Question for Canadian drivers.

How did the road test go with J&F ? I did a road test with them last week and was not impressed.

 

You realize this post is almost a YEAR old, right?

 

I did notice when it was posted and I knew it was a long shot, but I thought....... What the heck, you never know right.
I was curious to know how he got on. I'm also looking at Muskoka Transport and Wayne Smith Transport up in the Muskokas. So if anyone out there has any insights, I would be interested in their opinions.
Thanks

 

I'd like to know more about J&F Trucking too, but nobody seems to know much. I've tried talking to their drivers, but haven't had much success. They run a different area and there are so few of them. I believe they only have 50 or so tractors, excluding their waste division.

I'm interested in J&F Trucking because their yard's close, I like their flat-top Macs, I like their service area, and I'm attracted to their curtain-sides and step-decks. But the primary appeal is their flat-bed training. I occasionally pull flatbeds and once in a while a curtainside, but I'm almost entirely self-taught from observation and the FMSCA's load-securement handbook. Whenever possible, I get another driver from my company with plenty of flat-bed experience to review my load and suggest any corrections. He's always been satisfied with my securement and hasn't gone screaming to my boss to pull me off flatbed loads, so I must have the gist of it at least. I'm constantly learning little tips, but would love formal training.

Unfortunately, I've noticed that they often haul building materials, which I know from experience can be unnecessarily annoying. What worries me more is that a company their size is constantly hiring. When I do get a J&F driver on the radio and ask about their company, they tell me that they really don't have information to give because they've only been with them for two weeks or so. That alone deeply troubles me.

On the plus side, I hear their equipment's old but well maintained. The pictures of J&F's old R-model Macks on HanksTruckPictures.com are a real treat. In fact, J&F Trucking co-owns Durham Mack, and can readily get parts or even a spare truck if yours is down for an extended period of time.

 

Yes, their recruiting can be frustrating. I called their recruiter just to ask a few questions, and they handed my phone number over to a staffing agency that hounded me with phone calls every eight hours for four days straight. I was amazed. The volume of voice mail that was dumped on my phone actually burned through the $20 of prepaid airtime that I'd placed on my cell phone the day I'd called them!

I don't know much about Muskoka Transport, except that their paint scheme's a little, err, retro for my liking. But then again, it's better then Elke's... Were you fortunate enough to recieve one of those pretty Intl 9900is?

I hope your new company treats you well. It's not Manitoulin, is it? Ha ha, anyway, long-haul trucking can be a real pleasure because you'll find that you sleep better and can plan your trip out more effectively. Short- and mid-haul can be exhausting because you're constantly adjusting to a different sleep pattern to meet various appointment times.

Is there any chance that you're familiar with All-Points Freight in Bradford, ON? I was surprised to see a post about them on the 'Worst Trucking Companies' board, and even more surprised to read its contents. I'm extremely skeptical a company could to so grossly mismanaged to have 9 of 11 trucks sitting and still remain in business. And since it's been two years since that message was posted, I'm curious to know if their business has been improved.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a broad selection of flatbedding companies around now. I'm good friends with the owners of a company that run b-train tri-axle flatbeds to haul flat-rock from quarries in north-eastern Ontario, but they're seasonal. Most other flatbedders that advertise in my area simply run the Ontario-Quebec corridor, which is an extremely unattractive opportunity to me.

Fortunately, I can afford to wait because I had the good fortunate to land a well-paying local job with a small local company whose yard is 3km from my home. Unfortunately, the company's small, freights slow, and our hours are way down, so I'm trying to be prudent and plan my next move in case we experience an unexpected foreclosure or I am laid off. The sudden demise of Al's Cartage sobered me to the reality of how unexpectedly a company can be shut down. They couldn't pay their fuel bill and no other supplier would give them an account because of their poor credit, so they just closed the doors the next day...

 

Guess what? I was laid off from my kick-### local job because of a work shortage yesterday. I may get recalled in six to eight weeks, but I may not.

I see you're driving for a pretty decent company, though I haven't heard too much about them. On Friday, I saw an orange Western Star LowMax go by with their carrier markings in Hamilton. Do they have a full fleet of Western Stars? The truck you've got is pretty sharp. I borrowed one of them from our US fleet for a quick overnight trip a few weeks ago; they're a lot of fun, aren't they? Ours has cream paint-scheme, which really counterpoints the polished chrome. I had to chuckle while turning on all the lights; I've never had to hit so many switches before!

That said, can you tell me anything about your company (pay stucture, equipment, service area, dispatch method, etc.)? Plus, is there anything more you can tell me about All Points Freight, Inc?

P.S. Sorry for posting it like this, but I don't have the post count required to send private messages. I think you can send me one, but I won't be able to reply.