Memphis driving school raided by federal, state agencies

excerpt;
of commercial drivers licenses at the school until the investigation is completed. The FBI executed search warrants at the Memphis school.
Other agencies involved in the probe are the Highway Patrol's criminal investigation division, federal Department of Transportation inspector general, Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal marshals and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Ok, this does not sound good but yet it is a good thing.

Not good; because it is my company. I, legally, earned my CDL in Washington State but having your company raided by the FBI and other agencies does not make me feel secure.

I am not a Super Trucker and I will never know all their is about trucking. I think when you think you do know everything then that is when you are no longer safe. I will be the first to admit that SWIFT hires some real winners and their process should be changed to better weed out the bad. I myself do not trust other SWIFT drivers. I have fallen for the same thing others have fallen for as well, seeing the accidents, bad mistakes, stupid things that other drivers do and not seeing the 20 year veterans that are never heard about.

The good; is that maybe this is a good change to the training or maybe an eye opening to other companies that train new drivers. Maybe it will spark a removal of some of the ignorant drivers, not just from SWIFT, but other places.

SWIFT is one of the biggest transportation companies and is widely hated by Owner/Operators for understandable reasons. I have generations of family members in the trucking industry and have a better understanding of the jobs taken by large companies but their is nothing I can do about it. This is in my blood and the most affordable way for me to fulfill my destiny is to work for a large company.

I do hope that this helps weed out the ones with the smarts and common sense from the stupid and dangerous drivers across the entire industry.

By the way, it is amazing too see what the reader reads in the news reports and what they want to read. They want to read that SWIFT is being investigated and that SWIFT is doing illegal things but in reality, ALL news reports say that SWIFT is NOT being investigated but the STATE run CDL office on SWIFT property. Papers are being confiscated to determine if the office on SWIFT property is performing illegal activities.

It is about time. Swift has 16,000 american drivers and 18,000 trucks. The difference could be 2,000 illegal mexican drivers with phony CDLs that are potential terrorists and being paid minimum wage. In effect stealing jobs from needy americans.

why does it always have to turn into something against the Mexicans, u live in Dallas. i bet you had a taco in the last week!!

Maybe you need to learn to read. here is the direct quote from the first line of the story. " Federal and state agencies have raided the Swift Transportation commercial truck driving school in Memphis as part of an ongoing investigation." there it is they raided the Swift Transportation commercial truck driving school not a state run school on swift property.

Twisted Redneck wrote:

By the way, it is amazing too see what the reader reads in the news reports and what they want to read. They want to read that SWIFT is being investigated and that SWIFT is doing illegal things but in reality, ALL news reports say that SWIFT is NOT being investigated but the STATE run CDL office on SWIFT property. Papers are being confiscated to determine if the office on SWIFT property is performing illegal activities.

Yes that is the line, but also it was said that they raided two places. First of all the driving academy is in Millington, Tn. The state run CDL testing facility is at the Memphis, TN. terminal. They raided both places. There appears to be questions concerning Licenses issued through the State run CDL testing facility. They raided the school looking for specific "students" of which they actually found one of right before they were leaving. The Feds aren't commenting (last I heard anyway), and Swift has put out several statements about the raid which no federal agency has disputed (which really means nothing huh). I would think that as a whole swift will be innocent, but I would almost bet that in addition to some probable falsification at the testing facility if true that it might also be found that one or more "instructors" will be involved. There are so many paople in places of authority who think nothing of making a little money on the side regardless of who it hurts. I am a swift driver who fortunately never had to go through one of their schools, and as a result has no clue about how it is run. God bless.

Long Haul Driver wrote:

Maybe you need to learn to read. here is the direct quote from the first line of the story. " Federal and state agencies have raided the Swift Transportation commercial truck driving school in Memphis as part of an ongoing investigation." there it is they raided the Swift Transportation commercial truck driving school not a state run school on swift property.
<quoted text>

I am an independent author and researcher who decided to do some fact checking on my own, and have several contacts in Tennessee state law enforcement. Contrary to the public statements issued by Dave Berry, spokesperson for Swift Corporation of Phoenix, Arizona, sources close to the investigation, speaking on background and on condition of anonymity, stated that “the relationship between Swift Corporation and this trucking school IS A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION”. My sources made it plain that “law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation HAVE NOT DETERMINED WHETHER OR NOT SEARCH WARRANTS OR SUBPEONAS WILL BE ISSUED TO EMPLOYEES AND FACILITIES OF SWIFT TRANSPORTATION’S PARENT COMPANY, SWIFT CORPORATION OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA. As such, it is too early to determine whether or not Swift Corporation will be a major focus of the investigation”. At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and my sources refused further comment.

