The New FFE Driver Academey

Just reading the posts for ffe and LOL shaking my head,newbie's and mister super trucker backing him up classic.People are warned and they just can't wait to get in.But us GRUMPY driver's don't know anything.I don't evan bother anymore i just smile.

 

Yeah I suppose that's understandable. How about after you get to go solo?

 

Listen to your Dad. Get an accredited degree and you will be much better off. Or get w/Millis or some of the other schools. Much better companies unless you are set on pulling reefer. Never ever even think about CRE. They are lower than whale dung. FFE is slightly better. Not AS crooked. FFE will run you to death. They have the miles because of the cheap labor. They are in deep trouble over their past record and hence the talk on here about electronic logs, neck measuring and mandatory C pap machine at rest. That is not their business . Only you and your DR. Hopefully some day the rats will go out of business and driver will go back to making a good living instead of this run for28,30, 34 cents a mile. Slave labor.
If you do go and make it through a yr without too bad a taste in your you will be much tougher. Like the Marines or Army Special Forces without the good name to go with it. Listen to Dad. Go to a real school. Not a driver mill.

 

Big Duker....My comment to treyzguy about the c-pap was a inside joke. FFE does not measure your neck. LOL

As for those guys wanting to go to community collage or a driving school, Remember you "STILL" have to go to a starter company and run with a trainer for 6 weeks. the only difference is with FFE is the school is no money out of pocket, 2 weeks in the classroom, 6 weeks on the road (While on the road training you get $455 a week). no BS and o far everything has been as promised.

As for hometime.....I left on May 13th from home on a Greyhound. 2 weeks in school, then to the Grande Hotel for a week of orientation and to be assigned a trainer, and 4 weeks out now with a trainer. 7 weeks away so far and 2-3 more to go. Im OK with it, I know what I was getting into and as soon as I finish training, the policy is to Assign me a truck. My first load is headed home for 6-7 days.
Then we can take home time every 3 weeks.

My trainer got home time with just a msg over peoplenet, the next run was 2900 miles From NYC to Oakland Ca, he took 4 days there.

 

Thank you Playmaker

I have narrowed my search to FFE, Schneider, Crete and Roehl and noted all the pros/cons. I live in NW Indiana and understand the career change ways and trucking as a newbie. Recommendations. I have to continue to support my family while in training and transition.

All the best,

Robert

 

Well doesn't matter either way in my situation. FFE doesn't bring in students from NC due to some weird law NC has about transferring a CDL over. Apparently you have to retake the tests and pay the fees all over again when you transfer, so they don't accept NC or IL residents due to this. Gonna have to figure out another way in!

 

Alrighty....this one is for Playmaker or Spat or Treyzguy...

I did a bunch of research on different companies out there, and did a lot of reading on here, and I really liked what FFE was advertising. So I started to follow more closely Playmaker's thread. I have gained a lot of info from you Mr Playmaker, and I do thank you for that!!

So, I filled out an app online about a week in half ago, thinking that it was a shot in the dark cause none of the local companies around here (MN) call me back...brief history--been a class B driver for almost 18 years, drove school bus for 14 of those and tandem axle dock trucks and tankers for 4, clean driving record, clean background, still no call backs from local companies. Anyway I had signed on with Swift back in June of 06, then I got hired locally and that's where I drove the dock trucks and tankers till I got laid off in February of 10, couldn't find another dock truck job so I went back to school bus driving.

Now back to me filling out that app online...got a call from Jerry Wren (who so far has been a big help, and a great guy) he kinda gave me the run down of how long the schooling is and how long I'd be out with a trainer, and the intensity and stuff, then asked if I wanted to go ahead and have them run my application, I said let's do this! (still thinking that it was a shot in the dark)

I believe it was last Thursday, and I was just about to walk in to a local job out here to talk to a manager about a job as a courier truck driver...Jerry asked how I was doing, said I was OK...and then he asked me how would I feel if he told me that I'm all good to go down to TX to start training to be an FFE truck driver. I'm pretty sure he didn't get the reaction that he was hoping for, at least not at first. I was completely shocked...in my mind I was thinking...holy cow, this is awesome!!

So now for the whole point of this message to Playmaker, Spat, or Treyzguy....my wife and I are really low on funds, so more than likely I'm going to have to borrow money from a family member or a friend and I'm trying to figure out, what's the minimum that I'd wanna bring with me?? I know Jerry said I would need $70 for licensing, and then obviously I need money to feed myself, and other little things like detergent or whatnot. I'm guessing here, correct me if I'm wrong, that it's probably 3 weeks before you get your first trainer paycheck...or is it more like a month?!?

Anything would help....you 3, especially Playmaker for this thread, have been simply amazing...Playmaker, you're also an inspiration to keep your head up and keep thinking positive...especially with the junk out there and all the haters!!

Thanks again for your time!!

 

I worked for them yrs ago cherry picker. They were rats then. They are still rats. They may be trying to clean up a little now that the Gov is able to close the doors if they don't. They get people into their little endentured slavery programs just like the rest. I have said several times if you think you want to do reefer they may work out for you. Low wages. Long hours. Long waits some times. Get long runs pulled out from under you nearly there. Get a yr and go make some money. Real money for the hours you are investing. Make yourself wealthy not some rats who could care less if you live or die. It's all sales. You scared to have someone critique your little company? Not going to last long in this business like that. If you love it so be it. But when all you spout is cookies and sweet cream about one of the dirtiest companies around someone has to give opposing view.