'Delivering a Better Life' for Half a Century, Swift Transportation Celebrates Cornerstone of Its Success: Truck Drivers

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Swift Transportation Company SWFT, a leader in transportation solutions and the nation's largest truckload provider, will celebrate its hard-working Swift team members during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Held in conjunction with the company's 50th anniversary celebration, Swift aims to honor the driving force behind the company's success, its professional drivers.

Celebrating 50 Years of Industry Excellence
Founded in 1966, with a humble dream and the same entrepreneurial, can-do spirit that still drives Swift's values; today, it is unquestionably one of the largest full-truckload motor carriers in North America—generating more than $4 billion in annual revenue.

The company deploys more than 18,000 trucks, 60,000 trailers, 16,000 drivers and 5,000 owner-operators across more than 1.5 billion miles of road each year; and boasts a terminal network of more than 40 full-service facilities across the continental United States and Mexico. In addition, Swift maintains a daily presence in every Canadian province.

"We've enjoyed an impressive run during our first half century, accomplishing amazing things during this time," says Richard Stocking, President and Co-CEO of Swift Transportation. "But that's just the beginning. We are primed and prepared to accomplish even more in the next 50, and we will do so by holding to two founding principles that have gotten us this far—integrity and leadership."

Throughout its 50 years, Swift has created a culture of social responsibility. Swift Charities is the charitable arm of Swift Transportation that fulfills the promise of delivering a better life to employees, their families and the communities in which Swift operates. It is funded by voluntary payroll contributions from Swift employees and Owner/Operators, followed by a dollar-for-dollar match from Swift Transportation.

These generous contributions are used exclusively for employee assistance grants to Swift families in hardship situations, to provide scholarships for employees' children and to provide grants requested by employees to charitable organizations.

"Delivering a Better Life™" for Drivers
More than just a tagline, Swift endeavors to deliver a better life for every person whose life its business affects – whether its customers, some of the most respected companies in the world; the communities where it operates; its shareholders; or, most importantly, its employees the drivers that everyday personify Swifts' principles.

"What defines us is our people, including the steadfast drivers that are the backbone of our business. Without them, we don't have a company. Without them, we don't have an industry. Without them, America doesn't function," expresses Stocking. A sentiment shared by every Swift employee, including those in its driving academies, shops and onsite operations.

Swift delivers on its longstanding commitment to its drivers through finely-concentrated efforts designed for their safety, education and comfort. Some include:

• Introduction of Smart Trucks – Swift has invested in a high-performance fleet of smart trucks that are the best in the industry. These trucks provide great fuel economy, leading-edge safety features, increased dependability and a bold new design.
• DriveCam™ digital event video recorders in every fleet truck – The technology is used for training to help create safer road conditions for Swift drivers as well as others on the road.
• Swift Academy – The nation's premier driving academy, offering CDL training for individuals interested in a career as a truck driver.
• Mobile applications for various job functions – These allow Swift drivers to communicate instantly and save hundreds of hours in paperwork each year.
• Network of more than 40 full-service terminals – Ensuring drivers are never too far from a hot shower, a good meal and a friendly face.

In continued support of its drivers and driver support team members, Swift is hosting a super-sized weeklong 50^th anniversary celebration, held during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. The national observance (September 11-17, 2016) is led by the American Trucking Association (ATA) to celebrate the 3.5 million professional truck drivers that tackle one of our economy's most demanding and important jobs.

The company-wide celebration will include activities at all Swift terminals across the country, giveaways and gifts for Swift drivers, and a 50th anniversary celebration at Swift's corporate headquarters in Phoenix, on Thursday, September 15.

About Swift
Swift is based in Phoenix, Ariz., and operates a tractor fleet of approximately 18,000 units driven by company and owner-operator drivers. The company operates more than 40 major terminals positioned near major freight centers and traffic lanes in the United States and Mexico. Swift offers customers the opportunity for "one-stop shopping" for their truckload transportation needs through a broad spectrum of services and equipment. Swift's extensive suite of services includes general, dedicated and cross-border U.S./Mexico/Canada service, temperature-controlled, flatbed and specialized trailers, in addition to rail intermodal and non-asset based freight brokerage and logistics management services, making it an attractive choice for a broad array of customers. For more information, visit www.swifttrans.com.

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