Anyone Driving For Swift Here ?
Topic 14457 | Page 1
There are several of us. Do you have specific questions? Errol will probably drop by and post some links to other pages on this site. They are well worth your time to research. Which academy are you considering?
Im thinking about Corsicana Texas .. I'm from Texas its about 4 hours from me .I was just wondering if its a good company to start with ? are Drivers happy ? just some general questions ..There are so many companies out there
Welcome Randy.
I have worked for Swift a tad over four years. I attended their Richmond Academy and subsequently road trained for another 6 weeks after graduation and passing all of the state CDL A tests. Initially I was OTR , after about 4 months I transferred to a regional dedicated account assignment for Walmart's Grocery Division delivering to stores, vendor backhauls and the occasional shuttle run to other DCs. I am happy with Swift and have no reason to leave. I love the account and the work, wouldn't trade it for anything. Is Swift for everybody? Maybe, maybe not, but the general opinion is a good driver can be successful with most reputable and stable companies. Swift is one of several companies offering company sponsored training that are recommended. Others include: Prime, Roehl, CR England, CRST,...and several others that have slipped my mind.
Considering the "shininess" of your new Trucking Truth profile, and that you are looking for information, the below links should prove to be very beneficial as you try to figure out the best path. The High Road training program is designed to take the guess work out of studying for the CDL Permit exams. It's highly recommended.
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
And then there is this:
Company-Sponsored Training Programs
- Article Category: Choosing A Truck Driving School
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing A Truck Driving School
- Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Truck Driving School"
Here is a general review of numerous companies. Not trying to confuse or confound, but you can see all that's out there in a consistent format.
Let us know what other questions you have, and no worries no such thing as a dumb one unless it's never asked. There are at least a half dozen Swift drivers active on this forum. Good luck and again welcome.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
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.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
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.
EPU:
Electric Auxiliary Power Units
Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices
Thanks rob-s and G-town how was your training period with your Trainer ?
Thanks rob-s and G-town how was your training period with your Trainer ?
Mine was very, very good. I was paired with a 16 year veteran Swift driver; good communicator, even tempered and patient. Wished I could have been out for another few weeks. When I trained it was 160 hours of student driving. Now it's 200 hours of student driving...basically another 4-5 days.
My trainer was an owner operator on a dedicated route. I learned many things but I was also there to just add miles to his truck. For several weeks after I went solo I was encountering things that probably could have been covered in the initial training phase. Things like company procedures and trip planning just didn't have a practical application on his truck. But my DM is always helpful. She knows the limitations of the training and is interested in my success.
Dedicated Route:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
Owner Operator:
An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.
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.
Randy,
I just completed the 3 week (actually 19 days) Training Program at the Phoenix Academy last Friday. I had an excellent experience. It was not easy. There is a whole lot to learn in such a short time. Out of 7 students that started in my class, only 2 of us passed our State Exam on the first try. I am 56 years old and am always up for a challenge. IT WAS A CHALLENGE! Be ready to sleep, eat and breathe Trucking for 3 weeks. Use the High Road Training Program on this site along with the CDL practice tests. I spent almost 6 months going over and over the material at least several times per week. I learned the material rather than memorizing the answers. I ACED all of my written exams for my permit, including Tanker, Doubles/ Triples and HazMat. The Phoenix Academy required that we have our Permit prior to School. Not sure if that is Company wide or not. I start Orientation this coming Monday for 3 days, then out with a "Mentor" for approximately 6 weeks. I am VERY satisfied with the Training I received at the Phoenix Academy, And would highly recommend it to anyone SERIOUS about this Profession.
I hope this has been of assistance to you. Good Luck!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
I am looking at Richmond academy and they require cdl permit before you arrive.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Randy, welcome to TT. We try to keep the drama down here, and to tell it straight.
G-Town gave you two secrets already: driving school is not a three week holiday. My one sentence description is "You'll learn new definitions of frustration!"
The other secret is that the main companies are pretty much alike. It's the little things to look for.
I've driven for Swift for over a year. Went to the Swift school in Memphis. Once you're "in", and you're not wet behind the ears anymore, you can ask and move to different operations: OTR , dedicated, shuttle, etc.
Trucking is a tough job, but many people really enjoy it.
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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I'm new here but old lol I grew up in the Body shop and Towing field. Been driving Tow trucks until about 15 years ago .I wanted a break so i started the body shop side .Now I need some change I guess mid life crises lol I Turned 50 this month going now to go get CDL permit and I'm looking at Swift to go thru for training and Job I would like some feed back please . Thank you in advance
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated