is swift really that bad?

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PoopyStinkbutts@reddit

Swift has improved a lot over the years. They took the criticism seriously and made it an initiative, even telling their drivers "don't end up on YouTube."

Besides, most of the bad reputation they have is because of dumb driving incidents. If you're a smart driver you'll do well.

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According_Ebb9155@reddit (OP)

thank you to all the drivers who took the time to give me some advice, i really appreciate it 🙏🏽. i can’t wait to come back and let yall know my progress, i’m 23F

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Old-Wolf-1024@reddit

🤷🏻‍♂️…….they treated me pretty well. I just couldn’t deal with the low pay. I did my year and bounced. I was also flatbed

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OceanLibra@reddit

Why is it a pain in your ass finding a company that hires new drivers? There are a plethora of options to choose from.

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I started my career with Tyson a couple years ago. The safety sensors are very agitating, but other than that it’s gonna be hard to find a better place that’s OTR and hires with no experience. I brought in about $1200-1400 a week pretty regularly.

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Brilliant-Push3859@reddit

Western Express, Schneider, Roehl Transport, Prime Inc., CRST, TMC, Melton, Maverick

just to name a few

some of those are flatbed if you wanted to make more money in your first year

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According_Ebb9155@reddit (OP)

i’ve applied to western and tmc. thank you for the other options as well!

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flergityberg@reddit

Western is by most accounts a terrible company you should only drive for as a last resort because you have a criminal record, failed drug test, or bad driving history, FYI.

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Dr_Adderall_2000@reddit

Go for TMC… especially if you’re a vet. I drive for Western because I needed a second chance due to being fired from my last job and they pay scraps and most other drivers are felons. You will also haul a lot of water with western which is heavy and annoying.

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According_Ebb9155@reddit (OP)

oh shit i didn’t know that 😂

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QueenScottish@reddit

Something to help you as you look is maybe give a listen to Trucker 219 on YouTube a listen. He does most of the research and compares carrier companies

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flergityberg@reddit

Yeah…just search them up on here. I’ve never heard a single good thing about them. You’d be far better off at Swift. I did my rookie year with them, it wasn’t a bad experience.

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According_Ebb9155@reddit (OP)

gotcha, thank you

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LoicenseToGirth@reddit

McElroy isn't the worst either. Lower pay than TMC, but 1100/wk guarantee, home every weekend.

If you're going for money though, TMC probably the best starter company. They grab from the same yards we do. It's all pre tarped (tarp is on there, you just strap and bungie and pull it right) freight. Gypsum board, sheet rock, lumber and lowes loads. That 30% would be nice on good weeks since most places pay 5/mi so you get around $1/mile + tarp pay.

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Radiant_Swan187@reddit

I 2nd McElroy. I loved single tarp Lowes loads

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Brilliant-Push3859@reddit

good ol “felon express”

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Safe_Fail_568@reddit

Don’t start your trucking career off with Western, they are a last ditch resort company

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fastnsx21@reddit

Western is a very last resort option

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Freightliner15@reddit

If they are only resort left, it's time for a career change

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Unfair_Analysis_3734@reddit

Try Schneider, they hired me with no experience.

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lleu81@reddit

When I was first starting I just applied everywhere. I know that a lot of companies list “X number of years required”. Apply anyway! My first job was P&D with an LTL company that required 2 years.

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threeglude@reddit

And that's just a short list of the Megas.

There's ooodles of small to medium size carriers willing to work with green horns, provided you aren't an idiot, especially if driving semi truck comes naturally to you!

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bizzywhipped@reddit

One of these is not like the others

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EnolaNek@reddit

Swift actually has flatbed as well, and reefer, both of which get more CPM than us on dry box. Not that I’m saying swift is better than all of those, but we do have flatbed if you want both flatbed and swift.

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Capital-Sorbet652@reddit

I would rather encourage somebody to work for swift than for Western, Schneider, and half the others you’ve listed.

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Virtchoo@reddit

There are a lot of midsized companies that will also hire you. Halvor lines from superior, act in Kansas City, TMC out of Des Moines, gypsum express, if McElroy is hiring they also accept new drivers. I’m not a fan of the megas. Mid sized always has a family atmosphere.

