I used to work here

HillBilly Frog

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I used to have a truck leased on here at CFI..They were always fair and honest,,good people to deal with... Anyone here looking around on the boards from CFI feel free to post.. Someone has to be first and others will follow..I am sure when Truckingboards first started things went slow,,shoot they are growing more and more everyday.. So don't be discouraged if no-one is on here for awhile,,tell your friends and co-workers and the post's and info will pour in like oil from Arabia....:smilie_132:
 
Nothing personal against you tramp, but, I have a brother that used to work for them when he was a new driver. They have a policy that called "the bad boys club" . In short what it is , is that if you burn too much fuel you have to miss work and go to the "bad boys club" . What it forces the company drivers to do is either put their own money in the tank or sleep in cold or hot conditions by NOT idling the truck when on rest periods.That to me sounds like a lousy company. P.S. CFI in Joplin ,Mo. is the company I think you are talking about .If not ,I apologize in full.
 
I used to have a truck leased on here at CFI..They were always fair and honest,,good people to deal with... Anyone here looking around on the boards from CFI feel free to post.. Someone has to be first and others will follow..I am sure when Truckingboards first started things went slow,,shoot they are growing more and more everyday.. So don't be discouraged if no-one is on here for awhile,,tell your friends and co-workers and the post's and info will pour in like oil from Arabia....:smilie_132:

tramp1155 :1036316054:
So what was the main reason you decided to sell your truck and drive a company truck???
What was your cost per mile to operate your truck and were you able to pay for your health care insurance. I know many owner operators that while young go without paying for their own health insurance to make a decent pay check.
You probably run solo and most CFI runs I thought were set up for team operation.

:smilie_132:
 
Nothing personal against you tramp, but, I have a brother that used to work for them when he was a new driver. They have a policy that called "the bad boys club" . In short what it is , is that if you burn too much fuel you have to miss work and go to the "bad boys club" . What it forces the company drivers to do is either put their own money in the tank or sleep in cold or hot conditions by NOT idling the truck when on rest periods.That to me sounds like a lousy company. P.S. CFI in Joplin ,Mo. is the company I think you are talking about .If not ,I apologize in full.

That could have been in the past but irrelevant going forward because now all over the road trucks have to have APUs. So now you won't be allowed to idle your engine and will just use your APU to keep you cold or warm while sleeping.

:smilie_132:
 
:1036316054: Yes River I was oh crap 31 when I bought my first truck and the reason was to make alittle more dough.I did not carry any health insurance I was young and felt good about my chances of not needing any.. I found thru owning a business that your bottom line is not always well never as good as the plans I laid out on paper.. I can tell anyone who wants to try the owner-op deal this: Take a percentage contract it will always beat a paid per mile any day..
CFI ran a few teams but they were at that time mostly solos, I ran alot of Canada to Laredo freight good miles.I never heard of the bad-boys club while I was there,and you are right about APU's I am seeing alt more of them they are a smart investment,,less idle time which equals less fuel and less wear on the ol' motor.Not many people know this but every hour of idle time equals about 75 to a 100 miles wear on your engine.Just a little fact I thought I'd throw in there..
As for selling out I priced my pete to a friend who I knew could never buy it,, guess what he did.. I found a job with the SemGroup an (Evil) oil company LOL. I hauled asphalt,fuel oils and gasoline for 2 years.They had pretty good benefits and a darn good 401k they matched %100 of the first %5 I put in and I was %100 vested from the 1st contribution.. I finally got on at RoadWay as you know and if I had only known how easy freight-hauling is I'd have been doing this about the time I bought my 1st truck..
:1036316054:
 
