Complaint Review: Swift Transportation Inc. - Phoenix Arizona

The Class A CDL is no guarantee to pulling down a decent monthly paycheck any more and a lot of general freight companies will f**k you over.   I do have a clean MVR to this day as well as over 2 years of experience (not recent) and major general freight companies don't even want to deal with me.   You can have a very clean background and still not get hired.  This is the trucking industry of today and the "not enough recent experience" line is courtey of very greedy and dishonest insurance companies which drive the recruting/hiring decisions of a lot of these companies.

The industry itself has become a scam to many newbies and to this day and I'm still waiting to get reimbursed miles that Swfit shorted me and a bunch of other driverst that ever worked for the company.

For those wanting to do trucking, find the cheapeast trucking school out there that will teach you the basics and give you just enough tractor/trailer time on the driving range and don't get conned by any company Swift or otherwise in being out $3,000-$5,000 for their overpriced driving academy.

Perhaps one day the industry will learn when there is a real shortage of drivers that just won't put up with the comopany BS.    Sure I have my CDL to this day but I've learned to settle for office work and be home every night.  Too bad I can't keep my skill sharpened with any driving work on the weekend but it seems to be an all or nothing approach with trucking carriers noaways.

Sorry trucking industry, don't feel like being a slave at your company with no future to grow.

I have been reading complaints about Swift Transportation. I have (had) over a million miles with Swift. Most of the complaints that I've just read are a bit of an exaggeration based on my experience with Swift. I had driven for TMI; J.P. Wiest; J-Mar; Werner; USXpress; McKelvey; but over a decade with Swift. I found Swift to be the "Most Driver Friendly" of all the companies I've driven for. (I was in the Western Division, based out of Lewiston, ID Terminal.) Dave Cook was the TM then. He treated me like royalty! Missy was my DM, and she would basically let me "self dispatch!" I'd tell her "where I wanted to run," and she'd find a load going that way. I got a new FLD120 every year!

One thing that impressed me, was that I made a suggestion for a "Qualcom" entry of "Bumped-the-dock." (You had "arrived at destination," and your "empty" responses, but nothing as to "how long you had to wait to be unloaded from the time you arrived; time from arrival to bumping the dock; and amount of time from bumping the dock to being unloaded/loaded.) Which, I've sat for up to 5 hours after arriving before being unloaded! Now, I met with Jerry Moyes at Phoenix, and explained my "basis" for adding "bumped-the-dock" to the Qualcom codes; as this could show a shipper/receiver causing a "hold on driver." And this would give Swift proof, so that they could charge a shipper/receiver for "wait time." (Driver never got anything; but Swift did.

What I so enjoyed was that I could walk into any terminal, and be called by name! It was great. When my truck was in for a PM; they'd pay me to grab a day-cab, and shuttle trailers, (53's or double/triples to a shipper.) I never had trouble getting work done on my truck, at any terminal. (Although I hated Phoenix, as you had to go through the "safety lane," which was a pain!)

My "career" with Swift came to and end due to a female trainee. She wouldn't listen to a thing I said, which I reported to my DM in Lewiston. I was going past Fontana, CA, and Missy told me to "take her off the truck there." Well, the TM at Fontana wouldn't allow it!!! I was "stuck with her." Now, this was mid-winter; and "we" had a load going to Denver. We were southbound on I-15 in Idaho; then would take I-84 (just north of Ogden, UT); then I-80 through Wyoming. It was freezing rain in Idaho, (sleet that built-up enough to keep your wiper blades off the glass!) The freezing rain was turning to sleet; then turned to heavy, heavy snow. "We" were about 2 miles from where the interstates "split." I was driving around 30 MPH, and "full 80,000." I had decided to "divert" to the Salt Lake Terminal for safety reasons, and the salt shakers to get out....I had hardly said that to the student, when a young gal in a car doing about 60 tried to "drive under my ICC bumper!

To make a long story short; the trainee filed a complaint that I did not do a good enough job with the accident report. My TM in Lewiston took her word over mine! She was taken off my truck (to my relief) at Lewiston; and I got a load home to North Dakota. While on the way to ND, I got a phone call with a "medical emergency" in the family; which I told the DM I'd need more time at home. She said to call her when I got home. To my surprise, when I called her, she told me to leave the keys on the oil dip stick, that someone would be taking my truck. I didn't think too much about it, as I had put 150,000 on it; which was about when they'd give me a new truck.