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trucksarekewl@reddit

I dont need a family atmosphere i need good pay and home time

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LoicenseToGirth@reddit

Mcelroy is 1100/wk guarantee, home every 'weekend' (late home on Friday generally means late out on sunday/early Monday. Early off on Friday generally means you go out Sunday afternoon)

I wouldnt call it a family atmosphere, you're a #

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trucksarekewl@reddit

Hey gotta start somewhere right

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LoicenseToGirth@reddit

Yup. I just need 6mo here before I swap to somewhere else, and a little later than that I'll go fuel.

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trucksarekewl@reddit

I did flatbed for a few years then switched to doubles. Glad I did

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Virtchoo@reddit

Mans literally asking for starter companies my man. What did this add?

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Professional_Bus8681@reddit

Apply to food service or a beverage distributor if there are any local to you.

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redsn0w10@reddit

I drove for them for a year. They were good to work for. Depending on where you are, they have good dedicated accounts. I was on a Walmart account. It pays a little more per mile plus stop pay and back haul pay. You’ll train 200 hours with someone and you’ll be good to go.

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MarmotWorldOrder@reddit

I'm about 16 months in. Communication can be an issue at times. Pay isn't great. I was fortunate to get a decent first truck. My second sucked and my third was brand new. My first dispatcher was good. I run hard and they keep me rolling. My newest dispatcher mostly leaves me alone and takes care of what I need when I do reach out. I was lucky my trainer has been driving almost as long as I've been alive and actually cared. The terminals are mostly nice. The bonus is a nice supplement as long as you don't hit shit, drive enough miles, and don't idle too much. It's a good starter company. I've heard good things about dedicated accounts. Most of the issues I've heard from others are because they want to go home often, don't like running hard, bad trainer, or lazy dispatcher. Your experience will vary from terminal to terminal with your dispatcher and trainer.

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J0nn_D03@reddit

The thing about swift is that they're one of the biggest if not THE biggest carrier out there, especially if you count the fact that they also own knight Transportation. So a couple factors here:

They're gonna have more bad driver videos just on account of they have a LOT of drivers

They also take on the most new drivers since they can afford the rediculous amount of money that suits and accidents are gonna cost.

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J0nn_D03@reddit

All that to say, they get get a bad rap but they're alright. Got my start with them actually; just pay attention to your trainer, pay Attention to the tandems, and you'll be alright.

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LastMongoose7448@reddit

I did my first 12 months at Swift back in 2021. It wasn’t bad at all. I got on a home weekends dedicated after 3 months and finished out on that. I made just over $72K in that time. The best thing I figured out there, and I’m sure it applies at any megacarrier, is that you’re only a number if you never speak up. I started on Refrigerated OTR and I was on loads with ridiculous lead times (like 3 days to an appointment that was only a 1.5 day trip. I bitched about that immediately and they had me on nothing but hot freight for the rest of my time in that division.

Most guys there are in the same boat. They just wanna get their experience and move on without fucking up. They DO have some fucking shit bag drivers, which can make terminal parking perilous at times, but overall the good experiences outweigh the bad.

It’s not a place to make a career, but it’s not a bad place to get some time in and move on to better.

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firemarshalbill316@reddit

Most won't. Swift is fine for new drivers. Just take your time when you do things. And if you feel overwhelmed just stop and take a breather.

First year is difficult mate but you'll get it.

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Auquaholic@reddit

Swift has excellent dedicated accounts. Even a flatbed division in Laredo.

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RumbleDumblee@reddit

Step deck division up here near Kentucky lol

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Auquaholic@reddit

Wow, that's cool. And new. It's been probably 7 years or so since I worked for them.

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Microshlongg@reddit

Depends on your fleet managers tbh.

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Miliesan@reddit

I worked there for 6months and the terminals were my favorite part but getting 600 per week sucks but other than that my dispatch was supportive and the truck was a 2025 Volvo which was cool

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Vic_Gatsby@reddit

No different than any other company. The reason there is a spotlight on them is because the company is so big

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LivinUndead@reddit

I left Swift shortly after the merger with Knight so I don’t know how much things changed but overall I liked my experience there.
The worst thing is their reputation. You won’t be well respected and might see other drivers pull out their camera phones when you set up to back into a spot.

Then they yell at you but it’s hard to hear what they’re saying over the crunching noises.

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Waisted-Desert@reddit

Swift is just a typical mega with low pay and indifference to it's drivers.

