I Think It's Time To Move On

Thanks for your replys they do help me alot. The dock got better and i was alot more comfortable by myself. I am getting sent for training in the truck. Can you tell me what the first day was like? I got a fedex pretrip, it is over 10 pages long, maybe 14. I haven't done a pre trip in years. Am I suppose to know most of this on first day? I know some people start out with just a permit so they never did a pretrip. I can spend a couple hrs a night going over it but not going to get the pretrip and the in cab brake check down in one day of studying. Thanks again for any help you can give me!

Dock work isn't a test, it's just work and an opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with how FedEx does things. I know it probably looks overwhelming because you see guys moving at an insane pace and you feel like you can't keep up. Ignore it, it'll come with time and that's not what you're there for.

Show up, be on time and keep your nose clean and you'll be fine. Don't destroy freight and be sure to notate anything that's damaged. I used to think it was a race and I had to keep up with everybody else, but it isn't. Work at your pace and be safe. It'll come to you soon enough.

Thanks for your replys they do help me alot. The dock got better and i was alot more comfortable by myself. I am getting sent for training in the truck. Can you tell me what the first day was like? I got a fedex pretrip, it is over 10 pages long, maybe 14. I haven't done a pre trip in years. Am I suppose to know most of this on first day? I know some people start out with just a permit so they never did a pretrip. I can spend a couple hrs a night going over it but not going to get the pretrip and the in cab brake check down in one day of studying. Thanks again for any help you can give me!

Dock work isn't a test, it's just work and an opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with how FedEx does things. I know it probably looks overwhelming because you see guys moving at an insane pace and you feel like you can't keep up. Ignore it, it'll come with time and that's not what you're there for.

Show up, be on time and keep your nose clean and you'll be fine. Don't destroy freight and be sure to notate anything that's damaged. I used to think it was a race and I had to keep up with everybody else, but it isn't. Work at your pace and be safe. It'll come to you soon enough.

Maybe I missed something but are you just now starting the FedEx Freight Driver Apprentice program? If so, the only thing I think you need is your CDL Learner's Permit.

Can you tell me what the first day was like?

My first day in my instructor did the pretrip so I could see where he expected me to be by the time we were getting close to test date. Then I bobtailed around the lot to start understanding shifting and to get a feel for the truck. After that we hooked to a trailer and did another pretrip. Then it was learning to straight back the rest of the day. The guy I came in with knew how to back already because his father in an owner/op that taught him how to back. He got through backing a lot faster than I did. They'll teach you at your pace. You're not moving from straight backing to parallel parking because of a schedule, you're doing it because they believe you completed that skill.

 got a fedex pretrip, it is over 10 pages long, maybe 14. I haven't done a pre trip in years. Am I suppose to know most of this on first day? 

That is a test. No, they don't expect you to be able to do a complete pretrip day 1. They do expect you to show signs that you've been studying and putting forth a real effort. If you go out there to pretrip and they're convinced that you just threw that booklet in your backseat and never opened it, they're going to put the same effort into helping you. If you show them that you're taking this seriously and you'll do anything you have to do, they'll put the same effort into helping you.

My suggestion would be study up on the brake test because it's a script and the easiest thing to remember and for some reason the hardest thing to teach. The air goes up, the air goes down, the air goes up again, tug.

Actual pretrip wires is WTF... Worn torn or frayed.

Anything rubber is ABCD...abrasions, bulges, cut or dryrot

liquid leaks visual, air leaks audible.

That's a pretrip in a nutshell. That's how I leaned it and what I still use today. Wires WTF, rubber and seals ABCD.

Ill emerge from the shadows temporarily to add to this thread even though I'm late lol. Everyone has different goals and taste here at FXF but at the end of the day its a great company. As for me, I'm at a hub still trying to become a road driver so I can get that sweet day time 600+ mile run everyday. You seem to want something different and that's totally understandable. You can always transfer to another terminal as a city driver to do regular P&D , the problem though is that some terminals may be short staffed somehwere and the bottom guys have to fill in which is what youre doing now sounds like. I recommend you wait it out at least until youve topped out on pay and see if things get better for you. You can make good and easy money while you wait.

Transferring to another terminal isn't really all that simple. That requires moving my entire family somewhere else and there's no guarantee that'll allievate any of my issues. My issues with FedEx aren't complex, I'm bored and getting fat. I make really good money for not being at top rate, but I don't care about the money. I live well below my means so I can survive on making less. I get tired of running 81 and 84 everyday. That 600 mile run you're looking forward to sounds like a nightmare to me and the money isn't worth it. 300 miles to the same building to do the same drop and hook and do it again the other way everyday. No thanks. I didn't get into this for money, I did it because I thought I would enjoy it and I did at first, but I'm not as much anymore.

Like I said, to each their own. Ive done otr , I've done challenging work as a flatbedder and I've seen the country. That 600 mile run is easy money which what I want. Honestly to me, sounds like you just dont want to drive a truck. At the end of the day that's all this job is, driving from point a to point b. Only so much excitement you can get out of it. Maybe you should consider switching careers entirely.

No, I enjoy driving but I don't enjoy boring. I don't care about how it sounds to you and I don't really know how else to explain it. Why are you so concerned about what career path I'm in? You sound like those guys that runs around telling everyone above them that they should quit, retire or become a supervisor.

I guess ive offended you? I apologize if so. No need to lash out. Ive been on this site since I got my Cdl 5 years ago, the guys and gals here helped me greatly and I always appreciated any advice or words of wisdom they gave me. Im simply suggesting that this job may not offer anything that's super exciting, at least not in ltl. I'm not concerned with what you do with your life my brother, as I'm sure you're not concerned with mine. Driving a truck is just that, driving a truck. Even if you get into lets say Flatbedding or food service or any other form of trucking, you may get bored at some point. I can't tell you what would be fun or exciting because everyone is different. You could try your hand at OTR but that may not go over well with the family.

I don't base my life based on extremes. I'm a happy median kind of guy. It doesn't have to be "super exciting", but it doesn't have to be ridiculously dull and boring either which is what it is for me right now. You look forward to driving to the same building hundreds of miles away everyday and you're willing to wait years for it. Good, I'm glad you found something to look forward to. That doesn't work for me because I don't do anything I do for the money. As long as my family is comfortable, I'll do what I want. Money has never been a deciding factor for me and I hope it never is.

No need to attack man. We clearly have vastly different goals in the industry and that's ok. I want a nice long, easy run that provides for my family and then some. You say drive to the same building like its a bad thing lol, I'm fine with that. Anyway, best of luck.