:1036316054: Yes River I was oh crap 31 when I bought my first truck and the reason was to make alittle more dough.I did not carry any health insurance I was young and felt good about my chances of not needing any.. I found thru owning a business that your bottom line is not always well never as good as the plans I laid out on paper.. I can tell anyone who wants to try the owner-op deal this: Take a percentage contract it will always beat a paid per mile any day..
CFI ran a few teams but they were at that time mostly solos, I ran alot of Canada to Laredo freight good miles.I never heard of the bad-boys club while I was there,and you are right about APU's I am seeing alt more of them they are a smart investment,,less idle time which equals less fuel and less wear on the ol' motor.Not many people know this but every hour of idle time equals about 75 to a 100 miles wear on your engine.Just a little fact I thought I'd throw in there..
As for selling out I priced my pete to a friend who I knew could never buy it,, guess what he did.. I found a job with the SemGroup an (Evil) oil company LOL. I hauled asphalt,fuel oils and gasoline for 2 years.They had pretty good benefits and a darn good 401k they matched %100 of the first %5 I put in and I was %100 vested from the 1st contribution.. I finally got on at RoadWay as you know and if I had only known how easy freight-hauling is I'd have been doing this about the time I bought my 1st truck..
:1036316054:

tramp1155 :1036316054:

But I still think that for a new driver just getting started in this industry, working for a truckload company for the first 5 years or so is a good way to get experience and to see the scenery of this country.
This way if later on this driver wants to try LTL as a line driver or P&D driver, he will have a better appreciation of the LTL work compared to the over the road truckload work.
I know many drivers that never did OTR work and just started on the dock and then went to P&D and later moved to line haul and don't know how good they have it.
:smilie_132:
 
River......

I agree with you up to the point where you say......." to see the scenery of this country",then I wanna beat you upside the head with your road atlas!...LOL

To many newbies got the idea that otr driving is a paid vacation and get a rude damn awakening when all the wonderful scenery they see is whatever happens to be there on the highway as they wiz on by it.

They quickly realize that that lovely scenery gets really old after about the 4th trip back and forth by it and they can't even stop to enjoy it.

Their scenery gets even more lovely when they sit at the dock of some nasty,dirty warehouse in the worst possible part of town and they don't dare leave their truck.

But back to the topic at hand, I have heard good things about CFI,they aren't as bad as say Swift or Covenent from what I've heard.

Getting that all important experience is the main thing though!
 
River......

I agree with you up to the point where you say......." to see the scenery of this country",then I wanna beat you upside the head with your road atlas!...LOL

To many newbies got the idea that otr driving is a paid vacation and get a rude damn awakening when all the wonderful scenery they see is whatever happens to be there on the highway as they wiz on by it.

They quickly realize that that lovely scenery gets really old after about the 4th trip back and forth by it and they can't even stop to enjoy it.

Their scenery gets even more lovely when they sit at the dock of some nasty,dirty warehouse in the worst possible part of town and they don't dare leave their truck.

But back to the topic at hand, I have heard good things about CFI,they aren't as bad as say Swift or Covenent from what I've heard.

Getting that all important experience is the main thing though!

SevenOfNine :1036316054:

I think you made the point I was trying to make. After you put in your time doing the long haul truckload stuff for awhile, then you really get to appreciate how much easier it is driving for an LTL carrier. I don't have to deal with the customers and only go back and forth from point A to point B and I'm home every other day and weekends. I was just saying for the folks that start with an LTL carrier right off the bat, they don't experience the hardships of OTR work and therefore may not see how good they have it.
I always look at the equipment a carrier runs and how well they maintain it to see if they are a good carrier. Chances are that if they are trying to put forward a good image to their customers they will want to treat their drivers well also to keep turnover down as much as possible.
:smilie_132:
 
No they do not have a clue.I would tell anyone just starting get out see the country.I can tell anyone I don't believe there is a prettier site than coming off the hill and seeing Albuqurque for the time at nite.Or your first sunrise in Maine.Or that beautiful drive on I-15 from Salt Lake City to Vegas.. And yes 5 years out on the road would make you appreciate a good LTL job.. But I am thankful for seeing this big country,,actually blessed I have seen it.
 
