[Roadie]

We have been planning on doing the CFI route thru Central tech and doing the husband/wife team driving.
Have found out a little about Interstate Dist, and they appear more team oriented than solo.
Anyone want to help with advantages/disadvantages of these 2 in comparison?
Thanks

[Skywalker]

I'm not sure if there are any CFI teams that post on this forum.... But in order to get information on CFI teams...your best bet would be to log on at http://www.cfidrivers.com and ask for the information there. I know that several teams do post there. You will also find that I am one of the main moderators over there.... 8)

But here are some thoughts:

CFI= KW T-2000's w/C-15 Cats & 13 speed tranny.

CFI= 43cpm paid Practical Miles(TEAMS)

CFI= 5cpm premium for 12 NE States dispatched miles.

CFI= 3cpm premium for placarded hazmat loads.

CFI=The teams that I know, and knew when I drove for them did quite well income wise.

CFI= Pays layover.

CFI= Pays annual bonus to each driver.

CFI= Pays Holiday Pay to each driver.

CFI= Pays Vacation Pay to each driver of 1/52d of annual pay. = If driver made $52,000 for the year, vacation pay is $1000.00 per week of vacation.

CFI= Pays Safety Bonus based on total accumulated mileage of driver starts at 1cpm, goes up to 4 cpm (if I remember correctly).

CFI= Stop pay for extra stops.

CFI= Loading/Unloading pay....but don't expect to unload or load.... very rare a driver touches freight...especially teams.

CFI= NO per diem. (Per diem is a "hoser" anyway. Creates tax problems)

CFI= Will take "student drivers" and send them out with a "Finisher" for final training. CFI also has proprietary agreements with some schools. Also "student driver pay" is probably highest in the industry. 26cpm for every mile the "Finisher's" truck is dispatched. All cpm is Practical Miles.

I can't really comment on Interstate...never drove for them. But I did drive for CFI for 7 years and was a "Finisher" for them. Left there due to family needs, other wise I would probably still be there. 8)

[Roadie]

WOW, thanks for the info SkyWalker.
Yup, I have been over on that forum quite abit. your post here fills in some of the details i have not heard yet. As of right now we are planning on a CFI class at Central Tech in Nov.
We just recently ran across some a little info on Interstate, and it was kinda interesting on the team side of the house. I always keep my options open and research as much as possible when considering a big move like this.
Would love for someone from Interstate to chime in with some info so we can compare a little.
Again, thanks for your time and info SkyWalker!
Cheers

[Piece Of Work]

I ran team with my Dad earlier this year. We regularly got over 13,000 miles every 2 weeks. We got burned out and now drive solo for a while. All that constant moving was tough to get used to. No matter how much you trust the other person driving, it is still not easy to sleep well, hard braking, stopping, bumps, etc.

You can call me if you have any questions about the types of loads you get and where they go. 614-353-0647.

[zipy46]

Originally Posted by Piece Of Work

I ran team with my Dad earlier this year. We regularly got over 13,000 miles every 2 weeks. We got burned out and now drive solo for a while. All that constant moving was tough to get used to. No matter how much you trust the other person driving, it is still not easy to sleep well, hard braking, stopping, bumps, etc.

You can call me if you have any questions about the types of loads you get and where they go. 614-353-0647.

How often do you get out to the western states :?:

West Texas ,NM,Az,Ut and towards Calif :?:

Extra 5 centavos for the North East sounds good also....those places can really eat up a log book ..plus there is little if any parking

What is the truck speed set to ?

[CrazyTulip]

We drove team for Interstate Distributor Co. Personally I loved the company, very nice people and a great terminal in Tacoma, WA.
You mainly run the Western states - draw a line down from Chicago and I'd say your main runs are on the West side of that. They do go to the SE and NE but not nearly as much as the West.
They run a lot in CA and UT. Liked the trucks too. They are governed at 68 m/ph and have a semi-autoshift (so clutch to get started and stop the rest is automatic). Also they have built-in wall outlets and inverter. Most trucks have refrigerator in them. Their trucks are spec'd out for O/O's.

But like with many companies, prepare for a slow winter! You might have days where you're e.g. in Salt Lake City at the Flying J and you and 35 (not overreacting as this really happened to us a few times!) other IDC trucks are sitting in parking lot waiting for freight for 2 days. :evil:

Other than that I think they treated us pretty good. Can't say anything about CFI.

[worldisnotenough]

CFI is just like any other company. My wife and I run teams. They have stats and figures as Skywalker posted just like anyone else. They also have a lot of problems just like anywhere else. I have heard the same about Interstate, good and bad. To me CFI is a decent place to get a years experience and then get the hell out of.

[Roadie]

Hey TWINE
Glad to see your still around, where did you end up going after CFI?
Hope all is better, and your gettin the miles!
Cheers

[Roadie]

Thanks for the input CrazyTulip!
I have not been able to find much on interstate, guess that is good in away, not too many unhappy people.
They used to have a training program set up it appears from the website. Do you know if they still are doing that?
I DO like the idea of west of Chicago as well. Would really be intersted in hearing more from you and others on Interstate.
Sent them an email request and havent heard back yet.
Cheers

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Roadie

Hey WINE
Glad to see your still around, where did you end up going after CFI?
Hope all is better, and your gettin the miles!
Cheers

"Twine" is still at CFI.... 8) He's just a little moody.... 8) 8)