owner operator driver

truck driver

solo driver

local driver

Contract Freighters Inc

I was with CFI for 9 months. The best thing I can say is that they took me in quickly, I was out of truck driving school for too long for their hiring standards but they made an exception for me. They're only supposed to hire within 60 days after you finish trucking school, I was 84 days out.
For 4 months I was Southeast Regional and I went through 3 different fleet managers during that time (not by my choice). Your experience will be very different always depending on your fleet team. Some managers were not great, and some were excellent. While I was regional and OTR I only averaged about 1700 miles a week at their starting rate CPM, I was barely making any money. I've heard very good experiences and very bad experiences in this company, they state that there is no "driver favoritism" and that is a blatant lie to your face and I have seen proof. they have a driver profile while you are in their system, so if you run on the slower side they will less likely give you good long runs and have you on more live loads/unloads rather than drop and hooks.

                                        - Driver Training -
Again, your experience will vastly defer from trainer to trainer. I was fortunate to has a very good driver trainer and learned a lot while i was with him and also made a good friend. Others have had serious issues with their driver trainers and have needed to change trainers multiple times. One piece of advice I would tell a new driver is to make sure to ask the driver trainer to make you do EVERYTHING. Everything you would do as if you were by yourself. While my trainer was great, I did find myself not knowing certain things I needed to know when I went out by myself.

                             CURRENT CFI DRIVERS BEWARE
I would highly recommend to NEVER get into the slip seat program. about the only good thing about this fleet is that you're home every day.
Being in the slip seat program has been the worst experience I have had in this company. The managers do not care about you whatsoever, do not expect any help or any understanding to your situation if something happens in your life while you are here, this program is not friendly to family life. If you have a responsibility that requires you to be home everyday THEY DO NOT CARE. Their only concern is that wheels are turning and the freight is moving.  they will not hesitate to remove you. 
IF YOU COME INTO THIS  PROGRAM MAKE SURE YOU ARE BEING PROPERLY PAID ON DAY ONE. I was receiving a short haul bonus that I was allegedly not supposed to be receiving while i was here and in consequence I lost $120 per week and $480 per month without any notice, unacceptable. They will not notify you of any changes in this lane, they will just make changes and not expect any resistance from the driver. You will work ridiculous hours, most days. You will do hours of work related activities with ABSOLUTELY NO COMPENSATION. 


                                          - The good things - 
You can definitely be successful in this company, I have many contacts that are drivers in this company that are making a good living, someone close to me that has been with this company for 10+ years makes over $80k a year as a company driver. I had one fleet manager that was excellent. She gave me good runs, made sure I was home on time and properly compensated me when I was stuck in weather or had a breakdown.

                                              - Veterans -
Don't expect to be compensated for any experience that you have in the military. I came into CFI with 6+ years of experience in the Army operating tractor trailers, wreckers and class B trucks. They DO NOT count military experience UNLESS your job is specifically a MILITARY DRIVER.

                                            - Conclusion -
Use this company to get experience. move to a smaller fleet or buy your own truck and get paid what you deserve. If you read this entire review you're worth more, you pay attention to detail and you deserve to make a good living for you and your family. Good luck to you, stay vigilant and keep the rubber side down,.

I drive for them, here is the usual, been here a long time to, and seen the company go from CFI to Conway to XPO Logistics, and now back to CFI.

Forced Routing, Forced Fueling, Forced Dispatch.

Miles are like a yo-yo, throw a dart, it's a never ending story. It's between 1200 to 3000 as a company driver, and they will leave you sitting at times, night/weekend people dispatch are useless. I will run hard all the time if given the miles, their constantly messing up. One week at a time, you get the message..lol

Micro Managers and take forever to get things into prospective.

If put in a motel due go your truck in shop, 3 days max they will get you in another truck in the pool, pay for a rental vehicle for you to drive to get another truck that may or may not have issues. Pay is appx 22 cents a mile while driving rental vehicle, use to be your full rate as when your driving the truck. If you refuse to go to another pool truck, you become responsible for motel cost, and the 75.00 a day you get for breakdown is dropped, changed from old rule where it was when the dealer finished your truck being repaired. Note that many dealer shops may not start on your truck for 2 days, their busy in many shops!!

Health insurance a cheap plan for your 1st year, after you can upgrade to the better plan. They use to donate $1500.00 towards your deductible now it's been downgraded to $500.00. and health insurance has gone up appx $15.00 more per week. Dental insurance is reasonable still, and the health insurance isn't absurd, still beware...lol.

