First Fleet / FirstFleet out of Bluffton, IN pros and cons

I've been rolling kroger freight with First Fleet for a little over 5 months now. They're hard up for drivers at the moment so I figured I'll help them out with a positive, but honest review clearly stating the negatives as well.
Starting my career in the trucking industry in 2004, I've had a chance to experience a lot of different types of jobs and like many of us, my job hopping has gave me a pretty good idea of what to expect starting out with companies. First Fleet hired me on a salary program, something definitely new to me, and this review will be based on that program but also cover some of the things you may be concerned about even if you hired in on their mileage pay system.
First of all, with the salary I'm being paid, I wouldn't make any less than $62k a year, and if I can run hard enough to beat that salary, then they will pay me the higher of the two numbers every week. I haven't achieved this yet, but I haven't really been trying, and Not because of laziness, but because I figure that I shouldn't refuse any freight they offer me while on salary, tho it's clear to me that I can refuse and pick my loads from a few options they'll usually offer me each time they call. As kind as the salary is, I just ask them what they'd like me to take, and take whatever they say. I think its odd that guys on salary aren't also on force dispatch. As it is, every time I come back to Bluffton, I'm allowed a 10 hour break regardless to where I started that day and how many hours I have when I get back. Rather generous of them if you ask me, so I try to be generous right back. Would they get upset if I refused to go back out when they ask me to if I have the hours? I'm not sure, because I always work with them on this. Most of time the Elog doesn't make it possible for them to send me right back out when trying to coordinate with their loads. Approximately 5/6 times when I get back to the home terminal with plenty of hours to spare, I end up on a 10 hour break (or more). Nice when you only live 30 minutes away.
When I first started, things were slow. On the salary contract you are only required to work 4 days a week to get your salary pay (commonly all they had me work on the slow weeks), 3 days or less and they'll pay you the mileage/ stop rate, which would be vey low. Once again, this has never happened to me, they aren't trying to screw me out of 4 days, and I usually work 5. I don't know if they would be angry and push me out if I refused to work 5 days and tried only to get the required 4, because once again, I always work with them on this. I don't get angry when people abuse my kindness, I just turn away and move on, because I expect to be repaid kindness for kindness and I won't defeat this ideology of mine by getting angry when it doesn't work this way, I'll speak up to a group of people about these things definitely, so that the ideology can possibly grow, but I won't attack anyone directly because it won't grow that way. That being said, I see the salary I'm getting paid as an act of kindness, and I try to repay that act with kindness. I feel First Fleet, while not perfect, definitely promotes the same ideology I believe in.
It's a regional/local driving style here. You pick up at the warehouse across the street, and make anywhere from 2 to 6 stops at Krogers ranging from 40 to 250 miles from here. You either load some grocery store goods on the way back, or you deadhead. I find that backhauls are about 50% of the time, and deaddhead 50%. Sometimes you'll be back in a 14 hour day, sometimes you'll be back the next day. For me it's usually the next day, but it may be different if you are paid mileage. On a busy week, I usually end up with 50 to 60 hours on lines 3 and 4 if I don't go off duty while delivering. You'll get two solid days off every week unless you agree to take a load that runs you partially into a 6th day. It isn't required, but if they ask me, I'll usually say yes. I don't however, take loads that originate on my 6th day, tho they've asked. I would consider it, but I usually have something planned at home already.
I'm driving a Volvo 670, but they also have Kenworth 680s, and a couple peterbuilts. I think the job calls for something more like an international 4400 sleeper, as we do get into tight spots, and don't really need a condo with lots of bodywork low to the ground to get scraped and damaged, or high enough to prune the trees at many of our receivers. It's possible for the company to run your truck on your day off with another driver, and I think they'd like to hire enough drivers to do this all the time, but it hasn't happened much with the truck I've been assigned, I think once actually. I've seen drivers mod these trucks. One truck has blue lights/ ground effects under the hood, with a 10 foot tall shifter. I know guys have power inverters installed, and I have even replaced the factory coax in mine. They are lenient on allowing you to add your own creature comforts.
There is a rider policy which is unique for a home regularly kind of job, and it was probably the primary reason I chose this job. I now have my Filipina wife with me, and she does enjoy seeing her new found country from the passenger seat. The policy, however, is only from May to October, so she won't be able to ride along for much longer.
The terminal has fuel and showers. Coffee, filtered water, satellite TV, gravel parking, truck shop, vending machines, microwave, and sometimes free junk food on the table in the drivers room. They are fairly open door here but they are always busy working their butts off too. I've never had any trouble with anyone here, tho they can get moody off and on. Patience is always a good idea.
Probably the biggest down side with this job for me is that the scheduling is very much anti-routine. There are days I'll wake up 2 hours away, drive in, then head home for a 10 hour break, unable to sleep because I just woke, and need to head out 13 hours from the time I woke to run a 14 hour shift. I can get tired and sleepy. I blame elogs for this more than anything because the appointments here aren't strict. A 2 hour nap could save the day, but you'll be running into trouble pulling that evil crap! God forbid you get sleepy any other time than when the government says you can be sleepy, or vise versa about being awake. Though you end up with probably no more than 60 hours of line 3 and 4 for the week, the days you do work CAN and WILL be long, unless you agree on a different kind of running. This doesn't bother me at all, I don't mind a 14 hour day, but once again, the log book rules are my true enemy. I believed thoroughly on being well rested, and nothing has hindered me more than HOS regulations, but that may just be me.
Overall, FirstFleet is the best company I've worked for. Not just because of the best pay I've had, but because I feel like I'm working together with people who will work with me. Maybe I could be more demanding just for sake of better sleep management, but I've been trying to evolve a system where I can manage the way things are, and helping out the best I can with my two days off every week. I did buy my own truck and plan to go owner operator, traveling the country with my wife, but I'll be working here at least until the rider program is finished for the year, and I hope that I keep a solid reputation so that if in the future I have a need for a job like this again, then I'll be welcome back. It may not be for everyone, but they definitely need drivers and its well worth taking a chance on if you are looking for a good company to call home. Some guys take their trucks home if they live in a convenient location (I was better off commuting). Give them a call, you may not regret it.

 

Sorry for the wall of text, I tried to make paragraphs, but Android just didn't work out pout

 

I left out my review of Peytons because while it's another negative part of the job, it wouldn't be fair to first fleet, plus it's marginal

 

Just a heads up, I did find out this weekend that you are supposed to work 5 days, but you won't lose your pay until they work you less than 4 days. I'm sure drivers have tried to get just 4 days as per the contract, but they probably didn't last long either so don't start this job assuming you will only work 4 days. You are allowed 2 days off tho, and that isn't bad.lots of home time if you live around Bluffton/ Fort Wayne

 

They just don't shrink wrap half the tone, the other half they load a ton of can goods high up on top of potato chips and tampons. I pick freight up off the floor all the time no matter how I drive. That's about my only complaint with Peytons.