Driver apprentice....Is FedEx in need of CDL drivers?

[Nolimitz]

big dogs start as puppy's get use to it

 

[Rlm65]

big dogs start as puppy's get use to it

True true

 

[falcon back]

Liar!!!

What happened to your “sweet deal” three day a week FO route? Like this trucking gig you supposedly had, it never existed. BS artist.

Don't be jealous. FO was the PT gig. Then I retired. Just because you retired broke, don't hate on those that properly planned for retirement.

 

[McFeely]

don't hate on those that properly planned for retirement.

Wait, I thought it was a lotto ticket? Tough to keep all your stories straight, isn’t it Earl?

 

[Cactus]

Don't be jealous. FO was the PT gig. Then I retired. Just because you retired broke, don't hate on those that properly planned for retirement.

You still haven't come up with any quote where I said I was broke and didn't plan for retirement.

I challenged you a few days ago to prove it and you failed.

Loser.

 

[falcon back]

Wait, I thought it was a lotto ticket? Tough to keep all your stories straight, isn’t it Earl?

That paid Cobra and gonna pay retiree insurance. Not much more. Don't be a hater too.

 

[McFeely]

That paid Cobra and gonna pay retiree insurance. Not much more. Don't be a hater too.

Hater for what? Because you’re retired? No way. You’re 20+ years older than me and miserable. I mean, what kind of retiree hangs out on a bulletin board all day? Loser.

 

[falcon back]

Hater for what? Because you’re retired? No way. You’re 20+ years older than me and miserable. I mean, what kind of retiree hangs out on a bulletin board all day? Loser.

What kind of employee hangs out here all day? The same kind that hates their job but is too much of a punk to find another job. A punk like you. Sad

 

[zeev]

What do you mean LTL site?

Less than a truckload means deliver of freight and go home every night.

 

[AB831]

What kind of employee hangs out here all day? The same kind that hates their job but is too much of a punk to find another job. A punk like you. Sad

Didn't you make fun of me for finding another job?

 

[Wolv]

I don’t think Walmart hires new drivers, but I could be wrong. There is a Walmart DC in the next city over from me...I used to work there a few years ago throwing box

You’re correct, Walmart requires 30 months of recent experience for driving jobs. UPS, at least at my hub, will hire you right out of cdl school. You have to qualify but if you do you’re in. I came in with over 3 years of experience but one guy had just graduated and this is his first driving job. He’s shifting with the rest of us until the end of peak but he’s still here and will be in the union by the time peak ends. I was told our location is having trouble finding feeder drivers so they will give anyone a chance when they were doing hiring in November.

 

[Rlm65]

That’s good to know. I’m going to get some experience under my belt. Not sure where I’ll end up but if it’s ups I’ll be very happy

 

[Aquaman]

So you are have knowledge of the pay rate at FDX Freight? I have seen Express drivers complain that Freight makes more and tops out faster than Express. Maybe you are mistaken with your opinion of Freights inability to keep drivers. Possibly Freight needs more people to handle growth.

Express makes more than freight. I’m an express RTD. Top out at my station is $32/hr. The gripe with express is the same thing it’s always been, you’ll never top out. I think Freight in my area tops out around $27 or $28 an hour. Difference being their top out is actually attainable. Express is the company to work for if you don’t really wanna drive much, like 50-300 miles a day. You’ll never top out and you have to accept that going in. But you’ll work 8 hr days and go home.

 

[dezguy]

Express makes more than freight. I’m an express RTD. Top out at my station is $32/hr. The gripe with express is the same thing it’s always been, you’ll never top out. I think Freight in my area tops out around $27 or $28 an hour. Difference being their top out is actually attainable. Express is the company to work for if you don’t really wanna drive much, like 50-300 miles a day. You’ll never top out and you have to accept that going in. But you’ll work 8 hr days and go home.

I really can't believe the difference in top out between up here and there. I know CTV guys who are topped out or near top out that are making much more than $32 an hour. Thats without working out of the highest grade regions in the country.

 

[zeev]

Freight much better deal starting out Express locked into the courier wage progression.

 

[falcon back]

Didn't you make fun of me for finding another job?

You found another job and post on here constantly. Get a life dude. You hate the company, move on.

 

[Aquaman]

I really can't believe the difference in top out between up here and there. I know CTV guys who are topped out or near top out that are making much more than $32 an hour. Thats without working out of the highest grade regions in the country.

Ya we’re in one of the lowest market levels. My station hires drivers, trains them, abuses them for a year and then they leave. That’s what horrible morale does for a company. We all tell them the step plan is a lie, that they’re 25 years from a day route, they’re gonna be swings forever... get out while you can. And the immediately start looking for other jobs. It’s a great place to get your CDL, probably the best. But it’s pretty far down the list of places to use your CDL.

 

[MrFedEx]

I have heard good things about old dominion. Unfortunately I don’t think they take newbies.