No they do not have a clue.I would tell anyone just starting get out see the country.I can tell anyone I don't believe there is a prettier site than coming off the hill and seeing Albuqurque for the time at nite.Or your first sunrise in Maine.Or that beautiful drive on I-15 from Salt Lake City to Vegas.. And yes 5 years out on the road would make you appreciate a good LTL job.. But I am thankful for seeing this big country,,actually blessed I have seen it.


tramp1155 :1036316054:
Once again you make a very good point. When first starting out driving a truck over the road most folks want to do it to see the country and at the same time you get paid a "little" money for your effort. It is not the same as if you had your personal motorhome and had time to stop at every tourist stop or go do the whole Nascar 36 race circuit. But at least you don't have to buy the fuel and insurance to run a motorhome the trucking company is providing you a "home" on wheels and they pay all the fuel and insurance. Of course if you want to go to the places that YOU want to go to, then you need to be an owner operator so you get the picks from all the loads available. Then you can run as hard as you want and if you want to park your truck for a time you can do anything you want as long as you are not behind in your truck payments.
Of course all this sounds good on paper and is not always true in real life.
It also helps to be single if you are going to be gone from home for long periods.

:smilie_132:
 
Oh yeah don't nobody here get me wrong I don't want to do it again.But if I have to well that's what I have to do. OTR is hard on a marriage or any relationship. I read 7"s post and she's right to a point.The shippers can at times test your patience and the bottles of pee well I started seeing that crap about 10 years ago around the time the bigger companies started thier own training.I don't figure there is any co-relation here but it all boils down to sheer laziness.But all in all OTR is a darn good way to get some experience.
When I started I had a 5 year plan drive OTR and have a LTL job in 5 years.That did not go as planned,,I drove 8 or so bought my first truck and after about 17 years I got my LTL job. Maybe that is why when I hear people talking about haow bad it is I sit back and think are "you crazy??) this LTL is a cake-walk compared to the crap an OTR guy goes thru..Most of these LTL guys would stroke out over some of the stuff an OTR guy puts up with.:1036316054:
 
I don`t know who to put this under, but why do you people think drivers need to suffer to have a greater appreciation for a LTL carrier? Despite my gripes about my company they hired me, trained me, I am not and will never be a truck rodeo guy. I give my time filling out logs and inspection form and on the wizz quiz! I do not need to work at a long haul carrier to know I have it better than them! I thank GOD everyday I did not take a job for the pumpkin. Do I appreciate my Boss and my company? NO. Do I need to? I am one of the hardest workers at my barn beleive it or not. I punch the clock, work my a$$ off leave town get where I am going strip/load trailers and come home. I do not hurry for my bosses, I get the stuff done so I can come home and see my FAMILY!
 
I don`t know who to put this under, but why do you people think drivers need to suffer to have a greater appreciation for a LTL carrier? Despite my gripes about my company they hired me, trained me, I am not and will never be a truck rodeo guy. I give my time filling out logs and inspection form and on the wizz quiz! I do not need to work at a long haul carrier to know I have it better than them! I thank GOD everyday I did not take a job for the pumpkin. Do I appreciate my Boss and my company? NO. Do I need to? I am one of the hardest workers at my barn beleive it or not. I punch the clock, work my a$$ off leave town get where I am going strip/load trailers and come home. I do not hurry for my bosses, I get the stuff done so I can come home and see my FAMILY!

I agree with you 100%! Even though I suffered a little bit trying to find the right company to work for, there's absolutely no reason to suffer to appreciate LTL work. I guess it all boils down to some people thinking that if they suffered for a truckload company before getting an LTL job (back when you had to have 2+ yrs. of experience), then newbies should too.
 
I agree with you 100%! Even though I suffered a little bit trying to find the right company to work for, there's absolutely no reason to suffer to appreciate LTL work. I guess it all boils down to some people thinking that if they suffered for a truckload company before getting an LTL job (back when you had to have 2+ yrs. of experience), then newbies should too.

