[Soladad]

Got a green light to return back to OTR. Looking into CFI. Looking at their web site they give a pay scale then a *Different pay scale for those that have a pet.

Anyone tell me what the hitch is on pay if you decide to have a 4 legged traveling partner?

Also what is their time out and time home policy? I once heard it was 14 days out to earn 2 day home.

Please if you know anything else that one should need to know about CFI include it in your message.

[VitoCorleone99]

The pay scale listed on the website is actually the pay scale if you do have a pet. Those of us without pets make a penny more at every interval. Pet owners have the opportunity to "earn" the extra penny by maintaining a 6.2mpg average, whereas people without pets are not presently subject to a threshold. In short, if I get 5.9mpg and a pet owner gets 6.1mpg, I earn a penny more per mile. Don't ask me to rationalize it because I can't. That's just what they came up with.

One day off is earned for every seven out. Minimum time out before requesting home time is ten days. From the time you request home, they have five days to get you there. In essence, you could request home after ten days, get home a few days later, and have earned the two days off for being out fourteen. As a practical matter, I wouldn't plan on that approach with this company. Once the priority shifts to routing you home, miles become a secondary concern. When trying to get you back out from home, miles are a secondary concern. So, frequently coming and going from home would not be very profitable for someone who is paid by the mile.

Anything else one should need to know? I take it from your post that you've been OTR before, so you already know that what you hear will be 99% BS and 1% true. It's not as bad as the whiners would have you believe and it's not as good as the people winning the recruiting contests would have you believe.

I rolled my eyes every time someone told me that the company was going down the toilet after the Con-way deal. From my point of view, nothing has changed, so I was right and they were wrong. Others will tell you I'm full of it, so again you have to wade through the difference. Good luck to you.

[Copperhead]

After almost 8 years at CFI in the 90's, I learned there was a lot more out there. They are not bad as far as a lot of the big companies go. They actually get a few things right. But they fall short in the getting you home in a timely manner, and I haven't had to do the 2 weeks out then 2 days home thing since I left them. Since leaving them in '99, I have averaged more weekly miles and can count on one hand the number of times I have not been home on the weekend. And I have had the same or better pay rate.

I generally liked them while I was there. I didn't have much of a perspective. But after them, I realized that there were many similarities to the mega carriers. There are a lot of carriers (usually 100-300 truck size) that offer as good or better benefits, as good or better average miles, a more family type of environment, an assigned truck and home virtually every weekend. You have to "beat the weeds" to usually find these carriers, since they don't have to waste so much on advertising to get and keep drivers. But there are a lot of them out there.

If you want to stay out on the road, CFI is not a bad choice. Good equipment and generally driver friendly freight, but they seemed to drop the ball when it came to paying lumpers. I never seemed to average more than 130K miles a year, even with staying out quite a bit, whereas, I have averaged around 140K-145K miles a year since leaving them and am by the house a couple of times a week and off on the weekend. And, except in one instance, just as good or better equipment. The carrier I am with now specs trucks far and away better than CFI and the maintenance program here even beats CFI's from my experience ( thought that was hard to do, since CFI generally maintained the equipment pretty good).

After two decades of driving and seeing how freight runs, I find it hard to believe that ANY carrier needs to keep a driver out longer than 7 days or 10 at the very most. If the planners are doing things right, and the customer base is good, then a driver should be able to be home almost weekly. The 48 state runners here at the carrier I am with only stay out 2 or more weeks if they so chose. I chose to run Midwest regional, and I get the same pay,aerage 3000+ miles a week, and still have a life at home. You have to stay with it and work while you are out, but the reward is good miles with good pay and then home.

As with everything, it all depends on what you are looking for. There is a carrier out there for every style of driver. CFI works well for some and not for others. They are generally a good carrier and I still know a number of drivers still there and have no plans on leaving. Ran into one the other day. I became disenchanted and left. Have been happier and done better since then, but not everyone is the same.

[Soladad]

Thanks for the info. I am not a driver that likes to be out more than 14 days at a time. It is a sanity issue. I don't understand why carriers give their office staff 2 days off after 5 days including home at night but will only give drivers 2 days off after 14 out especially putting up with the crap we do out on the road. A bit spoiled after Roehl's 11 out 3 days home policy.

Originally Posted by Soladad

Got a green light to return back to OTR. Looking into CFI.

From one coolie carrier to another?!?! Say it ain't so!

[MacDad]

@ Copperhead - who ya driving for now?

@ Soladad - so you worked at Roehl on their 11/3 deal? What is the deal with that program, did they actually do that, and did you get any miles?

Thanks!

[Soladad]

I drove both the 7/7 fleet and the 11/3. I enjoyed the 11-14/3 schedule as having 3 days home was nice. It is not fair for me to answer on the mileage as I am not a heavy runner. I got between 3000 and 4000 back when freight was running good last year. Started seeing a decrease in miles as things got worse toward the end of last year. 7/7 is part time work and I only was on it long enough to get some things settled at home. However, my former 7/7 partner and I still talk and he was getting 3800 to over 4400 at the end of the year. He has since left the company.

[MacDad]

Thanks!
Do you think a guy could get 5000m (2500+m/wk) doing the 11/3 now that spring has sprung?
I was thinkin it wouldnt be a bad gig while racking up some experience that every non-mill type company wants.

I will head off to the roehl website to see what that sucka pays!

[Soladad]

According to a few of my friends that still drive for Roehl miles are down. One was out 11/3 this round and barely made 3000. Don't trust what the web page or recruiter says right now. On that fleet it is hard to figure out what a week is...5, 7 or the full 11 or even 13 days out.

[Copperhead]

Originally Posted by MacDad

@ Copperhead - who ya driving for now?

@ Soladad - so you worked at Roehl on their 11/3 deal? What is the deal with that program, did they actually do that, and did you get any miles?

Thanks!

I am presently with Fremont Contract Carriers out of Fremont, NE running the Midwest Regional fleet. One plus here is that they do not differentiate between 48 state or regional on pay. Pay is dependent on experience, safety, and longevity with previous carriers. NO pay reduction for regional like the Big carriers do.

They are at www.fcc-inc.com The website is not as fancy as the big boys sites, but the company is first class. Best maintenance I have ever seen. The "travel agents" are required to have 80% of the trucks booked for the next days freight before they can go home at night. There is VERY LITTLE sitting here. I have never sat for more than an hour waiting on a load. Very high productivity here and then go home. I didn't work the first two weeks of this year, yet for the 1st quarter I did about 36000 miles. The bonus pay for the first quarter should be around $1400+. They use Blue Cross/Blue Shield for the medical and dental.

Darn friendly outfit that knows you by name and voice on the phone and a pretty good customer base that is a pleasure to work with. And in the very few instances you get a load that needs a lumper, no debate, no hassle. FCC doesn't want you in the wagon unloading anything except in very rare cases. I just send a lumper request message, they send a check number and a PO. No fuss.