Swift Training

OK so been in here for a while and love the site! I hopefully going to swift training soon got to get my permit dot and take a online course. The recruiter said the course will take 4 to 5 hours!!! Got to watch videos and answer questions. I'm cool with all that. What do have some concerns I hope some one on here can help me with. On the application it asked me if I ever smoked marijuana ever in my life and I said yes! Did I mess up with honesty? Cause its been like 14 years since I did and u told her that! Any comments?

Phillip, I started with Swift a year ago, and don't remember the marijuana "ever in my life" part. (But that's not an issue for me.)

Swift isn't looking for Tee-totalers (M-totalers?). As long as you can test it clean, you should be good.

In your application it's better to own up to everything, because if the company finds that you're not telling the truth, that will get you out the door.

So I spoke with the recruiter today and she said its fine!!!! So I am excited I hope it all works out!!!! I'm a little nervous but the good kind!!

Where will you go for school?

I'll be heading to Memphis Tenn

Where will you go for school?

Hey Errol any info you got would be a great help! Can I really make 450 to 500 a week while in the truck with the trainer only making 9 buck's a hour?

I'll be heading to Memphis Tenn

Where will you go for school?

Out of curiosity...

Are the Swift schools OWNED BY Swift? Or a private approved school?

What's with the 26 month commitment for training payback? Is this the reimbursement, or are you obligated under contract for that much time?

Rick

Phillip asks:

Hey Errol any info you got would be a great help! Can I really make 450 to 500 a week while in the truck with the trainer only making 9 buck's a hour?

A year ago, the rates were $9.50 while driving, $7.25 when you're "on duty not driving". A random weekly paycheck from that time shows I was driving for 40+ hours and On Duty Not Driving for 25 hours. (Yeah, 66 hours, no Overtime!) That was a gross $568.55 before taxes, etc. I averaged about $550 while training. My mentor made a point to keep me driving, even literally driving around town at 2 am just to fill out my maximum driving hours. (bad news: He does not mentor anymore)

Rick asks:

Are the Swift schools OWNED BY Swift? Or a private approved school?

What's with the 26 month commitment for training payback? Is this the reimbursement, or are you obligated under contract for that much time?

Yes, Swift Academy is owned by Swift Transportation. One advantage of a company school, I figured out, is they have no shortage of well maintained equipment for training.

As for the school tuition deal, the details (Like the exact $ amounts) are somewhere in Trucking Truth, and of course your recruiter should get them to you. Read all this, then try to see the big picture:

Swift deducts a certain amount (??$75??) to pay your tuition for 13 months. At the same time they pay you about half of that back, so your net deduction is around $35 for the 13 months. At that time, you are done paying the tuition off and you are free to move on, if you want. (You have paid way less than the $4400 you contracted for.)

If you continue with Swift, they continue paying you back. What this means is if you stick out the 26 months, your school is free!

(Remember, the concept is there, but the dollar values I used mean nothing! - I guessed for them! Personally, I went the Veteran route where you get a "scholarship" that pays the tuition 100% after your first year, and there are no paycheck deductions in the meantime.)

Thanks man! I'm definitely going for it. I have to get my foot in the door and what I get in return is way more than what even a little bit I might have to pay back.does swift run a lot of automatic trucks?

Phillip asks:

Hey Errol any info you got would be a great help! Can I really make 450 to 500 a week while in the truck with the trainer only making 9 buck's a hour?

A year ago, the rates were $9.50 while driving, $7.25 when you're "on duty not driving". A random weekly paycheck from that time shows I was driving for 40+ hours and On Duty Not Driving for 25 hours. (Yeah, 66 hours, no Overtime!) That was a gross $568.55 before taxes, etc. I averaged about $550 while training. My mentor made a point to keep me driving, even literally driving around town at 2 am just to fill out my maximum driving hours. (bad news: He does not mentor anymore)

Rick asks:

Are the Swift schools OWNED BY Swift? Or a private approved school?

What's with the 26 month commitment for training payback? Is this the reimbursement, or are you obligated under contract for that much time?

Yes, Swift Academy is owned by Swift Transportation. One advantage of a company school, I figured out, is they have no shortage of well maintained equipment for training.

As for the school tuition deal, the details (Like the exact $ amounts) are somewhere in Trucking Truth, and of course your recruiter should get them to you. Read all this, then try to see the big picture:

Swift deducts a certain amount (??$75??) to pay your tuition for 13 months. At the same time they pay you about half of that back, so your net deduction is around $35 for the 13 months. At that time, you are done paying the tuition off and you are free to move on, if you want. (You have paid way less than the $4400 you contracted for.)

If you continue with Swift, they continue paying you back. What this means is if you stick out the 26 months, your school is free!

(Remember, the concept is there, but the dollar values I used mean nothing! - I guessed for them! Personally, I went the Veteran route where you get a "scholarship" that pays the tuition 100% after your first year, and there are no paycheck deductions in the meantime.)

I believe nearly all new (2016+) Swift trucks are autos. But there's lots and lots of manual shifts out there. I've got one.