Trucks really don't have much in the way of driver comforts: No APU's, No refrigerator, No TV/Satellite. They do have bunk heater and 1500 watt Inverter. So your left to idle more than you care to especially in summer heat for AC and many states have idle laws and will fine you like CA, NY, NJ, MA, etc. Their idle rules are fair, basically use but don't abuse. Still APU's a much better choice and run legal!

Trucks ages range from 2012 to 2016, they are buying like 640 new trucks this year, KW 680s, which are a good truck of choice. All automatics/manual, no more 10 or 13 speed manual transmissions all automatics they buy now, but you can put them in manual mode and shift except no clutch. We run super singles on trucks and some trailers, all new trucks and trailers are being changed back to duallys, I'm happy about that..lol

Road service here is very good, you won't be ignored. It's 24/7.

Bonuses: Safety bonus quarterly, Productivity bonus annually. Use to have fuel bonus, no more that's gone as of a couple years ago. No inclement weather pay shutdown, Detention Pay after 2 hrs at $12.00 an hr/maxed amount like $132.00, Layover Pay:$75.00 a day. 

New York City runs are like 3% of loads. 

Run all lower 48 states, and Canada. I prefer this as I'm very free spirited and don't like regional or being stuck in one area. Will get $25.00 crossing into or out of Canada provided you are loaded and not mty. No additional pay while in Canada. Run E-Logs, presently we have Qual-Comm but this year that is being changed to Peoplenet which is a good system in my opinion.

Terminals in Joplin,MO, Laredo,TX, Taylor,MI, West Memphis,TN. There are a few drop yards throughout the country, TX, CA, IL, etc. Also a new terminal location is in the works for near Dallas,TX(word has it Garland,TX)

Pay is being chaneed from weekly to bi-weekly starting around this mid March 2017. They have direct deposit. Hometime 1 day for every 7 days out. Vacation pay has changed to paid time off/PTO and is calculated based on your time with the company. You provide 8 days notice and they will get you home, it's all done via the QC and coordinated with your fleet manager. 

Overall they are corporate and stock owned, so you get the message right..lol..all about da money for dem stock holders...lol.

As of today, they are lacking in the pay and benefits for their experienced drivers.  Their solo pay scale tops out at $.54/mi, at 875,000 miles, Team at that point is $.34/mi/person, topping out at $.345/mi/person after 2 million miles.  This is after their most recent pay "increase" which resulted in the loss of their quarterly bonus program in it's place.  Their layover and detention pay is lacking at best, so hopefully you don't get held up anywhere outside of your control.

This also a forced dispatch company.  As long as you can safely make the load, you're going.  I won't say that they directly play favorites, but it's a common occurrence speaking to other drivers there that some will feast while others famine for miles.  It's obviously easier to get good loads if your Fleet Manager will go to bat for you, so hopefully you can build good rapport with them otherwise you might get left high and dry. In the same vein as forced dispatch, they also send fuel and routes that are "recommended" but they will start haranguing you about your F&R percentages if you don't follow them and fuel up when it's more convenient or better to do so.  

They have friendly management however, and are generally willing and open to talk to you about issues that you may be having, and they even have Driver Advocates who are there to navigate difficult situations for drivers within the company.  Occasionally, you'll get the outcome you desire, but I often find that a lot of suggestions are hand-waved away, stating that they've been explored in the past, aren't cost-effective, or are "always being looked at and evaluated" (but never implemented).

And that's what it comes down to really, they company is there to make money for their parent company (TFI International, based out of Canada), who are there to make money for their shareholders.  I don't fault them for that, but you're ultimately at the expense of it, while they cover it up with a smile and talks of being a family.  A lot of what they do at CFI reflects that, with trucks that aren't specced well for driver comfort, mileage based on City to City, low relative pay per mile, and more.

If anything, I would say that they are a good company to start out with, if you're trying to get a CDL.  They'll get you set up at a school for the initial training, and when you do come to work for them, your "training" period is spent with a trainer who will be seated next to you during your shift, and not team driving with you as so happens at many other companies.  They are also very well safety focused (note here: they have cameras in the truck, and state that only the outward facing one is active, and that the inward facing one will only be enabled if there is a need, and you would be notified beforehand), as well as doing generally well on their maintenance, as long as it's reported to them. 

Their parent company just recently purchased UPS Freight, and at this time, the company is basically restructuring how their businesses are here in the United States.  CFI's sister company, Transport America, is being absorbed into CFI.  Another company recently purchased, MCT, is becoming CFI Refrigerated.  UPS Freight is becoming TForce Freight.  Things are definitely changing at all the companies in the US under TFI's umbrella for better or for worse.  For sure, just like any other company though, make sure you get anything they tell you in writing, or else it might bite you later.

