C1 Trucking School With Swift, Or Knights Squire Training?

So I'm in a bit of a dilemma and need some solid advice. I am very new to trucking and have just started training at C1 trucking school through Swift. Everything was going very smoothly, until we get out on the road and now I'm starting to think I'm not getting trained properly.

I have never driven a manual before in my life, let alone double clutching. Since they only have a certain amount of trucks and instructors, they limit it to 4 students per truck and at the very least you only get an hour a day to drive IF you're out on the road that day, they like to switch it up all the time to either yard or road. What concerns me is that the instructors do no care one bit about the students. I'm getting yelled at and talked down to by my Instructor for not clutching correctly, rubbing a curve every now and then, missing a gear. No one taught me any of this. No one taught me anything about manuals or how they work, what I need to do correctly or how to recover. How to keep the engine from dying. I'm getting yelled at for screwing up, other students are getting called names and demeaned. It even took me such a hard time to even get my permit because they didn't give me any proper study material.

And they're always switching instructors and trucks so its hard to get use to a certain vehicles reaction. We'll get in one truck and one instructor will tell us one way, then the next day we'll go into another truck and that instructor will tell us to listen to forget what that instructor taught you and listen to them because they know everything. I waste my time, having a 9 hour day at this school to only drive for an hour that day getting yelled and screamed at, not taught in anyway. I'm in my third week and apparently I'm suppose to text next week? I AM NO WHERE NEAR READY. But they don't really care. I've asked the main instructor if I could drive with an instructor who is apparently amazing, and he tells me, "No, You're going to ride with who ever we tell you you're going to ride with. We have too many people to move students around when they want."

What a load of BS. Im sitting here busting my butt off, studying and desperately trying to learn and when I need help I'm shooed? I'm not learning anything here when it comes to actually driving.

I went online and did some research and saw that Knights way of training makes SO MUCH more sense and seems a lot more comfortable. I haven't applied yet because on our first day we were threatened that If we applied to anyone else they would send us home and make us pay for the entire tuition and hotel bill. It all equals out to 6,000. I don't know anything about Swift and I am not going to talk bad about them because it seems like its this school. They're just rushing people through because they get paid for every person that walks through the door. 5 people have already been kicked out these last two weeks. I don't know if its all C1 schools or it could be just this particular one, but I'm not kidding, this stuff is actually happening! And I'm not being negative or telling anyone my feelings towards it, I really do think I'm going to love a job in this field! But based on how they run and train at this school, I'm wanting to leave now. A guy here as a student use to be a trucker and has been talking about how much crap this place is on training and I didn't see it until now. He even plans on taking legal action, or so he says.

I'm really just looking for advice. I can stick it out, but Nervous that they're setting me up for failure here. And now after doing more research I would feel much more comfortable doing Knights training than this is what it seems.

Any advice, guys?

Don't hold anything back, you won't hurt my feelings if you think I'm just being a little b**ch I can take it. Just Let me know what you think or your experience!

First, Jake, calm down. I read through your post, and you got more upset the more you wrote.

I attended Swift's school, not C1. Where is your school?

The schedule is about right. Four students in a truck, and the instructor. Granted, most instructors don't really have training in how to teach. You can't tell me instructors don't care for their students. (Teaching newbies can be nerve wracking!) My instructor did some yelling, too. Later as solo, you won't have that problem.

You aren't the only one trying to get your head, elbow and foot around shifting and double clutching. Do a search (search box at the top of the page) for those topics. You'll find all sorts of help.

I've driven with Swift for a year now. I don't have any gripes or any reason to move to a different company.

One more thing:

A guy here as a student use to be a trucker and has been talking about how much crap this place is on training

Sure, if every thing was run the way your buddy says it should be run, life would be beautiful, right?

Thanks for your reply.

My school is in Missouri.

And I'm not talking about yelling as in "BRAKE" but yelling as in "Get the F**k out of the seat you're done", This is not me getting yelled at by the way. I just honestly do not feel like I'm getting the right training. Nothing against Swift like I said and I wish I would've gone through their school and not some company hired by them. Because the school does not care if people succeed. I'm getting the hang of double clutching , but still I feel like I shouldn't be so uncomfortable when I'm with some instructors. I'm fine when I'm doing maneuvers in the yard and I'm not having an instructor insulting me and my driving (Which I know is not perfect, I'm there to learn of course!" All I'm saying is that honestly, I want to leave now and go somewhere else, whether it be a different school through Swift or another company. A lot of the students here feel the exact same.

