i got lucky training at trans -am. it was excellent

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by sic em dawgs 048, Sep 3, 2009.

  1. sic em dawgs 048

    sic em dawgs 048 Bobtail Member

    8
    1
    Sep 3, 2009
    lawrenceville ga.
    0
    greetingd all, this is my first post. i just wanted to say that this forum has been very helpful to me in the past. ive been visiting here since 2008.
    im from north ga. and last year i went to the daly`s truck driving school up here in buford. after graduating i ended up at trans-am trucking, out of olathe ks. there are many articles here about the trans-am orientation, so i basically knew what to expect. one thing i will say is yes they will try to ram the lease program down your throat. but.. there are many articles here about that too. i just wanted to touch on one subject. and that was my training at trans -am. it was excellent, i have read and heard horror stories about the training program at t.a. how most of the trainers are lease operators and just want you to team drive with them so they can make a check. my trainer was a company driver, that really gave a rats butt whether or not you passed. i did all the backing, even if i was asleep. he let me make mistakes like miss my exit, and then made me get turned around and fix it. he is a little fat guy from trenton mi, and im a big ole fat guy from ga. so we constantly ragged each other about the whole yankee/redneck rivalry bla bla bla. he had home time my first week in his truck, and instead of leaving me shut up in a hotel room, he invited me into his home where i was able to watch the fla. gators rape the ga. bull dogs on big screen tv. when i was released from his charge and got my own truck, he never complained when i woke himup with some stupid question about my logs, or help with directions, whatever.
    im no longer with trans-am because after two months of company driving where i was making a fair living, i went lease, and lost my arse. no fault of trans-ams, i was warned, but im bull headed too. i completed my six month lease with transam, but decided that since they will not rehire back to company status, a lease driver, that i will need to go else where, and just be a companyman. i but my trainer and i still keep in touch, and his friend ship and training saved my bacon many times out on the road
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 3, 2009
    billsgirl Thanks this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. SmokeMac

    SmokeMac Medium Load Member

    388
    83
    Jan 31, 2009
    Savannah, GA
    0
    I am glad to hear that your training went well for you and am sorry that your lease didn't work out.
     
  4. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

    10,353
    11,159
    May 28, 2009
    Rancho Mirage, Ca.
    0
    So you lost your arse at T/A trucking's lease. Just curious, was it your ineptness at being a business person, or did T/A botch you up with their ineptness at dispatching etc? :smt027
     
  5. Panhandle flash

    Panhandle flash Road Train Member

    5,597
    6,014
    Jul 18, 2008
    Oklahoma City
    0
    I'm glad to know that you got a good trainer at TA, they seem to be few and far between tho. I too am good friends with my trainer but....he was worthless as a trainer.
    I'm still with TA and still a company driver. Have my year in now but will hang a while longer. Magic # with small companies is now 2 yrs experience plus, the economy has to pick up sometime. Hopefully.
    I found that once you get past 6 months with them, your miles will pick up. I've got a kick ### DM and he does his best to look out for me and make sure I'm getting the miles.
     
  6. sic em dawgs 048

    sic em dawgs 048 Bobtail Member

    8
    1
    Sep 3, 2009
    lawrenceville ga.
    0
    to be honest, with you it was a combination of my lack of bidness sense, but, ya gotta pull at least 2700 mi. /wk to see any money. i was only gettin dispatched 1900-2000 mi /wk. enough to pay for the truck, but none for sic em. that my friend got real old real fast. hind site is 20/20 and i dont think that i was aggressive enough to be a lease op. i always tried to reason with the dm`s about my miles, like i`d ask them, "would you drive this truck for 4-5 weeks at a time, and not see your family or friends, and let your yard and house go all to he!!. for free? like you got me doin?....no you wouldnt........according to most of the self proclaimed successful lease ops. you had to go into the office and threaten to kill somebody about twice a month. i`ve already got high blood pressure, i dont need to be working at a place where i have to raise the devil in order to get my way. btw, i was never late but once, and that was weather related, and and i only turned down one load in the time that i drove for them. 9 months. now i just want to find a nice company driving job preferably regional, or local, (class b ok by me). or ill have to go back out with one of the big boys otr, if i cant. but it will be company, not lease.
     
  7. sic em dawgs 048

    sic em dawgs 048 Bobtail Member

    8
    1
    Sep 3, 2009
    lawrenceville ga.
    0
    oh i will say this for trans-am, if i had stayed company i would still be there. it wasnt a bad job and the equip. was at least in my case top notch. the money was fair, not huge, i made more haulin concrete. but as long as my wife worked we got by. what i did was to shoot my self in the foot(wallet) by getting talked in to something i knew nothing about.
     
  8. Keendriver

    Keendriver Light Load Member

    135
    30
    Mar 27, 2009
    Big Blue Truck
    0
    I have a question....why would T/A not rehire you as co driver? Is this a policy of theirs?If so, why?
     
  9. cool breeze

    cool breeze Bobtail Member

    10
    0
    May 22, 2009
    Anderson, SC
    0
    Hello Everyone,

    I have just completed a course here locally and got my Class A last week. I am trying to make the decision right now of running flats or reefer. The two offers I have on the table right now are Trans Am and Arrow. I am just wondering how the environment and miles are currently.

    Thank You!
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2009
  10. Panhandle flash

    Panhandle flash Road Train Member

    5,597
    6,014
    Jul 18, 2008
    Oklahoma City
    0
    Don't know if its a written policy or not, but if you were stupid enough to go lease before, why would they want to rehire you as a company? Leasing as many drivers as they can is the way they wish to go. My trainer quit and came back and tho they told him originally that he could come back company, it got changed. Just the way it is in this time and economy.
     
  11. Panhandle flash

    Panhandle flash Road Train Member

    5,597
    6,014
    Jul 18, 2008
    Oklahoma City
    0
    Well if you come to TA be ready to be micromanaged and to put up with some stupid policies. I'm sure the micromanagement is due to hiring lots of newbies and is probably neccassary but the older drivers also have to put up with it.
    As for miles. You'll probably get more miles in a reefer than a flatbed cause people still have to eat. Going on my experience, you'll start out running # 1600 to 1800 a week. As you prove yourself, you'll start getting more. Maybe around the 2200 to 2500. If your lucky enough to get a good DM (I have a great one), you might start averaging in the 3000 range.
    Hope this helps.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.