FFE

Wanting to let you know what happenned so I will try to shorten my responce as I have so much to say. I was made to drive, then kept awake by extremely loud radio (Sounded like I was In a bar) I even called my wife to hear what I was suppossed to be sleeping thru. She couldnt even hear me speak!!! Then forced to drive without sleeping at all. I had been up 36+ hours went to sleep and was woke up 30 minutes later with him shouting my name. I said to him what the F--- do you want now Ofer as I was opening up the curtain and sen Boarder Patrol standing at the door. Ofer later reported to J.D. and Bob that I had cussed Boarder Patrol and called them names. And all the time this was the guy with an attitude problem. I mean everyone he came into contact with he had to arguee with them. Didnt matter if it were a shipper, reciever, a sales clerk, another customer in a truck stop, or his own dispatcher he argueed with everyone. Anyway I was driving thru Houston about 3 P.M. he told me I had to stay in the right hand lane because our exit was coming up. Ok, I drove behind an old man for the next 16 miles at 40-45 miles an hour speed limit 60 with Ofer cussing him all the way. He got off on the same exit we did and Ofer finally let me go around him saying when you do I want you to lay on the Air horn an stay on it. I told him no the man was having trouble but he insisted saying I will fail you. Coming off the exit he told me to get into the far lane but I couldnt because I had 2 cars right beside me. He insisted that I do it antway. I repeated that I couldnt because of the cars and asked if I had another exit ther that I needed to get over for. He said no but I told you to get over there and thats what I want you to do and I want you to do it now so do it. I told him again I couldnt as I still had the same 2 cars beside me. He saidd I dont give a F--- I said get the F--- over now do it. I refused asking him how many people he wanted me to kill in the process. That I would get over when traffic allowed and not until then. I guess he reported me on all that too. Anyway when we got back to the yard I explained to J.D. that I didnt come there to drive like that and he told me that if I felt unsafe I shold get another driver. There is more to all this but it is a lot so I will move on. Again I would be singled out for another driving evaluation with Deb.

 

May 19 2011





Hello Samiamnky and the Group:


I am sorry all of those things happened to You. It makes me really curious about how FFE selects their Trainers and keeps them on.

Unfortunately, I have heard that dealing with crazy trainers is quite common. I am possibly starting out with Werner now, so anything is possible. I just Hope that I can get my 2 Months in for experience anyway. The Teachers in my School said basically that "You will have many trainers, learn something from each one". This must be more true nowadays than It ever was in the past, with all of the new students.

I really meant to say before that my Trainer, Curtis, at FFE was one of the best until his family started bothering him a lot, with common things that become a problem to any OTR Trucker. Curtis's Wife was very sick and he was very polite to all of them, and I don't think that the relationship there was mutual, but he was very attatched to them. They really emotionally f'd him up a lot by enraging him. I still think that he was like a Saint, and It is hard to find people like that in Trucking.

 

Im thinking if they had video monitors in the trucks maybe they could get a better feel for whats really going on. I dont believe the companies want this kind of stuff happening. Its not upper managemant they are bringing in the people and wanting to get their work done as well as possible. I believe its the lower management. People like J.D. and Bob who are responsible in fact I know it is. You will see this when I post on my last trainer. Not doing it today though its my birthday and I am going to be busy. CYA Have a good day

 

Back for an update. As noted earlier, I went to FFE in Texas in November for orientation and started driving solo for them in January.

I said that my biggest beef, my 'deal-breaker' with them was the three-week-out, three-day-home rule .That's still the deal breaker and I'm currently looking for something either 11 Western, Pacific Coast or even local SoCal so I can be home more. It's kind of a shame FFE won't work with you on this sort of thing, because I think it drives many other drivers away, too. Also because at the moment I am otherwise a pretty happy camper.

After my dismal April, where paychecks for a three week period were, in order, $280, $190 and $55 — less than I made on unemployment — I finally got a new driver manager. I don't know what happened to the other one, although he's still listed on the email page for PeopleNet. And I don't know why I got transferred, but it might have had to do with my constant complaining about sitting, sitting, sitting and not getting any dispatches. Hey, the squeaky wheel....

At any rate, my new DM has been getting me dispatch after dispatch, almost all in the 600-800 mile range. Much better checks have been appearing in the mailbox at home, which makes SHMBO (she who must be obeyed) happy, which after all is the main reason I'm working at all.

