What's going on at CFI?

[dollarshort]

Today I passed a CFI truck that I noticed was parked in the same spot for almost a week. I have come across dead people in bunks before so I was hesitant to look but thought I should. While checking out the truck another CFI driver came along and told me it was an abandoned unit and all was okay. He then proceeded to tell me that CFI had 245 drivers quit just in the month of October. :shock: I always thought CFI was one of the better companies out there. I just wonder what turnover is looking like for the lousier companies?

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

Today I passed a CFI truck that I noticed was parked in the same spot for almost a week. I have come across dead people in bunks before so I was hesitant to look but thought I should. While checking out the truck another CFI driver came along and told me it was an abandoned unit and all was okay. He then proceeded to tell me that CFI had 245 drivers quit just in the month of October. :shock: I always thought CFI was one of the better companies out there. I just wonder what turnover is looking like for the lousier companies?

Could it be drivers that got their first taste of winter driving ?

[devildice]

While checking out the truck another CFI driver came along and told me it was an abandoned unit and all was okay. He then proceeded to tell me that CFI had 245 drivers quit just in the month of October.

I do not drive for CFI (yet) but have friends that do. After reading your post I called one of my buddies who is on the road right now and relayed your post to him. He has been with CFI for what seems like ages and is very well "connected" within the company.

He said it is very, very unlikely that CFI would leave an abandoned truck for that long. If they could not get it picked up right away they would at least pay for a wrecker to haul it off to a secure location.

When asked if there was any validity to the 245 drivers that quit in October, he stated that although drivers do leave, he has not heard of that many leaving in one month. In fact, he was just recently in Joplin and Laredo and there were very little T600's available and a waiting list of about 50 for T200's.

So perhaps the driver you spoke with was a little bit misinformed (??????)

[dollarshort]

I was wondering myself if the STORY was true. I can tell you that the truck has been sitting in the same spot for 8 days now.

[devildice]

Where was it....at a T/S?

[PackRatTDI]

Maybe it was an O/O truck that was bought off the company fleet?

[dollarshort]

No it wasn't an o/o truck, and he's not on vacation. The truck is located in Spring Grove, PA at a paper mill where CFI hauls out of. The yard jockey saw him cleaning his truck out and he told him he was quitting and they can come get the truck. It is still there. Just drove past it 30 minutes ago. I figured I would just call CFI and start driving for them tomorrow and bring the truck back to them.

[devildice]

well if that is accurate, then I guess that driver just ended his career....gonna be real hard if not impossible to get another job in transportation with an "abandonment" on his DAC

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

well if that is accurate, then I guess that driver just ended his career....gonna be real hard if not impossible to get another job in transportation with an "abandonment" on his DAC

If they do a-lot of hauls out of that place it's possible the driver had permission to leave the truck there from both parties CFI and the mill .

[dollarshort]

He definetely didn't have permission from the mill to leave it there. Either way regardless of what his arrangements were it's still an abandonment. Say goodbye to every getting on with a decent company from now on.
By the way the truck was finally towed out of there today.

[movinit]

I read this posting last night and this morning I had the opportunity to speak to 3 different solo CFI drivers (separately), while waiting ever so long for my turn at a shipper.

The first guy has been with them over eight years and he said that at one time he had nothing but great things to say about CFI; however he says that is no more. He said that his runs average 300-700 miles, they usually have a ridiculous amount of time to deliver such as the one he just did. It was 250 miles; he had three days to deliver which he promptly asked CFI to move up the delivery time. “No can do” they told him, so he called the consignee himself and they said “Sure, bring it on in.” He said this is not the first time he has been turned down by CFI only to get the consignee to take it. He also said that the long runs of 1500-2500 miles are few and far between. He went on to say some other things, but I can’t remember all for he was definitely not happy and he could have kept talking, talking, and talking. I did ask him where he thought all the long runs had gone and he said it seems that CFI has been flooded with teams since they raised the pay schedule, and they have lost several good accounts.

The second guy looked as though he should have retired ten years ago and was wearing a CFI million miler jacket. He said basically the same thing as the first guy, but he said he recently had to tell his fleet manager “You get me out of the NE and away from these jokes called loads or you can get me to Joplin to return my truck!” He added he was retiring in a few months and was trying to not let it get to him.

