I started with Tmc 2007. Right out of trucking school I went through there 2 week training and 5 week otr with trainer. The 5 weeks with trainer was the worst part of it all. Once I recieved my truck life at Tmc was great. I never thought I could make $900 to 1150.00 week. When I started getting these checks I volunteered to stay out every other week. I knew I had to prove myself to the company and never turned down a load or complained(ever).

After 8 months I noticed no matter how hard you worked they would always prevent you from earning over $1350 in a week. Then gas prices went up and revenue dropped. I was on percentage pay. Slowly I went from $1000 a week to $900 and finally struggling to make $700.
My out of route was 4.8%, fuel milage was at 32 points, but no matter what percentage rate your at they use 23% of your earnings to calculate your revenue. I seemed to be stuck at 28% even driving 55 when I could to earn extra points.

The hometime became a big issue. I live 18 miles from Kansas city. I would drop a load off at 7am on friday only 2 hours from home. They would wait until 3pm and dispatch a load 350 miles away from home. I would drive half of Saturday to get home and then have a load that needs delivered Monday 8am. Always tired on weekeneds and hard to get anything done not alone enjoy the family time.
I only loaded twice out of Kansas city the entire time with Tmc. They easily could send me home on Fridays to load Monday am, Never. No matter how hard you work they do take it for granted. Trying to talk to my Fleet manager was pointless. I never was late for pickup or delivery, no violations, no accidents, and no out of route fuel.

Here is where Tmc lost my respect for a company I thought really had pride in saftey. In late 2008 loads became hard to get. Dont ever go to Tulsa, Ok or Dallas, Tx it screws you everytime. No matter what the load pays going there. You would usually deliver a hardware store load at 7am and send your empty in. At 430 pm they would dispatch a load right at rush hour and want it delivered at 7am the next day. The night before you get your 10 hour break in, how can you sleep another 9 hours.

Then to get load you must log 7am to 430pm on sleeper berth or offduty, drive 11 hours hoping the shipper can load you in time. Most time it was a steel load Union(prepare to wait 3 to 4 hours) or lumber. Sometimes its ok but every week it gets old. Then you say anything and fleet manager says Oh you cant take this load, out of hours, I will give it to someone else. Its Run it or make no money. It was the first time I actually started having issues of staying awake and dealing with high levels of stress or bull#$%^ I should say. Good luck getting tarps with no holes and getting them inside headache rack. After kicking and ramming it for 20 minutes they will go. Trailer swaps are a nightmare. The 4 inch straps are usually always damaged and trailer inspection sticker expired or close to it. Then you have to wait to get them inspected.

Now they are doing away with trailer boxes. Have fun with the tmc black/maroon tarp and the orange TDT tarp, the truck looks like a circus going down the road. My biggest complaint, you can have up to 13,000 lbs. on front axle. Tmc puts tires that only can hold around 12,300lbs. Texas will eat you alive on this. Most shippers would argue with me because I wanted load more towards rear to help reduce weight on front steers. Heading through Des moines they make you stop to get fuel at terminal even if line is backed up 3 hours. Its a headache but in time you get used to it.The final weeks with them I waited most days in truck stops for 3 to 9 hours for loads to be dispatched. I went to sleep in Joplin, Mo truckstop full house, woke up with Tmc trucks empty everywhere and most other trucks gone.

I went to Joplin terminal and said I need a load or let me go for lack of work. My revenue average was around 500. After a good long debate Tmc agreed they had 17 trucks in Jolpin alone with no loads. I told them I would come back when things picked up. They signed a paper showing lack of work and the Jolpin office signed off on it.

Checked truck in and wife came and got me. I'm currently trying to find a good solid company to work for. I dont want to jump into a bad company because the DaC report will show any job I have been at. I filed unemployment while waiting. I went this week to get my first payment from mailbox. Tmc decided to dispute they laid me off. Lack of work is laid off to me. Now before Christmas I have no income coming in and appeals process takes 2-3 weeks to settle with unemployment. I even have paper Tmc signed(notice of seperation lack of work). I worked hard for this company and never did anything wrong. I even moved from a home on 20 acres to a duplex until things picked up trying to stay with TMC.
I wanted to thank Tmc for playing games with my family before the Holidays. I will win in the end but its truley ashame to see a company act like this. I would have gone back when things picked up. Enjoy your Holidays TMC, we will do just fine without you. If they stopped hiring so many new drivers the current drivers will have loads. Its a lesson learned the hard way. No matter how hard you work and follow rules the good guy gets screwed in the end. Forgot to mention they back dated my last day by a week to cancel health insurance early. For legal reasons this is my personnal experience and opinions.

Unfortunately, what you have posted will be mirrored in thread after thread over the next 3-4 months. With other companies.

