Shrek Needs Some Help!
Topic 13684 | Page 1
There are many drivers on this forum that drive for Swift and are really happy with the company. I'm sure Errol will chime in soon! As for as Western Express they are a great option for people that have a little trouble breaking in this business I.E. less then stellar driving records, run ins with the pokey and such. With that they certainly aren't the best wage earners in the business. But they are a good option for those who really want it.
Since XPO merged with Conway it's hard to give an honest answer. One benefit is they now have combined strength in the LTL/OTR business. Certainly worth taking a closer look at. So this is my two cents good luck to you sir.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Thank you for your two cents Brian M. I'm only 21 and new to TT so all the advice, tips, and tricks I can get I will be more than grateful!
Welcome to the forum Shrek. Nice to be wanted isn't it...
I have been a Swiftie for several years as a dedicated Walmart driver. My experience with them has been very positive and at this point, I have no reason to make a change. I never feel like a "number", know the account like the back of my hand, made a lot of friends there, and have a great working relationship with the Swift planners and DMs assigned to Walmart Dedicated.
As far as pros and cons...not sure since I only know Swift; how they train and how they operate. There is a Moderator on the forum, "Old School" who started his career with Western Express. He can probably shed light on your request. Overall it all depends on what you are looking for short term and long term. Whoever you select plan on committing for at least 1 year before considering a change.
Perhaps this link can help with your decision: Trucking Company Reviews
Good luck!
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.
Thanks G-Town! Swift is looking promising the more I read about each company.
Do all of Swifts trucks have APUs and what is Swift's idle policy?
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APUs:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
Under company job listings you can put in your zip and see jobs available in your area. I spoke with XPO and Swift has better pay for otr.
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.
I to drive for Swift and agree with what gtown said. Swift dose not have apus. As for idle policy I have never had a problem idiling the truck to run the AC or it I need to because it's to cold to shut it down. My info is a little old on that Errol it gtown might know more. Or a few of the other swifties on here.
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APUs:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
G-town, thanks for taking this one for me. :)
I've been with Swift just over one year, no complaints. I managed to "do" three different things: OTR , Shuttle and Dedicated account. I'm sticking with dedicated, I get home every weekend.
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.
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Hey ya'll I'm Shrek and I need some advice to get my driving career started on the right foot. I'll start you guys off with this, I had an accident back in January of 2016. I was not at fault, I hit black ice on a well site in my personal vehicle and rolled it down an embankment totaling my 2002 Ram 1500. Now the police report says I wasn't at fault and the rads were icy BUT I was not wearing my seat belt. Now I've applied/talked to 20-30 companies (not exaggerating) that does not include local companies in my area. I have three possible places for employment and two have offered me a job but I can't make a decision just yet. I feel that I do not have enough information. Now that brings me to this website and all of you lovely fellas and gals.
The companies who have offered me a job are:
1. Swift, OTR 2. Western Express, Regional
The companies who are still talking to me:
1. XPO/Conway, N/A
Now my big question is who do you fellas and gals think I should work for? What are the pros and cons between Swift and Western Express? Should I wait for an offer from XPO/Conway? What are the pros and cons between XPO/Conway and the other two? Please do not slander these companies I am just asking for the opinions of professional drivers who have or know someone who has worked for these companies or just know things about them I might not know.
A little more about me to help you understand my situation. I just recently graduated from a driver school with my Class A CDL on March 23, 2016. I passed my drivers test on March 22. I live in western Pennsylvania south of Pittsburgh. I have my tanker and air break endorsements. I do not care if I do regional or OTR I just want to drive a truck and feel the road beneath my 18 wheels.
I look forward to your advice and help!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.