Thanks again for your advice.

If you want to be a trucker, you will need to get accustomed to the rampant lack of professionalism on all levels in the trucking industry, from various people you will encounter.

I experienced exactly the same scenario you described, when I attended C1 in Little Rock, Arkansas. They are instructed to yell at you and talk to you like that, because they are running so many students through the mill, if they don't pressure them into passing, then less students will pass. That was the explanation I got from one of the instructors I had.

As futile as it seems right now, my advice is to just give it your best, and they will decide when you need to be singled out for personal attention. They know who is behind, and who is on track. Trust me, they want you to get the license, because there is a much better chance that they will get their money if you do.

Remember, their only goal at C1, is for you to get your license from DOT. They really don't expect you to learn what you are actually doing, until you go to work for the company they place you with. You will have to go through the same testing all over again, when you go to orientation at the trucking company that employs you, so the test at C1 will not be your last.

Afterwards, you will spend several weeks with a trainer before you are put into a truck to run solo or as a team.

Right now, you are a long way from being thrown into the water to swim on your own, so just try to relax and focus on running the gauntlet one step at a time.

Dutch says it like it is:

Remember, their only goal at C1, is for you to get your license from DOT.

The ugly truth, Jake, is that's what almost any school will do: get you good enough to pass the state DOT test. You'll get the finer points of truck driving when you get on with your Swift mentor.

Dutch does lay it in a bit thick - not that many truckers have potty mouths.

I suggest you stick with it, get your CDL license, and then, like the Bible says (somewhere), shake the dirt of the school off your boots as you walk out the door.

Trucking Truth forum is open 24/7. Come back for more help!

Thanks again for the advice.

I will not quit never have and never will!

I am still confident, but if this school does not work out somehow I can always find a better one. I have also texted my recruiter to see if there was a way I can actually go to a Swift school, but I also texted her and told her I will actually talk to the schools director to see if we can solve any issues. I seriously appreciate it guys. See you on the road!

Hey Jake, I've been a bit busy lately and haven't had the chance to jump in here, but I was really glad to see "Dutch" respond since he went to a C1 school also. The fact that you are completely new to trucking as you stated is really where the problem lies - meaning you do not know what to expect. I would ignore your fellow student who was a former driver, trucker's are famous for knowing it all and being more than willing to let you know about it.

Errol and Dutch gave you some good advice - just hang in there! The biggest stumbling block for newbies entering this field is their false expectations of what it should be like. Heck if you read most online reviews about trucking schools and companies you will quickly come to the conclusion that all these brand new people to the industry know way more about it than the long time veterans who have been doing this for years! The main purpose and goal of C1 is to help you pass that driving test and get your CDL. Trust me they know that you are no where near ready for the big leagues yet, and Swift will understand that also once you get started with them. That is why you will have a mentor/trainer right from the start once you are employed at Swift. Here's another big revelation for you - when Swift hands you the keys to your very own rig, you are going to still be having these same thoughts of "Man, I am just not ready for this!"

Truck drivers are not always the most patient or gentle lot of people in the world, and for the most part they don't make good teachers. Training is just difficult due to the fact that most truck drivers are Type A personalities. Jake, I was yelled at at, taught things wrong, and treated with terrible disrespect from my company trainer when I was first employed - it is a small drop in the bucket in the whole scheme of things when you compare it to your career ahead. I have had an awesome career, been a top producer wherever I go, and have managed to make more money than most truck drivers I know. I wrote an article about this training phenomenom that most newbies stumble over. Just keep plugging away, and eventually you will see that we were shooting straight with you. I know it seems crazy to you now, but trust me, most of us got our start in a very similar way to what you are experiencing.

From my experience OTR I think a lot of Swift drivers are NOT trained properly, but it also depends a lot on you. I would focus on backing up and turning, also on parking particularly in tight spaces. take it easy, know that truck drivers WILL help you if you ask. we are a pretty decent and helpful lot. So ask! also, truck drivers will wait for you to properly park or back up, they won't rush you or think badly of you, so take your time doing it. Oh and I have noticed many swift drivers never slide their tandems much. I honestly think they need more training in that area. But know this, a lot of your training depends on you. Ask your trainer the proper questions. If you have a doubt, ask.

