Swift is a bigger company, has more dedicated accounts and more options for different freight in general. Prime pays more and seems to have more flatbed if thats your thing.
If you are considering Swift you might want to check out Schneider as well.
What are the differences between Swift and Schneider? Can you line it up kind of like Brett did for Swift and Prime? I don't care about home time at all. I would like to be out on the road for as long as possible. Space can be a thing, but I can also do without, so if a company puts you in an LW like Prime is said to be doing it really doesn't mean too much to me.
They are similar companies; similar opportunities (OTR, Regional , Dedicated, Reefer , Flat, Intermodal), competing in the same markets. As far as I know Swift does not have a tank division though, Schneider does.
I can only speak from my experience with Swift. I have been driving for them for over 2 years on a dedicated grocery account (Walmart). They are a huge company, very good company sponsored school (if you choose that route), very good driver facing management (DMs, Safety, and Planners), and many opportunities once you gain some experience. I can honestly say they have always treated me fairly and professionally. Most important they keep me moving.
A very good choice to get your start with, and like me (and many others) you may continue with them beyond your first year of experience. The first year is key, once past that you will have many, many choices if you prefer a change from your initial employer.
Hello G-Town. I'm new to this site so please forgive me for going a little bit off topic because I do not know how to message you directly or even if that is possible on this site. I've recently returned to trucking and ended up with SWIFT and was planning and expecting to be OTR. Now I find myself running Walmart dedicated and have been offered a spot at this one particular DC. I've only been at it for 3 weeks here and it's a great dedicated gig, but I'm left with a million questions about hometime and how I can make this work out which I really want to do. I'd appreciate it greatly if you could enlighten me a bit on the workings of these SWIFT dedicated Walmart accounts.
Thank You, Phil
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Intermodal:
Transporting freight using two or more transportation modes. An example would be freight that is moved by truck from the shipper's dock to the rail yard, then placed on a train to the next rail yard, and finally returned to a truck for delivery to the receiving customer.
In trucking when you hear someone refer to an intermodal job they're normally talking about hauling shipping containers to and from the shipyards and railyards.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Hello G-Town. I'm new to this site so please forgive me for going a little bit off topic because I do not know how to message you directly or even if that is possible on this site. I've recently returned to trucking and ended up with SWIFT and was planning and expecting to be OTR. Now I find myself running Walmart dedicated and have been offered a spot at this one particular DC. I've only been at it for 3 weeks here and it's a great dedicated gig, but I'm left with a million questions about hometime and how I can make this work out which I really want to do. I'd appreciate it greatly if you could enlighten me a bit on the workings of these SWIFT dedicated Walmart accounts. Thank You, Phil
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Intermodal:
Transporting freight using two or more transportation modes. An example would be freight that is moved by truck from the shipper's dock to the rail yard, then placed on a train to the next rail yard, and finally returned to a truck for delivery to the receiving customer.
In trucking when you hear someone refer to an intermodal job they're normally talking about hauling shipping containers to and from the shipyards and railyards.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.