The third driver was younger, and had started with CFI last year. He said that he used to average 6000+ miles a pay period, but has not seen that in the past four months or so. He said the only reason he was there at that moment was because he let his fleet manager know he was gone if he didn’t start getting more miles. He has only 2280 miles in the last 9 days. He delivered a 250 mile run early a.m. yesterday and after sitting more than six hours he was dispatched on a 376 mile run that delivered on Friday. He was on the phone immediately to his fleet manager, which got him a better run yet he is still very low on miles. He went on to say that the pay period before this one he got three 34 hour resets and he wasn’t even close to running out of hours it was because he had been sitting so long. He also went on to say that CFI is very tight in paying out layover or detention pay (they have to collect it before they will give it up and it is real hard to prove the shipper/consignee even paid it so who knows if it is due to you). One more thing that I didn’t know about CFI is that new hires get really crappy medical insurance. He just now qualified for the better insurance, but now he has to pay more of course. He said that new hires have a sixty day waiting period, then the only plan they qualify for has a $900 a year deductible (per person) and it only pays 70/30 for IN-NETWORK benefits. They have to be on this plan for a year before they get a choice of plans. OUCH!!!! He said that there is no dental coverage for one year after the medical insurance coverage begins, which can mean no dental for 14 months.

So if 3 out of 3 drivers say basically the same thing, then something must be up for I used to hear nothing negative from any CFI driver. Hmmmmmmmmmmm?

Sorry for the long winded post, however all three drivers had important things to say and I wanted to convey them the best I could.

[WildK9]

It was 250 miles; he had three days to deliver.

He has only 2280 miles in the last 9 days. He delivered a 250 mile run early a.m. yesterday and after sitting more than six hours he was dispatched on a 376 mile run that delivered on Friday.

He went on to say that the pay period before this one he got three 34 hour resets and he wasn’t even close to running out of hours it was because he had been sitting so long.

wth all that time on their hands, they couldv'e easily enjoyed some time here in the hallowed halls of CAD

[movinit]

Okay got another break so here is the rest of the info:

very little T600's available and a waiting list of about 50 for T200's

The first CFI driver I spoke to mentioned that there are so many teams applying to CFI and there is not enough T2000's, so that is why there is very little T600's and a long waiting list of T2000's.

I asked him why so many drivers are still bragging about CFI if the miles are so low. He says that CFI has started a recruiting bonus contest in which big money was handed out instead of paying it out to advertising companies. During the last contest big money was paid out and the grand prize was a Denali truck. He said "Remember money can turn most people into a used car salesman and you probably shouldn't believe ninety percent of what they are telling you." He said that even bigger money is at stake during the current contest. I interpret that to believe that CFI drivers may be inclined to bend the truth about CFI in order to get a driver on board. :?

[Crocodile]

I have watched this thread and found it interesting. Now I feel I should respond and had to register to get it done. As some might already know, I run the board at cfidrivers.com, its my little project and its fun to do. I enjoy the banter and even the little spats that occur from time to time.

The board has opened my eyes to many things that go on at CFI that I was previously unaware of. Some good stuff and some not so good. I am working to throw the light of day on a number of things that are not in the best interests of CFI or anyone else come to that. Most companies have their little problems but some of them are simple enough to fix if the right people know about them.

On the surface the Denali contest seemed like a good idea. CFI redirected some advertising money for that project and it worked quite well but he problem was that the Denali was touted as a reason to come to CFI; come on over and get in on the contest. Ridiculous but there you have it, and so many people knew about the contest that even those I had already spoken to about coming to CFI decided that all I was working for was a chance to win the Denali. I wasn't but that was the backlash of the contest.

.... He said "Remember money can turn most people into a used car salesman and you probably shouldn't believe ninety percent of what they are telling you."

I am very happy that this representative of CFI used the word most in presenting his views. I would hate to think that someone has the idea that I am telling lies to get someone on board. Most of us tell it like it is, good or bad, and I am not big enough to withstand the wrath of those who might react badly to a lie or two if I am found out after they get here.

There is more to selling a used car than just the sale. If we ever want to sell another one we had better do some after sales work or we will loose this and other customers. So, once someone comes to CFI though my site, even though they are not a referral of mine, I work hard to see that they are happy at what they are doing. I have already invested good time and effort in Joplin putting out little fires and keeping others under control. Not because we lied, just because we give a damn.