CFI has freight everywhere. The only state I’ve not been to is Maine, because the load got cancelled. After 5 years and many changes, I’m inclined to ride out my career here as a solo driver. I feel comfortable and happy here. If you’re a runner you’ll get consistent and above average miles. They expect a lot from you as a driver, and are paid adequately for these demands. The Safety Department is good and yet pretty laid back. The trucks are new, traded in around 450K, and very well maintained, with tractor shop support being superb;  they really care and have great techs. The trailer shop is OK, but I’m sometimes questioning why I’m dealing with issues on recently inspected trailers.  Joplin itself is a top notch terminal, you won’t find a better one around. There’s a shuttle to take you into town for food and supplies, which gives you a chance to relax, and protect your CDL. They recently upgraded the driver lounge with high quality food machines at a nominal price, along with both free Iced Tea and (high quality) coffee.  When you talk to other drivers in the TV lounge, you’ll find many friendly, helpful, laid back drivers who are truly happy and satisfied. This is the true indicator of the quality of this company. Sure, there’s the usual talk about the screw ups associated with loads, but that’s about it. And if you DO have an issue that’s really bugging you, that your FM can’t help with, CFI has several Driver Advocates that can help you. I’ve gotten issues resolved 3 times now over the years, so that’s a 100% success rate.  The Detention Dept. and Payroll is exemplary, they never make mistakes. Dispatch is good, with many high quality and caring FM’s. This company is not perfect, but they do TRY. For some reason some things just never change, even though drivers complain about them. Like the 64 mph trucks and wrong names/PU numbers/phone numbers/addresses for shippers and receivers (the CSR’s seem to be the weak link in the chain). Weekend dispatch seems to have improved over the last year, where they are better trained to actually be useful.  And this is going to be an exiting year, with newly acquired MCT, and a CFI reefers division. 

The bottom line is this:  if you have high standards and are willing to work hard, and suck it up when times are not perfect, and get good pay and benefits for all that is expected from you, then you should be able to find a home at CFI as a solo driver. 

Review
CFI is not a bad company, unfortunately it's just another mega carrier. We all know the universal problems that come with driving for mega carriers. First is the pay, it's not the worst but it's really far from the best. Secondly, the weekly miles aren't enough to make a decent living. 1200 to 1700 miles is the average, 1800 or more if you're lucky. Something that really contributes to the low miles is these Tractor Supply assignments. They're usually 100 to 300 mile runs and once you're assigned to one you're usually headed right back to the DC for another. OTR drivers doing local runs but not getting paid hourly like local drivers is a waste of your clock. The equipment is average. If you're lucky to get a newer truck then you'll be okay but if assigned an older one you'll be in the shop much too often. As for the trailers they're hit and miss. Don't have much to say about home time because it's like all other companies they'll try their best but sometimes no loads going your way.
Last but not least the planners, they need to do a better job planning assignments as they really put drivers in some bad positions. Overall it's just average at best it really comes down to luck. If you're fortunate enough to get a good fleet manager and decent truck then you'll at least be comfortable. On the contrary a bad fleet manager and a defective truck can ruin you.  CFI does have a good training program for inexperience so id recommend new drivers to give it a try but experienced drivers should stay away. We drivers sacrifice so much to be out here and if we're not making enough money for our basic needs then it's not worth it.

CFI has been good to me as far accommodating to my needs as an OTR driver. I left them because I just needed more home time. They do but also do not care about training? When I say that I mean their basic standards for trainers are LOW. A lot of them have less than 2 years of experience and when you put someone like that in a seat you find yourself dealing with a “super trucker ‘know-it-all’”. Training is 3 weeks OTR so you’ll have to share a truck with your trainer. If you have over 3 months however I believe you have the option to skip training. I recommend you go out with a trainer for at least a week either way though so they can teach you how CFI logistics operate. What I loved most about this company was that they really give you the authority to be your own boss. They’re not breathing down your neck about what you’re doing between the PU and delivery as long as you stay within your route and it gets there on time. They do not demand when you drive as long as you’re not showing up late. You truly are captain of your ship. They will never question you so long as you’re safe and never late. What I hated about the company was that it was merging with transport America so the dispatch and other departments were a bit over whelmed and it slightly affected operations. Also the pay could’ve been better. I think at 6 months with a clean driving record they can afford to pay .3 cpm more than what over the road offers. Like I said Great place to start and even stay if you like OTR. i think they treat their drivers well.

