Swift Transportation Rookie Info.

Hey G-Town,

reaching out for more info into Swift. How often do they have CDL school? What is the difference in the two paths of private CDL school vs Swift CDL school (would having my CDL going to Swift speed up anything as well as other benefits? How likely would a rookie get a dedicated account right out of training? Do any routes take the driver into Canada? How long is the training period working with a trainer and how long are they out each trip? Do they pay for down time for breakdowns and waiting for loads?

Hey Lance. I’ll be happy to reply with details tomorrow.

Sounds awesome! I'm looking forward to it.

I'm not G Town, am I allowed to reply? Don't want to overstep.

I went through swift academy last September, they had new classes start each Monday. I did 150 hours with my mentor and then took my upgrade written and road test.

I live in Utah, I asked during the academy if I could be placed on a dedicated account. instructor and Driver Qualification said I was hired for OTR , being dedicated was no problem. Several accounts had spots open and I chose Walmart Dedicated in Corinne. It was an easy switch and they were happy to help me find what I wanted to do but it came down to what accounts had openings. I'll let G Town answer the other questions, I'm still learning a few things but I can comfortably answer those ones.

Sorry if I overstepped by replying G Town.

All responses to Lance’s inquiry are welcome!

I'm not G Town, am I allowed to reply? Don't want to overstep.

I went through swift academy last September, they had new classes start each Monday. I did 150 hours with my mentor and then took my upgrade written and road test.

I live in Utah, I asked during the academy if I could be placed on a dedicated account. instructor and Driver Qualification said I was hired for OTR , being dedicated was no problem. Several accounts had spots open and I chose Walmart Dedicated in Corinne. It was an easy switch and they were happy to help me find what I wanted to do but it came down to what accounts had openings. I'll let G Town answer the other questions, I'm still learning a few things but I can comfortably answer those ones.

Sorry if I overstepped by replying G Town.

Larry, I highly encourage you to visit Swift's website and fill out an application. There is no obligation to follow-through on it, but getting the process started is a must. Also not a bad idea to look at other options as well. We maintain the philosophy of not putting all of your eggs in one basket, especially now due to a reduction in freight and a softening in rates.

The frequency of Swift's school depends on location (the one I attended in Richmond VA was weekly). Once you are in their system, that's a great question to ask your recruiter. It's their job to provide current, up-to-date information. We highly recommend taking the Paid CDL Training Programs route over private schooling. Please read to this blog article: Why Trucking Truth Recommends Paid CDL Training

Swift's CDL schools offer a 3-3.5 week course. They will teach you enough knowledge and skills to pass the CDL. They also touch upon some aspects of Swift's driver culture. Once you graduate and pass the Delaware State CDL Tests, you will be assigned a Swift mentor responsible for another 200 hours of road training. After successful completion of mentoring, you will test out and hopefully given the keys to your assigned truck.

If you want to run Walmart Dedicated out of Pottsville PA I strongly suggest you make that known to them before going to school and again while in school. Last I checked, an entry level driver can sign-on with a Walmart Dedicated account. There are at least 2 mentors assigned to the Pottsville Walmart account...if at all possible, mentoring on a Walmart Dedicated account is in your best interest. It's different than conventional OTR work. Pay varies based on your experience and the account you are assigned to. But yes there is detention pay and downtime pay if a loaner tractor is unavailable. Pay details are best addressed by your recruiter.

Here are a couple of links to other information you may find useful:

Day in the Life of a Walmart Dedicated Grocery Driver

Trucking Truth's Mentor "Turtle" is a Walmart Private Fleet driver. Although there are obvious differences, the primary job function is the same; delivering to Walmart Stores (DC to Store) and moving back hauled freight from Walmart vendors (like Water, Juice, Paper etc) to the DC.

Here is Turtles WMPF diary: Week in the Life of a Walmart Private Fleet Driver

Search on either of our profile names with the word Walmart and you will have access to an abundance of useful content.

Good luck!

Oops meant “Lance”… sorry

Larry, I highly encourage you to visit Swift's website and fill out an application. There is no obligation to follow-through on it, but getting the process started is a must. Also not a bad idea to look at other options as well. We maintain the philosophy of not putting all of your eggs in one basket, especially now due to a reduction in freight and a softening in rates.

The frequency of Swift's school depends on location (the one I attended in Richmond VA was weekly). Once you are in their system, that's a great question to ask your recruiter. It's their job to provide current, up-to-date information. We highly recommend taking the Paid CDL Training Programs route over private schooling. Please read to this blog article: Why Trucking Truth Recommends Paid CDL Training

Swift's CDL schools offer a 3-3.5 week course. They will teach you enough knowledge and skills to pass the CDL. They also touch upon some aspects of Swift's driver culture. Once you graduate and pass the Delaware State CDL Tests, you will be assigned a Swift mentor responsible for another 200 hours of road training. After successful completion of mentoring, you will test out and hopefully given the keys to your assigned truck.

If you want to run Walmart Dedicated out of Pottsville PA I strongly suggest you make that known to them before going to school and again while in school. Last I checked, an entry level driver can sign-on with a Walmart Dedicated account. There are at least 2 mentors assigned to the Pottsville Walmart account...if at all possible, mentoring on a Walmart Dedicated account is in your best interest. It's different than conventional OTR work. Pay varies based on your experience and the account you are assigned to. But yes there is detention pay and downtime pay if a loaner tractor is unavailable. Pay details are best addressed by your recruiter.

Here are a couple of links to other information you may find useful:

Day in the Life of a Walmart Dedicated Grocery Driver

Trucking Truth's Mentor "Turtle" is a Walmart Private Fleet driver. Although there are obvious differences, the primary job function is the same; delivering to Walmart Stores (DC to Store) and moving back hauled freight from Walmart vendors (like Water, Juice, Paper etc) to the DC.

Here is Turtles WMPF diary: Week in the Life of a Walmart Private Fleet Driver

Search on either of our profile names with the word Walmart and you will have access to an abundance of useful content.

Good luck!

Thanks G-Town! I'll definitely check out the links. You said the clases are weekly. Did you travel home for the weekends?

I could have…

Thanks G-Town! I'll definitely check out the links. You said the clases are weekly. Did you travel home for the weekends?