Swift Transportation Inconsistant Information & Deceptive Recruiters Phoenix, Arizona
Swift Transportation Recruiters for Schooling
I was going to leave tomorrow on Tuesday August 28th, 2007 for Swift transportations schooling they call the academy; but small clues were eating away on me about the practices going on with several recruiters I dealt with at Swift that didn't add up.
This is going to be a long letter stating the things that I went through trying to get into a new career and chose Swift because my brother said he heard good things about them through some truckers he knows. My brother is a Trucker; but not with Swift.
I have been dealing on and off with Swift for about a couple of months and my first recruiter said I was good to go with the schooling; but I told her that I had to wait until I got up some money for the sitting fee, my food and other unknown expenses that can occur. Basically said is, I pre plan ahead for the unknown so I don't get myself caught in a bad situation that I can't financially get myself out of if something goes wrong.
During this time I misplaced "Lost" her phone number and decided to call up another recruiter so I could proceed with going to school with Swift. The next recruiter and I had a discussion about what was required of me by Swift to go to school and I told him I was ready to go from what the last recruiter told me. He asked me my full name and social security number and asked me to hold, so I did.
When he came back to the phone, he told me in these exact words, which recruiter were you dealing with and her name? I told him I wish I could recall; but I lost that information I wrote down, and then he said, your not ready at all and that dumb #####
After he said that to me, I got alarmed and said the "HELL" with this to myself, because the second recruiter said opposite of what the first recruiter told me, that I was ready to go to school and call her when I had the money to do so. Then I started looking for work in my main profession again; but still had that burning desire to change my profession and go long haul trucking and after some time and my brother convincing me that it's all about attitude and not to listen to the people that speak negative about Swift because he heard nothing but good about them, it would be a fun job and rewarding for me so go ahead and call a different recruiter to see what he or she had to say about these requirements Swift needs to get into school.
So I called up a third recruiter and he said that I didn't even need to bring any documents at all to school about to prove why I was unemployed for six months and then I asked him if he would send me an email stating that and he then said, I guess you better get them documents signed just in case so you feel secure about all this. So I did what he said and he said I was ready to go to school and set a date for Tuesday August 28th, 2007 leaving Seattle, WA to Lewiston, ID from the Greyhound terminal.
The checklist that Swift gives you online and by phone of the requirments needed to go to school says opposite of what the first and second recruiters told me.
I could not sleep well for some odd reason last night and woke up at 3:30AM PST this morning and was doing some reading in this forum and a link that lead me to another website that also added hundreds of complaints about Swift. Then my blood ran cold and I got really scared about this decision to go to the Swift Academy.
When my brother walked in the house this morning, I let him know about this and on top of that my brother said you need to get your CDL permit to drive the trucks and I sent off another email this morning asking the recruiter if I needed a CDL permit like my brother told me I needed to do before I go off to school for Swifts Academy Training Program. I also asked the recruiter if the school doesn't train me to drive truck and learn how to back it up while I am there or if that comes later on when I am sent off to the 6 weeks of driving with the Mentor, (Over The Road Trainer) and a couple other questions.
The only response I got from him was to these exact words. ( You don't need a CDL permit) and that was all he said in the replied email. He would not answers my other detailed questions, so I said that's it, "No More". I am through with the deception I have got ever since I started dealing with these recruiters at Swift saying one thing and then other.
That is really scary because you don't know what kind of problems you will have when you get there because there are one to many contradictions going on with these recruiters. I got more scared then I have ever been in my life because my butt could go in debt for their schooling to end up later getting lied to more and more from this company and I for sure won't allow these people to be a part of making my life a living "HELL" because they didn't tell me the facts and then later guess who pays for it? I do, that's right, I pay for it by time, money and stress dealing with liars to get to the truth of it all.
That is not going to happen to me and I sure wish other wanna be truckers would test these people out to make sure they aren't getting in over their heads. I really hate what American businesses have come to today just to make money. They don't care what happens to you at all. You know that this type of crap one day is going to destroy America just as the roman empire fell unless the rich stop this greed, lies and games to gain from us people that just want to make a good living and enjoy what we are doing.
