Sorry i need to vent some. About 80% of all trailers i have picked up needs work done on them. About 60% of all loads I have gotten could not be delivered on time legal. All loads i have had i have delivered have been on time or early. I have asked for another truck while this one is in the shop and was told there wasnt any. Meanwhile they are still hireing new drivers last week when i called Tontitown they said that there was 10 new drivers there waiting on a truck. I dont expect a new truck but I would like one that will stay running. Im looking for a new company while im broke down. I dont think I can afford to continue to work for this company.

First of all, I know for a fact that PAM will not let you sit for 3 weeks without a truck because yours is in the shop. If your dispatcher isn't trying to get you a new truck then that person is not doing their job. PAM is NOT going to put up with having to pay you that much breakdown pay + the hotel pay.. This also tells me your NOT making any effort either... Call the company and talk to who is in charge of trucks.... She is always getting brand new trucks in, which means there are used trucks being emptied continually. You need to be willing to travel to pick up another truck... I know your either blowing smoke or making it out to be worse than it really is because I had a truck in the shop once for a week and the company called ME and asked me if I wanted another truck or if I wanted to wait on mine.

Heck I was just in Tontitown a little over a week ago and there were trucks sitting there..... Anyone that has sat there more than a week, is there for either getting into an accident or waiting for their truck to get out of the shop.

Also, PAM will NOT run you illegally unless your not doing your job correctly. By this, I mean your not turning in your hours everyday like your required to. Kind of hard for the planners to know if your out of hours if your not turning in your hours. You need to send in a macro 14 on your qualcomm and then turn in your daily hours everyday before 9am central time. Also, if you are out of hours after you deliver a load and send in your empty call, put the time you available for your next load. Even if it is 10 hours later, put the time you are actually available. If they still send you a load, figure out when you can legally pick it up and put that on your load confirmation. They will either take you off the load and give you something you can do legally or change your pick up time. PAM will not force you to run illegal. It's against the law. PAM did NOT get to be as big as it is by being stupid and doing things illegally...

Now, if you want to actually get a check, stop taking advances. Then have a heart to heart with your dispatcher about it. I average 2500 a week which is about normal for any large company. In this industry, you can't just expect everything to work out for you. You have to make it work for you. You have to put in an effort also.

The dispatchers and load planners will run you as hard as you want to run, but they aren't going to run you if you don't put in effort to show you want to work.

I apologize to everyone about the rant, but I get sick and tired of the "oh poor me" people when all it is, is them being lazy and not making an effort... You can make good money with PAM. If your not making 30 to 40 grand in your first year, it's your own fault. Maybe trucking isn't for you. Hell, I made 35 grand my first year and that was with taking extra days home most time I went home.

Don't worry, there is plenty of freight out here to make a decent living. I never sit for more than an hour waiting for a load. I don't always get great loads, but always get loads. You need to be willing to take the short loads and not complain about them along with the good loads... No one continually gets good loads unless your on a dedicated run...

If your dispatcher isn't working out for you, call him/her/it and voice your opinion. Dispatchers can't know there is a problem if you don't let them know..

Remember, all it takes is 400 miles a day to get 2800 a week. And that is better than average for any big company.... Learn the ropes and how to use them to your benefit before giving up on PAM. It's really not hard at all...

Chip

Hey Chip,

Thanks for all the feedback regarding PAM. I am going to work with Decker a subsidiary of PAM. Do you know any trainers or drivers from that side of the company?
I just finished C1 training at Driver Solutions in Indianapolis IN. I got home on Sat after training for 3weeks.

If anyone has any feedback about their experience with Decker I would like to hear. I am ok with good or bad. I am just curious.
Also if any females are out there driving for any of these 2 companies post a message and let other girls like me know whats up. I will be making post as soon as I start my training. I am home until April 14th. so I am just resting up for my new career venture.

Thanks,
Jewell

I feel your pain. I ran kicking and screaming from P.A.M a month ago. I hope they go broke or burn to the ground.

Do like I did. Give them the finger and walk away.

Your such a little company #####.

I don't understand why people have to resort to name calling. If you had a bad experience with a company, post on the appropriate thread and leave it at that. Every person is different and therefore will have different perspective and experiences. I can accept a good natured, educated debate, but juvenile namecalling? That benefits no one and weakens your credibility.

Jewell , Im starting C1 on the 14th in Ft. Wayne. I am also going to Decker. Congrats on getting through the class and Good Luck as you start out. I'll be checking to follow your progress, so make sure you keep us posted as you can

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