Comments By AntoineF

Antione, I don't know where you get this stuff. I completed the Swift school in early January this year, and I do not believe they have changed that much in 6 months. BTW, I am speaking up, defending my experience there, not the company itself.

swift it cost 16.00 a meal to eat in Memphis

Sure, if you eat two meals! (no breakfast served) Their main lunch deal is $7.95, so two - maybe lunch and dinner - makes the 16 bucks.

no stores within 4-5 miles and no transportation

True! I once drove 4 miles to the closest Walmart

the school director told our entire if we thought we could get our cdl's in 33 weeks we needed to be for real(even thou that's what they advertised on their web page?

If I read this right, 33/4 is 8 months & change. Yes, get real! If you can't hack the course in two months, do some re-thinking.

also i have read that some people end up having to stay up to 5-10 weeks don't know if its true?

Can't say. I do know you may need to wait a bit for a mentor. Some of my co-students had to wait 2 weeks at home till the mentors came available. Not "5-10 weeks". I knew these people, I didn't read it on any web site. (Yes, all the stuff on the internet is true! LOL!)

.18 cents a mile for 120,000 miles

Are you writing about the mentor training? not at Swift! They pay students BY THE HOUR for either driving ($9.50/hr - that does work out to .18/mile at 50mph) or on duty not driving ($7.25). Not the "riches" of a solo driver, but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

.18 cents a mile for 120,000 miles

What is this 120,000 miles all about? The mentor training is 200 hours, I believe, and after the final tests, there are no additional requirement to upgrade to solo.

First off in you were there in Jan you were in millington right but at the Memphis terminal you stay at the holiday in Memphis it cost 16.00 for dinner and we get up to early for breakfast,they have microwaves in the room but being by the airport there is no stores close by!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and that 2 months crap we did not have 2 months we had 11 days when i went in June they had(20 or so) trainers that quit and 3 class was sent home for 4 weeks more or less so they could schedule the cdl test. and what the director said if we thought we could get a cdl in 3 weeks we need to be for real he said there was no way we could get them in 3 weeks the whole class was there so why would i lie? and if you read its celadon not swift that requires 10,000 miles with a trainer then 120,000 miles with a team to fulfill the contract!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Swift pays by the hour not celadon they pay by the mile .15-.18 cents. You are one of those company defenders who never understand things change it was June 2015 when i was there not Jan 2015 this is what there when i was there!!!!!!! read before you attack next time. and swift cafeteria does not open at 6.am when we get to school at the Memphis terminal!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and it was swift own site that stated get your cdl in 3 weeks not some nut on the internet also it was their school director to think you would or could get them in 3 weeks was unreal thinking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! see super truckers don't read you just attack and call people a liar without being there? swift and celadon have two different training procedures on by the hour and one by the mile read read read ther is no dinner meal to get at school at swift in Memphis.

Having a school in Alabama shouldn't matter. Also, many other companies provide free food and free lodging.

You're choosing a company based on the least important things you should be considering. It doesn't sound like you're too enthusiastic about team driving.

Listen, you need to pick a company for the right reasons. The average driver pay for a new driver is in the low 30's, so based on our math you're willing to sacrifice 10,000$ yearly salary just for free food and lodging (which pretty much every company provides for free).

You see where I'm going with this?

I think you need to go back to the drawing board and decide a company that fits you for the right reasons - and providing a free 3$ meal shouldn't be the deciding factor.

I know you're probably tight on money (I was too) but there's always something you can do to give you some breathing room.

I don't know where you get 3 meals at swift tit cost 16.00 a meal to eat in Memphis no stores within 4-5 miles and no transportation ! i lost 50 lbs while at swift? and the school director told our entire if we thought we could get our cdl's in 33 weeks we needed to be for real(even thou that's what they advertised on their web page? And you are right the team thing i hate? also i have read that some people end up having to stay up to 5-10 weeks don't know if its true? and .18 cents a mile for 120,000 miles which could be 6-12 months is a joke? they claim 50,000 first year when you stay in school for a month or more plus 6 wks with a trainer then 6 months to a year getting the 120,000 miles that is almost a year so the must mean your second or third year? These companies just tell you anything but the truth it seems? What I liked the school was only 3 hrs from home not really a priority but if things went like swift where we had 11 days of training and had to wait 4 wks or more to come back for road training and cdl skills test wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You state other companies provide lodging and food which one's or there any that require a shorter commitment and better training pay with trainer than .15 or .18 a mile?

Is Celadon your only option?

It looks like not even they are an option? I have my Alabama cdl-a permit with hazmat,tanker and doubles/triples, no felonies clean dmv driving record? Can't pay for it on my own? I drove from 1982-1995 cdl-a NC. DOWNGRADED BIG MISTAKE Tell everyone keep your cdl don't downgrade even if you know you will never drive again big mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never say Never!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only chose them because they have a school in Alabama and provide food and lodging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tried Swift big mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got My Permit on my own no school even endorsements too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey all!