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lleu81@reddit

Swift gets a bad rap because they’re involved in so many accidents. People fail to add that they are one of, if not the largest fleets. Lots of accidents and lots of new drivers kind of go hand in hand.

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Q7017@reddit

I don't know why anyone jokes about Swift and their accident record when Western Express exists...

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Waisted-Desert@reddit

Because Swift predates WE and old habits die hard.

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RackingUpTheMiles@reddit

And if you look at the videos of them screwing up, it's usually just a random truck with a Swift trailer.

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GronGrinder@reddit

So it's the trailer that is cursed.

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shadowmib@reddit

I looked it up one time and they have so many drivers that if driver only clogged up once a year and the rest of the time they were perfect. There would still be hundreds of videos of Swift drivers doing something stupid.

Also, there's a lot of third party companies and independent that will pull Swift trailers and when they do something stupid people just notice the name on the trailer. It's like Schneider, they have third parties pulling their trailers too. 90% of the time they don't repaint them or really do much except for stripping the logos off. Most people just see the color and assume that it's it's an actual Snyder driver

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Aggravating-Meal4984@reddit

It's not bad, just have to pay attention to your surroundings. If your starting off you can expect the low end of pay but over time more money will come.

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AugustusTheVictor@reddit

I don't think they fully deserve the reputation they have. I think Amazon, Western Express among others are far worse driver quality wise. But Swift is the largest & the memes haven't aged poorly yet.

I was their 2 years ago, stayed only for a year because a POS trooper. I had an amazing Driver Leader so that helped a ton, always got my hometime and she'd even plan me loads around my town that I could crash their for a night/layover.

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AugustusTheVictor@reddit

Negatively though getting on a dedicated account was extremely hard, which is where all the good money is.

OTR, 48 or Regional was plenty of layover that first year despite how great my reliability was or the awards they gave me.

I think any Mega can be a fine starter company, especially one with a lot of terminals as you get your feet wet

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Emergency_Ad1152@reddit

If you can get in a dedicated account with them, do it.

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NFLTG_71@reddit

There’s a reason why one of their nicknames is Stevie Wonder Institute for trucking

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jku_man@reddit

I know a company if you are interested in flatbed

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SuspectOk2931@reddit

The pay is bad.

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Desperate_Fee_808@reddit

you work there?

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SuspectOk2931@reddit

No, but any company that pays by the mile is a bad one.

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Desperate_Fee_808@reddit

Not true all the time..who you drive for?

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zbanks20@reddit

Its not terrible especially if you can get on a dedicated early on, if your mentor is on dedicated at swift that can help fast track you

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RoweTheGreat@reddit

As an employee, honestly the companies training program is not that great. It’s designed to be fast and cover the basics and then the OTR trainers are supposed to refine the training. Some are okay but most trainers just want the pay bump. The company itself isn’t that bad, pay is decent, maintenance and equipment are pretty good and they’ll generally keep you rolling pretty steady if you’re a good driver. Inward facing cameras suck but you can cover them up with tape (they say they don’t watch them but I don’t believe that) if you decide to go with swift to get some experience it’s not a bad company. It’s not the best but they’re pretty good and generally take good care of employees if you aren’t a shit bag.

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NJPokerJ@reddit

One time at a trunk stop a guy seriously tried to tell me 3 out of 4 swift drivers have been in a fatal accident. For some reason it made me angry that anyone would even believe that stupid shit. I told him he was an idiot for believing that and a bigger idiot for telling someone else. The guy got pretty angry about it. I didn't care. How could that possibly even be?

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Caltastrofe@reddit

It’s truly awful working there, I rexcomend doing anything else if you can. I couldn’t find anything so I ended up at swift and am begging companies to hire me 4 months in rn

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sundvlsean@reddit

No. Swift is a good company to start with. Really important that you get a good mentor and good driver leader

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bravesfan199218@reddit

I’ve worked for swift for over a year now. They hired me straight out of CDL school. I started on the eastern regional route and it was pretty good. I had a good driver leader and most of the planning team was easy to work with.

Then last year before thanksgiving I got offered a spot on the target dedicated account. I’m home two nights a week and I am making decent money. It’s worked out so far.

It’s slow right now but they loan us out to the Walmart dedicated team when it’s like this so we’re still getting miles.

I’d say definitely try to get on with swift. Keep your nose clean and call the dedicated account placement team after about 6 months to try to find a dedicated account to get on with.

