I'm glad to hear that. I just put in my application with Driver Solutions and have to call later, I'm hoping to be able to get on with PAM. Wish me luck and thanks for all of the advice.

I'm glad to see PAM hasn't changed much since I worked there (from Aug '03 - July '04). There are times when I wish I'd never left. When it comes to OTR companies, the grass really isn't any greener anywhere else. I've stated many times on this forum that I would recommend PAM to anyone. They do what they say they'll do and it is possible for a feller to make $35K in their first year with the company. I made over $40K in my second year.

Something else I liked about the company that wasn't mentioned by the original poster is they didn't mind if I drove the truck around bobtail while on time off. I didn't have a car when I first started with them and would use the truck to go to Wal-Mart as well as other errands. I even took the truck camping once while home. Another time I drove to a friend's house about 50 miles away from mine for a New Years party. I wouldn't say I overly used or abused this privilege, and PAM certainly never said anything to me about using the truck in this manner.

__________________
Keep that diesel burnin' and those tires turnin', but get there safe to keep on earnin'!!

It's too bad that we all (myself included) can't remember our own short comings at the exact moment a fellow man or woman is having one of their own.

Forgot all about that.... I've done the same thing on many occasions... Even with a car at home... One time I even took it to a family reunion 150 miles away and then back to my house.... I fully expected to have to reimburse the company for the miles, but never heard a word....

Now, they do tell you that you must pay an amount per mile for over mileage... I don't remember the amount because I've never been charged it... And trust me, I've put some miles on my trucks...

As far as the driver paying 15.00 per week for insurance... I pay for family coverage.... I forgot about mentioning the cost of single insurance...

Chip

What about Allen Freight service?I know they are a division of pam.I am looking at them,but I havnt been able to talk to any of their drivers at the local truck stops.Do they have it "ok" also?

I graduated from CDL school with a guy who's with AFS. He's been there since '03 and he's a trainer.

They're basically the same as PAM, just different freight customers.

One thing he just told me about the other day when we spoke on the phone in regards to the company's fairness:

A year or so ago he was involved in an accident. The trailer he was pulling was being traded in for a new one. It was an old ragged out trailer that off tracked VERY badly. It did so badly enough that he sideswiped a parked car while driving down a narrow city street in Indianapolis. He pled his case with AFS' safety officer that the incident would have never happened if the trailer wasn't off tracking so bad. Several months later, the incident was removed from his record after the maintenance records were pulled and it was discovered that the trailer was supposed to be aligned before being moved again.

__________________
Keep that diesel burnin' and those tires turnin', but get there safe to keep on earnin'!!

It's too bad that we all (myself included) can't remember our own short comings at the exact moment a fellow man or woman is having one of their own.

Do they have all autos' as well?I think thats what I had seen on their page.I think they also said AFS had about 220 drivers.So am I being dumb to think they might treat you ok with only 220 drivers' ?I heard some issues about pam makin people wait long times for loads and stuff.Does that affect AFS also?I know freight is a little unpredictable now,but could I atleast plan on $450 a week?Do they train you as a team,or does the trainer actually train you?

Yes they are all autos, i think that they are up to 270 drivers. And are you talking $450 take home or gross? They do train you as a team.

Yes, they're also an auto-shift fleet. Also, just because a truck in PTSI's fleet has the name of one division or another on it doesn't mean it's that division's truck. Kinda weird, but my friend who drives for AFS only has had one truck that was lettered in an AFS decal.
You are not dumb to think that. Smaller companies generally treat their drivers better. This is true with AFS. I remember comparing notes with my friend when I was with PAM. I was somewhat jealous at his treatment, and I was not at all treated badly at PAM.
This is going to happen with virtually every OTR company if you're not on a dedicated route. It's just a part of trucking. That being said, I can tell you that there were some seasonal slow downs when I was there. Specifically these times were December-January and during July. The biggest reason for these slow downs is because PAM hauls a lot for General Motors and their suppliers. If GM freight slows down, those drivers who run GM on a dedicated will be given the option to run general freight until their lane comes back full swing.
I don't think I ever averaged anything less than that except when I was in training. When I started with them, the pay was only 24cpm.
The trainer should actually train you. There will be times towards the end of your training that you will drive as a team. When I was being trained, I drove 10 hours my first day. My trainer kept asking me if I was okay to keep going. I was loving every minute of it. I was finally doing it. All the school BS was over with and I was finally earning a living driving across the country. I helped my trainer make some pretty decent paychecks. One week he earned over 1300 bring home and he was only making 28cpm. Driving down the interstate is not all that difficult. The real training comes in with things such as; mapping, routing, dealing with shippers and receivers professionally, city driving, improving your maneuvering skills (i.e. backing at truckstops and customers), logging, learning the Qualcomm, understanding company policies, etc.

__________________
Keep that diesel burnin' and those tires turnin', but get there safe to keep on earnin'!!

It's too bad that we all (myself included) can't remember our own short comings at the exact moment a fellow man or woman is having one of their own.

when I was training, I spent the first two weeks (unless I had to repower a tight time scheduled load for some one) the trainee did most of the driving... I was more into training paperwork, qualcomm, the proper use of 11/14 rules. If I felt in the 3rd week they were ready, we would start teaming. I had one that I kept on the truck for 6 weeks (4 is the norm). I don't turn a student loose unless I feel they are ready.... I've even had a student sent home... I won't tolerate stupidity.... In short, my students came off the truck with knowledge of what he can/can't do with the truck and respect for other drivers (I was a major stickler about respecting other drivers by using blinkers, 4 ways, and NOT leaving the truck in a fuel island)...

The extra money was nice, but for me it wasn't about the money.... I think this was because my trainer used me for a logbook and 6,000 miles a week.... Never had a chance to really learn until I was on my own... Luckily, I'm one of the ones with common sense enough to know how big my truck is and actually take it into consideration LOL....

If PAM would have given me a different dispatcher, I would have continued training...

Chip

Who was your dispatcher? This must have been after Jerome passed away?? Jerome would've never let a good trainer stop training because of a dispatcher.

__________________
Keep that diesel burnin' and those tires turnin', but get there safe to keep on earnin'!!

It's too bad that we all (myself included) can't remember our own short comings at the exact moment a fellow man or woman is having one of their own.