I'm so very excited because I PASSED my CDL permit test and am the proud holder of a Class A permit :)

Just posting to say thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the feedback and answers to my posts/threads that helped me prepare for the test. Between the HRTP and this forum, I felt like a rockstar on that computer :) I went to a job fair today and an information meeting at the school that I will be STARTING ON MONDAY! So very happy :)

Anyways, from the bottom of my sunshiney heart, thanks :)

Melly

BRAVO

Celadon requires student to drive 140000 miles at .15 cents a mile to meet contract requirements, driving as a team how long can that take Does anyone know how long it wold take a team to get 140000 miles(estimate conservatively Please or best guess or worse scenario ????????????

The way I see it if I'm not wrong (even thou they say you get paid team miles its still .15 cents a mile until you drive the 140000 miles) more miles one week or not for 140000 miles @.15 = $21,000.

$21,000 / 12 months = $1750.00 $1750.00 / 4 weeks = $437.50 a week before taxes After My deductions= $404.03 a week

So that's like I will be making $10.50 a hour for driving over the road

Sleep in moving truck, putting up with another person, no life, hard to get home time, low cpm since divided by two, Who takes truck home, who sleeps in top bunk when truck is stopped, sometime one person works harder and drives more than the other, arguments over making trip plans, lack of space for your stuff..... Oh and did I mention, putting up with someone else 24/7, sounds like being in prison wages included

I make $23,700 a year now is this a pay cut? Net take home now $441.84 a week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to make more money to take care of my family better not worse? Is this why forums say they can't keep drivers? and you only get .33 cents a mile after contract solo, don't know what the team pays after contract? I think it is .48 cents a mile split plus some few pennies for extras, .24 cents a driver is that the standard for teams in the industry? 140000 miles @ .24 cents get you after deductions $599.32 a week for teams is that good?(insurance,401-k not included)

Greeny, welcome to Trucking Truth!

You are right about there being a lot of useful information in this thread, but boy you sure changed that trend with your last post. Look, I know you are a green horn, and I'm glad to see your handle reflects that understanding, but you seriously need to do your homework before you start making statements like this:

The lease options works best because you can get most of their money.

The whole purpose of the truck leasing programs is to transfer most of the company's expenses over to the lease operator. So, what the driver ends up getting is most of their expenses, not most of their money! If you think that team pay at .20 cents per mile is low, just wait till you get a taste of that .90 cpm along with the expenses of fuel and maintenance, and God forbid any major repairs that might just happen to come your way.

Keep studying and reading in here, you'll get a masters degree before you even get started good, but PLEASE don't let yourself get suckered into anybody's lease program until you absolutely understand what you're up against. And hopefully, by then, you'll know better than to try that anyway.

So I will get only 437.50 before taxes a week while I am driving the 140000 miles to fulfill the contract right? 140000 x .15= 21,000 dollars 21,000 / 12 months= 1,750 dollars before taxes a month 1,750 dollars / 4 weeks= 437.50 before taxes a week After deductions = $404.03 And that's if I can get 140000 miles within 1 year Does anyone know how long it wold take a team to get 140000 miles(estimate conservatively Please or best guess or worse scenario ????????????

If anyone has time what do you think about this truck for a husband and wife team that only wants to go home 4 times a year? What would you haul,type of trailer you would get etc., http://www.commercialtrucktrader.com/listing/2006-Kenworth-W900l--114467111 JUST DREAMING fantasizing what it would like?Maybe I'll Win double this amount of money LOL:rolleyes:

Not going to work unless you are doing some specialized hauling. I believe that the truck will be too heavy. I would have to know the scale weight before a decision can be made. If it is more than say 23k full of fuel you can not haul most loads. That truck would be better for those loads that are light in weight but you would have to have a dedicated styrofoam account... LOL

I love your avatar that's the look I get when my wife says did you get the * i ask you for from the store?

If anyone has time what do you think about this truck for a husband and wife team that only wants to go home 4 times a year? What would you haul,type of trailer you would get etc., http://www.commercialtrucktrader.com/listing/2006-Kenworth-W900l--114467111 JUST DREAMING fantasizing what it would like?Maybe I'll Win double this amount of money LOL:rolleyes:

I went to quality in Indy. Several students already had their permits. They still had to sit through all the classes, but didn't haze to retake the test.

That sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! could use that time on the skills range better use of time,i guess they do it so it can be included in the price huh? I wished i had the 250 to just take a third party cdl test and get this over with. have been trying since February 2015 to get my cdl and keep getting involved in this type of bull at these schools!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to caution people. Yes this was a good week for a solo driver and he drove his butt off but this will not happen every week. Because of one thing or another you will not see this type of miles every week. Unless your on a dedicated account like I am you will see on average 2000 to 2500 miles a week. These good weeks come and go.

Celadon says with 6 months experience .33 cents a mile what do they for 1-6 months i wonder cant find that infomation? is .33 bad or about average?