As for the miles, well, I don't rely completely on the operations department. I call ahead and see if I can get freight delivered early. If I can, then I do and at the end of the month my mileage totals are better for it.

The truck availability question is interesting to say the least. I don't remember CFI being in such a good position before. The last time I checked, CFI had 40 empty trucks, a surprising number that, after all we just lost 245 drivers? CFI is growing the fleet right now, increasing our numbers by 300 or so (I am not sure of the correct number, sorry), so more trucks are coming in.

I am writing this while taking a break. My logbook is done! I am just about out on my 70 so I must be running good. I talk to plenty of drivers at CFI who are looking to 'reset' (I hate to do that) because they are so short on hours. Sure, if you get up into the NE then you can expect to have plenty of hours left over if they don't get you out again quickly. I think you might have spoken to a few drivers, all in the same place, all suffering from the NE syndrome. Of course, I am an O/O and have the advantage of being able to say "No!"

Okay, I have droned on enough. Suffice it to say that I have worked in the recruiting arena for some time and enjoy the rewards of success when it happens, but I don't lie ever, and I will have words with anyone I catch doing so. It's not worth the aggravation later.

[BanditsCousin]

CR England has employees to fetch abandoned trucks. It happens frequently.

I wish some of the recruiters on here could give us some stats 8)

[Skywalker]

He then proceeded to tell me that CFI had 245 drivers quit just in the month of October. Shocked I always thought CFI was one of the better companies out there. I just wonder what turnover is looking like for the lousier companies?

I have serious reservations about this statement. I am very inclined to think that its a "truckers story". Frankly, if you talk to most any driver who is in the NE....he or she is not going to be full of glowing stories.

Having driven for CFI for a long time.... I took the good with the bad, and for me...going to the NE was the "bad", but not for the reasons you might think. My biggest gripe was the lack of parking, and one or two other small issues. But I handled it without much problem.

But generally speaking, there are often times when there is more "truth" to a story than is often revealed by the teller. Maybe there are things that that person did not want to own up to....like that maybe that had been late on loads recently without justification, and so the planner wasn't confident with them. Or maybe there were no longer runs available at the time they were on the board. Who knows. Maybe they were just having a bad day.

Its funny though... I never really had any problem getting a good paycheck there with CFI. I made good money, and did well overall with them.

I left there in October, but I didn't quit.....not as in "I'm pissed off or unhappy and I'm leaving". I went to my Fleet Manager and explained my personal situation to him, and he understood. I resigned from the company on good terms, and was notified immediately that I was "rehirable" whenever I wanted to return. I would but my personal circumstances prevent it.

I think that if you really want to know what is going on at CFI....because you may be interested in the company as an employer.... Crocodile, who posted earlier set up the site http://www.cfidrivers.com and you can go there and ask questions and read the posts made by drivers there....see what they have to say. Don't just take the word of a few....

By the way, I know "Croc" pretty well....and I can tell you "he is honest to a fault". He is one of the very few people on the planet I trust.

[Karnajj]

Sorry to hear you are no longer with CFI. Are you still driving or are you taking a break? Always enjoyed reading your posts about the company.

[dollarshort]

According to the new message under his avatar his is now a tanker yanker :wink:
Maybe they will get you to the great Northwest :wink:

[Skywalker]

Sorry to hear you are no longer with CFI. Are you still driving or are you taking a break? Always enjoyed reading your posts about the company.

Well, I still have to make a living... 8) So, I'm still driving, but I'm pulling a "silver bullet".... an unbaffled tanker for a hazmat company. Not all of our loads are hazmat, but they are all bulk liquid :shock: Dealing with that lovely "surge" all day now... :shock: I see "Cyanide" alot more often nowadays....since we both work out of the same terminal.

Thanks for the kind words!

[Skywalker]

According to the new message under his avatar his is now a tanker yanker :wink:

Thats a fact!! One heckuva difference, too!!

Maybe they will get you to the great Northwest :wink:

Believe it or not...its not something I'm looking for...one of the main reasons for the change was so that I could be much closer to home and get there quickly if necessary...and since the company has a contract that has them delivering a number of loads to where I live....its easily do-able. 8) 8)