Yes, OD treats it's drivers well, even though it is non-union.They run nice equipment, pay well,and have an excellent operation. Unlike most companies, OD (and WalMart for that matter) have figured that it's cheaper to hire good drivers, pay them well, and then retain them because it's actually less expensive and more efficient in the long-run. Fred just wants a warm body behind the wheel, and he isn't willing to pay enough to keep them. If you're topped-out and older, Express pay is somewhat competitive, but your benefits are still terrible. Experience is the key, and you have to be willing to do a couple of years and get a track record of safety before any of the really good companies will take you. There are hundreds of driving schools out there that will teach you the bare basics, but you'll probably only get a job with SWIFT type OTR companies where you basically drive in a straight line all day long.

The good companies want someone who is safe, can shift a 10 or 13 speed, and knows how to back-up, without hitting anyone. If Fred wants to train you, let him, and then put in a year or two to get the experience. Then LEAVE for greener pastures.

I don't come on here much, but now OF is telling everyone he was an RTD, which I doubt, so his "advice" is supect. I was an RTD for over 25 years, never had an accident or even an incident. But, I topped out in 2 years.

 

[59 Dano]

I don't come on here much,

You're here plenty.

 

[MrFedEx]

You're here plenty.

Another lie. My posts have dropped by about 90% in the last year. I look at the site 2 or 3 times per week...max. Here's the bottom line from a 25+ year RTD that knows the trucking business. 1.Get your CDL-A (not a B) and let Fred pay for it. 2. Obtain as much experience as possible while still at The Plantation. That means learning how to run a yard goat (great for backing practice BTW), do some Heavyweight, and whatever you can to broaden your experience. Learn to shift smoothly, back-up precisely both site side and blind side, WITH A TRAILER. Anyone can back a straight truck. Drive using SMITH System methods. In other words, be a professional, not a cowboy. Absolutely get some doubles experience if you can or at least get the endorsement. In some states, they run triples, so a doubles/triples endorsement is pure gold. Some companies like Tanker endorsements but tanker work is mainly at night, often in crappy areas, and you are exposed to a lot of chemicals and fumes. If you've ever seen one blow (I have), you'd probably think twice about doing it.Most major trucking companies are still doubles-centric, so if you can't get real experience, watch YouTube and learn how to break em' down and put them back together. Your drive test at a big union carrier will absolutely require you to break a set and put it back together...quickly. Deliver Heavyweight "downtown" or in your local city, and learn how to be safe in dense urban areas. If your area has a downtown station, make sure you do runs there if you can. Know how to chain-up and drive in snow and ice. 3. Do NOT have any accidents or deal killer tickets. A DWI is probably the end of your driving career, at least for Class A work. 4. Be willing to pay your dues. 5. Take your 2 years or so of experience and shop around with the "good" carriers. Old Dominion is an excellent non-union company, and you can do local PUD or short line-haul. The union trucking outfits are all straight seniority, so expect to come on the extra board. UPS is great, but expect to work nights until you get a lot of seniority. Walmart is also very good, but it's mostly OTR, and home time is not great. Local jobs that can pay very well and tend to be union are heavy construction like dirt haulers and mixer drivers. Most of those companies won't touch you until you've done similar work for an independent company that pays less. (paying those dues again) and have 3 years or more of experience. That means maybe driving for a landscape or recycling company first. Garbage truck jobs pay well but the pace is brutal.

Load securement means learning how to use E-Track, straps, ropes, and chains and binders, especially if you want flatbed work. Some of the best carriers want at least a year of flatbed experience, especially the specialty heavy haul and lowboy operations. Throwing the locks in a rollerbed trailer is NOT adequate experience.

You also need to know how to do a REAL pre-trip and understand electronic logs and DVIRs. Checking your tires with a gauge or understanding how to "thump" them is more than most RTDs ever do at FedEx. Many incidents of driving with flat tires and/or frozen trailer brakes. Know how to free them and check slack. No carrier likes having equipment abused.

Other plus factors are knowing how to drive a forklift (certification is best), and learn the HazMat regs inside and out. Be able to pass a 2-year DOT too. BMI is a big deal for some employers, as is sleep apnea, neck size, and your general physical condition. Be willing to do dock work to get your foot in the door or do a combo job where maybe you drive a forklift cross-dock and then spot trailers.

In short, extract everything you can from FredEx and then LEAVE and do not look back. Plus, ignore anything and everything from Dano, who knows squat about trucks/trucking and transportation as a whole. Running cans from the ramp to a station is great, but hitting a station dock is way different from hitting some crap dock in a tight, inaccessible area where you probably have to break your set somewhere else and then do your deliveries at some crap warehouse with lumpers or various other people. Know how to deal with people at warehouses, especially the union ones.

Whatever you do, don't waste your time at any FedEx division. Find a decent company.