Swift Vs Schneider For A Rookie?

I just passed my CDL road exam earlier today. I owe credit where it’s due to the folks here who gave me some great advice in another topic I posted last week. I really appreciate you all.

I'm now looking to get started with a mega carrier and kick off my new career ASAP. I'll be going OTR and earning my spurs, so to speak, for the better part of the next year. I've already been in touch with Swift and Schneider about driving for them. I was wondering if you guys/gals have any recommendations between these two companies, or are they pretty much the same?

Pay and steady loads are important to me, of course, but so is a thorough new driver training program. Swift offered me more CPM starting out, but I keep reading that Schneider has an amazing training program.

You only go out for 5 days on the road with a trainer with Schneider. You do go to their academy for 2 weeks where you get some backing practice on their pad and some driving.

I started with Schneider but it sounds like Swift is the no brainer choice for you.

I just passed my CDL road exam earlier today. I owe credit where it’s due to the folks here who gave me some great advice in another topic I posted last week. I really appreciate you all.

I'm now looking to get started with a mega carrier and kick off my new career ASAP. I'll be going OTR and earning my spurs, so to speak, for the better part of the next year. I've already been in touch with Swift and Schneider about driving for them. I was wondering if you guys/gals have any recommendations between these two companies, or are they pretty much the same?

Pay and steady loads are important to me, of course, but so is a thorough new driver training program. Swift offered me more CPM starting out, but I keep reading that Schneider has an amazing training program.

Congratulations on earning your CDL!

Where in the country are you located? I only ask bc some drivers here who worked for either of these companies might have some info on regional or dedicated route opportunities in your area.

But that's for later. The important thing for now, as I'm sure you know, is to develop the good habits to make yourself a safe, efficient, and reliable driver. Let us know what you decide.

My opinion and i am biased, i admit. Swift.

Schneider as far as I know does one week with a trainer OTR. Then you upgrade. I don't think 1 week is enough and I would have quit. I would have been scared to death.

We had a guy here years ago who went on rants about how he would never do team training. Said the trainer needs to be awake at all times with him, so he chose schneider. Once he went solo, he was almost crying he wished he got more training. His first week was horrible.

He eventually quit.. but i think he blamed his knee. He could have been in a manual back then. I don't remember.

Anyone remember that guy?

My opinion and i am biased, i admit. Swift.

Schneider as far as I know does one week with a trainer OTR. Then you upgrade. I don't think 1 week is enough and I would have quit. I would have been scared to death.

We had a guy here years ago who went on rants about how he would never do team training. Said the trainer needs to be awake at all times with him, so he chose schneider. Once he went solo, he was almost crying he wished he got more training. His first week was horrible.

He eventually quit.. but i think he blamed his knee. He could have been in a manual back then. I don't remember.

Anyone remember that guy?

My trainer at Schneider was a local driver who only worked 4 days a week. They put two students with him at a time so the driving time was split. Most days we would only do one local assignment that would be like 20-40 miles and the rest of the time would be sitting at the dock or back at the terminal. It was a pitiful amount of miles/experience behind the wheel. The only plus was that it was in Indianapolis so I probably got much more out of it than just running highway miles.

They were revamping the training program shortly after I finished so maybe it’s better now but it wasn’t something I would have recommended to anyone.

I went to Swift's Academy. When I got out on the road, I trained for about six weeks. Then out on my own.

The longer time gets you more experience in more types of pickups & drops.

With Swift, for the first week you and the trainer ("Mentor") go with the same shift - you drive and your mentor is right there. Then for the rest of the time it's team driving. By that time you should be able to drive all those highway miles without help. My mentor set his alarm and got up front when we arrived at a destination.

You only go out for 5 days on the road with a trainer with Schneider. You do go to their academy for 2 weeks where you get some backing practice on their pad and some driving.

I started with Schneider but it sounds like Swift is the no brainer choice for you.

That doesn't sound very long at all! I was reading quite a few posts over on Reddit that were singing the praises of Schneider's training program. I wanted to come here and see what you all thought. I like to hear opinions from different people and sources.

