I Highly Recommend Fraley and Schilling

This is the first I've ever heard of them, and I've been blessing this industry with my presence for 20 years.

450 trucks.....pretty good SafeStat score.

 

I loaded next to y'all at ALCOA when I was heavily medicated and was an owner /op for the Crash and Roll Stunt Team. Now that I'm sane again I'm looking to get back to flatbed work. I'm going to shoot them an application.

 

what are you talking about?

 

OGHeck I think Dave was being sarcastic with the comment. It sounds like he worked for CRST and then said he's now sane again. From CRST's reputation if you worked for them medication would probably help. I did detect sarcasm in his post so I don't think he was seriously on meds.

 

sounds like a recruiting ad to me......

 

I've been talking to fraley and schilling considering going with them dose anyone have an idea of average bring home pay starting out here they are saying 36 a mile to start

 

Anybody got the lowdown on working out of Baltimore with Fraley?

Adam

 

Wow, wish I had found this thread a few months ago.....

So yeah, I'm a former Fraley and Schilling flatbedder. I was domiciled out of the Brilliant, OH terminal, but was dispatched (like all the F&S flatbedders as far as I know) out of the home office in Rushville, IN. I ran with F&S for six months, and really enjoyed working for the company overall.

Here's how it works on the flatbed side of things. Pay starts at .35/mile all dispatched miles (loaded and empty), insurance is so-so, all the accessorial pay (covered in orientation) shows up regularly on your paycheck. Fuel is Pilot/Flying J and Loves. E-logs, Qualcomm.

That's the basics, now on to the actual stuff everybody should want to know. First of all, you are an actual individual, NOT a truck number. Dispatch makes every effort to get to know every driver by name and the sound of their voice. You will have an assigned dispatcher, but if he/she is unavailable whoever you are talking to can and WILL assist you with whatever you need. Hands down the friendliest company I have ever worked for. Also, the best driver support set up I've yet experienced. Any time I had a problem, be it a breakdown (paid), an issue with the load, weather, traffic, or even just sleeping past my alarm, those problems were dealt with in a simple phone call.

YOU are the captain of the truck. You decide the route, where and when you are going to fuel, where and when you are going to take a break or sleep. Just stay within the fuel network (again, P/FJ or Loves...not that hard). I had two instances in the past winter where I shut down due to weather. Once was when the interstate and every other road, path, and goat track was closed, another was my own choice due to being empty on roads I didn't feel safe on. Neither time was I questioned about my decisions. This is a company that takes safety VERY seriously, and expects the driver to make the right decision.

Nor was I questioned on either of the two occasions I turned down freight. Once due to over-length (broker load, company didn't know, it was Christmas and they were trying to get me home) and once due to weight. Full company support behind me both times, and I really appreciated it.

The company does try to get you home most weekends. However, they don't have any control over the shippers/receivers who like to hold trucks as long as possible. I've had numerous weekend plans screwed up by idiot union steel mills who feel all trucks should wait a minimum of six hours between checking in and loading.

Freight is very steady. You will get your next load as soon as you send in your "arrived at" message at your final delivery. They do some fairly long deadhead bounces (150-200 miles) to get you to the next load, but again you get paid deadhead miles. An example: P/U in Lancaster, PA, drop in Minster, OH, and either deadhead to Medina, OH or Ghent, KY for your next P/U.

If you are up here in the North, plan to see a lot of Ghent, KY. F&S pulls a buttload of freight out of North American Stainless. Mostly drop and hook, but you still get to secure the load and play with the tarp so it still eats a bit of time. Plan on overnighting it there (they have overnight parking just outside the fence) and if you don't carry food on the truck, stop on your way in. Down south, it's Wise Alloys in Muscle Shoals, AL, and again, plan on overnighting it there.

As far as trucks, it's luck of the draw. Fleet has everything from old Freightliner Columbias (both auto and stick) on their last set of tires to Petes and KWs to a few Macks. Shop does their best to keep everything maintained, but it's up to the driver to let them know there's a problem and we all know how good some drivers can be about communicating, don't we? I started out in a 2006 Freightliner auto, blew that up and got a 2007 freightliner auto, traded that in for a 2007 freightliner stick, and finished out in my baby: 2012 Peterbilt.....man I loved that truck! The entire fleet is "ultralight" in configuration, so don't expect a lot of luxury...or space. Everything is done with a focus on saving weight so we can haul heavier freight. I ricocheted between bone empty and almost maxed out constantly. Heck, I'm not sure I even remember how to handle anything less that 48,000-54,000+ on the deck anymore! Also, while the company is bringing in a boatload of new Rietnour MACs, there are still a few old Ravens floating around....be sure about your empty weight before you accept a load!!! There have been a few occasions I've had to request a different load assignment due to the empty weight of my equipment, or an opportunity to swap trailers to get something lighter so I could get back to work. Not often, but it has happened.

The only reason (and this truly is the ONLY reason) I left F&S was because I was offered a dedicated lane with similar pay and much, much better hometime. What could be better than home most weekends, you ask? How about every other night and every weekend, I say. I've been doing this for a long time, and I'm too old and too lazy to live in the truck any longer than I have to. I prefer my own home bed and my recliner over the driver's seat during my off time. However, if anything should change, or I feel the need to go back out on the road full-time, you can darned well bet it'll be behind the wheel of another F&S truck!