Well...doesn't this just suck.

[Iron_Weasel]

Was supposed to be attending the CFI "boot camp" orientation tomorrow in Joplin. My bus was supposed to leave at 4am this morning and I was sitting at the Greyhound terminal baggage and ticket in hand around 3am. Due to weather delays and having roughly 135 people there who were stranded last night...as of 8am this morning when I left, they were STILL trying to find a driver to run from Albuquerque, NM to Amarillo, TX. And once we got there, they weren't sure if the route from Amarillo to Joplin, MO would even run due to "weather delays". So even if I did manage to leave out of Albuquerque at some point today, there's no guarantee I would even get to Joplin in time for orientation.

Wow...so I spent the past 3 weeks dealing with CFI and hoping like hell I could get on with them and not have to go with Swift or anybody like that, but then I get screwed on the LAST step...ain't that a b*tch?

Anyway...my top two choices have been yanked out from underneath my feet.

Crete wouldn't take me because I don't have 5 months experience and didn't attend a PTDI certified course.

CFI was working with me to get me in even though I was technically past their 30 day requirement (no more than 30 days between CDL school graduation and per-applying to CFI) at 32 days since graduation.
I was soooooo close to getting this one then fate intervened in the way or horrible bus service.

Having said that - NOW WHAT?!?!

Here's what I'm looking for, nice and simple:
1) Western or southwestern regional runs (I might be willing to do 48 state depending on the company but would prefer regional).

2) Decent equipment.

3) No more than 14 days out at a time.

4) Training program that doesn't use the student as an extra log book.

Am I now stuck with the likes of Swift and Werner after I had tried so hard to avoid them? Sheesh.

[Splitter]

So, just like that. CFI won't work with you because of something beyond your control?

[terrylamar]

I would be checking out airline schedules or rental cars. I would beg borrow or steal the money if I didn't have it, refund your bus ticket. I would be there if I was alive.

[Super 8]

.as of 8am this morning when I left, they were STILL trying to find a driver to run from Albuquerque, NM to Amarillo, TX.

Why don't you just get a job with the bus company?

[Big John]

As soon as the bus comes available get on it, do your best to get their. Call CFI first thing in the morning if you are not their yet and explain what happen. I don't think your the first driver at CFI to be late to orientation because of the bus company.

[Iron_Weasel]

Splitter, my recruiter told me last week that if I didn't make it to orientation on December 4th, I was out of luck as they had already been working with me.

Terry, those thoughts did cross my mind. I would have flown in the first place but the shortest flight I found was still 12 hours long and was almost $400. I have already looked at all flights leaving today and every one that I have found gets me there way too late tomorrow morning.

Big John, would they consider not being there at all "late"?

[Big John]

Iron_Weasel wrote:
.as of 8am this morning when I left, they were STILL trying to find a driver to run from Albuquerque, NM to Amarillo, TX.


Why don't you just get a job with the bus company?

Why did you leave? The bus has probably left too.

Yes Super 8 that's a good idea for weasel he can be one of those.

It sounds like to me someone didn't want to go to Joplin....

[Iron_Weasel]

I left because I would rather be here and not stuck in Amarillo and from what the bus employees said...that may be what happened. Maybe I was being a little assumptive, but listening to some of the people who had been there for 10+ hours did factor into my decision.
I do plan on calling and talking to CFI if I can work something out with them.
I was just kinda venting some frustration and trying to find a "Plan B" in case I couldn't work anything out with CFI.

Knowing my luck, the bus left 5 minutes after I did.
Who knows, maybe my punishment for being a wuss and not riding the whole thing out will be having to work for Swift or something. :shock:

[yoopr]

not trying to trivialize what happened for you but you're blowing this way out of proportion. Once you start trucking you'll find that this was nothing and you're gonna hit much worse situations than this little thing.

[Iron_Weasel]

I know it's trivial, so you can trivialize it all you want, but at the same time it's frustrating because this has been my first experience with it.
I've been up for almost 30 hours, so that has a lot to do with my thought process. But as I said earlier, if I screwed up with CFI, then it's my own fault and I have to accept that.

Just figured I'd seek advice on other possible companies I have to pick from that offer what I am looking for (which I think is relatively little) from those of you who know better than me...which at this point is pretty much everybody. 8)

I'll climb off my soapbox now.

[LOAD IT]

not trying to trivialize what happened for you but you're blowing this way out of proportion. Once you start trucking you'll find that this was nothing and you're gonna hit much worse situations than this little thing.

BIG 10-4!!

[yoopr]

I know it's trivial, so you can trivialize it all you want,

I guess you didn't read what I said.
Just call CFI-plain and simple

[Justruckin]

If you are in Amarillo, get your butt down to the the TA or Petro truckstop and see if you can hitch a ride with a CFI driver that is going that way. Prime also has a terminal up there in Springfield MO. I am sure you must have some written proof that you are who you say you are. You know, something from CFI that you can show a driver to back up your training date with them.

You never know, you might get lucky.

