My journey with PGT begins today

Discussion in 'Motor Carrier Questions - The Inside Scoop' started by cjr323, Nov 24, 2012.

  1. cjr323

    cjr323 Light Load Member

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    I am taking the bus to PA today to start orientation and training on Monday. I have been waiting for this for a long time. I made the decision to go with PGT back in august while I was still in the army. I started this thread because there is not a whole lot of info on PGT on here. I plan on updating the thread weekly with my experience throughout orientation, training, and my first several months. I found threads like this on several other companies and they were very helpful in making my decision on a good first company. I really do not know how often I will have access to internet and down time to sit down and write, but I will do my best to keep this updated.

    Here is a little about me and my situation. I have been in the army 7 years as a PATRIOT missile operator. I made the decision to get out after my 4th deployment and being told we were going again in less than a year. I have a 1yr old and another on the way and the army was just not cutting it any more. So I planned on driving while I looked for another career. I thought I could just get my CDL and it would be like a normal job....HAHA. Once I started school I realized exactly what I was getting into and I actually kinda liked it. I have talked to several flatbed companies in my search for the right company and out of the 10 - 15 I talked to PGT really stood out. The recruiter was willing to spend about 2 hours on the phone with me making sure that I had all the info I needed. He even told me to look at a couple other companies to make sure I was making the right choice. And he also was the one who told me about this forum.

    So either way I hope someone gets some good info out do this thread and I will do my best to keep it up to date.
     
    Airborne, WingNut72, vhughes and 4 others Thank this.
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  3. 1catfish

    1catfish Road Train Member

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    good luck and be safe.......
     
  4. SHC

    SHC Spoiled Rotten Brat O/O

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    Good luck, and thank you for your service. I'm sure things will work out good for you, as I've heard really good things about PGT and they have some nice equipment.
     
  5. Semi Crazy

    Semi Crazy Road Train Member

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    PGT Don't ask don't tell!
     
  6. cpape

    cpape Desk Jockey

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    I think it says a lot when the company directs you to TTR and tells you to check out a couple other companies. It shows they are interested in having drivers that want to be there and not just trying to get butts in the seats.
     
    JimTheHut and The Challenger Thank this.
  7. cjr323

    cjr323 Light Load Member

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    Sep 10, 2012
    Fayetteville, NC
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    I feel like I have picked the best company for me to start out with. I was really set on TMC until I got on TTR and then I said no way after reading about them on here.
     
    Airborne Thanks this.
  8. cjr323

    cjr323 Light Load Member

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    Sep 10, 2012
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    He did make it very clear that they were not interested in bringing 20-30 people to orientation only intending to hire a few of them. He said as long as I pass the drug test, physical, and I can drive I am %100 hired.
     
    The Challenger and SHC Thank this.
  9. lorha1159

    lorha1159 Light Load Member

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    Im in the middle of testing out for my truck my truck right now. Ill be back in Monaca on Monday afternoon to come in for Tuesday to finish up and get my truck. I should of have been cut loose on last Friday and then I could have tested out my Monday and gotten my truck to bring home with a load for the holidays. However my trainers truck had lost a turbo the week before last in Hagerstown,Md and we spend an afternoon, 2 full days, and a morning in the hotel. Now 3 good instances of why Im happy that I went to Pgt. 1) when my trainer called the training dept to notify them that we were broke down they said that I would not be getting any breakdown pay. Which being a student I didnt really expect it. My trainers Fleet Manager (who happens to be head of operations in Monaca) said we would be taken care of. On my bus ride home Weds got my pay stub email and it had 150.00 listed for a "training bonus" which they pay 75$ a day for breakdown. So I got breakdown pay as well. 2) bc of the breakdown my trainer was only gonna keep me a week since he said I could drive just fine, he wanted me to just see a certain number of loads with him,and that screwed up me getting home for the holidays tested out and with my truck. So training had him bring me back to Monaca Monday night and they paid for me a dirty dog ticket home and paying for me to be back their Monday afternoon. I could have easily been told I wasnt getting home for turkey day.3) My trainer was a full independent for the last 27 years before he came to Pgt 5 months ago and he is extremely happy there and with what he makes. For me its very telling for someone to be independent that long and take a company job and be happy with it.

