Print the value of index0
Swift Transportation Inc. spent 4 years @ swift as an owner op driver trainer had saftey awards. The greedy self righteous people run the show Phoenix Arizona
and was good at what I did. I was a respected trainer and became an owner operator. Everything was fine and dandy until the the warranty on the truck was up. That's when I found out what kind of greedy self righteous people run the show there.
About 2 years into a a 3 year lease, my truck developed a cooling problem. It would overheat and shutdown on me. I would have to wait hours before it would fire up again. This resulted in the first of several late deliveries.
The shop in PHX said they fixed the problem, charged my settlement and away I go headed up the mountain on the next load and guess what?
This pattern continued over a couse of several months. Not only did they not fix the problem , they charged me every time they worked on it. And because it was a leased truck swift could refuse to provide a po to the freightliner dealer for them to fix it and I was broke because my truck was losing money,not making money so I was at their mercy.
Very long story short.....I kept delivering late because of mechanical failure, lost my training status, then had my lease terminated.
Then I had to make threats and throw fits to get just a fraction of the money I gave them as a deposit on the truck.
Nobody had the time for me.....a 4 year driver trainer, to help me solve the problem I was having. They just told me I was making up stories to cover poor performance. You go 3 1/2 years without a late delivery, then get 8 in 3 months. Did I suddenly get lazy? I mean it was a blast working hard for three months and losing money. You have to consider this all happened in 2002,when it was unusual to work and lose money, very common occurrence these days. My advice to you swift drivers is.....ready-mix. You're home every night and make more $$$$
Daniel
Mesa, Arizona
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Daniel
Mesa,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Yeah I learned my lesson Don't lecture me on my business sense
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sat, April 16, 2005
And I did go out and get my own authority and started my own company and let me tell you from experience that obviously you havn't gone this route either otherwise you would know that 90% of all freight rates are below a buck and a half a mile, depending on the region you run. I live in AZ and the going rate is anywhere from a dollar to a buck and a quarter.
Don't lecture me on my business sense using information compiled from ignorance. I too can repeat what I've heard, but that doesn't make it the truth. The truth is that for 2 years at swift I made on average $2000/week.....profit, after fuel truck payment etc.
I never made that much in profit in an entire 1 month period on my own authority.Granted, fuel prices had a lot to do with that.But since I've done it both ways I can tell you that I've learned my lesson.........stay off the road.....drive local. I'm tellin you, ready-mix is a great job, low stress and pays well.........I make over a grand weekly and I'm home nightly.
Paul
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
Here's what you did wrong. First, you got tangled up in a lease deal. That was your biggest mistake.
#3Consumer Suggestion
Sun, April 10, 2005
Why in the hell would anyone lease a truck from a carrier? You make the same, or less, than a company driver. Plus, you pay out of your pocket for all the maintenance.
You'd have to be crazy to take that kind of risk. Maintaining a truck is big bucks. You can't afford it on the little bit of money you make as a lease driver.
If you want to have a truck of your own, you need to go out and get your own freight. You need to make $1.50 to $2.00 if you plan to stay in business.
You can't lease onto some company for 90 cents and expect to stay in business. There just isn't enough money there to pay all the expenses of running a truck.
You, like most drivers, don't understand the real costs of running a truck. You need a buck and a half, minimum. Running for a buck or less means that the first big expense will put you out of business. That's exactly what happened to you.
Go back out and get a company job. Run 4000 to 5000 miles at 32 cents each. You bring home $1100 to $1200 a week. Hell, that's more than you made as a lease op.
If the truck breaks down, it goes in the shop. Somebody else pays.
You may be a great driver. But as far as business goes, you're no better than a rookie fresh out of a school. Most drivers have the same problem. That's why they should run as a company driver until they can save up enough to buy a used truck and their own authority.
A carrier only offers you a lease for one reason. To put extra money in their pocket. No company is out to help you, driver. You walked away with little or nothing to show for all the miles you drove at Swift.
Hopefully, you learned that leasing is never the right thing to do.