CFI Schooling vs Outside Schooling

**K.POP** · 07-28-2007, 10:00 AM

I have been doing some searching and so far I have been taking intrest into CFI. I do how ever have a question about training. I see, that CFI offers a training program to non-experienced drivers. From what I have found, they pay so much of the cost with some left for you.

Does this mean with a outside School you pay the full amount and getting more knowledge then a company program would give you? Or is it just becuase you are signing the bottom line for CFI?

**bigdad7** · 07-29-2007, 06:47 AM

cfi is one of the only companies to pick up the bill with no contract

my advice to you would be to go with cfis training program and get enough experience to find another job the pay is standard and the benefits suck but with no contract as soon as you have 3 months in the doors begin to open

**Skywalker** · 08-02-2007, 05:42 AM

Originally Posted by bigdad7

cfi is one of the only companies to pick up the bill with no contract

my advice to you would be to go with cfis training program

Ditto.

and get enough experience to find another job the pay is standard and the benefits suck but with no contract as soon as you have 3 months in the doors begin to open

The pay is "better" than standard because its all paid as "Practical Miles", as opposed to the hoser hhg miles. A student driver at CFI actually makes a good paycheck. All of my students there made well over $650 a week while on the truck with me. As to the benefits....maybe they aren't the best, for the first year....but then a lot of the "health insurance plans" in this industry aren't all that great anyway. When I was at CFI.... my wife had some very serious surgery. The bills got paid. So all in all, it was fine.

If you go to CFI, do so with the intent of staying.

In addition to being paid Practical Miles, if you have a "hazmat endorsement" you will get an extra 3 cpm for a placarded load, and if you are dispatched to any of the 11 Northeast states... you get paid an extra 5 cpm per dispatched mile. I did quite well there for the 7 years I drove for them. They are a good company. If you do their training program, and stay for at least a year....you will be able to go anywhere. But, if you are worth your salt....you will do well and stay there much longer. 8)

**K.POP** · 08-02-2007, 07:58 AM

Yup, im not just going there for the training then moving on. I am going there for the new experience and the fact I like to travel the roads. I will probably be getting some schooling done here before I do get into the industry since im still young. I will drive a truck more then likley later on, and want to stay with one company for the long hall, plus I am with UPS right now and I have so many doors i can open. Trucking is just something I have wanted to do and always enjoyed.

**Useless** · 08-02-2007, 08:13 AM

Noobs and Plan2B's tend to get wrapped up in CPM pay, to the exclusion of other considerations. That is very shortsided.

In terms of compenstation, for a new driver, CFI is a great place to be. They also operate very nice equipment, and take good care of their people.

When I got into driving, they were not accepting noobs, nor did they operate a school. I believe they required at least 6 mos. exoerience.

I'd say "Hitch your wagon to that star, and ride ti through the heveans"!!

BOL2U!!

**Skywalker** · 08-02-2007, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by K.POP

Yup, im not just going there for the training then moving on. I am going there for the new experience and the fact I like to travel the roads. I will probably be getting some schooling done here before I do get into the industry since im still young. I will drive a truck more then likley later on, and want to stay with one company for the long hall, plus I am with UPS right now and I have so many doors i can open. Trucking is just something I have wanted to do and always enjoyed.

If you are with UPS, and can get Teamster Membership....stay there til you retire!! I have a friend that retired at the age of 52, with a nice retirement check of $3500 a month or so, medical benefits, UPS stock and "thrift savings"..... Heckuva deal. If my brother wasn't working for them when I applied....I'd be "retired" and going fishing a lot nowadays!!

**K.POP** · 08-02-2007, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by Useless

In terms of compenstation, for a new driver, CFI is a great place to be. They also operate very nice equipment, and take good care of their people.

BOL2U!!

Thats one of the reasons why I'd like to hitch a ride with them. Everyone I have talked to and mention about CFI I have heard alot more good then bad.

I know pay is a key factor in a company but I rather take a low paying company with a friendly reputation. Once I start rolling i'm staying for the long hall.

If you are with UPS, and can get Teamster Membership....stay there til you retire!! I have a friend that retired at the age of 52, with a nice retirement check of $3500 a month or so, medical benefits, UPS stock and "thrift savings"..... Heckuva deal. If my brother wasn't working for them when I applied....I'd be "retired" and going fishing a lot nowadays!!

Indeed they are outstanding!...I am just getting some research in on the industry. I know in 30 years CFI may have a different reputation but, I can hope for the best and be ready for the worst. UPS is probably my home for awhile depending on my situation. I have always wanted to do since I hitched during the summers in a rig.

**Kurbski** · 08-02-2007, 08:54 AM

Useless wrote:

Noobs and Plan2B's tend to get wrapped up in CPM pay, to the exclusion of other considerations. That is very shortsided.
great advice Useless..that would be me

In terms of compenstation, for a new driver, CFI is a great place to be. They also operate very nice equipment, and take good care of their people.

taking care of your people is very Important I started visiting their board after Skywalker shared the info here. Very nice members over there.I also see them on I-4 / I-95 in my area.

Skywalker wrote;

The pay is "better" than standard because its all paid as "Practical Miles", as opposed to the hoser hhg miles. A student driver at CFI actually makes a good paycheck. All of my students there made well over $650 a week while on the truck with me.
There is so much more than CPM and like you say, Practical miles, nice equipment, good benefits and all. Plus no contract for the training is huge plus.

