NFI Transportation reviews

I have worked for National Freight for 22 months now, but as a dedicated driver in the PA/MD area. I have no idea what it's like working for them on the OTR side. However, I do have some experience with their insurances. Yes, they will offer you medical benefits from the first day. Remember though that this insurance is best used for big emergency type stuff rather than the everyday check-ups. This insurance, when I had it, only paid out up to the first $1000 dollars per covered person. You have to read the fine print and be very careful the first 6 months, or you could obviously rack up some pretty high bills. After the first 6 months though, my insurance costs did go down, and the insurance got alot better.

As for the rest of it, I would recommend that you get the experience you need, and keep an ear out for dedicated opportunities. I've talked to some OTR guys and heard tales of 14-21 days out with very little hometime. I know that the loads have to get covered, but that's a long time I think. I was lucky enough to find my dedicated run which allows me to be home every night, every weekend, and I'm grossing between $1000 and $1100 on a 5-day work week. Overall I like working here. 

Good luck and be safe. I hope this helps a little, and I look forward to seeing you out their.

I am an otr driver for them. I have been with them for a little over two years. I don't have many complaints with them. The majority of the time I run in the northeast. But every once in a while I will take a run out to TX. But most of the time it's up and down I-95. I go home every other weekend. I usually don't have many problems getting there. What else are you wanting to know?

Most of the time I know what I am going to be doing all week. It really depends on your dispatcher. Most of my loads are drop and hook if I am in the northeast or if I am at one of our big customers. If I am out of one of our freight lanes they are live loads/unloads because they are broker loads. That doesn't happen to often though. The average milage for my loads is around 450. Which is no big deal. We get paid extra for shorter runs. It is mostly solo drivers. I don't think they have many team runs. Overall it is a good company to work for. If you do a good job they will treat you right. Also we get paid for I think it is 8 holidays.

I drive for NFI Interactive Logistics which does dedicated accounts. For the most part all of our freight is on pallets & shrink wrapped & is unloaded with a pallet jack by the receiver. I do help push the pallets while on the jack if need be & I'll help by picking up the occasional something that might be loose on the floor.

NFI & the account work together & schedules are made from the time the load is loaded on a trailer at the DC till the time the truck returns to the DC. All stops are scheduled but there is a window of flexibility for the most part. There's is the occasional live load back-haul, but not often, many of them are drop & hook. If you work for a large dedicated account, the shippers will usually be more then helpful in getting you loaded in back-haul cases. 

I think right now starting pay is .33 or .34 cents a mile & goes up to .35 after a year & again in 5 years.

There's a stop pay for each stop although it's almost like an after thought, $10.00. There's another $20.00 paid for each night you're out. There's also detention pay after an hour if you get held up.

They pay 5 (?)...7 (?) holidays & vacation is... 1 week after the first year.. 2 weeks after the second year... 3 weeks after the 5th year. A weeks vacation pay is based on how much you've made in the last 12 (?) months. It's averaged out per week & you get that amount, I believe.

There's also a safety bonus/job performance pay & funeral pay.

Our runs range from "local" that will get a driver home the same day up to 2100-2300 mile rounds. Runs are put together in "packages" where a driver should get around 2500 miles a week, a week being 5 days. Some packages may 5 locals which don't come up to 2500 miles. There's a minimum pay so that if a driver has a short run for that day, they still get paid a certain amount, $150.00 I think. There's also the option to work more days if the freight is there. I've had many 3300-3500 mile weeks. 

Packages are given to all drivers & then they decide which package they want & it goes by seniority in a bid process. Usually a bid will last a few months & then the packages are reworked according to freight demand & the process starts again.

Let's see.. what else?

NFI does dictate which fuel stops you use & it changes periodically. I've really not had a problem with fuel locations although some of the day-cabs have only one tank. 

If you've got a day-cab & are out over night they reimburse you for your hotel stay.

They don't have a national truck wash account but they do reimburse you for having it washed once a month.

Our terminal is the accounts DC & trucks & trailers are parked here.

Most of the trucks at our terminal are fleet spec'd '07 Columbia's with the large bunks & 500 Detroit's & a few 500 Mercedes. We also have a half a dozen Pete's with 525 Cat's. All the '07's have an APU unit with hard wired 110v in the bunk. All trucks are turned down to 62 MPH & HP is set at 430, I think.

For the drivers who do mostly locals, they have day cabs.

There is no rider program.

I've been there three years & I'm pretty happy. The people in our office are great to work with & will almost always work with you on anything. 

Again, all of this is in my case.. 

All terminals are run differently & pay differently!

I also worked for NFI was on the Walmart accounts ran NE reefer, frozen and deli. otr Is ok. couldnt make no money on Walmart accts unless you stayed out and ran ur butt off. Was home every day had 2 days off a week.

Been with these folks for about 6 months running Staples dedicated. Pays 35 cpm/$6 stop/$15 an hour detention after the 1st hour. My miles seem to average a bit over 2000 a week. Home every weekend (Sat PM-Mon AM) and one or two nights during the week.

Most of the trucks aat my location are 07 FL Columbias with 70" bunks and Detroit or Mercedes power. Also have some snub nose Cascadias with 50" bunks with DD13 power and a few 07 Pete 385s with 60" bunks and C13s. I drive a 385 which has probably permanently soured me on Petes and Cats. We are supposed to be getting new Internationals to replace all the 07s by spring. The 07 have APUs, the newer stuff uses a battery powered sleeper HVAC system. Trucks are very,very slow (The Pete I drive tops out at 61 on the GPS and needs to downshift to get over a prairie dog mound). They slip seat so you are supposed to clean the truck out when you get home (though in practice you will generally run the same truck). 

Lots of PITA tight places to deliver to. Also "get to" do some broker load backhauls. Not getting rich but the office folks are easy to get along with. I'm probably not right in the head, but I enjoy dealing with the stores and helping with the unloading and reloading.