[4roses]

CFI will work with you on this. They got hit bad with this blizzard also :!: I know I talked to them Friday and they were trying to get me to come in earlier - like Monday - because alot of out of state people were having trouble arriving Monday. So hang in there ... there's several people having the same trouble as you right now. Call them - - - they will work with you. I realize money may be a big issue right now, but if you rent a car ... they will pay 'you' the amount it was going to cost to arrive on the bus. Just get it cleared with them before you rent a car. That's what I'm going to do - - rent a car. ..... If you end up starting in the Wed. class ... I'll see ya there.

[jonnyf]

Get with weekend dispatch ASAP.....Im sure they can find you a ride that way. I would have gotten as far as I could by bus.

[Iron_Weasel]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Just to clarify a few things:
I never left Albuquerque, which is where I live, due to Greyhounds schedule delays and weather delays. I am at home right now typing this.

I have called CFI and got off the phone with them maybe 5 minutes ago.
The lady I talked to said they have had a lot of issues with Greyhound lately and even today they are having mass problems with people getting in for orientation.


Here's the part that excludes me. They require that you have been out of CDL training for no more than 30 days at the time that you call and apply over the phone. I was already over their 30 day requirement when I applied several weeks ago. At that point I had been out of CDL school for 33 days. Right now, it's closer to 45 - 50 days. So at this point there is nothing that CFI can do for me and I don't fault them for it.

Personally, I still have high regards for CFI because of the fact that they did work with me so well in the first place, and after I get the required 3 months of experience, I may just go back and look them up again.

But at this point, CFI is out.

I did find a local O/O company who is contracted to Swift that I think I'll try out. They DO NOT lease the trucks to you...some guy owns all the trucks and has a contract with Swift to haul exclusively for them but he runs his trucks like a "sister company" to Swift...if any of that made any sense. The company is IEL (http://ielapplication.com/index.html)

[Scoe]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Just to clarify a few things:
I never left Albuquerque, which is where I live, due to Greyhounds schedule delays and weather delays. I am at home right now typing this.

I have called CFI and got off the phone with them maybe 5 minutes ago.
The lady I talked to said they have had a lot of issues with Greyhound lately and even today they are having mass problems with people getting in for orientation.


Here's the part that excludes me. They require that you have been out of CDL training for no more than 30 days at the time that you call and apply over the phone. I was already over their 30 day requirement when I applied several weeks ago. At that point I had been out of CDL school for 33 days. Right now, it's closer to 45 - 50 days. So at this point there is nothing that CFI can do for me and I don't fault them for it.

Personally, I still have high regards for CFI because of the fact that they did work with me so well in the first place, and after I get the required 3 months of experience, I may just go back and look them up again.

But at this point, CFI is out.

I did find a local O/O company who is contracted to Swift that I think I'll try out. They DO NOT lease the trucks to you...some guy owns all the trucks and has a contract with Swift to haul exclusively for them but he runs his trucks like a "sister company" to Swift...if any of that made any sense. The company is IEL (http://ielapplication.com/index.html)

Why do you keep insisting that CFI is out unless you just don't want to work there?

I've been in recruiting before and things like this can happen and variances can be made for things beyond your control. However, it would have looked better to CFI as a good faith gesture for you to have gotten on the bus and then called them Monday morning with your updated status rather than to just bail on it.

[Iron_Weasel]

They are out as an option until such time that I have a minimum of 3 months experience since I no longer meet their "student" driver requirement.

And yes, I realize that it would reflect better on me had I waited out whatever delays were present, but I had what my recruiter had said in the back of my mind the whole time. If I miss orientation on Dec. 4th, then I am no longer eligible to work at CFI.

I'm not blaming CFI or Greyhound for me not being there...that's my fault and as such, I have to deal with the consequences..which I am. Looking for a less desirable company to work for.

[TruckersBish]

It looks like y'all don't understand we sat in a PACKED bus station about 6 hrs with no driver in site to even take him out there and there was no promise of one being there in 2 hrs either. The bus that was going out there was filled with people who had been stuck there already over night. He did call CFI twice and they told him sorry they wont work with him anymore. CFI really has gone way beyond what they really should have done. What's done is done NOBODY really is to blame cause it isn't CFI's fault for ****ty weather and it is not weasel's nor greyhounds fault. **** happens ya know!

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

They are out as an option until such time that I have a minimum of 3 months experience since I no longer meet their "student" driver requirement.

And yes, I realize that it would reflect better on me had I waited out whatever delays were present, but I had what my recruiter had said in the back of my mind the whole time. If I miss orientation on Dec. 4th, then I am no longer eligible to work at CFI.

I'm not blaming CFI or Greyhound for me not being there...that's my fault and as such, I have to deal with the consequences..which I am. Looking for a less desirable company to work for.

it's about 800 miles from Albuquerque NM to Joplin ,MO ...at 40 mph that's 20 hrs of drive time if you were on a bus now you would most like likely be in Joplin by late afternoon on the 4Th even with the delays ,but if you were on the bus when when you first had the chance your Chance would be even better . Yes there was a chance you would not have made it,But by not getting on the bus you remove all possibilities of getting there .