CFI is a decent company to start driving for. They have fairly-reliable equipment, decent benefits, and *usually* have enough freight to keep you moving (although that has been much worse lately).

CFI is not, however, competitive by any means.

I've been with them a little under 2 years with about 170k miles and I'm only making .48 cpm. They also have ZERO bonuses anymore (they've eliminated all of them). No safety bonus, no fuel bonus, no efficiency bonus, etc.

They also don't have the best benefits available, but it's not the worst either. Their PTO is okay, but not great. Per diem is nothing to write home about. Detention and Layover pay is lacking -- especially Layover ($90/day).

You also only get 1 day off (unpaid) for every 7 days out as an OTR driver. Regional are supposed to get 2 days off a week, but I've heard many who aren't getting that.

There is NO negotiating power for drivers. Even if you have impeccable performance. They will NOT allow you the chance to negotiate your wage.

Trucks are all governed at 65 mph (with a 2 mph "boost" for 30-min/day) and trucks do NOT have APUs.

On the plus side, there are quite a few terminals to park throughout the country if you find yourself stressing for parking late at night.

You're also Platinum status at Loves so there's a consistent free shower.

All-in-all, it's an okay company to start, but if you care about being paid what you're worth, then I wouldn't spend any more time here than is necessary to gain experience. They do not value experienced drivers, no matter what they say.

Don't buy into the PR stuff. I'm telling you the facts.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Driving radio bumpin peace and freedom   if you balance work and home properly. Seeing places you'd never see views and landscapes of every variety. if only for a short time. My first and last company so far I really can't complain bc I really don't know and still don't know much about how the trucking industry really works. But I do know it was the one of if not the greatest job I've ever had . Good  Bad or indifferent Thank you CFI. I hit 3 but 5 stars from me.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I loved driving the truck nothing else really mattered to me personally but doing my job. To me nothing about the company stressed me out. I genuinely loved what I did. Company did their part as far as I'm concerned and I did mine to the best of my ability as a rookie driver.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment for me nothing but joy. Training with trainer was difficult at times but I was the reason for that. Culture a lil old school but that's my view.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Get load, Plan trip, figure out where I'm going to shutdown . Shower, eat & get some sleep . Wake up pre-trip truck quick face wash brush teeth. Breakfast roll out until I get to my stopping point dinner, shower. Wash rinse repeat.

It's a decent company to drive for, especially if you're just starting out, but it has most of the same headaches as pretty much any other OTR driving job. 

Pros:
-Good sense of community amongst drivers, people are friendly at terminals and drivers will wave at each other going down the road
-They take the 'Captain of the Ship' philosophy seriously. I was never pressured to drive when I didn't feel safe to do so. 
-Equipment is well maintained, fleet of T680s that they trade in around 400k miles so you're never stuck in a crazy old truck that's falling apart
-Most of the fleet managers seem to genuinely care about their driver's wellbeing, though the same can't necessarily be said for anyone else you deal with in dispatch (see cons below)

Cons: 
-No APUs on the trucks, though the newer trucks do come with fridges
-Night+Weekend dispatch is mostly hopeless, and don't care too much about the drivers. Lots of bad loads or ignored hometime hilights on the weekends unless you prod them about it. 
-Can be quite disorganized when it comes to their trailer inventory. Not at all uncommon for them to say an empty is somewhere it isn't, and then have to go all over a city looking to find a replacement empty for the one that wasn't where they said it was. 

Overall a good company as I made a million miles with them.. However, they started stacking 2 or 3 short haul runs around OTR runs. For example, Came into Michigan from Kansas and delivered on Monday at 11am. Then had to pick up a load that afternoon and take it to The Taylor, Michigan yard. Then took a load to Chicago at 3am the next morning and delivered it at 830am. Then picked up a load in Aurora at 12 noon that delivered in Delaware. I delivered in Delaware on Thursday morning which was the day I supposed to be in Maryland for home time. Instead of going home,  I had to pick up a load in New Castle, Delaware that afternoon and take it to our yard in Mechanicsburg, PA. Then I had to take a load on the yard to Swedesboro, NJ.  Due to my hours of service I couldn't deliver in Swedesboro until Saturday morning which put me home 2 days late. Getting home late doesn't bother me but to get home late because of having to do ridiculous runs that hardly pay anything is when I start to have a problem. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Owner operator driver 200 salaries reported	$164,815 per year
Truck driver 217 salaries reported	$66,512 per year
Solo driver 16 salaries reported	$1,426 per week
Local driver 31 salaries reported	$21.61 per hour
Otr 8 salaries reported	$67,000 per year

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