As an example of how I'M treated, I was just in the yard to drop an interchange trailer. Went by the tire shop to ask them to look at my drivers, one of which was getting on the thin side of tread wear. Guy comes out, takes a look, says "back in." Then he says come back in half an hour or so. I go shower, come back and I have four new drive wheels and the best of the others rearranged.

Then I go by the wash bay, get motioned in and in 10 minutes, the tractor is gleaming. (Especially nice since FFE doesn't pay for outside washes.) Go in to get a new dispatch and while I'm waiting in the lounge, Sam the truck manager comes in and calls out my unit number. I stand up and he says, "you're due for an oil change, take your truck over to the lube bay." Which I do and in about an hour and a half (I was third in line), it's all lubed, oil changed, checked out.

Of course two days later I got stuck in the mud at a drop yard and had to get towed out and the truck is now covered with mud. But that's another story.

The point is, my experience at FFE has not been bad. At least from the perspective of me feeling they treated me disrespectfully. Everyone in the company that I've dealt with has been very professional. From what I've heard from other people — drivers, former drivers and dispatchers — FFE might be a notch above the rest of the herd. I'm a new driver and have never worked for Swift, Werner, Stevens or the other big guys, so can't compare directly. But again, guys I've talked to who have had that experience say that FFE is a notch above those other companies, especially in the way they treat their drivers.

I don't know how much you all have read about the trucking industry in general, but the turnover figure for new drivers in the larger companies is often quoted as 100% — in other words, ALL the new guys quit. They are replaced with more new guys, who also quit. That's why big companies are always looking for drivers, and why so many companies run regular orientation and training programs. (The stats don't say at what point they quit or where they go, but from my observations, they go 'sideways' — to other trucking companies.)

The dispatcher I talked to recently — I'm not naming names on purpose, by the way — told me FFE is about 85% turnover. That's still horrendous in most industries, but might even be considered "good" in trucking.

One short note on my training, and training in general: My trainer was a good 'ol Texas boy who had been driving for 30 years, working for FFE for 19 and training for, I think he said, about 15 years. I wouldn't say he was the best, but he was far from the worst. My opinion of his 'faults' included not nearly enough backing up (I actually did an extra week with a City driver to brush up on these skills when I failed backing on my first driving test with Deb), a bit lackadaisical on the DVIs (which most of the time consisted of looking in the mirrors to see if the trailer was still attached — that was the DVI), and expecting some long driving hours out of me that at first I was unable to do. We finally figured out it was because I was unable to sleep in the top bunk underway — it shakes too much. (Yes, I know you're not supposed to sleep there while moving.) So like everyone else, I put my sleeping bag on the bottom on top of his bedding and slept so hard the first time you could have rolled the truck and I wouldn't have woke up. BTW, I never used or asked to use the 'netting'. He said of all the guys he'd ever trained, numbering more than 150, no one had used it.

Also, FFE's literature on training says that newbies are only supposed to drive 4 hours at a stretch to start? Forget that. Soon as we left the yard, we drove just like a team would — he'd do his 8 to 10 and I'd do mine.

He also had a Texas drawl so thick that half the time I (being a California boy) couldn't understand what he was saying. I know, it's stupid, but true! It was a point of friction to have to say 'Huh?' so often, especially when he'd repeat what he said in another unintelligable drawl.

All in all, however, we got along good. He had his bad days and I had mine. I swallowed my pride more than once to get criticized for something I'd done or he thought I'd done wrong. I think it's really important for new guys to remember that they are the student and he is the teacher. For the purposes of training, you're NOT equal and what you think and feel (regarding the job) should only be made plain if it's asked for or you feel there's a safety issue at stake. You also have to remember you're in his truck — his home away from home — and pretty much have to play by his rules as far as pit stops, showers, radio stations and so on. Fortunately, my guy was great about all that hygiene stuff, and our musical tastes were, amazingly enough, similar.

In response to one comment here, I don't know how FFE or any company picks trainers. I know there is a big push for guys to go into training — as well as the $75 mentioned earlier, my trainer got paid for all my hours as well as his. (Trainees get a flat $375/week the first two weeks, $400/week second two weeks and $500/week last two weeks.) Think about that at .36 or .38 cents/mile or whatever he made. He showed me a couple of his paychecks and they were impressive.

