FCC--Fremont Contract Carriers

Dishonesty it’s probably the number one reason why a lot of these companies have such a high turnover rate…

 

Welcome home!
It’s amazing the amount of luring propaganda that some companies are using.
About two weeks ago I open my phone in google and there was a story of a company offering drivers two months of driving and one month off.
Another one was offering 10,000 sign on bonus.
After reading such advertisements I remember the words of my grandfather... Son! not everything that shines is gold.

 

I got a rude awakening yesterday. After leaving the house at 10:30 p.m. Sunday night to make it down to Tyler for a 4 a.m. live unload add a grocery DC, I was lying down taking a nap as they took 4 hours to unload 12 pallets, ugh! When all the sudden I woke up to the truck shaking and hearing a loud crunch. There was a driver attempting to back onto the dock next to me on my driver side, apparently he was trying to back in between me and another truck at a 90 even though he had plenty of room to pull up and easily back in at a 45. So he ends up clipping the mirror on my driver side and folding it into my window. I got lucky though, I was able to pull it out and the glass wasn't broken. Everything is still functional and driveable. Just cracked and broke a lot of the plastic around the backing and the support arm. It could have been way worse, had he pushed on it another half inch or so it would have broken out my driver side window. The first thing I thought of as I was half asleep taking pictures of everything was ####! Now I got to deal with reporting all this crap. But I must say, FCC made the whole thing completely painless. Naturally Shane said that mirror is on National backorder for Freightliner though LOL that figures! So I guess in the meantime I'll drive around looking like a Swift driver LOL so if you see a FCC truck with a boogerd up driver side mirror it wasn't me, I swear!...

 

Had a Live Unload of siding from NC this morning in IA. I was able to get on site last night with a few minutes left and when I pulled off I-80 just West of Des Moines and saw a Steakhouse right there at the exit. And the Drop was not too far down the road. So I called to confirm they were open and walked back up the road to get there before they closed. And glad I did. Nice smaller Steakhouse. Cook your own steaks at a huge indoor grill setup. A bit pricey but was a nice treat too.

So if you find yourself west of Des Moines and want to grab a good steak, check out Rube’s.

They look like they have Room for Truck Parking but there is a sign saying No Trucks. A waitress thought we could park there but I’d call to verify first.

But, as I said above, my customer drop (ABC Supply) is just walking distance to the South and do have a nice concrete lot that could be parked at if just stopping for dinner. Room to pull through the car parking to get out too so it would be easy in and out. And if after hours, I doubt they would mind but not volunteering them.

anyway, ya, Rube’s steakhouse was worth the stop.

 

I miss driving in the Upper Midwest. Iowa was probably my favorite state to drive in, there is so much truck parking in that state and the roads are all very truck friendly. I think in the Truckers Atlas there's only 2 highways that trucks can't go on, basically every highway is good to go on in that state. During my 2 years OTR I saw the most of Iowa out of any state, I think I've seen just about every nook and cranny that the state has to offer.

How often do you guys go to the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin and with Wisconsin do you ever go the the Northern part of the state?

Do you guys go to the Northeast a lot (or at all)?

 

They keep me mostly in the SE but I’ve been to WI a few times both picking up and dropping off. MI only once. I’ve never been to the NE with FCC but I think others have mentioned going there. It’s not our normal area. I think others have mentioned being up north and I think I’ll be heading up that way more this coming winter as we don’t have many willing souls to drive up there in the winter. (Not so sure I’m “willing” but I also don’t turn down loads… lol)

im sure others can fill in more details.

 

I have been to the NW about 7 or 8 times. A couple times have had a load from near Yakima to Wisconsin. Go to CA quite a bit, but about 80 percent of the time, go no further than Fontana. Have picked up near Anaheim once, and delivered to the Imperial Valley twice. Been to NJ, right across from Philly three or four times, and picked up loads in CT and MA right after that twice. So I deadheaded across NYC for both of those. Of all the places I have been with this company, probably my least favorite place is North Georgia, because of having to go through the mess around the I-75/24 junction

 

The only 2 states I haven’t been to is Vermont and Maine here at FCC
Normally I’ll take one load out east and bring a load back to the Midwest pick up a load and go usually California and bring a load back to the Midwest then start over
Sometimes I will do 2 + loads out east then go west depending on freight. I am on the OTR fleet
The customer we have in Connecticut can be a nightmare that you hope you only have to do once

 

OTR Fleet here too. I live east of I95 so maybe that’s why I stay mostly SE. they have sent me from East to Midwest to West to Midwest to East a few times but not a regular thing. I’d go NE if they need me as I don’t turn down loads and ran NE occasionally in a Green Truck but not complaining about what I get either. Nice to have a regular area like a Regional but with the occasional West Coast run to change it up now and then.

I’ll keep a weary eye out for any Connecticut loads… LOL