    One thing I have noticed and I dont know how much of this has changed or never did. A lot the negative I saw in treads about Pgt was that everyone has to go out with a trainer for 2 weeks. Thats what I read and what I was told by the recruiter that I talked to, but after going through it myself it is entirely up to your trainer as when he decides to sign off on you. I was with my trainer for only a week. My trainer told me when he came since his 27 was all verifiable that he spent 3hrs in a truck with his trainer being the guy has less years then him. Also with pay and home time I found it seems that the recruiters tell you that you will be home less and get paid less then what you might actually do. Which personally Id rather you shoot me low then promise me the world and not live up to it. Only really bad thing that I could say or find at all about the company so far is just the lack of storage on the truck and trailer. Vast majority of the trucks do not have headache racks. They run headboards on the trailers that have chain racks. Which really isnt all that bad if you running to where you dont have to drop and hook you trailer. Bc if you have to drop and hook(which judging by you living in Fayetteville you will prolly be on the wallboard/building materials account like myself and would be dropping and hooking to some preloaded trailers at times) you gotta move allllllll your chains and dunnage over to the trailer you hooking too. Other than that thats really the only negative I can find.

    To give you an idea of pay (ill be staring at 25.5% since I got a 1 1/2 yrs) most loads I hauled with my trainer would have ended up paying me right at like .50-.55 cpm if you broke down the precentage of the revenue and the miles on the loads. Most all the loads we did were all 5-600 mile loads. They have plenty that go longer and some that go shorter. All in all most all their loads pay well so you dont have to worry about the % pay being a negative in that aspect.Also if you deadhead more than 200 miles they kicking some sort of pay for that but not actually sure what it is. My trainer showed me his pay stub for the 5 months that he has been with Pgt. Now you have to take into account he has 27 yrs so hes at 28% and he gets training pay when he has students but hes already grossed 37.5k so far. If things stay good he is on track to have a good year. You dont get a choice but you could tell training that you want bryan schmidt as your trainer lol. Thats who I had and I wouldnt never wanna be stuck with anyone else. He never yells and knows how to explain things in a way that you can defiantly understand it regardless of that it is.

    Ive seen all your posts but sorry I havent been able to add to them. All I have out on the road is my Iphone for now and if I tried to type something like this with that Id fat finger my keyboard so much you wouldnt know what language I was speaking haha. My name is Brandon and feel free so shout at me. You will def see me in class on Tuesday. I left all my luggage up there in the back of the class room so I didnt have to tote it back in forth this week/end.


    Btw when you go in Monday morning drink plenty so you can pee in the cup first thing when you get into class. There is really no set time to pee. Just as soon as you can pee tell'em you gotta go and they will get you the cup and you can be done with it. Then the rest of your day will be the initial road test and going to the clinic to get your physical.
     
  10. cjr323

    cjr323 Light Load Member

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    Did you have much room in the trainer truck. I am scared I am bringing too much stuff, but I would hate to not have enough. Also they are bringing me in at 26% due to my army driving experience so I will not have to wait 3 years to get up there. I will be doing building materials for now, however I would really like to get into steel and get into some of the high paying Canada runs out of the Detroit terminal.
     
  11. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

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    Have a buddie of mine that works at PGT. He just paid his truck off. Usually he just runs between Laredo Texas and Louisville,Ky. In the last 4 years, he bought a house in Laredo and paid for his truck, so he's doing better than most could even think about. Home every weekend and still putting away bank. But the guy can truck. PGT is one of those places that the guys who can actually truck can get ahead. Theyre not going to micromanage you. "Here's your truck, good luck driver!"

    Anyways, good luck to you, driver.
     
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