**Useless** · 08-02-2007, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by Kurbski

Useless wrote:

Noobs and Plan2B's tend to get wrapped up in CPM pay, to the exclusion of other considerations. That is very shortsided.
great advice Useless..that would be me

In terms of compenstation, for a new driver, CFI is a great place to be. They also operate very nice equipment, and take good care of their people.

taking care of your people is very Important I started visiting their board after Skywalker shared the info here. Very nice members over there.I also see them on I-4 / I-95 in my area.

Skywalker wrote;

The pay is "better" than standard because its all paid as "Practical Miles", as opposed to the hoser hhg miles. A student driver at CFI actually makes a good paycheck. All of my students there made well over $650 a week while on the truck with me.
There is so much more than CPM and like you say, Practical miles, nice equipment, good benefits and all. Plus no contract for the training is huge plus.

Kurbski:

The fact that CFI is willing to offer training without requiring a period of indenturement speaks well for the company; they could not do that unless it was economically feasible. This is a positive omen, in that it makes a clear statement, and sends a clear message that CFI's rookies stay with them because they want to, and not because they have to!!

It was also my experience that both CFI and Melton (Flatbed) Drivers clearly stood out as a cut well above their competition. In terms of professionalism in terms of their driving capabilities, and in terms of courtesey and affability in the truck stops, they were among the beat I ever encountered.

I drove for a mid-sized company; wonderful people, an awesome dispatcher, and a very family friendly environment. The flip side?? We had an aging fleet, especially the solo newer drivers. I never will forget the night when my team partner and I had rolled down "The Chicken Hauler Highway" toward Los Crusas, N.M., with an alternator that died on us.

I was still very new as a driver, and even though we were running as a team, (I was driving) our truck had over 800,000 miles on it. My team driver (who was willing to serve as a mentor as well!!) took very good care of the truck.

Two CFI drivers dropped back and rolled with us, and when we had to shut the truck down, one of them stayed with us until help arrived. That speaks well not only for the quality of the company as a whole, but as much for the quality of their drivers.

**Kurbski** · 08-02-2007, 02:44 PM

Useless wrote:

Two CFI drivers dropped back and rolled with us, and when we had to shut the truck down, one of them stayed with us until help arrived. That speaks well not only for the quality of the company as a whole, but as much for the quality of their drivers.

Wow.. that in itself speaks volumes about the character and quality of their drivers. You reap what you sew. Plus they drive T2000's. As a newbie.. Ill be happy with any KW on the grille. Funny thing is, I have had a screen saver of the KW T2000 long before I ever heard of CFI. Thats just icing on the cake. I am not fleece or O/O material. The better half handles the bills because im never home. And she's not budgin on a 100k truck and happier riding in a company truck.

Skywalkers good advise:
If you go to CFI, do so with the intent of staying.

I went over to their site and waited my turn to chat with Gretchen. Then Chrisitne called me in less than 10 minutes and asked direct questions, to the point and didn't try to BS or recruit me. Skywalker recommends her highly, She is very professional and explained my up front fees, requirements, OTR time out, length of school in Newport Arkansas etc..and is mailing me a packet. I filled out online forms with a few other companies and PM'd a few members. The members answered ..but not the companies. However, CFI answered in more ways than one and thats how you take care of people. just like you said it did. Thank You Useless & Skywalker. You are a huge asset to CAD & CFI.

**Useless** · 08-02-2007, 03:09 PM

K.POP:

Skywalker brought up one point that, IMHO, DOES merit further thought and consideration.

While I undoubtedly believe that CFI is a very fine company, you really should think hard before you make a decision to leave Buster Brown.

Now, based upon everything that I've ever heard or read about UPS, they operate withing a very tightly regimented framework, to the point of what, for me, would make the term "Micro-managed" seem liberating.

I simply do not operate or function well in that type of environment; rather doubt that I'd last 60 days there.

At the same time, when you consider their performance as a company, they must be doing something right. Consequently, even though Buster Brown wouldn't be a good match for me, it does appear that for all they demand from their people, and I'm sure that while considerable credit goes to their union, they do offer a lot in return.

I would strongly suggest that before you make any major decision such as this one, you take a very honest personal inventory of yourself, and your motives for making a change like this.

Once again, I do wish you the very best.

**K.POP** · 08-02-2007, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by Useless

K.POP:

Skywalker brought up one point that, IMHO, DOES merit further thought and consideration.

While I undoubtedly believe that CFI is a very fine company, you really should think hard before you make a decision to leave Buster Brown.

Now, based upon everything that I've ever heard or read about UPS, they operate withing a very tightly regimented framework, to the point of what, for me, would make the term "Micro-managed" seem liberating.

I simply do not operate or function well in that type of environment; rather doubt that I'd last 60 days there.

At the same time, when you consider their performance as a company, they must be doing something right. Consequently, even though Buster Brown wouldn't be a good match for me, it does appear that for all they demand from their people, and I'm sure that while considerable credit goes to their union, they do offer a lot in return.

I would strongly suggest that before you make any major decision such as this one, you take a very honest personal inventory of yourself, and your motives for making a change like this.

Once again, I do wish you the very best.

I think about it everytime I think of a different job. I am applying to work for my city tommorow. Right now I only get 4 hours a day in at brown. If I get on the city I should work both jobs with no conflict. Not sure how long it would take for me to get to driving, time will have to take its course on that decision. For now I just want to fill my self in on what I would be getting into OTR. I have seen so many $$$ signs when the word feeder driver is mention in UPS, also I here they train you for free. That is one of the main reasons i am motivated to stay for the long hall, time does pays off.

Thanks again for advice, I am trying to soak up as much info before I jump into the pool.

**BORN2DRIVE** · 08-03-2007, 08:13 AM