Back from TMC orientation in south carolina

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by bangngears, Dec 6, 2008.

  1. bangngears

    bangngears Medium Load Member

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    Hi every one, I just got back from s/c and what a learning exp it was. I was an e-2 and shawn was a great teacher. They really do stress saftey and company policy. I think TMC is a great company and 99% of the rules are just common sence and respect for their equipment and their customers. I am so glad i made the choice towards TMC over maverick as i had 2 drivers from maverick in my class and they said 300+ was laid off last 2 weeks. If you are a trucking rebel and want to not be legal and safe all i can say is keep looking because TMC will not be for you! If you can follow simple rules and you are respectful i think you can go a long way in this company. There are many ways at this company to improve your pay like good mpg, extra training classes in iowa. They have beautiful trucks and now i know why they are hard on people to take care of them. The truck i road tested in had 385,000 on it and drove and handled like a dream. They want the truck washed once a week, they pay for it and they have a service program that keeps the truck in top notch condition. They expect you to treat it like it is yours and by all rights once you take the keys it is your home away from home, so treat it like that. When you go to a terminal you get a truck inspection and if you pass that adds to your pay increase and they expect you to pass if you dont you make it right before you leave. The load securment class gives you the basics of flatbed saftey and you have enough info that when you go with your trainer you have a very good idea about the common loads they haul. I want to thank the TMC guys on this forum (and they know who they are) for profesional and honest information. I did not see too much i didnt like in the rules. Our class which was exp drivers started mon with 21 and on fri we only had 12. The newbie class had 26+ and they were dropping like flies. I cant stress enough that if you are a serious proffesional then TMC will be a good fit, If you like to screw off all the time head over to werner,swift,ect. Here you will run legal or you will get in trouble. They stress not to drive tired and get sleep when needed, be on time and the biggest thing is communicate with your FM!! OK its dinner time any questions just ask i will be back :biggrin_25525::biggrin_25525:
     
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  3. eckz

    eckz <strong>"Radio Rambo"</strong>

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    Detroit, Michigan
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    Glad to have you on board. They definitely have their quirks (As every company does) but like I've always said, money talks. And as long as I'm paid well i can deal with a little bit of crap. I will warn you though, freight has been very slow. You likely won't be laid off like Maverick drivers were, but you will probably see a few layover pays on your check. Don't get discouraged!! It's always slow this time of the year, a little worse this year due to the economy, but it will get better. My truck didn't touch a load that paid less than 2 dollars a mile last summer. Give it some time!

    Glad to have you on board!!! And congratulations!

    Oh, a tip on increasing your pay, the two most important parts of your certification are your out of route, and your revenue. You have the MOST control over your out of route, if you can get down to 3-4% and get your revenue up there to about 7-800 a day average to the truck, you'll be jumpin up there just fine. DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. Don't freak out about idle time or any of that other mumbo jumbo, it'll just make you go bald faster. ;)

    My idle time stayed at 48% because i was a trainer, and my trainee's liked to snore so i'd always leave the bunk heater/AC on during our breaks. I never had a problem getting up to 30%. ;) As a solo driver, don't stress getting any higher than 29%, though. You'll just cause yourself more greif than it's worth. 28-29% will still earn you a hefty paycheck, and is alot more than any other flat-bed outfit that i've talked to pays.

    Good luck again! See you on the road!
     
    ScooterDawg Thanks this.
  4. dr5169

    dr5169 Medium Load Member

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    Dec 1, 2008
    chicago,il
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    bangngears keep us posted...Nice job!!!!
     
  5. bangngears

    bangngears Medium Load Member

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    metamora, Ohio
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    yes they did stress the oor and the mpg real hard. I dont see me doing too many oor and i figure if i keep that truck at about 62 or 63 i will have good mpg. I will not get too down on freight this time of year i know it will be slow till spring. I am just very happy that i did good in south carolina and i have an opportunity to work for a great company. Thank you for all the well wishes and i am looking forward to meeting you guys out on the road.:biggrin_25520:
     
    ScooterDawg Thanks this.
  6. eckz

    eckz <strong>"Radio Rambo"</strong>

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    Detroit, Michigan
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    Don't worry about your MPG that much either. 2 or 3 miles an hour will add up quick over an 11 hour period. Put the hammer down, just use the progressive shifting method, slowing down a few miles an hour won't help enough to make it worth the lost time. I ran 65 pretty much everywhere and my fuel mileage was just fine. Just don't rev the hell out of it and you'll be okay.
     
  7. andrew5184

    andrew5184 Light Load Member

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    Apr 13, 2008
    Sapulpa, OK
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    Good luck to you, bangngears! You're embarking on an exciting journey. I'll be checking this thread often to see updates on your experience at TMC. It sounds like a good company. I'm a little concerned about some of the things I've read over on the negative forum, but I think eckz is probably right in that it's mostly bad attitudes or individuals who lack tact and good people skills when dealing with FMs and so on.

    Please keep us posted!

    Andrew
     
  8. bangngears

    bangngears Medium Load Member

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    Oct 30, 2008
    metamora, Ohio
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    Andrew,

    There is not a company out there that someone cant say a neg thing about. Most of the neg feedback is from fired employees. I am sure tmc is not perfect and i dont think any company is. I did alot of research on this forum and others and all i can say is i think tmc is the best outthere right now. You have to have good attitude and work ethic and that will take you far. TMC has 3,400 trucks so i am sure there are a handful out there that think they stink but if you want to flatbed you should give them a try.:biggrin_25525:
     
    andrew5184 Thanks this.
  9. bangngears

    bangngears Medium Load Member

    362
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    Oct 30, 2008
    metamora, Ohio
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    I dont know if i agree with that. the rpms will be lower and you dont push the govenor and when it is all said and done in 11 hours you make it 22 miles farther than me. I guess it is trial and error and we will see. I am just looking forward to get out there and see for myself. Thank you for your info, i need all the imput i can get. :biggrin_25515:
     
  10. Passin Thru

    Passin Thru Road Train Member

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    Lets see 22 mi/day X 5 x 50 x 10 yr = 55000 I'll be ahead of you. BYE BYE

    If you don't set goals, you can't regret not reaching them. Yogi Berra
     
  11. ScooterDawg

    ScooterDawg <strong>"The Blue Tick Lab"</strong>

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    Nov 23, 2008
    Trinity, NC
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    Hey guys -

    TMC was one that I had been looking at, but I had heard that they had cut the miles dramatically. Now I realize that "tis the season", but it sounds like they are still running pretty strong.

    And I am all about professionalism and doing it legal. From what I have read here, it sounds like I might should give them another look....

    Any thoughts? And thanks in advance...
     
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