The Insider wrote:

I am an independent author and researcher who decided to do some fact checking on my own, and have several contacts in Tennessee state law enforcement. Contrary to the public statements issued by Dave Berry, spokesperson for Swift Corporation of Phoenix, Arizona, sources close to the investigation, speaking on background and on condition of anonymity, stated that “the relationship between Swift Corporation and this trucking school IS A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION”. My sources made it plain that “law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation HAVE NOT DETERMINED WHETHER OR NOT SEARCH WARRANTS OR SUBPEONAS WILL BE ISSUED TO EMPLOYEES AND FACILITIES OF SWIFT TRANSPORTATION’S PARENT COMPANY, SWIFT CORPORATION OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA. As such, it is too early to determine whether or not Swift Corporation will be a major focus of the investigation”. At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and my sources refused further comment.

My cousin went to this school and was sent home after one week because they said he couldn't cut it. He said it was the hardest thing he ever did in his life.

The relationship between Swift And this school?
My friend, Swift owns this school. It is their training facility.

The Insider wrote:

I am an independent author and researcher who decided to do some fact checking on my own, and have several contacts in Tennessee state law enforcement. Contrary to the public statements issued by Dave Berry, spokesperson for Swift Corporation of Phoenix, Arizona, sources close to the investigation, speaking on background and on condition of anonymity, stated that “the relationship between Swift Corporation and this trucking school IS A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION”. My sources made it plain that “law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation HAVE NOT DETERMINED WHETHER OR NOT SEARCH WARRANTS OR SUBPEONAS WILL BE ISSUED TO EMPLOYEES AND FACILITIES OF SWIFT TRANSPORTATION’S PARENT COMPANY, SWIFT CORPORATION OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA. As such, it is too early to determine whether or not Swift Corporation will be a major focus of the investigation”. At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and my sources refused further comment.

Scot wrote:

The relationship between Swift And this school?
My friend, Swift owns this school. It is their training facility.
<quoted text>

Yes but State of TN has an office at this school. That is what is under investigation--not Swift itself.

Does not matter has no clue. the state does run a part time drivers license office there to do the drivers that graduate swifts school. both offices had search warrents issued against them.
the word is from the homeboy news network is that swift was paying the DMV personnel to issue licenses to disallowed and unqualified people.

does not matter wrote:

<quoted text>
Yes but State of TN has an office at this school. That is what is under investigation--not Swift itself.

Home › Local › Millington / Tipton
Agents 'sorting' Swift evidence
No word on target of raid at trucking firm offices

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Federal agents on Tuesday sorted and filed evidence but kept mum about what they were looking for when they raided a trucking firm and commercial driver's license center on Monday.
"We will be collecting all the boxes, sorting them out, filing them away," said FBI spokesman George Bolds.
Seven federal agencies and the Tennessee Highway Patrol raided Swift Transportation's shipping center in Memphis and its driver-training school in Millington.
Also, the Tennessee Department of Safety has temporarily closed a commercial driver's license center housed in Swift's shipping center on Brooks Road near Memphis International Airport.
Authorities would not confirm whether the probe centers on the commercial licenses issued from the license center on Swift Transportation property.
At that center, state Department of Safety employees administer the written and eye examinations, while Swift personnel conduct the driving-skills tests.
The Department of Safety announced Monday that it was cooperating with the FBI in an "ongoing investigation of Swift Transportation in Memphis."
Swift officials countered that, despite the search warrants and raid, the company was not the target.
On Tuesday, Swift spokesman Dave Berry said, "Swift chooses not to comment any further because we do not want in any way to impede or interfere with the investigation. We're cooperating in every way."
Bolds said he knew of no arrests so far in the probe.
Officials with the state Department of Safety did not return a reporter's calls to answer questions about the department's licensing center at Swift.

This is what i have found on this issue. I am a trucking student in Chatt. TN and because of this I have to get my CDL in my state alabama. Because TN passed an emergency law of domicile. So i have to retake my permit test in alabama because that is where i live. It just takes one company or driving school to mess up a whole lot of people from getting their CDL's. I hope this is sorted through quickly.

This is going to be a "lot" worse then what your reading, as the Homeland Security "don't" get involved...unless it's terrorist related.

Mark my words...

Here is a list of all the groups involved in the raid where is homeland security listed?
agencies involved in the probe are the Highway Patrol's criminal investigation division, federal Department of Transportation inspector general, Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal marshals and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Watch and See wrote:

This is going to be a "lot" worse then what your reading, as the Homeland Security "don't" get involved...unless it's terrorist related.
Mark my words...

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal marshals

Like I said before the word is from the homeboy news network is that swift was paying the DMV personnel to issue licenses to disallowed and unqualified people.