Honestly, I've been leaning towards Swift just because of the pay difference. But I'd really value a good well-planned training experience. I'd consider taking a little less home initially if I thought it was going to make me a more prepared and capable driver for my first months solo.

Congratulations on earning your CDL!

Where in the country are you located? I only ask bc some drivers here who worked for either of these companies might have some info on regional or dedicated route opportunities in your area.

But that's for later. The important thing for now, as I'm sure you know, is to develop the good habits to make yourself a safe, efficient, and reliable driver. Let us know what you decide.

Thanks! I'm located in Nevada these days and I'd like to stay in the Western 11 States OTR for now. I'm strongly considering living in my truck for awhile so I can put my rent money away in savings and, eventually, buy a home of my own. I also want to use the OTR opportunity to check out different parts of the Western 11 for when that day comes, too.

My opinion and i am biased, i admit. Swift.

Schneider as far as I know does one week with a trainer OTR. Then you upgrade. I don't think 1 week is enough and I would have quit. I would have been scared to death.

We had a guy here years ago who went on rants about how he would never do team training. Said the trainer needs to be awake at all times with him, so he chose schneider. Once he went solo, he was almost crying he wished he got more training. His first week was horrible.

He eventually quit.. but i think he blamed his knee. He could have been in a manual back then. I don't remember.

Anyone remember that guy?

I was hoping you'd chime in! Thanks for the tip. That's exactly the kind of situation I'm trying to avoid. I saw a bunch of posts over on Reddit saying Schneider's training is some of the best, but I wanted to come here and see what thoughts and opinions I'd get. I know Swift has a bad reputation among truckers but I really think that's mainly due to their fleet size and needing to hire so many new drivers to fill it out. They also seem to have a reputation for being flexible and always having work available, though. I assumed they must have a halfway decent training regimen themselves for the amount of rookies they take on.

A handful of people in my CDL class were also against team training. They just did not like the idea of sharing a cab with someone and wanted to stay in hotels for training. I personally don't care. It's not like it's going to be a permanent team driving situation. If it means that I'm getting trained more thoroughly before I hit the road solo, then I'm totally on board with it.

I'm fine with the trainer not being awake with me constantly. I've never liked having people look over my shoulder while working and that was the most difficult part of the CDL road test for me; being watched and closely scrutinized. It's probably good to get a taste of doing a job solo while still having a trainer nearby in case you do need them suddenly. I think that's just a good training practice regardless of the industry someone is in. I hope that guy found something else that is more up his alley. I didn't pay all the money I did and go through all that class & road work just to quickly throw the towel in. I've read that trucking has a high turnover rate and that there's lots of people who just quit it entirely after only their first year or so. I really don't want to be one of those people. I'm sure there's going to be plenty of hard times, but thankfully I live in an age where I have access to YouTube and helpful online forums like this for tips & advice if I need it.

I got the auto restriction on my CDL but the road test was very laid back this time around. I was told that I passed pretty much the moment we got through the yard gate. They really do drive just like auto cars. My stops were no longer abrupt and I felt way more focused on the road and my surroundings in the auto. I may go back and get the restriction removed someday, but I'm just going to roll for now. Thank you for all your help in my last thread on here!

My trainer at Schneider was a local driver who only worked 4 days a week. They put two students with him at a time so the driving time was split. Most days we would only do one local assignment that would be like 20-40 miles and the rest of the time would be sitting at the dock or back at the terminal. It was a pitiful amount of miles/experience behind the wheel. The only plus was that it was in Indianapolis so I probably got much more out of it than just running highway miles.

They were revamping the training program shortly after I finished so maybe it’s better now but it wasn’t something I would have recommended to anyone.

That sounds really cruddy and exactly the type of experience I don't want. Hopefully it has changed for the better. It doesn't sound like Schneider's training is all that special based on the responses I've been getting here.

I went to Swift's Academy. When I got out on the road, I trained for about six weeks. Then out on my own.

