Brand New Driver, Need Some Advice
Topic 27553 | Page 1
Personally I'd choose Swift. Ignore the trash you see about them online. They have the most drivers so of course you'll see more of their trucks on the road and possibly involved in some wtf moments. We have a few members here, including GTown, who have stayed at Swift long term. A big advantage with Swift is the amount of dedicated accounts they have and different divisions you're able to bounce around within the company to find what fits you and your family life best.
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.
The best company to go with is different for everyone. You should go with the company who meets your personal needs the best, and with your large family, and need to be home more often, it sounds like swift may be the better choice for you.
In trucking, regarding pay, you get out of it what you put in. It's strictly performance based. Being prior military will help you succeed because you have the discipline to "get it done "and swift seems to really love veterans. Idk all the perks they offer to veterans, but I hear it's an excellent deal.
BTW, thank you for your service.
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I'm trying to decide between maverick and swift. maverick pays about .50-.53/ mile for rookie drivers after going through their cdl school. But swift, for veterans, offers slightly lower pay, but it sounds like a lot more hometime with swift vs maverick. Thats super important to me because i have 5 kids and a wife at home.
I'm brand new and am studying for the permit now, in Texas. so I'll have to go through one of their cdl schools. swift is 4 weeks without a permit and 3 weeks with one, (only about 2.5 hours from my house), then 3-5 weeks OTR with a trainer. But maverick is 6 week program, (far from home), and then another 4-6 weeks OTR training after that. Also the training with swift does not have to be paid back at all, if your a veteran, versus them taking a little out of your check over a year then paying you back over another year. so one year with swift and I'd be free to leave and go anywhere else, no issue. but with maverick there are no perks with that for their cdl school at all. So im not sure which way to go, have a couple weeks before I have to make a decision, any info is greatly appreciated!!
I'm currently a freight locomotive engineer with a big railroad here in Texas, but keep getting cut off (furloughed) until they need us again. This has been on and off for over 5 years, so definitely looking for a different career.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.