Looking for Paid CDL for western US ie... FFE Transportation for CDL

I would avoid FFE. They're another high-turnover outfit that has to rely on the driver-turnover meat grinder to keep its trucks running.

Also, I would avoid any company that offers paid training. Those companies are desperate, so you want no part of them. And they got desperate for good (well, bad, actually) reasons. Also, with paid training there is a catch. If you don't like your company and want to quit, you'll be stuck there until your indentured servitude period is finished, which is usually a year. If you DO leave before the contract is up, you will be saddled with the cost of training, and that cost may be over 5,000 bones. Believe it, brother.

FFE is reefer as well. You want no part of reefer, especially if you're green. Reefer is aggravating, and you may quit before your first year is up just to maintain your sanity. If you do quit before that year is up, you'll screw yourself in two ways: You'll have to pay the cost of the training, and you'll have a DAC mark that may keep you out of good companies later. You don't need it.

I think Interstate is a better company to go with if you're new. If you don't have the mulla for training at a CDL mill, see if you can get a government grant. I know the employment office in my home state will help pay for training for those who need the help. I bet Oregon offers it, too. Get the training and give Interstate a call.

I predict that if you go with FFE for "free" training, you will be hating life every day of the world for 365 days. Don't do it. There are better ways to go than the "easy" way that is FFE and it's "free" training. If you DO go this route, let me know your full name and address. I'll send you a document you can hang on your cab wall that reads "certifiably insane". But I'm sure I won't even have to do that. After getting this baloney called "free" training with FFE and working for them a month, you'll probably be making up that document on your own. You may even make it up after the first WEEK.

 

Ef, I'm glad to help. Unfortunately I don't know of any other GOOD oufits that run out of Oregon/Washington area. At least not off the top of my head. And I'm not 100% sure Interstate can be classified as GOOD. You could delve into electronic phone books under "trucking companies" in that area to find something that may be good. I know Swift has a terminal somewhere near Portland, but you want no part of them. Ditto for May Trucking.

Crete is a good company, but the CCC terminal that's nearest to Portland is in Salt Lake City. You can give 'em a call, but I'd really look in phone books for companies nearer your home. Public libraries near you may also have big-city yellow pages, such as Seattle's. Whatever you do, don't choose a company that advertises in newspapers constantly or near-so. You should look in newspapers to only find the companies you want to AVOID. Many companies have over 150% turnover, and one way they keep their turnover grinders running is by using the help-wanted ads in papers to sucker in newbies. Knowing which companies you don't want to work for is the halfway mark to finding that ever-elusive GOOD job. The companies you don't want to work for are right under your nose in the classifieds every day of the world or nearly so.

 

I'm in Oregon too and youre sitting on a hard nut to crack. If you live within 50 miles of the I-5 corridor Schneider will take you on. Swift has a terminal in Troutdale and Portland, I think. Central Reefer hires out of Oregon. I'm sure there are the other big CDL mill companies that will take you on as well. The private schools are pretty pricey (to be read "over-priced") in Oregon. Blue Mountain CC (Pendleton) is starting up a new CDL program for around $2,000 if you can swing that. Still a bit high, but better than $4 or $5K. If you can swing paying on your own try Gordon out of WA. Marten will also hire newbies fresh out of school as well. Haven't heard many negative comments about either companies. Crete will hire out of Oregon, but I believe they want students out of PTDI certified schools. I'm sure there are more but those three seem decent. I wouldn't worry too much about starting with a reefer outfit. Like anything else in this business, some love it...some hate it. Until you give it a try you won't know which category you fall in to. I'm sure you would learn to deal with whatever you need to.

Bottom line is if you can't pay for schooling to get your license you'll be at the mercy of the big CDL training companies. The thing to remember is none of them are free. Even if you stick around long enough to get reimbursed you'll end up losing money in the way of pizz poor wages. It's one of those pay me now or pay me later type situations. Company sponsored training and decent pay just don't seem to coincide, but that's to be expected.

 

No driving with a trainer? Are you a rookie or an experienced driver? Please don't say you're a new driver and they're sending you out right after school with NO training.

 

I'll assume you're a green driver, Ef.

Jim's right--you should be going out with a trainer for a little while, assuming your training time won't include that. And considering they will want you to stay in a classroom for a week or two, this means your on-the-road training will be pretty meager if it's only four weeks.

I'd demand to go with a trainer for a few weeks after this your school session, especially if you're going to be pulling doubles. Also, you will want to know how to chain up if you're running out of Missoula.

You won't know enough to be a safe driver after your training school phase. I can't imagine a driver going solo right after school, especially if the training is only four weeks. I'm sure they haven't given you the full story. Their insurance company won't allow you to go solo so soon after graduation.

 

Brick is right, Ef. Somebody is toying with you if he's telling you you'll be going out solo right out of school. I don't think this is gonna happen.

Actually, I can see one scenario where it would work. During the school training you may go out on a company truck with a trainer running actual loads. Instead of being in a cab with three other sausages watching someone else drive 75% of the time, you will get one-on-one training on actual deliveries. This would be good, but I seriously doubt this is what you'll get at Watkins. Insurance companies most likely won't allow it. Even if you were doing this, you'd still need the learner's permit, and that takes classroom study of about a week, sometimes two. After you get the LP, you'd then need about 1 month training before an insurance company would qualify you as an acceptable risk to go solo.