The New FFE Driver Academey

Hopefully I'll be at orientation next week so I won't be here but good luck to you do what they ask you to and follow Thier instructions and you'll do fine all the instructors are great

 

Well hey everyone, I haven't been on here for a bit. I am out on the road driving a big KW W900 pulling flat bed. I was glad to get a chance to attend the academy, I learned a lot the I brought with me to the company I am driving for now. Lol even taught the boss a easy way to parallel (D.P.S.P.D. ) and alley dock park. I didn't give up and my advice to anyone that dosent make it is to keep looking and working at your goal. Lol my puppy and I out on the open road

 

it's all worked out well so far. my checks are never short( i audit them like a hawk), i get my expenses paid back in a timely fashion, they don't hassle me about getting repairs. it's a great work environment, i feel i made a good choice.

 

I'm trying to figure out when exactly you are responsible for the school tuition, so if I understand this correctly you go through the training at the school than go out with a trainer for 6 weeks. Say you get through all of that just fine but when you come back for a final retest you fail and were then let go you would owe nothing?
So basically I'm asking do you have to make it to orientation to go solo before the contract for the school tuition is valid and then you are on the hook for the full amount or will you owe the full amount before you even go out with a trainer for the 6 weeks.

The reason I ask is I'm debating just paying for my own refresher course to be on the safe side and find a company that way which would end up being cheaper than what FFE would be charging me if it ends up just going there for a refresher course.
Thanks..

 

good deal brittany -- i am glad things worked out for you -- i am in denver picking up in the morn for baltimore on monday --- with a drive by home stop -- been gone a month lol --- things are going good -- trainer and me are getting along fine and he dont snore lol and we have a brand new frieghtliner --- i am not sure what happens if you fail the last road test --- ive been planning on passing it lol

 

well privy im not sure on that but you would get an excellent refresher course and if you went on your own to get one any decent company is going to have you on with a trainer for awhile and ffe starts new drivers out at decent pay especially with the miles you run --- i am not sure if you fail and they send you home if you owe them anything or not hopefully i pass mine and i dont have to find out

 

Me and my husband have the exact same plan as you guys...I just though I'd let you know that after doing some research and talking to the folks at our local college I found that we will probably qualify for a grant to do our cdl. We have just applied for it and if all goes well we won't have to pay anything at all. Maybe you guys do to?

 

holy cow. been gone for 4 weeks and took forever to catch up. i'm glad to see that so many are still either heading to the academy or are thinking about going. i did the academy, did my time with the otr trainer and just finished my first 4 weeks solo. like the song says, what a long strange trip it's been.

my first trip solo was from springdale ark to hunt's point in the bronx. from there to jersey ltl then to the ports of new jersey to downtown chicago. trial by fire i guess. (if your not familiar with hunts point google it. it's a trip getting outa there lol.)

if any of you decide to go to the academy, just do what they say and you will be fine. if you live in Texas, get your permits before you go and save a few days on campus. yes the dorms suck. they do. but you will be so tired after class you won't care. learn to eat cheap because that will come in handy when you get on the road. yes there will be a ton of people that show up on the first day and there will be a lot of people that drop out or are cut. it sucks. just focus on getting yourself through it.

hope you get a good trainer, if you don't call the training dept and get off that truck. this is YOUR future do what you have to do to protect it. if there are no otr trainers available and you get placed with a ltl driver don't be to upset. you will get TONS of backing experience as well as TONS of experience driving in tight places which you will be thankful for once your out on your own. I suck at backing because i did not get enough of it with my otr trainer.

when you get out and pass your upgrade @ lancaster, don't be upset if you don't get a new truck right away. some do and some don't. eventually you will get a newer truck. put your time in and do your best and it'll happen. i got a 2009. it had a ton of miles but it was clean. now i'm not sure what i did but just got upgraded to a new 2013 international. (only had 743 miles on it when i got it.)

i'm not an expert, i am still a trucker wanna be, but if you have questions re the academy or what you can expect send me a prvt msg and i'll be happy to answer what i can.

my new ride.

 

I'm on the dog and headed to Fort Worth!

 

I'll be here till Monday let me know what you wearing and I'll see if I can find you