[villiageidiot]

Hello,

New guy here! I am currently enrolled in my local truck driving school to get my class A CDL. I have been working for FedEx ground, driving their package and delivery vans and was presented the opportunity to go to school and have the state of Ohio pick up the bill. I have talked to some people at FedEx about latching on with a contractor after graduation. The manager of the terminal tells me I should not have a problem keeping busy if I would work for them, I just don't know if he is blowing smoke and telling me what I want to hear. I would love to get into the line haul division if I can though I might have to settle for local at first. I plan on getting my double endorsement and my hazmat through school. I was just wondering if anyone has gone this route, for their first job. I do not need benefits as I am on my wife's insurance. I don't want to do OTR and am looking at this as an opportunity to get my "feet wet". Is ground a good choice or would I be better off trying to catch on with another local company? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[Ian Williams]

FedEx Ground (actually you work for the contractor) pays significantly less that the norm for LTL, IIRC most of the contractors pay .30-.35 cpm with no bennies whatsoever.

You could do a lot worse for a 1st job though.

The norm for line drivers .38-.41 cpm starting and top out at .48-.55. That is with vacation, sickdays, bennies, 401k, paid for make/break your set, fuel, etc.

It could be a good way to get your foot in the door for LTL landwith doubles experience.

[davenport1]

i've been with FedEx Ground as a contractor for just over 6 months; so far so good. If you want to drive for a contractor I think the best thing to do is to get hired by somebody who already has runs assigned to him (especially local runs if that's want you want). Most of the contractors don't pay that good though, plus there's no benefits at all, no vacations paid etc. But like Williams already said, you'll get experience on pulling doubles which can later get you in the good paying LTL companies. If you get hired right now, you're going to be kept busy and make good money. I'm pretty sure you already know how FedEX Ground works; all drop and hook; terminal to terminal, or to customer spots.
Good luck.


BTW, which hub are you closer to: Columbus or Toledo?

[Jackrabbit379]

Fed Ex Ground would be a good job yes, but no benefits. Unless, the owner operator is so well off, he can afford them for ya. I would look into that, get some miles under your belt, and look into something with benefits that can help you in the long run.

Fed Ex Ground is all drop n hook. The warehouse guys do pretty much everything. They seal your trailers, and you make sure that the paper work is good to go, and stuff. It's easy work, but too bad you dont get the same benefit package that the freight side gets. Good Luck.

[villiageidiot]

Thanks for the replies, I actually will be working for the Cleveland Terminal which is in Richfield. Benefits would be nice but not important for me because I am on my wife's insurance. Sick days and Vacation would be nice too, but I have been laid off and on since November, so I have had my fill of sitting around lately, so that is not that big a deal. I just want to get some experience and make a few bucks in the process.

[groovemachine]

Originally Posted by Jackrabbit379

The warehouse guys do pretty much everything.

:borg:

Yeah we do...man, my muscles are aching...

Ground sucks. I was a service manager there and they canned me for going out with a female driver. Of course, coming in hungover half-the-time from the SoCal nightlife and having a slightly pro-union bent probably had a hand in my demise as well. But I always went the distance for my package handlers and I consistenly ran the best sort in the whole barn. Even got a plaque and a hearty "Atta boy!" from Dan Sullivan himself. Thought I caught a slight hint of ole' Jack Daniels when he shook my hand. A red-letter day in my calender for sure. To this day I haven't washed that hand!

If memory serves me, they run Ground and Home Delivery out of that terminal down in Richfield, right? Kinda like a mini-hub.

As far as driving for em', the other guys summed it up well. All teams. 100% drop-n-hook so no dealing with shippers/consignees and all that other time-wasting garbage. Not up-to-snuff in regards to pay/bennies as far as a true LTL linehaul operation goes (then again, they're small parcel). Defintely not in Brown's ballpark, tho. The real key to making $$$$ is owning several trucks.

Do maybe a year or two there and then float some apps over at FedEx Freight.

uhm, not all teams. pay depends on your contractor, but try to get with a guy that has a set run. but i think they require 1 year experience. i run out of columbus. 2 trip to woodbridge, and halfway on saturday and back. coldfrosty does not know about the linehaul drivers, seeing as how he was a package handler inside. want more info pm, as i do not wanna argue with coldfrosty about me being wrong about fed ex.

[groovemachine]

Originally Posted by ColdFrostyMug

Even got a plaque and a hearty "Atta boy!" from Dan Sullivan himself. Thought I caught a slight hint of ole' Jack Daniels when he shook my hand. A red-letter day in my calender for sure. To this day I haven't washed that hand!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

So Dan's a juicer?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[villiageidiot]

Originally Posted by ColdFrostyMug

If memory serves me, they run Ground and Home Delivery out of that terminal down in Richfield, right? Kinda like a mini-hub.

Yes, HD is in a new building next door. I think it is 2 years old.

Originally Posted by jedfxg

but i think they require 1 year experience.

I don't think they have a requirement on experience because these are not company owned vehicles. I was told by several people there including the manager of the line-haul division, that they hire drivers out of school. I bet freight or Custom Critical require the experience because you will be an employee.