CFI Driver's What's Your 20? (2017 edition)

Looks like Christmas dinner at the Petro in Eloy. I can handle that.

 

Dang I hate grocery warehouses. It took 5 hours to unload a trailer so I had a whopping big day of 186 MI...

The good news is after I deliver this thing in Arizona I pick up in Phoenix and go to Redlands California and then I deliver there and pick up in Ontario California and go to somewhere in North Carolina... I can actually say I'm pre-planned into next year.

 

Awesome, Rooster. So they are -13 trucks in Atlanta area, how, you may ask? Well, there are more loads than they have trucks. I had a preplan that picked up in Fairburn that went to Waco, but someone dropped the ball on the pickup date and time. I offered to cover a Laredo load but they told me no. So, homeward bound I am.

 

Enjoy your Christmas...uh Hanukkah... Kwanzaa?...

Ahhh the hell with it... Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas Rooster

 

Thanks for the welcome roadrooster. Ive been looking for a good starter company i can drive with starting in the spring. Chinatown pretty strongly recommended cfi. How are they to work for? Are they good about home time? Reliable with pay and miles?

Do they have experience requirements?

 

Last run of the year

Not a single flake of snow I had to fight....it's going to next week.

Funny reading all your takes on per diem... I was getting per diem my entire time at Con-way tax free!!!!

....I called it going to the food bar and grabbing me a mushroom flying j pizza sometimes two....
Miss I'm gonna need an open key receipt on that. ::slides cashier a $5 bill and slurps kinda purple lemonade::

hehehe..... and im not even kidding....I ate so many free meals. Take a month to reimburse my money for oil will ya.

...oil being Chili btw in reality. Trump should've hired me as trucking tax czar I know all the loopholes!!!

 

Cisco Texas... Laredo Taco Company... love their grub. I ended up on 20... there was frozen mix on 40 in Texas and Oklahoma... wasn't concerned about the amount but since I am doing a lot of night driving on this trip I was concerned about black ice. Too bad I enjoy that drive on US 54 and 70 from Santa Rosa down to Las Cruces. Maybe I can do it on the way back.

 

Alright, in 7 years, I have never had an issue with pay, miles, or home time. I believe the home policy is you can request after you have been out for 10 days. Then you gotta give them 8 days to get you there. They often get me home early.

When I evaluated starter companies, I looked at pay for the first year. CFI won out. I have quit twice in the last 4 years. Both times was for equal pay and better home time. They didn't pan out and I came back in less than 30 days on both.

I was fully reinstated both times without having to start at the bottom.

I stay out for 8 weeks usually... living in Florida, it makes financial sense. If you live close to a major interstate outside of FL or CA, I am sure it is easier to get you home more often.

CFI is partnered with Crowder College near Joplin for driving school. I did it and I recommend it.

A recruiter can tell payment options and the current pay plan. It just changed so I am not familiar with all the pay grades.. only my current one and the next one.

After you get your CDL, you come to orientation, upon completion, you go out with a trainer...we call them finishers.

You do 90 percent of the driving or more of the 7500 mile trip. Your finisher is sitting next to you the whole time. Most companies drive students and trainers as a team... that means one person is always asleep...no teaching and learning going on with that scenario.

Let me know if you have other questions.

 

Im in vermont so i dont think im too close to a major freight line lol.

I already have my cdl, but no class a experience. Had cdl-a with N & T since 08, only ever driven a class b 4 car carrier for any time to speak of. I'm looking for a company that will train me.

What is the equipment like? Mostly auto or manual? Apu?

I havent applied with cfi yet. Im not looking to make the career change until april. The companies i had applied to said im wasting time applying so early. Im just trying to be fully prepared going into this. Any suggestions to prepare myself betwern noe and then? When should i apply if i want to get started early april?

Sorry for the constant questions, and thanks for the answers