I could say more that was told to me and some rudeness I dealt with also; but it's not worth it. I will leave all I said with one last comment and that is, the people making all these negative statements by the hundreds for sure are telling the truth because I have dealt with just a smaller amount of Swifts B.S and thankful I decided to not go to them for school and work for them afterwards. WHAT A FREAKING NIGHTMARE SWIFT IS.
Seattlelion
Rention, Washington
U.S.A.
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1 Updates & Rebuttals
Fantacmet
Portland,Oregon,
U.S.A.
Some helpful suggestions from a similar situation.
#2Consumer Comment
Sun, September 02, 2007
I myself am scheduled to start working for Swift. I was scheduled for their Academy, but ran into some of the same interesting things you did. Before I get into that though, your brother would normally be right about the CDL Permit. However, just like Schneider, their training grounds are on private property, where you do not need a permit, or a license. They would get you your license before letting you drive on the road with the mentor, and do all the prior training on private property where no permit is needed.
The issue with the contractors is dead on. I finally managed to talk to Swift directly, after talking to IITR. My issue is Swift until about a month and a half ago had a training facility right here in town where I live. However Oregon State law says that all employee training must be paid at an hourly wage, so my guess is, that is why Swift closed down the location here. However the day after I spoke to a recruiter and "set everything up" it turns out Swift had made a deal with IITR to train it's drivers. You get a loan undersigned by CEO of IITR, and then Swift will take 35 dollar a check out, and after you have fulfilled your contract, they give that money back to you. Even if they don't, you still got yourself a good driving education, and a year of experience under your belt, and were able to make small payments on it, instead of the full tuition up front.
IITR does alot of on the road training, so you are responsible for PAYING for a CDL permit, IITR helps you get it. Here where I live it's 68 dollars. After all the training is done, it is also your responsibility to pay for the CDL, just like it is after the Swift Academy, the difference is, you don't have to get all the endorsements right away when going through IITR, you can obtain the rest at your leisure, whereas if you go to the Swift academy, you have to get them all.
Also at the end of training with IITR, it is your responsibility to pay for the DOT physical(50 bucks) and drug screening(50 bucks). After I had spoken with IITR, they contacted Swift and told them what was up, and Swift made the comment, do NOT speak with the contracted recruiter again, it's a very bad idea. That recruiter never even bothered to file my information with Swift, he was through Driver Central.
If you are still interested in Swift without the BS, either give IITR a call, and see if Swift has a contract with the one in your area like they do in Clackamas Oregon, or go to swifttruckingjobs.com/ and deal with Swift directly, bypass the contracted recruiters. After talking with IITR and having them set the scene for me, I contacted the head recruiter at Swift out here, and then I went in, filled out the Swift version of the paperwork, (application) and talked with him.
The experience was pleasant, and the atmosphere in the office was very relaxed, instead of stiff and stuffy, which is a good sign. Also a good sign is while it was relaxed it was very oriented towards getting things done. The two combined in my experience, tend to make a good company. In Swift's case, it would make for a good terminal/office. Other terminals or offices may vary. I've known several people over the last 5 years, who have worked for Swift, every one of them who has driven out of the Troutdale Oregon Terminal, has had nothing but good things to say. I wish I could remember the phone number for Swift directly at that Terminal, but I don't, and it's too late at night to get it.
I hope this has provided a more neutral, and helpful bit of information for you. the nice thing for me is, I am taking the IITR courses on the weekends, so I can continue to work durign the week to support my family, and I will have my bills paid, and I will have the $$ to pay for the few things I need. You will also of course need the $$ for the 6 weeks on the road with the mentor(which you still have to do even with IITR which is a good thing, other companies choose 6 months), to pay for your food, cigarettes(if you smoke), and showers, or motel rooms if you and the mentor so choose to utilize them.