Pros
I did love parts of my time driving for Swift. I had a good tractor, and didn't give me much trouble after they finally got it fixed right, by sending it to Volvo and reprograming the injector codes. The first 2 driver managers I had were fantastic. In 2 years I only had one mess up where I sat for a weekend in Indiana with no pay. My 2nd DM really kept me running and I got on dedicated runs (K-Mart) which I really liked. I made decent money and had OK home time. It was nice having so many terminals where you could shower and get your repairs done. You can drive out of any terminal regardless where you live. That’s nice too. The other thing that was nice was that my mentor worked there for over 10 years and knew a bunch of people so that if I had any issues, I could call him and he could tell me who to call to get things done. It's a good company to get your feet wet and get used to driving for a living. I was able to take my driver training at a local school so I didn't have to go to a Swift school.
Cons
Like others have said, it's a "good old boy" network. If you make someone pissed, they can really mess with you. You have to keep a record of everything to back you up, (CYA). They are always "loosing" your logs, and if you don't get them to them real fast, you will be sitting in a log class on your own time, not making a dime. Keep a record of everything, and when you commutate with your DM, do it in writing. That kind of ticks them off, but it keeps them on their toes. My new (and last) DM took one of the highest producing fleets and put it right on the bottom. I had asked for a new DM, but was told that there wasn't anyone who could take on another driver because they were so understaffed here in Denver. When I resigned, I put it in writing and listed my reasons for quitting. 2 years later, when I was laid off at another company, Swift tried to fight my unemployment saying that I quit to care for my sick wife. My DM made this up and told my Fleet Manager that I quit to care for my wife. I had the letter, and it was in my file, (I guess it was pulled before she thought of removing it), so I was able to prove the reason I left due to low miles. I went to work for a small company, and while I had a couple of layoffs, I made much better money, and only ran from CO. to CA. Home every 2-4 days. If you get in Southern CA. with Swift, be prepared to be doing some local deliveries for them. It's the only way to will get out of there. I know one guy who sat there for a week waiting for a load out. Keep in mind, when you do leave, Swift employs a company that does nothing but fight unemployment claims. The good thing about this is that the company that fight the claim, has no real knowledge of you or your situation. That's one reason that you have to do things in writing. Even E-Mail is better than just calling. IF you use your E-Mail, you have a good record of what was said. Make sure you have a good DM, and insist you need another if you have issues with your present one. My last DM told me to falsify my logs to make a delivery that was given to me far too late to deliver on time. I did it, but I regret doing it. Don't do that to make up for their lack of organization. You will regret it, and if you have an accident, you can end up in jail for doing it. It isn't worth doing the least bit if fibbing on your logs! Keep them accurate, neat, and always keep a copy. Always copy your BOL's and keep a copy. I had a program that I kept my logs on with my personal laptop. It was the best thing I ever got. You can print out a copy of any log you need, and you can scan your BOL's and print them out anytime you need to. I tried to be a mentor, and I just couldn't do it. I had one student that would not go in the sleeper if I was driving because he didn’t want to "invade my space", (I actually do bathe, a lot!) and I had another that just couldn't keep the truck in one lane, along with not being able to shift. I didn't make a good teacher. Be careful on the lease/option too. You have to really run your butt off to keep up with the payments. I had a friend that just went and bought his from a dealer and came out much better, and he had a Western Star. Check all angles before you get into that, and go in with your eyes open. Last, CYA, CYA, and CYA
