Swift Transportation Reviews

Pros

No one breathing down your neck
Ability to purchase your own truck with company lease program
Set your own hours to a given extent
Ability to go from OTR to regional or even inter-modal
Passenger Program
Home-time

Cons

Some Driver Managers who know nothing about driving a truck
Mechanic Shops at Terminals that sometimes take their time getting you back on the road
Some Trip Planners make me wonder how they even made it to work

Advice to Senior Management

Hire more DM's and Planners from with-in. People who have the experience of driving on the road and know what it's like and what it takes to get the freight where it needs to go on time. You can't deliver 100mph freight with a 62mph truck. Overall this is a great company.

Pros

Decent culture, higher level of trust than most companies which was nice. Good about allowing you to be more geared toward results than methods.

Cons

Very clicky. Sometimes I would see people advance faster than others based on who they knew not what they new. Could be very political

Advice to Senior Management

Management should pay more attention to the guys in the trenches, the ones getting the water to the end of the row.

Pros

Stability and very large company that overall really takes care of employees and really are implementing groundbreaking changest to ensure employees are happier and to enure become on of the best companies to work for and seeking to become best trucking company

Cons

Large size makes it difficult sometimes to be consistent across the country with policies and procedure
Promotions and advancement made on who you know and best qualified are often not given jobs. Good old boy network need to disappera
Nees to be more diversity with gender and ethic groups in all facets of the company which will allow continued growth. Entire senior management team is composed of good old boy network and one female.

Advice to Senior Management

Think outside the box on nontraditional ways to improve workplace balance
Empower employee to redifine jobs and get rid of the old way of hiring and promotions that favor who you know and not ability.

Pros

Miles and more Miles. Good Equipment.

Cons

Lengthy time to process employment process.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work and the good work will keep on keeping on

Pros

Consistent miles, decently pay , good equipment.

Cons

Need more days off, we all need a life.

Advice to Senior Management

We all have families, you know our sons first t-ball, our daughters first ballet.

Pros

Lasting relationships with some co-workers.
Great technology and equipment to get the job done. Better than average training programs. Great benefits.

Cons

Promotions are more by the good ole boys system and not merit based. The more capable of performing the more is expected of you with out being compensated for the extra work. Raises, when the company had them were not fairly given out.

Pros

Company has a local terminal in my area. Mechanics worked hard to keep equipment in good condition.

Cons

If you don't have things worked out with day dispatch, forget it. There was only one person on nights/weekends who had a clue. I often wondered if others where mentally capable of doing the job. Qualcom communication appeared to be at the level of a 12 yr. old. I had to pull a leased trailer that had a customer lock on it, when I asked if anyone new anything about the lock on the trailer the response I got back was "yes". Very descriptive.

Advice to Senior Management

Communication is a 2 way street.

Pros

Big company with opportunity to grow for those who can relocate. Benefits, Holiday Pay, Great People...

Cons

Every company has room for improvement. Regular raises would be a welcome change.

Advice to Senior Management

...

Pros

The people in general are nice -

Cons

Everything changes - more things are added daily and there is never enough time to get things done. I work over 50 hours a week and I leave the office with tons of work that I have to catch up with.

Advice to Senior Management

Too many meetings that are just blah blah blah - never see your upper management see what you realy do as they only what things done. Can never set things up as needed as you are always working more than one job during the day.

Pros

Ample freight. You will not sit.
Considering your minimal downtime, the pay is competitive
Mostly drop and hook.
Swift is a "puppy mill". New drivers are very welcome.
They are good about getting you home.
The Lewiston terminal is one of the best to work from.
The driving school is top notch.
Good, late model tractors and trailers.

Cons

Bad company reputation. It's not completely deserved, but it wears on you.
Sloooooow trucks.
Trying to get extra pay that you should be due can be a challenge.
Being a trainer is heavily pushed, but it's not for the faint of heart.
You likely won't stay with Swift long term as a new driver (but you will likely come back).
Cross your "t"s and dot your "i"s. If trouble can be pinned on you, someone may try. It's a big company. CYA is the order of the day.

Advice to Senior Management

Your drivers are your most important resource. Without them, NOTHING happens. This is more than just a slogan or a memo point. Make it the everyday mantra, and LIVE IT. I saw the driver appreciation displayed by management slip in my time (I was there off and on from 1998 to 2009). Recapture the focus on the driver that built the company from #4 to #1during my tenure.