Swifts Regional Dedicated Out Of Los Lunas, NM, For New CDL Holders?

Hey All,

I was hoping to get some insight into Swift's regional dedicated routes out of Los Lunas, NM. I just got my CDL actually on 10-14-24 from CNM and was looking for a good starter position. I live locally in Rio Rancho, NM, and being NM, my options are very slim it seems like.

1. Would Swift be a good company to at least start with to get time in the saddle? I really wanted flatbed, but I am open to Reefer/Dry 2. How is the pay running a regional dedicated route? 3. It says weekends home, but is that true? Are you able to stay out longer if wanted? 3. Being NM, is there any other companies y'all would recommend that hire new drivers living in NM?

Again, I am totally new to the CDL world, but I have common sense. I have been doing my research and it just seems most of the companies I would really prefer just don't hire out of NM or this far west. I was really interested and thrilled for flatbed, but it seems I need more OTR experience for companies that do hire out of NM or move to an area far east that will hire new. I have no problem starting out low and working my way to the end goal though.

Thanks,

Brian P

I drove a Swift Dedicated account for about a year several years ago. I don't believe the main things have changed.

1. "Starter Company": No trucking company expects you to move on once the training wheels are gone. Swift will hire you and, yes, would love to retire you in so many years. I drove for swift and would still be driving there but i moved to training and have been training new CDL drivers for five years. In some regions Swift has flatbeds and reefers.

2. I was happy with the pay - but you don't get bonuses. I forget what bonuses are available, but you don't get them. Ask the recruiter, that could have changed. The dedicated system will get you home on Friday, and you start up again on Monday morning. This was pretty strict, I believe on the customer's part. I was often given a weeks worth of work on Monday, and occasionally I was done by Thursday, meaning I got some three day weekends. The routing will be such that you will pass through your home area for weekends so you won't be too far off the route.

You will be kept busy with the dedicated business, and you will be kept busy with additional dispatches if the main business is light. I can't recall if I ever worked over a weekend. However, I occasionally asked to go to Tampa instead of home in Memphis to visit my mom for a weekend with no problem. If you live close to one of the main E-W interstates, getting home will be easy.

See this diary: A Week In The Life Of ... ErrolV Driving GP Dedicated

On looking up this link, I ran across some pay details I wrote in another thread:

Here's some downside: the mileage pay is a bit better than average OTR. But there's no layover or detention pay. This is a GeorgiaPacific thing, but every once in a while I had to wait up to 24 hours for a shipment load to be ready.

That account out of Los Lunas is a walmart account i believe. I think they have daycabs running out of there as well. If I remember correctly Swift has a terminal in ABQ as well. So, maybe if walmart isn't for you they might have other options.