Narrowing the list down

[fkbmlb]

CFI is an excellent company. Everything is top notch. They just dont pay high enough. Was making .28 cent a mile with them. Im at Transport America now on a dedicated making .38 cent a mile. Even starting out as a student a Transport America, students will make .33 cent plus with the monthly extra bonus you will make .36.Which is easily obtained.

[devildice]

I heard you can get caught in that Joplin, MO to Laredo, TX loop

I would welcome any loads to Laredo since I live in San Antonio. With proper time management, I could possible stop by the house

think you hit the nail on the head. There are some basic things that all the good companies have, like benefits, pay, home time, equipment, respect for drivers etc, but what it really comes down to after that is what company fits you the best

I couldn't agree with you more. As a 'wannabe" and soon "newbie" it can be very overwhelming when trying to decide which company to sign on with. I am not just looking for a "starter" company, I am looking for my next long term employer (retiring soon after 22 years in the military). And CFI has everything that fits MY needs.....

Folks... CFI is, "simply put", an EXCELLENT COMPANY!! Were it not for my particular situation, one out of my control..... I would still be there driving for them and enjoying it and the paycheck that I made with them, driving some of the finest equipment on the road, excellent benefits, superior management, great fleet managers, etc.

Sky, even though I do not have first hand knowledge of this, I can say that from the exposure I have had with CFI employee's (drivers and office staff) you are 110% CORRECT!!!!!! Hence why I will be signing on with them and getting my own "Red Racer"

[-FlyByNight-]

I can tell you that CFI has less border freight than before, so getting "caught" in a Joplin/Laredo loop is highly unlikely. In the past couple of years I was in Laredo maybe 8 times, and even then I rarely even spent the night down there. Most of the time I just took the trailer to the terminal, dropped it and left within 2 hours or so.

Tire loads....haven't had one of them in over 2 years. That contract went by the wayside when the company raised the stop pay to $75 for the 3rd and subsequent stops.... the contract went to a "cheaper" company. The only tire loads that we pulled after that went from SC to Detroit and were unloaded by members of the UAW....not us.

Like I said in my earlier post, these were a few of the negative things I'd heard about CFI back then, which was about two years ago. I also had a small issue with their pay, which was less than what Marten was paying at that time for the same level of experience. The final nail in the coffin for CFI as far as my working for them was that I was moving to WY from KS and while they were still more than willing to hire me, they would not make ANY promises as to home time. Worse yet, in order to go to work for them, they were going to require me to sign a paper stating I understood and agreed with that home time policy. Sorry, but signing a paper that, in essence, would have made me an indentured servant until they could/decided to get me home was simply unacceptable. Also, Marten did fly me to orientation and I would have had to drive myself or ride stinkhound with CFI. I appreciated their up front honesty, thanked them and went to work for Marten Transport. What I just stated is a perfect example of a great company that just simply did not fit an individuals needs. That doesn't make them a bad company, just a bad fit for one person at a certain time and certain place is all. :wink: