The New FFE Driver Academey

had one go out a few weeks back enroute to waco. heard the pop, looked in my rearview, and saw all the tailgaters scatter like roaches as chunks of tire tread went every where! glad no one got a steel belt across the face, but hope they learn from their experience! DON'T TAILGATE!!!

 

Finally made it back to Lancaster. It was like pulling teeth trying to get back here. My trainer kept telling them to route us back to Lancaster. All we would get is, we are working on it, but in the meantime we need you to run this load in the opposite direction. We finally just routed ourselves to Lancaster on a load out of PA to Lubbock. The route that was given to us completely bypassed Lancaster, but the trainer was we will just go to Lancaster after the second fuel stop.

Its been about 3 months since I have seen my wife and kids. So I am going to take my full 5 days of home time after upgrading. My house is only 4 hours south of Lancaster. From what I was told from the trainers dispatcher, I might get a load to Houston, which is only an 1 hour from my house or I just might be told to go ahead and bobtail home. She said that if I end up in her fleet, that she would just have me bobtail home.

 

where ya going to park your rig man? some areas dont like em around, does FFE give a safe place to park? i guess if ur in the country side ur cool too....where i live in the metro wash dc area its tough its suburbs here need to be carefull parking , zoning says no commericials vehicles in my area!

 

Bobtailing sucks. LOL. Well, hauling 43,000 pounds sucks a little more, but not by much. My perfect load is about 25,000 pounds.

I hope you get home soon and then get out and make real money.

I just took a load from Friona, TX to Laredo, TX and they gave me a load this morning picking up at FFE Laredo going to San Antonio for a 9 PM delivery tomorrow night. I called and got a 12:30 PM appointment for tomorrow, but that was the earliest I could get. I am just north of Laredo right now at the Love's on exit 39 off of I-35.

So far all of my backing has been easy. I looked at Google Earth and my delivery tomorrow is at a large warehouse, which should also be easy. I really want to find an empty area to practice my backing more so that when I get to a tight spot I know I can do it. If I ever become a trainer, my students are going to spend half their time in reverse. It's absurd that my trainers did so little backing with me.

 

On my way to San Antonio to pick my 2013 Prostar from the International shop.

 

Good luck man, and it was a pleasure meeting you! Hope to see you out there somewhere.

 

Good for you, I got a job with Schneider and was let go after being out on the road for a week because of backing. Was not given enough training in this area. Like you managed with enough time and room the few times I had to. When I was going to school for cdl I asked the trainer 2-3 times aweek if he would show us how to do a 45 never did. Even at Schneider they never spent any time on backing in training. BACK< BACK<BACK as much as you can.

 

Got my truck this evening. This truck is brand spanking new. It has only 4700 miles on it and no I did not leave out a zero. I was given the night off and told to contact my DM in the morning.

 

Yep. Was good meeting you too. See you out on the road.

 

well just finished hometime for 4 days getting a load to burlington --- the best part of getting a load to burlington is from there they cant send you to burlington --lol --- i use to say that about new york but was in hunts point last week and after i unloaded i picked up in hunts point and took it to burlington and somehow got hoodwinked into taking a load right back to hunts point --- extra money promised -- we will see on my check this week lol -- probly $8 r something-- well you guys that are worried about backing the best thing to do is practice during the day at truckstops when they are empty -- the school doesnt spend a great deal of time on alley backing that your supposed to learn in training -- and some trainers just dont have there students back enough -- just practice an hour or so and different situations even now if the backrow is empty i put it in blindside or some oddball made up setup -- most of the backs are pretty routine we go too -- but there are tight ones too -- and i had one in chicago that i had to blindside in across 4 lanes of traffic and finish with the tractor at a 90 so it wasnt hanging out in the street --- somehow i got it in there on first try with no pull up -- the guy told me wow your good -- i said no i am lucky -- but i am glad i practiced blindsiding some that could have been a nightmare if i had never practiced-- well as far as the company goes guys i have been happy - getting good miles and really havent had to sit much -- i figuire on taking a ten hour break in the trip planning at cargill plants and havent had to sit more than that . worse place was at southern hens in moselle ms thats was 26 hours after i called them and the said it was all ready to load -- i just got in the habit of calling places on both ends -- it makes life easier and 80% will either load or unload early and it picks up a lot more miles for me and keeps me from sitting in some parking lot