HeadRush :1036316054:

I think that if you run sleeper operation with someone that can train you and show you the ropes, you will learn things that otherwise you may not learn on your own. I'm talking about bad habits that you would never know about unless someone riding with you could point out.
Plus if you start at the dock and then move to P&D before they will let you transfer to linehaul, it may take you more years than just putting a couple of years over the road with a good truckload carrier.
:smilie_132:
 
The main thing we were saying is most people who have not been OTR at a truckload carrier seem to bit#h and whine about these LTL jobs.Those of us who have had no idea how easy of a job it was so when I hear those guys crying like babies over silly crap I think how can a guy have it so good and not know it?? I figure because he has not had that bad yet.You drive OTR somewhere and go LTL it's hard to really find a bad side to this type of work.:1036316054:
 
I agree with you 100%! Even though I suffered a little bit trying to find the right company to work for, there's absolutely no reason to suffer to appreciate LTL work. I guess it all boils down to some people thinking that if they suffered for a truckload company before getting an LTL job (back when you had to have 2+ yrs. of experience), then newbies should too.
HeadRush what we were saying is this:: A person who starts out on LTL will probably not appreciate his LTL trucking job as much because they have not seen the crappy side of trucking in truckload OTR.Belive me the little things that whizz you off now are nothing compared to sitting at a produce shed 24 hours for free waiting on a pallet of cabbage.Or the 2+ hour wait in a truckstop for a shower.Or being layed-over 48 hours and only getting $50.00 where like at YRC we get roughly $44.00 on a 2 hour mini.Or waiting an hour at a Pilot to fuel which you do not get paid for.. I could go on and on but if you never experienced it you have no idea how bad you could have it.My hat is off to anyone who can come right in to a LTL job because you got to avoid the B.S. in truckload OTR.But don't tell me how bad your LTL employer is because I have had it alot worse.
Not everyone can get a LTL job as thier first and those of us who don't really appreciate the lifestyle because of our OTR back-ground.:1036316054:
 
HeadRush what we were saying is this:: A person who starts out on LTL will probably not appreciate his LTL trucking job as much because they have not seen the crappy side of trucking in truckload OTR.Belive me the little things that whizz you off now are nothing compared to sitting at a produce shed 24 hours for free waiting on a pallet of cabbage.Or the 2+ hour wait in a truckstop for a shower.Or being layed-over 48 hours and only getting $50.00 where like at YRC we get roughly $44.00 on a 2 hour mini.Or waiting an hour at a Pilot to fuel which you do not get paid for.. I could go on and on but if you never experienced it you have no idea how bad you could have it.My hat is off to anyone who can come right in to a LTL job because you got to avoid the B.S. in truckload OTR.But don't tell me how bad your LTL employer is because I have had it alot worse.
Not everyone can get a LTL job as thier first and those of us who don't really appreciate the lifestyle because of our OTR back-ground.:1036316054:

tramp1155 :1036316054:

All very valid points you are making.
Can you tell me the general opinion of Yellow or Roadway drivers running a sleeper operation compared to a relay or solo operation.
When it comes to bidding the runs, do the big strappers go for the solo runs or the sleeper runs where they may get more miles.
I know not all barns have sleeper operations, but I was just wondering if Yellow or Roadway maybe having a harder time filling the seats of sleeper teams and if drivers had their rathers which choice would they make.
At FXF West all we have are day cab KW's and solo runs.

:smilie_132:
 
The main thing we were saying is most people who have not been OTR at a truckload carrier seem to bit#h and whine about these LTL jobs.Those of us who have had no idea how easy of a job it was so when I hear those guys crying like babies over silly crap I think how can a guy have it so good and not know it?? I figure because he has not had that bad yet.You drive OTR somewhere and go LTL it's hard to really find a bad side to this type of work.:1036316054:
Well Tramp all I am saying is I would appreciate it alot more if management acted the way they should.
 
Well Tramp all I am saying is I would appreciate it alot more if management acted the way they should.
I understand I guess what I mean is I am more inclined to overlook alot of stuff because I have had it worse where you see the problem areas more because you know what you had before there and what you have now.. And when I've been in this awhile and things change for the worse I may very well have a hard time over-looking stuff myself..
 
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