TMC Orientation - WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Because many times they let perfectly good people go! If you know you only have openings for say 25 drivers and you have 50 show up for orientation you know from the start that somehow you have to eliminate 25 drivers. Some end up eliminating themselves and some have to be cut for no other reason than they don't have enough trucks. Swift is famous for this as are a few others.

 

It has always been like this over there, TMC has had this reputation for a very long time, i'll admit though that with the current economy 'crisis' it's gotten a tad bit worse, since most people need jobs now and so many other companies are on hiring freezes that makes TMC's retention go down.

Give it til mid summer and the good drivers will get fed up with the garbage and go elsewhere, and TMC will be crying for drivers all over again. It's a vicious cicle and will never change, you might as well get used to it. If you diddn't do your own research you really can't blame them for that. Why should they have to TELL you that if you can't pass you won't have a job?

I thought that was just common sense, would you hire someone to drive one of your trucks if they couldn't hack it? Why continue wasting time and money on someone who isn't going to make it? At least they're honest about it, that's one thing i really did appreciate about TMC, If you suck they will most certainly tell you, and if they're going to screw you they will just tell you you're getting screwed, no nice way of putting it. If you diddn't look everything up beforehand and are now complaining that you diddn't know you really can't blame anybody but yourself.

 

folk need to understand a few things about landing a job with a trucking company where you apply and you're "prehired" site unseen...

1)your application to the company only gives them a limited amount of information about you - you have a CDL, your job history, and possibly your credit history. that's IT. the orientation portion is sort of like an interview where they determine what your strengths and weaknesses are. you take tests as I've already mentioned. they have to determine whether or not you have the physical and mental ability to do the job. this can only be done in orientation. they can't determine that from a job app when you're on the other side of the country.

2)folks need to get over this idea that they have a "right" to a job or that being invited to orientation guarantees them a job. like it or not, yes, you HAVE to compete with other warm bodies for work. that's more true now than when there is a shortage of drivers as opposed to the current situation of an OVERAGE of drivers.

3) it is absolutely pointless to label a company as "bad" because you failed to make the cut. it is just as pointless to criticize a successful company for the way they run their company. if you think you can start and grow a business and be as profitable, then either #### or get off the pot.

 

I don't know how the two week class was, as DH was only there for one, but he did have tests the day before the final day. Maybe they don't get all the results til Friday??? I don't know that for sure though. All I know is that they let people go all the time, just like any other business. I would be lieing to you if I said I was not worried about DH's job, but I would be worried about it no matter what company he was with. He goes in to DM next week for repairs and I will not rest easy until he's out of DM with his job intact.

Would it make TMC a bad company for letting him go? No, not in my opinion. He's done nothing wrong other than live in Texas(if you believe all the rumors) but they have to do what they must to stay afloat. Like DH likes to say, he was looking for a job when he found this one and with 10 years experience I'm sure he can find another one. At least, we can hope.

 

The idle problem is true, my trainer was brought in to Des Moines specifically to be told he owed them for idling. We spent every bit of 2 full weeks in 15 or below weather. Will they actually take it out of his pay? I don't know, but they sure do seem to be willing.

As for orientation, it sucks. It's supposed to suck, but there were a couple of people in our class who were sent home for medical reasons that they fully disclosed to their recruiter. There's no reason for that.

Times are tough and it seems to me TMC is taking advantage of everything they can think of. I'm going to do my best to not come to any conclusions until I've got more solo time.

 

Why would they deliberately not tell you what?

Like i said, it's common sense. If you can't cut it they won't hire you, it's not just TMC.

 

I may be a bit off base here but I simply would not work for a company that gave me grief over my idle time. Are they paying for a hotel when the conditions are not ideal? Do they have APU's in the trucks? If not they have no right to expect you to suffer in cold/hot weather.

 

Well... If you have a medical condition that you disclose to your recruter and can pass the physical, then they should not send you home for it. Or at least they should by law be required to pay you for your time. They would have paid for orentation if you passed, so if they have the info before they invite you, they should have to pay you for the time reguardless.

As for testing, I never made less than a 92% on any test for driving a truck, and the 92 was on hazmat. All others were 100%. No real reason for less than that. The info is all in the book, you are required to understand english to be a CDL holder in this country. Read the darn book and you will pass.
If there tests are open book, even if they are timed, no excuse for getting a question wrong.

I had not looked at a CDL book since 1991 (when I got my CDL), and a year ago I was bored at a computer in the terminal. I did every test on it, and passed every one with a 95% or higher, this included defencive driving, trainer tests, ect.
Why did I pass? Becuase the tests are common since. If you have no common since, you should not be driving a car, much less a truck. It would make it safer for all of us out here.

As for TMC being a good or bad company, I will reserve my decision on that. I have seen and met some good drivers with this company, and talked to several. There are also 3 ex-TMC drivers at my company. One was with them for 7 years. He says they are ok, but likes a smaller company better.
It is all in the fit.

With the idle thing. Many large carriers like TMC are doing that. Though TMC would save more money makeing the mandatory washes every 2 weeks than charging there drivers for idle. I doubt they will last the year anyway. So it will not matter. I see more and more of there trucks deadhead every day, and flat rates are down.

 

it can't be that hard, i've seen some seriously stupid flatbed drivers stumble out of them trucks.