I need some help from you truckers out there.

[napi21]

A friend of mine has been out of a job for a long time, and is now looking at a job at FFE Transportations Services as a driver. She used to drive a school bus and has her CDL but needs further traiing to get her A license. This FFE said they will fly her to Fort Worth & pay for her motel & meals while she attends the classes to get that training. The only cost to her is $70.00 for that part of the training.

This sounds like a too good to be true story to me. They were prepared to sign her up today and schedule the training. Here's their web site: http://www.driveffe.com/companydriver.html

One additional problem I have with them is that theuy require her to sign a one year contract to work for them.

Have any of you heard of this Co? What do you think?

[cherokeeprogressive]

1. Haven't heard of the company but there are a lot of trucking companies who will pay for

schooling and then deduct the cost from future pay until it's paid off. That's how the company I drive for works. I drive for a company called CRST.

I'd suggest looking up FFE at a website called The Truckers Report. Here is its address:

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/

If anyone has anything good or bad to say about the company, that's a perfect place to find it.

I love driving truck. Hope your friend likes it too!

[napi21]

2. Thanks so much! This is just what I was hoping for. I read some

of the posts & sent the link to my friend. I just got off the phone with her after explaining how informative this site is, and I even learned a new word for my own vocabulary! Lumper! I never heard that before and although I'm old, I still love learning new things!


Thanks again for your help.

[cherokeeprogressive]

4. You made me snarf just now...

Lumper. I have to tell you... I'm still a new Trucker myself and I had backed up to a loading dock then walked into the warehouse feeling a little cocky. I found the recieving dept and the guy asks "you need a lumper or are you going to unload yourself?" I stood there like an idiot. I had absolutely no idea what he was saying. "Need a lumper" actually sounded like "needle humper". Then he tells me he "ain't got all day" before asking "lumper or not?" So, I said "lumper".

Little did I know I was going to have to pay the guy $50 out of my own pocket. I found that out as I was ready to drive away.

On edit: You're quite welcome. I hope things work out for your friend. Just remember free ain't free if they wind up taking it out of the paycheck later. I paid for my own school so I'm actually bringing home money but my co-drivers are having their tuition, hotel, and other stuff taken out of their paychecks every week.

I've been driving for just a short while and my company has a program called 20/10 whereas I'm out for 20 days and home for 10. Going home for my first ten day off period this week and all I want to do is spoon with my wife for hours and hours. That's all, just hold her and spoon with her and tell her how much I missed her.

[TheKentuckian]

6. $50 is frugal for a lumper. I've authorized $300 many times.

Advise dispatch and they'll usually issue a Comcheck or whatever they use.

[cherokeeprogressive]

7. I got reimbursed and a Comcheck was the way to go but I didn't know it.

Newbie trials and tribulations.

[TheKentuckian]

8. Good deal. I know you have a tough gig with a lot of moving parts but a decent outfit will grease

the wheels enough so you can do your job without too much undue strain. About any legitimate expense is going to be reimbursed or even issued on the spot so you don't have to float it. You'll have to buy random varieties of tie downs and whatnot to secure various loads.

Anything odd or out of your pocket should be reported and a decent company will take care of you or help you find out what is going on.

Good luck out there. I hope it is more enjoyable than not and compensates you fairly for the long hours and sacrifice of your home time.

[donco]

3. If she can

Possibly swing it,it would be better to go to a private school rather than be tied to one company for an entire year. Heard a lot thing about Frozen Food Express, none good. Check this link out lots of good advice here,

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/

[Ikonoklast]

5. Oh, where to start?

The fleets that run their own or contract out schooling for new hires also make the new hires sign a contract that is quite restrictive making them beholden to that company for re-reimbursement of all expenses as a condition of employment, for a determined time period.

Those that offer 'free' CDL training can do so because they pay new hires starvation wages (like FFE).


They will treat the new hire like an indentured servant, as they know they have them on the hook, if the new hire gets fed up and quits, the company will ruin the new driver's DAC making it difficult for that person to get hired on at another carrier, and they are still obligated to re-pay the cost of schooling to the previous employer if they breach their employment contract.

The carrier will be expected to be reimbursed in full for their expenses for schooling if the new hire doesn't fulfill their end of the bargain.

They will run a new hire as hard as they can, pay them next to nothing, keep them away from anywhere near home for as long as they can.

The turnover rate at some of the so-called "Training Carriers" approaches 100% a year. That should be a giant warning sign.


The proprietary CDL schools are usually more expensive than getting schooling at, say, a tech or vocational school, which when you leave, there are no strings attached, just pay your tuition and you get a CDL, free to hire on where one feels they are getting the best deal.

One thing I will tell you is that trucking companies lie. They will say anything to get that butt in the seat, but unless it is in writing (and even then, difficult to enforce) forget it. They can and will fire you at the drop of a hat, and then you still have to fulfill any financial agreements made with the carrier.


I would tell your friend to talk to actual FFE employees, both current and former before she does anything. Those webites others posted are excellent sources of info on most any carrier in this country.