Recent CDL A Graduate Considering Joining Swift Trans Richmond VA - Any Thoughts/advice?

As a recent graduate I'm looking for a driving job and more training. My wife and I agree we need time to orient ourselves to me being a truck driver. I want her to be comfortable with us being apart and not overwhelmed by home matters or my safety OTR before accepting a continuous OTR job. I am considering Swift Transport here in Virginia, because a recruiter offered orientation and training in Richmond, VA terminal , plus a dedicated driving position from Chesapeake, VA. I would unload store deliveries, but I would also be getting training and experience. Any thoughts anyone could share about Swift, their training, safety atmosphere and equipment would be very helpful to me.

Hey Larry, welcome to the forum!

Do you know what the details are of this dedicated account? Are you thinking you are going to be home every night? I think Swift is a great place to get started and gain some experience, but I would be careful about believing everything you hear from a recruiter. Fill us in on what you think the details are going to be like, and we will tell you what we think.

Remember that "dedicated" does not mean the same as "local." It can be a dedicated OTR job, where dedicated means you are serving one customer such as Home Depot or Wal-Mart or whatever.

I know I see Swift day cabs here and there so they probably have some local accounts, just double check with your recruiter on the details like Old School said.

Thanks Old School & Thinks Too Much! I am grateful for your comments. What details I know so far are the Dedicated position is for Dollar Tree stores, involves unloaded at stores and driving back to Chesapeake, VA to get the next load. To unload, I'd be setting up rollers and handling freight off over them into stores. I've heard VA, TN, NC, and MD, but I'm sure it'll be within a radius to get back to Chesapeake to get the next load out. I was told Dedicated drivers for this account weren't eligible for quarterly bonuses after one year as are Swift's OTR/Regional drivers. Training after 3 days orientation would be 4 - 6 weeks, or 240 hours, behind the wheel. Heard runs would average 2 - 3 per week. Pay would be $4 to $5C (C=hundred) per week during behind the wheel training, and after that average $9C to $11C a week. I've heard of bad things on You Tube about accidents, and about not getting what you were told to expect about timeout and home time. It's great to hear from those who've been out OTR and in the truckers' life to help make good choices.

I think Brett did a year on a dollar general account. I know it's not quite the same company but I'm sure he will be able to give you some insight on the job.

And BTW welcome to the boards

Woody

Larry, in my honest opinion what you are talking about is a tough job. I'm talking tough as in back breaking tough. Look, if it achieves your goals of being home a little more than an over the road driver to help you and your wife adjust to that lifestyle then maybe it works for you.

Are you energetic and physically fit? You will need both characteristics for this job - counting on coffee or energy drinks to carry you through the demands of this will not work, you need to be an energetic person with lots of stamina for this one. You will not have a regularly scheduled home time, and I suspect you will be away from home for 4-5 days at a time and it may not be the same days each week.

I'm not trying to discourage you, I just want you to go into it with realistic expectations. False expectations is why you've seen those negative things on youtube and other forums. Knowledge is power in this case. If you know what you are up against and decide you're the type of person cut out for the demands of the job then you may be the man to fill those shoes. There is money to be made in a job like that, but it is a much more physically demanding environment. I helped a young man get on an account like this at Werner for the Dollar General Stores - he lasted all of three weeks before he just couldn't do it anymore.

Look before you leap, and know what you are getting into. It's a great opportunity to make a decent paycheck, but it will tax your body to it's limits.

Welcome Larry I'm currently a student driver with Swift. So far I have no complaints about Swift. They have handled every question and concern I have had so far. As far as getting on dedicated and local accounts with Swift and what I've been told at my home terminal in Texas with Swift is that they look for a driver with 6 months to a year safe driving OTR experience for dedicated and local driving jobs because your doing a whole lot more city driving and navigating tight turns and corners and small streets. They want you to have the experience you gain OTR before getting you on runs for local and dedicated because it's a tight schedule your having to keep and your delivering to the stores and not distrubtion centers or warehouses and your also making several stops a day. They also said if you happen to get a mentor that does dedicated that it will be a little easier for you to get in there for that but that they have a waiting list for dedicated and local. But if your mentor vouches for you and knows somebody that can help you out you stand a little better chance of getting into local or dedicated accounts. That's what I was told when I asked about it because I wanted to get all the information I could about all the possible opportunities I have with Swift. Hope this helps Logan. T

Old School, Logan; Guys you're why I joined this forum! Your insights and experience are super valuable to me. Thanks for sharing the reality of city driving; tight turns, aggressive 4-wheelers, and those delivery schedules on multiple drop runs. Don't really like energy drinks, because they would take off the road to kick tires to much. Coffee I love, but in moderation. I'm getting offers from several large companies and my wife knows we have challenges in changing career and lifestyles. The right opportunity will arise so I'll become a happy safe truck driver. I'm keeping all options open for now. Thanks again!

Welcome aboard Larry!

What details I know so far are the Dedicated position is for Dollar Tree stores

Oh that's interesting. I drove for US Xpress and we handled Dollar Tree for the Northeast. Swift Transportation must handle the region you described.

I was on that account for a year and let me tell ya - it's brutal. I mean really brutal. You'll have to unload two trucks per week usually which equates to about 90,000 pounds of freight - one box at a time. The information they gave you about pay and all that sounds pretty accurate. I was an experienced driver already so my mileage pay was at the top and I made $62k that year. But I earned every nickel of it and then some I'll tell ya.

If you're looking for a physically challenging job that pays a little better than most jobs that get you home on weekends then it's worth giving it a shot. But it's one of the toughest trucking jobs you'll find anywhere.