Swift Pays Minimum Wage During Training With Trainer

Found out today in class that I will make minimum wage(Alabama min. wage 7.25) plus$ 1.00 for driving miles with trainer and min wage (minus the extra 1.00) for all other duties on truck with trainer

Yup, they gave us the same information at our school as well. I know it sounds crazy, but you will make out with between 4-500 a week during training. I know that doesn't sound like a whole lot, but it's not the worst either. GL!

If you are working hard you will get over 400 a week. Not to mention it's only for 200 hours, just get it done and go solo

And it's 9 bucks an hour when driving. At least that is what they payed me.

Thanks for sharing that info Antoine.

And you will make minimum wage training on the deep fryer at McDonalds. The DIFFERENCE IS - you will be making A LOT MORE when you're done training at a trucking company - versus STILL MAKING MINIMUM WAGE at the deep fryer when done training.

IT'S TRAINING.

And most folks here that have posted about their training experiences, also share what they MAKE DURING TRAINING - so this should be of little surprise.

Also remember - that "training period" counts as OTR EXPERIENCE for the next company you may want to go with.

IT'S TRAINING.

It's amazing that people that are just getting their CDL (or don't even have it yet in Phase I of OTR) are expecting to get paid $.50 a mile - even when they are TOLD UP FRONT that you are just going to make enough to eat and survive.

It's called - PAYING YOUR DUES.

Reminds me of listening to my Longshoreman Union Brothers - when we were out on the dock, getting trained/certified for Yard Mule, Forklifts and Container Handlers. They were complaining they weren't getting paid for the FREE TRAINING (4 hours a day, 3X a week) that would enable them to operate equipment at UNION PAY SCALES.

Anyone who has spent ANY TIME reading on this forum - pretty much KNOWS WHAT THEY"RE IN FOR the first few months at ANY TRAINING COMPANY. And what they're going to make in YEAR ONE of trucking.

Rick

I'm gonna jump on board with what Rick just said. It's training, it's not killer money and it isn't supposed to be but you can survive on it for the short time while you're Training.

The company you're Training to go to work for are putting you in an expensive piece of equipment while hauling even more expensive materials and products. Meanwhile, they want you ready to do so in a responsible and more importantly safe manner. Once they feel you met that criteria, they'll put you out there on your own and challenge you even more. You're still training, get it ?

Once you pay your dues, work hard and prove that you're an asset and not a liability, you can have a prosperous career and earn the respect that so many of the veterans on here have worked so hard to learn. So please, don't whine about the money, get out, work hard and earn your money. Also remember, you volunteered to work for them, they didn't come searching you out, at least not yet but stick it out and prove you can do it and they will. There are a lot of drivers out there but the companies are well aware of who the stand out operators are.

I'm gonna jump on board with what Rick just said. It's training, it's not killer money and it isn't supposed to be but you can survive on it for the short time while you're Training.

The company you're Training to go to work for are putting you in an expensive piece of equipment while hauling even more expensive materials and products. Meanwhile, they want you ready to do so in a responsible and more importantly safe manner. Once they feel you met that criteria, they'll put you out there on your own and challenge you even more. You're still training, get it ?

Once you pay your dues, work hard and prove that you're an asset and not a liability, you can have a prosperous career and earn the respect that so many of the veterans on here have worked so hard to learn. So please, don't whine about the money, get out, work hard and earn your money. Also remember, you volunteered to work for them, they didn't come searching you out, at least not yet but stick it out and prove you can do it and they will. There are a lot of drivers out there but the companies are well aware of who the stand out operators are.

this 100% also odds are you will start in a crap truck, just do your job and them you might get upgraded. My volvo was literally dropping parts as i drove down the road but i drove 20000 miles in 7 weeks so now i have a 2016 Kenworth T680

I'm finishing up Swift road training this week. Yes, minimum +$1 for "On Duty" and $9.++ (forgot how much) for Driving. I'm getting almost $400 take-home.

After the final road & written tests, I'll get my tractor and should start making much more. My trainer did confirm that first year $40,000 is doable.

Ya know......$400-$500/week during training is pretty decent. After all, it is training. But it sure sounds to me like Swift needs to change the way they break down that pay. Why wouldn't they just make it a salary of some sort or guarantee you'll make a certain amount during training instead of making it minimum wage pay? Works out the same in the end, but there sure are better ways to advertise your training pay than to say you'll pay less than $10/hr.

Well it's only training so it's no big deal. If you can make close to $40k that first year you're in good shape.

Ya know......$400-$500/week during training is pretty decent. After all, it is training. But it sure sounds to me like Swift needs to change the way they break down that pay. Why wouldn't they just make it a salary of some sort or guarantee you'll make a certain amount during training instead of making it minimum wage pay? Works out the same in the end, but there sure are better ways to advertise your training pay than to say you'll pay less than $10/hr.

Well it's only training so it's no big deal. If you can make close to $40k that first year you're in good shape.

They used to have it as a set pay, but they found trainees were being lazy and would milk the pay. They used to give 500 a week but when they did that some new drivers would only drive 4-5 hours a day because they made the same regardless of how hard they worked. When they changed it to hourly they found trainees worked harder. After all the way it is now you get more pay by driving the truck just like you do when you get out solo.

If they went back to set pay it would be bad IMO, it would show new drivers you get payed regardless if you work your as off or not.