Profile For Eckoh

So... 25,000 drivers a year,quit Swift, it has the worst reputation in the industry and a low pay rate.. Yep great company. You top out at 45k a year there. Swift just lost 7 walmart DCs this year do to Swift being late and crashing with walmart trailers. P&G removed 9 of their DCsupporters from Swift due to "monetary losses" Georgia Pacific also reduced the account with swift dye to Swift crashing. Also notevery before CSA scores were removed from public eye Swift has a CSA of 76 the worst score among large companies.

Don't forget Swift is under investigation AGAIN for securities fraud. By all means keep thinking that Swift did not earn what's said about them and hey if you are happy making 30cpm when others are making upwards of 50 that's the kind of driver Swift wants. There is not a single reason to work for Swift when everything is better at a multitude of other companies. There is also nothing Swift does that other companies do not do while making you more money.

But hey if you think working harder for less money is good then that's what makes you a swift driver. Call me a hater all you want but it's people that pretend working for 30 or 35 cpm is a great starting point that keep truckers making less money now then they did 20 years ago.

Like I said there are reasons over 25000 drivers leave Swift each year.

I did not stay at Swift a full yeah and i am FAR better off for it. One thing i do sorta knock on this site for is they call it trucking truth but only want the truth if it is happy and cheerful.

So now it's your turn to give us "the truth" and not just the "happy and cheerful" part. How exactly are you far better off at your current company than you were before? You made less money, turned fewer miles, spent more time doing it, and had more experience to start with! And like I said, Swift would have given you a raise, started reimbursing your schooling, and I'll add that they would have given you better freight and more opportunities your second year. It seems to me you cost yourself an easy $10,000 this year by changing companies.

the truth is I had truck issues, I had more downtime then I did the year before. Also freight was better last year then I has been so far this year. The truth is I enjoy working for this company. The people I talk with in driver lounges at the terminals are more positive and there is not the inter-terminal politics here like I ran into at Swift. The potential earnings are far higher here. I earned the max possible at my pay rate at swift, here I have not reached the max due to downtime from equipment and medical reasons. However next year I can up my pay another 20 to 25k that would not be possible at swift while enjoying the job.

Everyone has different experiences at different companies

Well that's not helping me. How can I use that to plan out the start of my career? And once again I still have the same question - how exactly can I identify a "bad company"?

But seriously, here's where I'm really, really confused. You said you left Swift, a "starter company" to go with a "better" company. Good for you! Don't let those starter companies hold you back, right? But I'm apparently terrible at math because here's what I'm coming up with:

You started at Swift with no experience. You turned 126,000 miles in 9 months and made $44,000.

You went to the "better" company with a year of experience under your belt and only turned 95,000 miles in 11 months and made $45,000.

So you actually turned way more miles and made more money in a shorter period of time with no experience at a "starter company" than you did at a "better" company.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Swift going to give you a raise at the one year mark and start reimbursing you for the tuition you had been paying up to that point? So wouldn't your second year at Swift have been even better than the first, making your second year at the "better company" even worse than it seems already?

Man, figuring out this trucking thing is hard. Help me out here, bro! I'm more confused than ever!

I also said I had truck issues.. Swift also changed the year pay raise not long after I started. No matter hoe you slice it making 10 cpm more per mile while making equal miles per week is better. So yes when I was down for over a month due to truck issues I lost money and when I was out for 3 weeks due to a hospital stay I lost money. So even with nearly 2 months down time I made more money with another company.

I will say as far as equipment overall I was lucky at swift I never had to go into a shop, not the case where I am now. At the same time one of my friends who started at swift when I did went though 5 trucks in 3 months and so far at Crete he's had 0 truck issues where I havery had several. That is part of trucking. One this that does change is how a company treats a driver. Swift overall treated me like crap regardless of how hard I ran. They also pretty much don't give a crap about their drivers comfort with their constant needling on idle times and refusal to allow decent inverters or a real refrigerators. Other companies are different they provide inverters and refrigerators as well as idle systems or APU systems to regulate bunk temperature while reducing idle so that drivers don't feel they have to burn up in the summer or freeze in the winter.

However by all means keep saying things like Swift is the best company ever when their safety rating has gone down to the point major companies have not renewed their contracts, Walmart being a big one not renewing as they expire.

Swift is not the only one but one you guys seem to defend more them most.

I almost expect to see Arrow transportation getting a positive review even after what they did a few years ago.

Still I think you missed the whole point, you guys only want the truth when it shines a good light on things, when it shows a bad experience you tend to gloss it over regardless of how many times it comes up.

Like I have said before this site is a great place without a doubt for people to read and learn about trucking, it has so many tools and so much information you simply cannot find anywhere else. The only thing I find lacking the the bad sides of the companies. You yourself has said EVERY company has good sides and bad, is it really such a bad thing that people can learn about common downsides to a certain company instead of just the upsides?? Is getting a complete picture ever a bad thing if it's from first hand accounts?

Look at getting a STA RAT it's a tool for tandems that don't like their handle being pulled

https://youtu.be/h5ZjU2lVYf0

And please understand that you can't be vague. You can't say things like "Not every company is a good fit" or "for some its night and day switching companies" because I need to know the specifics. I need to know exactly which companies are bad companies. I need to know exactly how to identify when it's time to move on. I need highly specific information that I can use to chart the course of my career so I can establish a fantastic foundation and do it safely because I have a wife and little children at home that are counting on a solid paycheck and my safe return.

