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FedEx Freight | From PT dock 2 FT road driver tips, please!

Cali4nia said:
Ok, so I went to my OM, and he told me that i would be doing yard mule training next week. I mentioned that I needed to take my cdl tests for my permit, but he said I could wait, and implied that in under a year, I could do that or wait under a year to join the ddc program....I think he wants to see how I do with my mentors in the yard, before he makes a decision to have me go for the ddc program....but that's better than nothing at this point, right?
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Yes it is
 
Hehe...I mean it's not like I'm "stupid" or anything, but I do understand that stupid's been around the freight neighborhood, asking for a door to hit him on the way to wherever he's been going, lol.
 
In those next few months, start preparing to get your CDL permit. Read the DMV CDL handbook and get familiar with all the rules and regulations. Do not get the permit prior to getting a DDC offer. The permit is good for 6mo. One thing to factor in is the HR aspect: physical, drug test, background check, MVR. All that takes time, it is compounded when HR is out of state. No sense in having the permit if you're not going to be training.
Also, keep your physical condition in mind. High blood pressure or sleep aptnea are deal breakers.

Do the best you can to not get written up, don't mis-sort, don't call out, and probably the most important, don't accumulate any points on your DL.
 
mxblue said:
In those next few months, start preparing to get your CDL permit. Read the DMV CDL handbook and get familiar with all the rules and regulations. Do not get the permit prior to getting a DDC offer. The permit is good for 6mo. One thing to factor in is the HR aspect: physical, drug test, background check, MVR. All that takes time, it is compounded when HR is out of state. No sense in having the permit if you're not going to be training.
Also, keep your physical condition in mind. High blood pressure or sleep aptnea are deal breakers.

Do the best you can to not get written up, don't mis-sort, don't call out, and probably the most important, don't accumulate any points on your DL.
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Not to get off topic but the whole sleep aptnea deal is a crock of ::shit::!!
If one would want to fight the issue of being disqualified to drive due to sleep aptnea in a court of law, I'm guessing they could easily win...just sayin'.

http://www.landlinemag.com/Magazine/2014/May/News/sleep-apnea-testing.aspx

True or false: FMCSA has mandated sleep apnea testing for all CDL holders.

Unfortunately, a lot of people get the answer wrong. Some of those people include motor carriers and medical professionals conducting CDL medical certification tests.

The answer? False.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is silent on sleep apnea testing. Many truckers who have been told that the testing is mandatory are probably either very puzzled or very upset right now.
 
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Ty mxblue and Redracer3136 for the responses. I've been through the cdl handbook, and was advised by coworkers to go through it again with a fine toothed comb. What's most interesting about FXF, is that everyone there is more than happy to give knowledge and details about the entire freights' operations- but there seems to be just that one element of trust amongst co-workers that seems to be missing...it's like you are out there on the dock with all the tools and information for the job that you need, but if you go around asking for more, you simply won't get any.
 
Cali4nia said:
Ty mxblue and Redracer3136 for the responses. I've been through the cdl handbook, and was advised by coworkers to go through it again with a fine toothed comb. What's most interesting about FXF, is that everyone there is more than happy to give knowledge and details about the entire freights' operations- but there seems to be just that one element of trust amongst co-workers that seems to be missing...it's like you are out there on the dock with all the tools and information for the job that you need, but if you go around asking for more, you simply won't get any.
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It's freight brother... how complicated is this?
Move fright from trailer A, and shove it into trailer B without damaging it. Really not rocket science mate
 
Lol, FedexLube...you're right. The freight isn't my issue- I can do that np. The issue for me, is moving from dockworker to hostler to driver apprentice to city driver to road driver.
 
Cali4nia said:
...The freight isn't my issue- I can do that np. The issue for me, is moving from dockworker to hostler to driver apprentice to city driver to road driver.
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The fact that you are coming in with a "plan" puts you in an admirable position, far ahead of most competition. Stay safe, be aware of your surroundings, get out and look (G.O.A.L.) if ever in doubt, avoid any and all accidents (above all), care about the task at hand, and you'll achieve your goals fairly quickly.

I might add, keep your eyes open to additional opportunities... they do exist. I wish I had just half of the plan you have, when I started. I'll say "good luck", but you really won't need that, just persistence...
 
Lol SwampRatt and Richard Cranium! Thank you for all the confidence posts. I'm beginning to get it now- due bills need to be unloaded and loaded within time cuts (7,8, and 9 am delivery windows) appointment trailers are appointed to OS assigned to appts, etc.etc. Each delivery window cut time, are appointed separate a separate OS. Hazmat needs to be double, triple, and quadruple checked. Dunage for bags, so they won't tear, OSD everything! Recoup everything! Check what's left to load.
 
**Update 3** Today was my 1st day behind the wheel of a hostler. I've already spoken to my mentors, and they advised me that after my hostler training, I'll be headed to the ddc after! Thanks again everyone for contributing to this post- if it wasn't for all the exp. you guys have had to share with FXF and the LTL industry, I might have still been staring at my cdl handbook, wondering what to do next.

Hooking up the 5th wheel wasn't so hard as I thought- all I had to do was raise the 5th wheel enough to be able to raise the trailer a bit when going in. Service,emergency, and electrical line hookups were easy too. I got the parking brake and trailer brakes down, forward driving is good, but I will need months and months of backing up a pup, before I get that down in one shot.

no VIR for today, but I imagine I'll have to do that during my training from now on.

Thanks again everyone- I'm just a hazmat endorsement away from a LTL trucking career!
 
Cali4nia said:
**Update 3** Today was my 1st day behind the wheel of a hostler. I've already spoken to my mentors, and they advised me that after my hostler training, I'll be headed to the ddc after! Thanks again everyone for contributing to this post- if it wasn't for all the exp. you guys have had to share with FXF and the LTL industry, I might have still been staring at my cdl handbook, wondering what to do next.

Hooking up the 5th wheel wasn't so hard as I thought- all I had to do was raise the 5th wheel enough to be able to raise the trailer a bit when going in. Service,emergency, and electrical line hookups were easy too. I got the parking brake and trailer brakes down, forward driving is good, but I will need months and months of backing up a pup, before I get that down in one shot.

no VIR for today, but I imagine I'll have to do that during my training from now on.

Thanks again everyone- I'm just a hazmat endorsement away from a LTL trucking career!
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Does your yard have a back forty that doesn't have a lot of traffic?
Our yard has unused space south of the fuel island that some of us call the Otai annex. Our DDIs have set up cones out there. Prospective newbie hostlers are able to practice out there on their own time.

Once you learn how to make the trailer go where you want it to backwards. Learn how to jack it in from both directions, this will become useful outside the gate.
Also, that ability will reduce the amount of finger pointing and snickers directed at you.

AND WHEN YOU GET OUTSIDE THE GATE IN SOMEONE'S TRACTOR, TAKE YOUR DAMN GREASY GLOVES OFF BEFORE YOU EVEN TOUCH THE DOOR TO GET IN.
 
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