I plan on staying at swift for at least 3 years until I have enough experience to get hired as a Walmart or Costco driver.

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BuiltMackTough@reddit

Swift is a big company, so there are going to be more incidents with them. Plus with them taking on so many new drivers, that's going to add to the name. But you've got to start somewhere.

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CaliThunder559@reddit

I spent my first 6 months there. I liked everything but the money.

Id go back and take a paycut if it were closer to what I male now

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Redsoxdragon@reddit

Swift isn't bad, it's just a mega. You're subhuman in every mega. The shit reputation came from the high number of accidents they were involved in. But recently that has been filed by western, Amazon and super ego

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highwayher0@reddit

Ive personally started at werner on the family dollar account and I worked their 3m account. I didn't mind either job. I have friends that started at at swift, us express, and Maverick they all said they didn't mind it as a starter company.

I would avoid western, Schneider, and craft England.

Don't work for any foreign owned and operated outfit.

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Redsoxdragon@reddit

Swift isn't bad, it's just a mega. You're subhuman in a mega. The shit reputation came from the high number of accidents they were involved in. But recently that has been filed by western, Amazon and super ego

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buddhathebard@reddit

Swift is fine. Your mileage may vary of course but it’s up to you to advocate for yourself if you get a bad trainer or something.

Skip OTR and find a nice dedicated account to settle in on.

Swift has a plethora of options

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Freightliner15@reddit

Where do you live

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Rough-Method8876@reddit

SWIFT or rather, So What Will I Fuckup Today…gets its reputation for a reason…

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GreyGhost878@reddit

Amazon is the new Swift. Swift isn't the worst anymore but that doesn't make them good.

Check out "20 best fleets to drive for" and see if you can find one that hires in your area. I started at a good company and only ever drove for one other good company, which I found through the "20 best" list. You do not need to settle for a bad company.

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MidLifeChanger@reddit

Your options depend on where you live as well.

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ATWAR68@reddit

My Personal Experience With SWIFT Wasn't That Bad. But I Went Broke Driving For Them, And Quit After 10 Months. I'm Driving Line Haul Now & Fuckin Love It ! Enjoy The Ride !

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Then-Bet8731@reddit

I’ve never worked for Swift, but work a few blocks from their main terminal in Phoenix. Every driver I have talked to or seen have all been happy in general. Not just with the company, but an over all happiness to them. A few I’ve talked to on dedicated accounts are home every day in 9-10 hours. And not just in Phoenix, I strike up a conversation at the fuel pump with them out on the road, and it’s surprising how many are on dedicated accounts. One guy in New Mexico had a brand new 2026 sleeper Volvo, and he was home daily. If I ever want to go back to dry van trucking, I’d probably apply.

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echo78@reddit

I’m on a dedicated account and just got my truck swapped to a 27 Kenworth sleeper. Usually home daily. Yeah its going well lol

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RackingUpTheMiles@reddit

Swift is actually a good company to drive for. I've been driving for them for almost a year and I have no problems. I went regional and make more money and get home more often. They're also pretty easy to work with when it comes to things like being concerned about your truck and possibly needing a new one or if you want to switch driver managers or terminals. There's also various dedicated accounts, regional, flatbed, OTR. They've got something for most people. But I don't really have anything bad to say about them.

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Ayyeee_justin@reddit

Watch my YouTube videos and see for yourself

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papisilla@reddit

Unless you can find something local or have an in somewhere swift is the best place to start for most people. Get the experience and get out though

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deezkeys098@reddit

They used to be bad they are average now

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Kortobowden@reddit

You can think of swift as the trucking equivalent of what Walmart is for retail. Huge company, not hard to get into, a place to get some experience, lots of terminals spread to use. It’s a decent starting place. It’s about the basic average mega in most aspects.

Like most places, the driver leader/dispatch you have will have an impact on how you feel there, but that’s also for most companies.

It’s a decent place to start building experience if it’s one of your main options in your area.

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fastnsx21@reddit

Swift's jokes are a worn out circle jerk at this point

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Ok-Combination7287@reddit

I was looking at swift also. I guess I'll wait for recruiting day... some smaller places I've talked to are like 40 cents a mile, but saying you'll get 2800 miles aweek as a new driver. Idk, it just sounds suspect to me