Swift Holiday Time Off?

I’m starting cdl school with Swift transport may 3rd but want to know what the holidays are like for Swift? Will I be able to get time with my family? Holiday pay? Will I be able to stop somewhere and my family meet me? First time driver here.

Get hold of your recruiter and ask them. Probably will be a training day like usual, no holiday pay. Can you visit with your family? Unlikely but again, your recruiter can give you better info.

Laura

(I started out at Swift.) 24/7/365 means that. Yes, many drivers try to get home on a holiday, and your company & DM understands. Your DM can explain the details for you.

Welcome to our forum Jacob!

I’m starting cdl school with Swift transport may 3rd but want to know what the holidays are like for Swift?

That's a great question Jacob! It might surprise you that there are no holidays in trucking. This job is going to be totally different for you than any other job you have ever done. We work pretty much all holidays. Think about this... people want their goods delivered to them at all times, but they especially want them at holiday times. They want their Christmas presents to be delivered on time, and they want to be able to run to the grocery store at the last minute and grab that can of cream of mushroom soup for their Thanksgiving casserole they are baking. Holidays are a big time for the trucking business. It's part of a trucker's life. All our consumer goods are delivered on a truck.

Now, I'll let you in on a secret. Great drivers get great treatment. These trucking companies don't just hire us to be treated like slaves. Drivers will differentiate themselves in a multitude of ways. We like to call the best drivers, Top Tier Drivers. They are the drivers who are happy and prosperous. You won't find them complaining online about their company doing them wrong. They are successful and they generally go home when they request time off.

Maybe I am reading between the lines, but you seem a little apprehensive about starting with Swift. Rest your fears. There is so much nonsense on the internet about starting this career, and there is even more nonsense about the generous companies who will hire and train rookie drivers. We have several long time Swift drivers here in our forum who are very successful and making a great living while enjoying their driving careers at Swift. It is understandable that you want to be with family and get paid for holidays, but that is something you are accustomed to with other type jobs. It is easy to try to bring your expectations from former employment into the trucking career, but not very productive. The only expectation in trucking is that you prove yourself to be an effective and efficient driver. Remember my comment about "great drivers get great treatment?" That's where you have got to focus your efforts. I have over 750,00 miles on a dedicated account at Knight. I have never been late to an appointment, and have built a stellar record with them. They always get me home when I request it, and I am always treated like royalty. There are other drivers on this same account who can't boast about their experience like I can. The only difference is in the execution of our responsibilities.

The important question you want to ask is, Do I Have What It Takes To Be A Successful Truck Driver? The answer to that question will make your new trucking career so much more enjoyable. You will be the one that determines whether you spend time with family at holidays or not. We don't really have paid holidays in this career. We earn PTO (paid time off), but that is usually related to years of service, not so much traditional holidays.

Will I be able to get time with my family?

Of course you will. You will learn the procedures for requesting "home time." All trucking companies allow their drivers to take home time. You will generally be allowed one day at home for every week you spend on the road. That means that you can go home about four days each month as an OTR driver. This career is a a huge commitment. Some folks love it, but right now you just have to realize that you cannot trust your expectations. Most folks bring false expectations into their new trucking careers and then they expect an entire industry to bow to their expectations. It will never work that way. Come into this with an open mind and a willingness to learn and excel at your career. Prove yourself as easy to work with and very productive at your craft. Those are the happiest of drivers, and the reason they are so satisfied is... they get treated in return just as good as they have given to their employers.

Will I be able to stop somewhere and my family meet me?

That is possible, but not as likely as going home for a visit. I have done that, but it is easier to arrange home time with your dispatcher than it is to have this particular scenario take place.

That's about the last thing a new employee should be asking: "what about days off"?

Seriously?

I would be asking how many days can I stay out to gain experience and learn my trade.