CFI Question Thread

Can someone confirm for me? Is our test after our finisher. The driving part. The same test we did on day two of orientation? Or is it more complex? Idk.
Scheduled to test on may 4th. And still having a bit of trouble with my turns. I mostly struggle on the ones where you have to turn on the opposite direction for a second to whip it around. And I have to get out of this habit of turning from left lane to right lane and go from left lane to left lane...also my signs! No matter how focused I am and how many signs I read. Whenever my finisher asks me “what did that sign say” it’s always conveniently the one sign I must have missed and it’s making me go crazy thinking I’m doing a bad job and not going to pass these tests.

 

I see that CFI is offering Per Diem to company drivers that entails paying a weekly $15.00 "administration fee" for the privilege to do so. By reading some comments by CFI drivers in a couple of CFI Driver Facebook groups, the idea of paying that weekly fee it isn't going over well at all. To my understanding the per diem is optional, but that hasn't toned down the volatile comments made towards the company. What are your thoughts?

 

Any company offering per diem will charge back from the driver. Most are based on cents per mile; you give the company 12 cents and they put 10 of it on your paycheck tax free. Cfi is $14.50 per week flat rate and states avg cost on avg miles work out to a penny per mile.

 

Can you explain that last part ("states avg cost on avg miles work out to a penny per mile") a little more?

 

most companys charge back for administration cost of per diem example when i drove for a company if i chose perdiem i got total pay of .42 a mile if i chose no per diem i was payed .43 keeping in mind .12 cents per mile was not taxed. Even with the charge u bring home 35 to 50 more per week hope that helps. However per diem pay will lower your paid vacation amounts if payed on average pay and less is payed into social security etc

 

Re-read the faqs page. It's less than a penny per mile, not avg penny per mile. If you opt in to the program the fee is $14.50 week. Anything over 1450 miles a week and the cost is under a penny. The tax free portion of pay is .145-.16 per mile based on per diem allowance of $63/day.

 

It is my understanding that the $63 OTR deduction for every day you are away from home is officially gone for Company drivers with the new tax laws passed by Congress. It is still available to ICs and O/Os. In my case as someone who is pursuing my third career (retired from two previous lines of work and drawing pensions from both) as a driver, it makes much more sense to take per diem from a company if offered to reduce my taxable pay.

 

I'm highly considering leaving Western Express and joining CFI. Most of my questions have been answered thanks to this thread. I spoke to a recruiter and was told that if I finish my 90 days with Western Express I can skip going with a trainer and be able to get my own truck. If that's true do anyone know the process of how I will be able to get from western express terminal in Nashville, TN to their terminal in West Memphis? I also have my wife with me and we're from Mississippi do I have to send her home while I go through the hiring process?

 

Cfi will probably get you a greyhound ticket

 

Less than 90 days experience?