First express????

It's company driving only. No lease, which means no equipment worries for you. They also keep the equipment in top notch safe with a fantastic pit crew and shop. Want new wiper blades? Just ask for them while you fuel. Feeling a wobble or hearing something weird under the hood? I was never in the shop longer than my 10 hour breaks. But most fixes were within an hour while I was inside turning in paper work.

As for every weekend off, they get you home for about 38-48 hours. But you might be getting in on Saturday or Sunday and leaving 38-48 hours later. It will depend on where your home terminal is and what the Monday morning loads look like. Talk them before hand if you're worried about it and let them tell you what the drivers in that terminal normally are in and out. Of course everything is subject to freight schedules, but they do their best.

 

Hey alllstar, thanks for the write up. Do you know if they hire recent CDL school grads?

 

Can't remember what their minimum experience requirements are. It's worth giving them a call and finding out. I remember there was a limit on how long you could be out of a truck (between jobs). They definitely want recent experience because as soon as your truck is assigned, so is your first load. Not much time to remember how to shift

 

Thanks for the reply allstar, I'll give them a call and see what they say.

 

Thanks for all the information allstar. What states do they run , as in do they run the north east ? And where are their terminals located. They don,t provide this information on their website that I have found .

 

THEY STEAL from their Drivers - they are inflexible with which Dealership you take the truck to (Lavergne, TN only) - (Operationally) they force you to operate Illegally i.e. want you to finish a delivery while on your break - And you will have Fatigue Issues with running through-out the Night from 2200 to 1200 shifts on Kroger Loads possible - FORCE DISPATCH!!! - unable to be flexible with how you are Fatigued - they will shut your truck down for Repair or Oil-change and want you to log it as in the Sleeperberth when you've been out of the truck - They charge you up to $1000 per any occurrence of any damage whether it's your fault or not (there word vs. your word)- the owner assumes no responsibility for the liabilities of hiring a Driver - auto calculates an inconvenient Fuel stop on your required route - Averitt is the better option of this 3-headed monster (First express, First Fleet, and Averitt) - best options in this Area 1. Big G express 2.Interstate Dist. 3. Crete

 

I understand that First Express driver might have to clean out their first truck. Is there any truth to that. I was told by my recruiter that I would have a private room with a private shower. Getting a bit leary of this opportunity. Please let me know what you know ASAP my recruiter is supposed to call me back this morning.

 

My truck was clean and waiting for me when I got mine. Every time you leave the yard you have to go through the automatic truck wash. Not sure why anyone would think a truck would be left dirty.

There are dorms at the facility which you'll be at the first 3 or 4 days. You'll have your own room with a twin size bed and a chair. That's all you need because you'll be spending the rest of your nights in a truck cabin anyway, right? I found it adequate but don't expect the Hilton. I thought it was a nice touch that they had our names on the doors when we arrived as a welcoming gesture.

There are a couple (3 or 4?) private bathrooms in the same hall. They're about what you'd be used to from the private showers at most truck stops. I found the lodging comfortable for the purpose it serves.

I would encourage you, though to not get hung up on trivial things like this. Not just at First Express but from any trucking company. It's not a hotel and you're there for 3 nights usually during orientation. If Adam is still there handling recruiting, I'd pretty much take him at his word. I never found anything to be different than what he told me.

The company is run by good people who enjoy their jobs. Doesn't mean the owners aren't shrewd and the rules in place are to save costs and increase profits. You're not signing up to drive an RV and tour the country. This is trucking.

To the whiner in the previous post, it sounds like you'd be unhappy anywhere you go. They do not force you to run illegal. In fact you'd get a call from Sonny if your Qualcomm logs a duty violation. The first time I really ran an overnight route, which wasn't too often, I knew I was too tired about halfway through and had to pull over. Called in to dispatch to let them know since it was a tight schedule, and they were fine with it. Took a nap for a couple hours and then I was fine. I think if you generally operate with a good ethic and perform at your best, when you need a break or have an issue they are quite understanding. That type of relationship is just part of human nature right?

 

Are you still at First Express?