There are many trucking channels on YouTube, O/O and Company for entertainment, education, POV, etc…

What I want to know is has anybody noticed how the Lease Operators with Swift in specific have a much more “supportive” viewership. If you say anything even slightly negative or try to help them understand they can do better outside of that ripoff company you will be met with heavy resistance. At least I have… My observation is that these guys are happy they are making some money with their same Company Driver mindset they started off with. Even worse some are making exactly what company drivers make per week and say “it’s working for them.” Do they not realize one maintenance event puts them under a company driver wage?

This new program Swift has is a 70% market rate. I won’t get into why that is such an obvious scam here, but I have spoke with drivers that know Swift isn’t transparent about the actual rates they are getting paid and have even agreed on certain loads to take 60% and they are just fine with that. Their mindset if it’s a good rate it’s a good rate, take it or leave it. Mine is they have a contract that says 70% so what the hell.

I want to clarify that I have never been rude to any of them or told them I make more than they do owning my own truck and negotiating my own rates. I never put them down, just point to the facts of how they’ve left money on the table for Swift. And they get really freaking upset about it because “it works for them.” I’ve been bashed, mocked, even blocked from a channel for telling these people that they’re worth more than that.

I’ll also mention the guy who trained me to drive is still an O/O with Swift. He’s completely several leases and has his reasons for sticking around (mainly maintenance related). We are great friends now. So, I have nothing against them. Who I am against is, Swift ripping off the people who make their success. They’re sued all the time for it, but always reach a settlement so they can keep doing it and it pays off for them.

I worked for Swift back when I started at the near end of 2020 for almost 2 years. I know all about them and what they are about and I was treated very well out of the home terminal that I was dispatched out of. Swift has a lot of good people working for them and they completely use them at their disposal and the treat all the drivers like children requiring them to take monthly classes on subjects they already know like you’re some kind of idiot that’d forget basic trucking school. They’re breaking breaching contract with O/O’s making them do things they agreed previously not to and they still have a governed truck. I can’t help but to think with all these restrictions it’s more of a glorified Company Driver job with more pay if you work it right.

I have reminded myself why I stopped commenting on YT for over a decade and that picks up again here.

But this was interesting and I want to know if anybody has noticed the same. And if you are signed on with Swift Transportation, are you happy? Why or why not? I genuinely want to know and have fruitful discussions with people about success with truck driving.

Thank you for your time you all and God bless you.