There will be a couple of comments disputing what you say, in an attempt to minimize the truth. I would disregard them all together.

I wish you and your family only the best. Maybe things will work out for you.

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He has erected a multitude of new offices,
and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people,
and eat out their substance........

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution,
and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

Declaration Of Independence
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King George or Obama ????

The hometime became a big issue. I live 18 miles from Kansas city. I would drop a load off at 7am on friday only 2 hours from home. They would wait until 3pm and dispatch a load 350 miles away from home. I would drive half of Saturday to get home and then have a load that needs delivered Monday 8am. Always tired on weekeneds and hard to get anything done not alone enjoy the family time.

This is Standard for OTR trucking. Yes it gets old, but that's how you make money and thats how the company pay's it's bills. If your a new driver reading this expect to be close to home but can't get there right away.

Let's say this is the case with myself one day...I'm passing thru the home area, but have no way to stop for my day or 2 "off"...is it common to stop somewhere locally (truck stop, Wal-Mart lot, etc.), give the wife a call, and have her meet me to, um, "####-chat"?



Huh, it appears the word censor doesn't like an honest version of "poop"

I am not driving yet but I have many friends that are. Things are slow and any company is going to have problems. Good luck in your search and I hope you don't find that the grass is not green on the other side either.

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Happens all the time. Everyone takes advantage of every opportunity given. I've even went as far as calculating shortest routing, to take the truck home without adding additional miles to trip. Especially when working for a company that gets picky about out of route miles.

__________________
He has erected a multitude of new offices,
and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people,
and eat out their substance........

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution,
and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

Declaration Of Independence
__________________

King George or Obama ????

It did slow down alot toward the end. I was close to leaving for an hourly job before they offered me dedicated. It happens, though. Our economy is messed up right now, most companies are hurting, some even closing their doors. I wouldn't blame that on TMC. Obviously it wasn't personal toward you, i doubt they were 'playing games with your family'. Either way, you knew christmas was around the corner before you quit, so you really can't blame them for that, either.

It seems like alot of people are under the impression that their FM's are "Against" them. Rarely ever is that the case, they have 40 drivers to deal with, and they are only the middle man. They are harped on more than we (as drivers) could ever imagine. I've been up there in the office during the day, i've spent 2 days up there with my FM when i was on the road and i'll tell you, i wouldn't want his job.

We've all been 5 mins from home and had to drive away for a load. After the first year with them i would just drive home empty without even sending my macro lol. Look at it from the companies perspective, though, if that was your truck, would you want it going home without freight on it? (Even though right before i went to dedicated they bounced me home empty from Chicago to Detroit about 4 times). It sounds like your FM wasn't doing a very good job for you, I wish you would have tried to switch and got someone like i had, who actually cared about his drivers and his driver retention (Which they ARE evaluated on)... Maybe that would've helped you with your problems. Or at least some of them.

I'm sorry we lost you, i hope that you find something and that you and your family have a wonderful Christmas, please keep us updated.

Thank you

Always blame the driver. Lack of work is not quitting its called company has no work to make money so its laid off before the holidays. Fleet manager was let go and new one was honest about TMC's no loads available and struggling to get trucks moving. Some guys had been waiting 2 days for a load. Getting home once in awhile on friday would be good. What I'm saying is never, never, never can they let a guy get home early after he has volunteered to stay out a extra week, done everything by the book, and no violations. I live next to Kansas city, how hard is it to get a load there on monday morning or St joesph, Mo. I was a TMC diehard until this and it hurts to think how much respect you had until something like this happens.

One thing to remember this is a rough time for flatbeds. This is the worst that I can remember. How many of you remember the economy being worse? I can not remember the last lumber load or shingles that I have hauled. I am pulling coils and steel. Most steel mills are telling me they are letting half of their people go after christmas. Some are closing the doors. It is not just TMC. I don't even work for them. Every flat that I talk to tell me it is getting tough at their co. I get empty and have to wait for a load. Then I have to really push it to make it happen because I set empty for 5 hours. I normally get home on weekends, but have had to stay out a couple weeks here lately. I have went from taking home 800-1200 bucks a week after everything comes out to taking home 600 bucks a week.
I was out 2 weeks last time and when I got empty they deadheaded me home 3 hours.
My company has always been liberal with a driver. They will work with you. If you need a week or two off no problem. Give them enough time to work it out and go home and keep the truck at home a couple weeks. (without pay) Now things are slow enough I could probably take a month or so and they would not care. When I reminded them I had a dentist appt monday they told me we might not be able to load you home, but will get you a swap, then take as much time as you need. Not taking up for TMC or saying you did not have problems. Just saying I work for a good co and we are struggling for loads as well.

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A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: