Current Drivers

FFE as I understood it out of Lancaster with it's variety of ternimals for dispatching does not exist as such anymore. The original Board of directors (I think three in total) were bought out lock stock and barrel with about 12 to 16 millions average each when they sold their interests in the company, in my day it was about 1.60 to 2.40 a share give or take.

I consider myself a very strong former FFE driver. A team driver to be exact with my spouse. HOWEVER we moved into a Arkansas company to exclusively run Pharmacy loads in excess of a million in value in the fall of 2001. Because we were running upwards of close to 7000 miles weekly on the ground and payrolls hit twice with $0.00 thats not correct payroll, we had to go to DM twice and have him see the evidence carefully documented in our journal to the nth degree of unpaid loads, one time he paid both us for 4 loads delivered and turned in and another time he paid us for 6 loads delivered and turned in. We kept copies of all papers including bills of lading etc. All of it. So there is only facts about unpaid loads.

ONE DM was given 20 years fairly recently in Mississippi Federal Prisons for embezzling from FFE twice. Once during our time there and again much later in life. We were familiar with this one of many. One bad apple does not make the whole barrel bad.

Ultimately we understood that in 2001 after 10 months teaming we earned 4.52 a hour each for 7400 hours applied or 306 service days away from home 24/7 more than 125 miles from the house that year as filed at tax time in 2002.

When we understood the magnitude of our losses with FFE and other carriers we decided to simply stop trucking. Its not finanically worth it. If I do this again after 2020, it's going to be not less than 11.00 a hour wage for 2021 minimum wage in our State. So call it 15 hours driving. 150+ day flat regardless of mileage. Its going to work out close to 700 per day in mileage. Thats probably going to end up being a little over a thousand dollars per week. Keep in mind its alot of money for someone in my position, 4000 a month flat cash after taxes. So when the routine is broken to run Yakima Apples to Georgia, Ima-going already. Applylady be waits olldat loud. (Apple Lady will be waiting hard on the entire load of fresh apples)

What do we do? get into college. 46000 dollars later with two worthless papers in hand, one a 4 year degree and the other just a stack of worthless skills easily handled by overseas immigrants then coming over on H1b visas about 2004 time period was when we understood that college as a whole was worthless. (Not entirely, but overall yes.)

No sooner than the ink has dried on the graduation diploma for spouse's 4 year when we learned that we may lose her to cancer. That sparked almost a two million dollar all out war at the VA in little rock. They did a excellent job because the cancer itself was extremely easy to kill despite it's horrible tumors and other damages. Its going on about 15 years and we are still cancer free. But we do keep a eye on it now and then. Just the other day we learned that our CBC blood panel was generating slightly larger than normal platelets due to the Bone Marrows dispatching "Armies" from the Marrow to fight Cancer cells in the body somewhere. So we may be in for another round. But this one will not be a fighting round. It will be per her wishes to just go to hospice when things get too difficult and painful. Once was quite enough. I would probably have to have a doctor assigned to me as well. Once was quite enough.

 

@Jenn72

 

Check with Western Dairy Transport.
I think you're paid hourly while in their cdl school then trucker pay after graduation.
Meals & lodging provided.
Schools are in Texas and Missouri.
Western Dairy Transport
https://www.wdtmilk.com

 

You don't see a lot of us FFE drivers on here because we don't usually have anything to complain about. I have met a couple, but they are usually rookies and don't last to long. I know of two drivers on here. I and travR1. (I run linehaul, he runs plasma teams)

FFE has been around longer than 6 years. (They started in 1948) That is just when they merged with KLLM. Even though they merged they are run as two different companies.

I would say your first year is the most challenging. Bottom of the food chain. Linehaul loads leave on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I can remember leaving a terminal on Thursday and getting to the next one on Saturday. Then watching trucks that came in after me leaving before me. I would be like what the heck. I'm not making any money. (I made over 58k my first year) Occasionally I would get offered to run local/regional. Which I did. Then about my 1 year mark. I started getting lots of loads. I would be the driver who would be pulling into a terminal on Saturday, and leaving with another immediately or after my 10 was up. If no linehaul loads were available I get ask to help out on local/regional loads every time I'm there waiting. I learned patience and about the food chain.

If you keep your head on straight and not be a problem child you will be okay. Don't speed, do your pretrips, quarterly training, clean inspections, don't goof around while doing loads. You will be good.

 

You're welcome. Good luck with whoever you choose.