Comments By G-Rod

So I think I made it. To anyone who's seen my previous post about trying to get into driving. It's been about approx. 6 months since I've started trying. I started working part-time on the dock at FedEx in order to get my foot in the door. I got my CDL permit so that I was ready when an apprentice spot opened up. Well about 2 weeks ago it was time. Road Driver Apprentice position available. As soon as I seen it I went to my manager and told him I wanted to apply. He walked me through the process to do it internally on FedEx servers in order to kind of put me toward the top of the list. Well I'm in the process, filling out papers, and going in a couple days to do a drug test and DOT physical. Once I pass those, I should get my conditional offer. Then I have to conquer the CDL license itself. Which is kind of exciting and scary at the same time.

So far, I'm really enjoying FedEx. They seem to have a good company culture. Especially compared to my current job. One of the best parts is, THEY PROMOTE FROM WITHIN first. And I'm seeing that first hand. In 6 mos, I've already had increased hours, a raise, and a chance at an apprenticeship!

The only con to starting at road driver is, they do require dock work until seniority is built, which I've been doing already, so shouldn't mind too much. Starting off I'd be doing what they call a shuttle run which is only driving from my terminal to roughly 40 miles away to a larger terminal, then working their dock for about 5-6 hours, then driving back. Gotta start some where. I'm just happy to have an opportunity to make a lot more money than I am now.

So, after getting my CDL permit and working part time at FedEx for the last 5 1/2 months, they finally posted a Road driver apprentice job. I applied internally and have an interview today a 4:30. Pretty terrified. I don't interview well, most because almost every job I've had has been offered to me from people noticing my work ethic. My current manager sounded like he was dropping me a hint by saying "it will be VEEERRY similar to the one I gave you when you were hired for the dock." I may just be working myself up, but I want this to work out for me.

So how would some of you guys answer these questions. I can answer questions.....but not good at wording them to where they sound good, at least in my opinion.

Why do you want to work at (blank)?
What makes you want to choose trucking as a career?
Tell me about a time you exceeded your boss's expectations?
What is your greatest weakness?
What are your strengths?
What makes you a good fit for this company?
Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a coworker and how it was handled?
If a customer becomes irate towards you during a delivery, how do you handle that situation?

This is some of what I hear are common, and a couple I remember from my dock hiring. Anyone else here work for FedEx and remember their interview questions? Going in 4 hours.

so 6string, even with being home everyday (night driving) wasn't most of that time spent sleeping during the day to stay away all night? I know the shifts can be up to about 14hrs long, what's your average shift time? Linehaul is appealing to me right now, for basically the same reasons you listed. not dealing with customers, great pay. what happens if you encounter bad weather or black ice and you basically have to drive the majority of the way at like 35-40mph? then your 4-5 hour one way trip become 6.5hrs? do they push you to get there and make it, or do they just say drive until your 11 hrs is up and we'll park it? just curious of different scenarios.

What's generally the reaction of the company if you get blown over? I mean, nothing you can really do right? Or are they going say, you should have gotten of the road and stopped?

I'm currently waiting for a driving position at FedEx to open so I can apply, but I work part-time on their dock right now. I know some of the lower seniority guys (P&D) work the dock because I've seen them out with us before. The line haul guys do not work the dock. I'm hoping for a line haul apprentice position to post, but I haven't fully ruled out being a P&D driver either. Probably going be whatever comes open first for me to get a shot at. I've never heard of a daytime line hauler at my terminal. There may be, but I haven't heard of one.

I currently work at FedEx as a part-time dock worker and most of my reason for it is to get into the driver apprentice program. My boss told me, plus it says this in their driver apprentice job listings that you must only have a CDL permit to apply. This is the reason for it being an apprenticeship, they on the job train you one on one with a driver, and help you get you your Class A CDL.

I have my CDL permit, just waiting for an apprentice position to become available for it, so I can apply.

Whoops, here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3BKUKLsq9Q

So I fell into the rabbit hole of watching trucking crash videos on youtube. While I'm wanting and hoping to still get in to driving, man, it does make you think twice. But watching these videos, all you can do it assume what happened in some of the clips. And I'm trying to see how many of these could have been avoided. In this particular video (watch the whole thing cause it starts off slow, then takes off, but at:

1:56 - looks kinda like double fault to me....the one trucker pulls out in front of the oncoming truck (most to blame), but then the oncoming truck doesn't even look like he slows down. Or didn't have the reaction time and stopping distance to do so?

2:02 - all surrounding vehicles are stopped looks like.....did this guy not slow down and when he hit the brakes lost control in the snow/ice? Or will 80,000lbs continue to push you like that on snow even at 15mph when hitting the brakes?

2:12 - how does this happen?

2:16 - Looks like a FedEx Linehauler (what I'm wanting to do), too fast for conditions? Wet roads, black ice maybe?

2:21 - Again, what happens here? Just lose control somehow?

2:27 - Bad weather....too fast for conditions?

2:33 - HOLY SH*T! He was hooked to the tow truck......did the tow truck try to pull and it pulled him off the edge?? Tow truck drivers fault?

2:45 - Look closely, does the car run/push the driver over into the barrier?

2:49 - How do you know this is gonna happen until it's too late? Slow down in high winds? Pull over?

3:03 - Too fast again, following too close for conditions?

3:08 - ???

3:15 WTF?

3:30 - Nothing the truck driver could have done....except stop like he did.

3:35 - Bad weather again, too fast?

3:40 - Looks like a sheet of ice?

3:45 - ??? Fell Asleep?

3:51 - Way too fast in the curve, his own fault?

I know I commented on every clip, but I'd like to hear from you guys and gals who have been behind the wheel of these big beasts and get your thoughts and opinions. I'm looking for something where I can make good money, and I believe I'm a safe driver, but as shown in some of these, there's some things you can't control.

There's part of me excited to learn and do this and be able to make a decent living, but the other part terrified.

....you have some kind of emergency while out on the road away from home. Say something, like a family member gets hurt or in a car accident, you have a tooth that breaks, or something to that effect? You're obviously hours or hundreds of miles away so it's not like you can snap your fingers and be there.

As I'm trying to get my foot in the door to driving, some of these things have crossed my mind, so I wanted to hear thoughts, opinions, or instances of things like this, and how they were handled and/or what options you have. I'd image, get there as fast as you can is about the only answer?

I'm trying to get my foot in the door of some doubles as a linehaul driver. For a shot at making a linehaulers salary, I'm up for the challenge.

How much does it really take though? I posted a post a while back about hitting animals where I saw a driver on I-70 in Kansas smash a deer and jerk the wheel at 60-65mph and managed to stay upright. And if my 10+ year old memory serves me right, I do believe it was doubles. The trailers did come up on two wheels though, and I thought he was going over, but didnt.

So are they really THAT touchy?

They seem to look fine driving down the highway. Not calling it "easy" by any means, just saying.