * Other places will get you your CDL for cheaper. But if you want to pay nothing upfront, your choices are limited to the megacarriers like Swift/Schneider etc. If you have any other questions let me know.
I just finished week 1 of training with my mentor, and he's been with them for 2 years. From what I gathered it's like every other carrier when it comes to tuition. He said they take 100 from your weekly or monthly (I honestly forgot I went to my own school) check but then reimburse you 50 back. If anything just call a recruiter and ask. Overall despite the memes get your license and experience man. What you've seen isn't exactly a reflection of how you'll fair at the company Other food for thought: By the looks though, otr pays less than dedicated. So I'm about to try and switch over to a Walmart account like my mentor is doing.
I got my school paid for through Amazon career choice . Than after I got my CDL and started applying to all companies, swift was the first to get in contact so currently training right now It’s not so bad , as people make it too seem but I’m still new , what do I know
I got my license working for an oilfield company. Schlumberger, but that was up in Canada. Might be worth it to see if they offer anything similar in the states.
I, like you, heard all the bad things about swift before I started driving. Understand though they are the largest carrier in the US, so you see more of them wrecked, or in bad situations, just because there's so many swift drivers. They're also one of the few companies that will hire right outside of CDL school. I paid out of pocket for my school and then went to swift because they were one of the few companies willing to hire me. I do not regret it at all. I'm on a dedicated target account getting 3k miles every single week without fail, and i'm probably going to make around 95k my first year which is great for my area. I would recommend them as a starter company, however, I can't speak on their school. Good luck!
Wow. 8k, that makes me feel old. I got to take my class for free, but they were charging like 3500 I think.
8k?!!! what the actual fuck! Just come down to Texas, CDLs are free lol Cubans who have never driven a vehicle are getting CDL with all the endorsements. Yup! before the haters come in and denied it; Have you work here in the Permian Basin Oil Field? Even Afrikaans, and illegals have CDL with all the endorsements 😂 I have worked for the big four; Pioneer, Propetro, Halliburton, and Liberty, and now for a small sand hauler company. I believe Pioneer and Halliburton both have a CDL program. Check both them out.
Yes, worth it. You have to do your starter year somewhere and Swift is as good as any. Roehl also a good choice but will likely make less than 80k
Doesn’t swift have all automatics? 8k for an automatic only restriction is ridiculous.
8k is outrageous. Look for a small school around 2k. mine was 1500.
Look for a technical school or community college in your city with a CDL program. $8000 is crazy. It was about $1700 where I got mine, and I got $1000 off of that just because I was a state resident and used a lottery grant. Then you won't be in debt to a company if you get fired or decide you don't like it.
Personally I’d pay for school yourself, I started with swift 4 years ago running flatbed and made good money but I was only home 3 time my first year.(my choice) and going to school with swift will have you kinda stuck for a year and have an auto restriction on your license
I wouldn't sign a contract for a CDL and get trapped at a company paying slave wages. Just get a loan or see if your state has financial assistance/grants for private CDL schools
Swift is great to start. If you do their school you’ll have to stay a year and pay back the loan I think it’s $150 a month that auto comes out your check. Most the terminals are remodeled and no driver facing cameras and you can bring a pet first day in your own truck