When the emergency was over, I went out to the truck stop to get back into my truck...problem was...no truck! I called Lewiston direct, and was told "I wasn't needed anymore." I couldn't get unemployment, because Swift said I had "abandonded their rig!" Well, that was the end of my trucking! I've since retired, but I still keep my CDL current. I tried to get re-hired, but was told there were no openings at Lewiston...so I told my DM it'd be okay to run out of Denver or "wherever." She said there "were no openings anywhere." I called the recruiter (don't want to list his name) and asked what was going on. He informed me that they were "cutting costs down." I was being paid over their "published" maximum mileage, due to my experience. Then, I about fell over when he told me there was a note, "No Rehire" on my profile page!

Well, I worked other places for about 5 years...I called Phoenix, and my driver code was still in their system! Again, I was told there was a "no rehire" shown.

So, my experience with Swift went from "wonderful," to then telling me, "go away, and don't bother us again!" My advice to "rookie drivers," go ahead and get some experience with Swift...but don't plan on having a "career" with them like I had! Experienced drivers (over million milers like me) they will not even accept an application form from you.

If you are trying to shame Jerry good luck, you cannot shame
someone who has no shame. You are calling on godliness to ungodly. Jerry as a
good Mormon believes that upon his death he will become one of many gods
get a planet to rule as a god of that planet. You got to understand Mormonism
is not Christianity its roots are in Gnosticism and masonry NOT CHRISTIANITY.
Jerry most likely did not read much of the Bible instead he concentrated on
Book of Mormon (Not a gospel of Jesus Christ). In Mormonism Christian
terminology is used but meanings are not same, different definitions are at
work.

Jerry operates on greed and he will stop at nothing to
acquire as much as possible by any means necessary. Causing lots of pain to
many families means nothing to Jerry or he would not lead charge to destroy
lives of his drivers as he has done from beginning and especially since
deregulation. Deregulation was a very stupid thing. How can you place fox in
charge of chicken cup? If you give bunch of corrupt, evil, greedy, criminally
inclined people absolute control of industry this is just natural outcome of
such stupid decision.

After reading how all these drivers get boofed from a huge company like Sure Wish I had A fast truck aka swift...i woild never put myself into the postion of being ripped off and treated so crappy up yours swift!!!

Hey!   It's me again!  Like I have said before, Swift Trans still is using and abusing everyone.  My father-in-law that saved me back then is now a retired swift transportation person.  He knew Jerry Moyes when he only had 6 trucks to his name.  My father in law drove for thirty years without any accidents and didn't get squat, save a crystal truck statue, and Jerry doesn't to this day have anything to do with his outstanding driver, or loyalty traits. His loyal driver now exhibits Alzheimer's disease and Jerry just says nothing for his friend. (Maybe a card or a phone call?) Folks, Jerry just wants it to go away.   In the good ol' days he was a good Mormon.  He talked about when he made it he would reward and give God's good graces.  Now?  Now he is on the threshold of meeting God himself and can't make it go away.    You my man just don't get what the priesthood was teaching you.   Nothing has changed with you, albeit bodyguards.  Jerry, shame on you.  Your supposed to be a family man, but your Mormon ways have just got you going in faith but not Gods will.  Why don't you have time anymore for dear friends?  Remember you have to listen to God.  Say a prayer Jerry.  Sometimes it's good to be regular.  Maybe you have to understand you are just a man and not a God.  It's good to be what you are.  You can't take it with you and the Lord knows it is all his.  What Are you Thinking Jerry?  With all your power you will be not unlike anybody else in the world of heavens.  Read your bible about people such as you. (It's not pretty).  On this earth Jerry think about what happened and what is your true reward in heaven!  What are you thinking Jerry?  Wotcha buildin'?  A big mess.  Your gonna answer for all you have done my friend.  Jerry, take control these last years and make truck driving a good vocation.  Quit taking advantage of people that may not be the sharpest tool in the shed.  Everyone deserves a fair shake.  Jerry, whatcha thinking?  And Karl Thorne, you need a good ole fashioned be- hind the barn butt spank.  You thrive on peoples miseries.  Beware Phoenix, Az, Beware.....there is an old man named Thorne and he is awful.  That's it, I will rebutt in another eight years...!

The best way to not get into this situation is go to the truckstop and talk to drivers of the company you are thinking of going to work for if you don't like what you hear then find another company to work for