However, you inevitably heard the stories like those mentioned here of trainier-trainee problems. We heard of trainers getting so fed up that they'd just drive off and leave a trainee at a truck stop. Or trainees that got so pissed they'd just stop the truck, get out and walk away. One trainer was relieved of that duty because his trainee complained he never took showers! When questioned by the bosses back at the terminal, he said, "That's how I roll." They said, "Okay, but you're not training anymore."

Also when I was there, in the latest crop of new guys was a fellow with some years of OTR experience at another company. They were making him a trainer right off the bat. I saw him last time I was at the terminal and he said so far things were working out okay.

Bottom line — I think they're always hurting for trainers and trying out new trainers. Since not everyone is good at it (even though they might be an excellent driver), there will be bumps in the road.

Also, I think any time two guys are thrown in some situation where they have to work together for any length of time, there are bound to be issues. Even the nicest two guys you might meet individually might hate each other's guts if they're paired up in the small confines of a truck cab for six weeks.

The best advice I can give any trainee is to remember who's the trainee and who's the trainer. Suck up the embarrassment and criticism and learn from it. Make allowances for bad days, both for you and the trainer. I told myself more than once that it's not brain surgery, and it's not going to last forever. Just put your head down, keep your mouth shut and plow ahead.

As stated, I can't compare FFE with other companies directly because I've never worked for anyone else. But I've talked to a lot of other drivers — even some guys who left FFE to go elsewhere. And almost all of them say FFE is one of the better companies to drive for. (One of those guys drove for them for 16 years and told me he wished he'd never left. "Everyone thinks the grass is greener somewhere else," he said. "It's not. It's the same old grass, just on the other side of the fence.")

I would have to agree. Just wish they'd change that three-week thing.

 

yes they do.

Teams average 6000 miles a week.

They have several accounts that REQUIRE teams

 

Only been with FFE for 6 weeks, but I getting 2500 to 3500 miles a week.

I was told I could stay out anywhere from 21 days to 5 weeks.
Max time home is 5 days (or so I was told)

If there is a problem, call or see DAN BAILEY.
He is the "problem solver".

I am signed up to become a trainer in October.... if I don't change my mind. (BAD experience when I trained before)

The horror stories I keep hearing, as well as the lack of "instruction" reported by new drivers, has got me thinking I really NEED to become one again and teach these guys and gals something (if I can).

I think the 6 month to qualify to be a trainer is for the birds.
You don't know enough in that short time to train anyone.
(5 years would be "MY" minimum thought)


I use my "long load times" for 34hr resets when I can.
Those are easy to find at a certain meat packers place.

Also, NEVER EVER pull out if you have been sitting for 20 hours... you get layover pay at 24.

 

ffe or central refrigerated, i think they both keep you out 3 weeks or so, i like 2 weeks, ffe has alot lower turn over rate than central, only a few last past a year there at central, from reading posts on ffe they have many drivers that stay there for years which is catchen my eye, do they run near pittsburgh,pa area, thanks, any info would be good, whats there idle policy for A/C doing the summer

 

Ya they got freight around their. Been withem a year. Cant see going anywhere else May not be for everyone but they work great for me. Im in Coudersport, Pa. Potter co.Beenat this 21 yrs. Always stayed out 3 to 4 weeks at a time then home for a week. Get used to it ya get much better runs. I del once a week. dont have to constantly load an reload or deal with the co.An hell aweek of is vacation for most working stiffs. Later

 

If you new fells want to be home every 2 weeks keep looking! FFE will not babysit you like most co.s ROEHL, CRETE just a cople that have 7out 7 home. or 2 out 2 home.Dont come here an quit 3 months later

 

Howdy all
I`m thinking of FFe myself,Ive been off the road for 5 yrs,but they said they have a refresher course.The 1 problem i have is leaving my current job.I make 18.50 an hour,home everyday,great benefits,union job...But I love trucking been at it for 23 years.
I currently haul trash,yes garbage locally My wife says I`m crazy for wanting togo b ack on the road,ok i am...she said if I do we`re done(we don`t have kids)that would make it easy transition.I get depressed thinking about the freedom of the road.what do you guys think