The longer time gets you more experience in more types of pickups & drops.

With Swift, for the first week you and the trainer ("Mentor") go with the same shift - you drive and your mentor is right there. Then for the rest of the time it's team driving. By that time you should be able to drive all those highway miles without help. My mentor set his alarm and got up front when we arrived at a destination.

I can't remember exactly, since it was about a month ago now, but I really want to say that our school's Swift recruiter explained their training program exactly as you just did. I think Swift was the company a handful of folks were turned off by simply because they'd have to share a cab with the mentor during training. They wanted to go to Schneider simply because they said they'd put us in a hotel. Personally, I think that's a dumb reason to not consider Swift as a rookie; but to each their own. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go with Swift at this point. I appreciate your insight. Thanks for your help & advice in my last thread here as well.

Matt has heard:

They wanted to go to Schneider simply because they said they'd put us in a hotel.

You can't get the OTR experience starting in hotels. I can't believe any trucking company will spend $100 +/- night for your training.

My mentor set a rule: when he closes the sleeper curtain, act like he's not there - I'm on my own except for emergencies.

So not to worry about "that other guy" or privacy. I was satisfied with how it all worked out.

Also you may hear that Swift is a crappy company - they screw their drivers, etc. They didn't get to be one of the largest trucking companies by doing that.

Another thing: you mentioned an auto restriction. Again, not to worry. There's a recent topic here taking about auto vs manual. The big companies jumped on to auto shift as soon as it was practical. It saves then money and is actually safer.

Matt has heard:

They wanted to go to Schneider simply because they said they'd put us in a hotel.

You can't get the OTR experience starting in hotels. I can't believe any trucking company will spend $100 +/- night for your training.

My mentor set a rule: when he closes the sleeper curtain, act like he's not there - I'm on my own except for emergencies.

So not to worry about "that other guy" or privacy. I was satisfied with how it all worked out.

Also you may hear that Swift is a crappy company - they screw their drivers, etc. They didn't get to be one of the largest trucking companies by doing that.

Another thing: you mentioned an auto restriction. Again, not to worry. There's a recent topic here taking about auto vs manual. The big companies jumped on to auto shift as soon as it was practical. It saves then money and is actually safer.

I completely agree with everything you said. Some other people in my class had the "ew, sharing a cab with someone?!" mentality. I have no problem with it, and I may even consider team driving at some point if the money is right. To be fair, one of those classmates was a younger lady and may have thought that she would have to share living quarters with a man. The rest were grown men, though, and some of them didn’t seem like the types who would last in this industry very long.

I also found it strange that they’d foot the expense for a hotel, etc., but I’m pretty sure that’s what they told us. It seems like a waste of money for someone who may very well leave your company within the next 6-12 months. But back to your point: that really isn’t OTR driving, so I wouldn’t be getting OTR training.

I agree with you about Swift, too. A company that size is obviously going to have incidents just based on pure odds and statistics. Someone in my class even looked up their safety score online and found that it was pretty much the same as any other mega carrier. Towards the end of our final days in class, our teacher would show some YouTube trucking videos just for fun. We saw quite a few that seemed to purely bash Swift and its drivers. I thought it seemed unfair. If they were that unsafe of a company, I don’t imagine they’d still be in business and thriving. Like you said, "They didn't get to be one of the largest trucking companies by doing that."

I’m happy to hear about the auto restriction, and that’s what I’ve gathered from snooping around online. I also looked up CDL jobs on Indeed around my area, and out of the first 105 ads shown, I could only find about eight that were manual-only. On top of that, a few of those eight jobs didn’t even pay all that well. You’d think that knowing and driving manual would net you some more cash, but that doesn’t always seem to be the case. Most truckers seem to agree that manual is on its way out, except for a few niche roles where it is an advantage. The parent of one of my classmates is a driver and apparently hauls double tankers in an automatic. All I know is, it sure felt safer for me when I took my road exam in the automatic instead of the manual.

Thanks for all your help.