I currently drive for Trans Am. I was fresh out of school when I started with them, Ive been with them for a yea now and I enjoy working for them...that being said;
I have had quite the luck in getting trucks switched on me about 4 times now. I started out with an 03 classic, then an 04 columbia (which broke down on me 5 times in 4 months), then an 07 KW600 and now by some miraculous reason or other, a brand new KW660 with only 400 miles on the clock, the miles driven to deliver it to me in IL. And on top of that, without a vorad (a little device that tracks how much you tailgate
) All trucks are autos but be aware that if you end up with a century, its a super 10 but those are about extinct.
I took a greyhound to olathe, ks from orlando, fl. i regret doing this, it was like getting moved like cattle. I came to find out later that Trans Am will reinburse the cost of a plane ticket up to the cost of a greyhound ticket. meaning you pay the difference. If you can do this, DO IT!
I arived on a tuesday afternoon with a few other guys. A taxi service is provided from the greyhound terminal to the Holiday Inn in Olathe. Once we arrived at the hotel (which is very nice and clean by the way) we had to choose who to bunk with (no private rooms unless you pay for it). I made friends with another guy at the terminal so I was set. basicaly if you are a smoker, look for a smoker you get along with because thats who you'll be bunking with till friday. Wednesday morning the bus comes bright and early at 6am. Make sure you're on that bus or you're on the bus home PERIOD. The continental breakfast is a joke so dont bother waking up early to get it, just count on coffee. The three days at orientation fly by pretty quick, it think its 50 bucks for the three days. yes a joke for that pay but they provide transportation to and from the hotel, hotel room, plus lunch all three days. a lot of information is spewed during those days so try to keep up and a lot of paper work. dont feel crazy if you have too much to cary, they'll give you a trash bag on friday to put everything in hahaha. The owner of the company himself (johny jacobson) interviews each and every one and you are given a questionaire of your personality to match you with your traininer which you hand to him.
That friday you're given a tour of the whole facility and you meet everyone revelant to you. Once you are done, you are given a profile sheet with a picture of your trainer and their bio. You're trainer receives the same thing on you. Now Ill be honest, not every trainer was as great as mine, I heard the horror stories from other guys after training, beware. If you dont get along with your trainer, call the training department. to be very honest, you have a 50/50 chance to get a new trainer. I saw guys that took the whole week to test out and that was with the help of the training staff there at TransAm. It was sad some of the things I heard from these guys. It made me that more fortunate to have my trainer. That friday if your trainer is there, you load your stuff in to their truck, take some time to get to know each other (what he expects of you, what you expect of him, etc), pick up a load and you're off. My trainer was on his way back from vegas and was going to be ariving sunday morning meaning I was going back to the hotel room for the weekend on TransAm's bill. At this time, you are earning 50 bucks a day. If you're hungry, the mall is across the street and there are some fast food joints nearby.
My trainer was absolutely awesome. He took the time to teach, I did all the driving, backing, checking in and out of receivers/shippers, fueling. maintenance EVERYTHING. Also was kind of a tour guide around the country, showed me the good truck stops with clean showers, got me hooked up with all my driver pay back cards, best places to eat and park. I was originaly supposed to be with him 3 weeks but ended up being 4 by my choice, it was that much fun and he wanted to make sure I was ready to go. When his weekend time came around, he put me up at a motel and checked in on me saturday and sunday to see If I was ok and needed anything. the company reimburses him for the hotel stay so you dont have to pay it if you fall on a home time during your training.
By the last weeks, he was in the back playing playstation while i drove, he was that bored because I was that good. I didnt mind because I was doing a good job and there wasnt anything for him to do plus it gave me a taste of what it was like when I would be by myself. He was back there but he made sure I was ok. We also ran teams on some loads, again, I did not mind doing it. He taught me how to run and run hard at any time of the day or night. He helped me get conditioned in to driving 11 hours multiple days if need be but he didnt abuse. When I was tired I simply pulled it over and he would take over. It was a mutual agreement but he would push me to drive harder within the legal limit, he got me used to drivin hard when i need to and drive casual when needed.
Once I was done with training, I arrived back at Trans Am on a friday, took the weekend off because testing out ceizes during the weekend (and i got lucky, that was the 5 de mayo weekend and my gf came from florida to hang out with me.) Just fyi, dont count on staying at the hotel after you come back from training, they have 5 bunk rooms they give to the ones that have been there the longest testing out, the rest go to the hotel and you must check out everyday which means you're carrying your luggage a lot. I flipped the bill for the hotel room but I got the company rate so it worked out great. Testing out consist of a written test (open book and map), a driving test (take note of the bridge clearences), and the backing range. The backing range is open all day and night and during the weekends and i suggest you hit it as many times as you can. It is very tricky. Get out and look every time you back, you are being tested at all times, there is not a specific time you are testing on the range.
I was done wednesday noon, i flew by testing out thanks to my trainer. I was issued a truck that afternoon, had the shop install an inverter which comes out of your pay in installments. There is a target up the street and a truck stop further up. do yourself a favor and get a 12v fridge if you have a freightliner (dont worry about it if its a kw, they come with an inverter and fridge), do some grocery shopping and supplies, you wont have a chance to do this later as you try to get in a roll of things on the road. and finally i left early friday morning with a load to PA and have been trucking ever since.
Things to know;
dont let dispaht or your fleet manager dick you around, you show them you mean business and they'll know you are not just playing trucker. Dont give them more than half an hour after your empty for a new load, knock their door down, they have loads. Get used to waiting a day or day and a half at the meat plants. most of your loads will be temperature controlled and most of them are drop and hook at the shippers. There is no forced dispatch to NYC but you come pretty close when delivering to NJ but nothing impossible to get in to. READ your load/fuel/route info, get directions thru the qualcom, reasearch your route. One wrong turn and you got a low bridge or restricted route and believe me, U turns are not possible on two lane roads. If you have the means or you can save up, get a gps system, it is well worth the money and has gotten me out of a lot of trouble.
Last couple of things I can tell you is that I started out with their national fleet and now Im in the florida FAC regional fleet. I see home about once a week and Im home every two weekends. You get cool perks that national doesnt get like a higher start pay rate of .34 cents, home on holidays (i was home christmas eve and christmas and new years eve and new years, and thanksgiving) newer trucks and being a smaller fleet, you get more personal with your dispatchers and fleet manager. The FAC fleet is based in Battleboro, NC where all the trucks are maintenanced and training is provided. I think I made a good decision chosing trans am, now it hasnt always been peachy but the good outweighs the bad. Good Luck!
10.23.2007
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