Leslie wrote:

From my experience OTR I think a lot of Swift drivers are NOT trained properly, but it also depends a lot on you. I would focus on backing up and turning, also on parking particularly in tight spaces. take it easy, know that truck drivers WILL help you if you ask. we are a pretty decent and helpful lot. So ask! also, truck drivers will wait for you to properly park or back up, they won't rush you or think badly of you, so take your time doing it. Oh and I have noticed many swift drivers never slide their tandems much. I honestly think they need more training in that area. But know this, a lot of your training depends on you. Ask your trainer the proper questions. If you have a doubt, ask.

Leslie, I attended and graduated from Swift's Richmond Academy and was road trained for 6 weeks by a Swift mentor. I had a very good experience, believe I was well prepared to pass the CDL exams and after road training, safely handle a solo assignment. I am still driving for Swift almost 4 years later an have no intention of making a change.

Your "training" statement? Although it may, or may not be true, is a value judgment based on "what"? Are you at all experienced with how Swift trains and familiar with the curriculum they follow? Their CDL Academies prepare a student to pass their CDL exams and also prepare them for future employment with additional skills (ex: logs and mapping). The C1 school, is contracted, not run directly by Swift. They are training a student to pass their CDL exam, that's it.

Like all of the other training companies, Swift has really good trainers (mentors) and not so good. I was lucky, my mentor was top shelf. Unfortunately it's up to the student driver to determine if he or she believes they are receiving proper training and speak up if there is a problem. It's on "them", the student, they are responsible for a successful outcome. The system is designed to give a student driver ample opportunities for feedback. It is made quite clear that if need be (worst case), a student can be reassigned to a new trainer. Now a true statement is Swift has a high percentage of drivers on the road with less than 6 months of experience. Since experience is the best teacher, I would agree that many Swift drivers we share the road with, are still in the process of learning the basics. However the same thing can also be said for Prime, Roehl, CR England, etc.

Dutch says it like it is:

Remember, their only goal at C1, is for you to get your license from DOT.

Dutch does lay it in a bit thick - not that many truckers have potty mouths.

Errol, I should have been more specific with that statement. Sure, there are some truckers that make us all look foolish, or give the impression that we have personal hygiene issues. Sure, the ones that take their 30 minute break on the fuel island, and hide in the sleeper, to give the illusion that they are in the truck, always test my patience. But it's not truckers who use colorful language that present the biggest challenges, IMO. Most of the time, it's a customer or another employee in operations, (dispatch particularly) who turn the entire exchange into a game of chess.

I'll give an example. I arrived at a very large nationwid wholesale DC, with 5 hours left on my 14. I was given a pager, and told which dock to back into, when the pager went off. 4 hours later, I am still waiting for the pager to go off, and begin to make arrangements to drop my trailer and bobtail out. Instead of just dropping and bobtailing out, I made the mistake of being polite about it, and going back inside and letting them know about my clock, and my intentions. I had already been informed in my load assignment that I couldn't spend the night on the property, so I knew that wasn't an option.

Well, when I let the supervisor know I needed to drop my trailer and come back the next morning, he told me I couldn't. I responded by telling him that I could contact dispatch and have delivery rescheduled. He responded by telling me I couldn't do that either. I asked him if I could spend the night on the property, and he said no.

Well, at that point, it was clear to me that he had every intention of forcing me to violate my HOS for his purposes, but I handed him the pager instead, smiled, and promptly walked out the door. I logged my drop, and headed for the front gate. Once I got up there, they wouldn't raise the gate to let me out, and by this time I had less than 20 minutes on my 14.

They told me I had to go back inside, and get back under my trailer and wait to be unloaded. By this time, I was already on the phone with Arkansas DOT. When I told the guards at the front gate my intentions, they let the supervisor know who I was talking to, and the gate quickly lifted.

I also had another instance where an operations manager with my company try to force me to ignore the bridge law, and run through 4 states with my tandems slid as far back as they will go, in order to pass scale. Knowing I would be illegal for certain in at least one of those states, I simply refused to run the load. After his best effort at convincing me to run illegal, I offered to drop it 1 mile away at a company drop yard.

Both these individuals were bluffing me, just as if we were playing a game of cards, except I had a lot to lose, and they had nothing.

New drivers need to know that they will be tested this way by some people who have no ethics or professionalism. They remind me of a used car salesman who laughs and believes that if you let him steal your money, you deserve to lose it.

If a driver knows the law, and talks to other drivers who can explain to him how he may be manipulated, he will have the confidence to play the situation just like a game of chess, and force the unprofessional individual to search for another victim.

That's actually what I meant when I said "rampant lack of professionalism."