To answer your post, I would say start with reading the blogs on this site as well as reading the "Becoming a trucker" section on this site. It will help with letting you know what involved. Also go on YouTube and look up the early videos of TrainerJames, AllieKnight, JCannel, and Littleguytrucker as they go various aspects of trucking. Littleguytrucker starting with his journey though Roadmaster truck driving school then on to training with TrainerJames. AllieKnight has daily episodes of her life on the road as well as numerous Q&A videos. JCannel has some flat out funny stuff thought his days as a driver.

One thing i do sorta knock on this site for is they call it trucking truth but only want the truth if it is happy and cheerful.

Ok pal then you have the floor. You think you know so much - go ahead and lay out the plan for rookie drivers. Here ya go:

My name is Brett and I'm brand new to trucking. In fact I have no idea how many wheels are on an 18 wheeler. But what I do know is that trucking is very dangerous and I'm smart enough to know I want the safest, surest route to help me establish a great foundation to my career. What do you advise?

you missed my point, you only want the positive truth. I completely agree with you wanting the truth but when people have first hand knowledge of the very harsh downsides to any company you try to discount it as a rarity.

There are always 2 sides to each coin and various sides to every story however companies get known for things they do not just things of rumor. For instance saying Swift has more accidents then any other company is true but in reality its because they have far more trucks then anyone else and their percentage is actually very low in MAJOR accidents not so much in the minor ones. Swift also current has one of the highest turnovers in all of the trucking industry which is very high compared to most other fields of work. Swift at last report was still over 100% annual turnover, which means they are doing something to make drivers not stay. Now a high turnover in trucking is not abnormal, however when a company like ATS has under 50% or Walmart that has under 20% turnover you have to wonder why people do not say at swift but they do stay elsewhere.

Many times when someone comes on here with a rant the post is deleted or burried as many times its something recently ticked off and venting, however it can show downsides of a company that can often go beyond the "thats tucking" excuse, for example what Chickie went though at Trans Am part of that is bad luck part of that could be miscommunication and some can be a company not doing everything (not saying that is the case but saying its possible)

There are a number of Swift drivers on the forum and more then likely even more former Swift drivers, some are happy some wanted to make more money then possible at Swift. For example myself, i worked for Swift for 9 months, in those 9 months i drove 126,000 miles (according to SWIFT) in that time i made $44,000. I now work for Crete Carrier in 11 months i have driven only 95,000 miles due mostly to a string of truck issues. That being said i have made $45,000. So while driving 30,000 less miles i have still made more money here. Also according to Swifts last pay plan structure you would have to work for swift for 12 years to make what i make now and i came here with 9 months experience.

There are better options then sitting in a job you hate. Getting 1 year at your first company is a great thing and will help you though out your time as a driver, however wanting someone to stay in a job they hate for a number then better options are out there for them also has the ability to turn them off to trucking. We have all see the guys at truck stops that simply hate their job but don't want to try another company for any number of reasons, and you know as angry as they are in the truck stop that transfers to the road and makes them dangerous. One thing i think we can all agree in is people need to be safe when driving and i bet you see far more happy drivers being safe then angry ones being safe.

So no i will not play Willy Wonka and sugar coat everything and tell people ever company is a great place to work because it simply is not true. Everyone has different experiences at different companies and i'm sure that we can all tell horror stories of what we have herd about companies, but to discount firsthand knowledge because it doesn't paint every company in a shining light does a disservice to people starting in the industry. People need to find out what works for them in a multitude of aspects not just her the upsides without the downsides.

I know a number of guys happy as can be to be working for Swift, i also know my trainer left Swift at the same time i did for much the same reason money. I cannot blame a guy for leaving a company he had been with for 7 years when he finds out a guy he trains now makes more then he does doing the EXACT same job without training new drivers.

Like I said staying for a year at your first job is a good thing and something everyone should try to do, but not at the expense of your sanity, or bills, or your safety whatever the case may be. This is a job with enough dangers already you don't need to add to them by not being happy, i'm not saying leave the first time you are ****ed off but at the same time never stop looking at what options are out there. Most people will not start at the company they stay at for the bulk of their life as a trucker, so if you are truly not happy do not force yourself to stay somewhere for some milestone that many companies will not care about long term.

My guess is you are fishing for the wrong gear it will change based on the load, honestly it just takes practice. Just put put light pressure on the stick, if you are trying for the right gear with the right RPM it will almost pull it into gear and if its wrong you will feel it more the hear it.

Eckoh once again encourages a rookie to look towards greener pastures:

If you some experience (over 6 months) you do have options.

There are a number of companies that will hire guys with limited experience. Some also might be better suited for the way you want to run as well.

If you are even open to new companies look around and see what's out there.

Eckoh,... at least you're consistent.

I don't agree with you...every time a rookie driver is faced with adversity and challenges, does not warrant moving on. It doesn't seem like Paul has an issue with Swift, so why encourage him to leave? He wasn't asking for advice on changing companies.

Try to stay with your initial employer for at least one year. Care not if it's Swift, Prime, Schneider, Roehl...give it a chance to work...a chance to actually make good money with a so-called "starter company".

Sometimes staying with a company where a person is not happy will make them quit all together. I did not stay at Swift a full yeah and i am FAR better off for it. One thing i do sorta knock on this site for is they call it trucking truth but only want the truth if it is happy and cheerful.

Not every company is for everyone there is a VERY good reason swift has the reputation it has in the industry and it has earned it. It is a good company to start with but in the long run you will make far less money and enjoy less "perks" of trucking by staying with a company like Swift.

I did not tell anyone to switch, i'm just letting people there are options and the stay 1 year regardless how much you dislike who you work for is not the best thing. Not every company is a good fit, for some its night and day switching companies. sometimes the grass is more the greener.

I am a solo driver BTW

Do not want to rain on a parade or anything but this was my gross from last week. It is not a normal week by any means but it shows what you can do when you work you butt off.