TMC Transportation, Inc. - Des Moines, Ia. - Page 11 - Truckers' Trucking Forum | Message Board

LakeReady · **^ Top** #**101** 02.05.2007

[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. I would seek out some other line of work... Really I would just from reading through your statements... It’s in no way a put down… Just my advice and option … someone with your expectations of the job and company you will never receive justification or satisfaction in the trucking business period. I started out with my uncle in 1984 while my brother and sister where away in summer camp I was driving over the road with my uncle that had 5 flatbed trucks… A LOT has changed since then… I got behind the wheel for a few years then had enough sense to get out do something else… His ailing health pulled me back in and I have been driving ever since… But never as an owner operator… I require time away from my work when I am finished with it… Drive for Lowe’s or something and stay close to your family… Just my 2 cents…

Quote:

Originally Posted by melfry

I was very impressed with TMC's training in South Carolina, load securement, safety, equipment familiarization, etc.; however, when I got to my over the road training, with a trainer--if you could dare call him that--I lasted only 4 days before I called it quits. The trainer began teaching me how to cheat from the get-go.

He had a "I don't give a ----" attitude, and it showed in everything he did. He dropped a load of steel off the back of the truck and didn't report it, a major offense in TMC's eyes. He was more concerened with looking at women, making disgusting comments about them, and looking at porno mags in the passenger seat than he was with training me. BTW, if that were my wife in the car beside him he would've been making crude comments about her as well, or my teenage daughter. The guy was just a filthy pig. The truck, btw, was filthy. And reaked of BO.

The trainer spent 50% of his time on the cell phone arguing with his wife, and looking for another trucking job. He badmouthed TMC constantly, it seemed never-ending.

I also came to conlcusion that he wasn't in it for the love of training, not even for the money, he was in it because he hated working. It was easier to have a trainee do all the tarping and securing while he watched. The fat slob could've used a little exercise. But that's not to say I wanted him doing all the work. I wanted to learn it for my self. But he was so lazy and forgetful, he misplaced his fuel card and then was crying on the phone to TMC that it wasn't his fault. He also constantly overslept and then wanted me to speed to get to our destination on time. I was up on time, but I wouldn't dare wake the fat slob up because quite frankly I'm not his mother. He was 28 yrs old, I'm 33.

And trip planning was never done. His idea of trip planning was keeping the quallcom and atlas on his steering wheel while driving, very dangerous and distracting.

And I won't even get into logs. He wanted to do nothing but cheat them too.

Either way, I reported the slob to TMC, and they weren't happy. I drove 700 miles to meet the guy because TMC told me he was the best. Well, unfortunately, I won't be returning to TMC. My family is too concerned about me working for a company that has such reckless trainers. But I don't believe the company is all bad. They did take my concerns very seriously and the ol' slob will probably lose his job. But that's on him. I don't want some careless fool driving a 80,000 lb killing machine while my family and loved ones are on the road. That trainer doesn't deserve to be on the road.

And that's my 2cents.
melfry

flathead · **^ Top** #**102** 02.06.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakeReady

[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. I would seek out some other line of work... Really I would just from reading through your statements... It’s in no way a put down… Just my advice and option … someone with your expectations of the job and company you will never receive justification or satisfaction in the trucking business period. I started out with my uncle in 1984 while my brother and sister where away in summer camp I was driving over the road with my uncle that had 5 flatbed trucks… A LOT has changed since then… I got behind the wheel for a few years then had enough sense to get out do something else… His ailing health pulled me back in and I have been driving ever since… But never as an owner operator… I require time away from my work when I am finished with it… Drive for Lowe’s or something and stay close to your family… Just my 2 cents…

Lake - Aren't you being a bit harsh on melfry? TMC is expecting me to call them back at any second to schedule orientation. I'm kind of leaning toward Hunt/Crete anyway, but if the timing isn't right (don't want to wait forever for a trainer) I might go work for TMC. But if my training experience was anything like melfry's, I wouldn't last long at TMC, and I wouldn't look down on melfry for doing the exact thing I would have done, in melfry's shoes. I expect training to be tough, and I expect the toughest part of it will be living and working with a complete stranger for several weeks straight. But I will expect my trainer to be at least semi-professional in both attitude and conduct. If someone ELSE has a bad attitude toward the job, I won't take that as a cue that *I* should choose a different profession.

To melfry, I would say hang in there. Find a different carrier to work for. Maybe CFI or Roehl or Crete. Even Schneider, as a last resort (gotta start somewhere). Expect your OJT training to be tough, but do expect your trainer to try to be professional, even if he/she is not exactly a good trainer. Keep in mind that when you get your "first seat" position and get assigned your own tractor, the job is what YOU make it from that point on. So find a trainer that you can live with, and tough it out until you get that tractor assigned. Good Luck, -Dave

LakeReady · **^ Top** #**103** 02.06.2007

I had no intention of coming off harsh in any form and NEVER intended for it to be a put down… I am truly sorry if it was taken as such… You think TMC is bad and their trainers are nasty, Sloppy? Well take a run across the road and compare… It aint perdy… Hunt will let you sit WITH OUT pay for a weekend/layover etc… You want to bring home a 325.00 paycheck to your family be my guest then drive for TransAm, Roehl, Crete, Schneider or even Swift. How will 24 or 25 cents a mile sit with you? For how long!? How about home time!? It will cost you a batter part of 100.00 bucks to feed your self weekly now you have 225.00 to bring home to your hungry kids! Yea! See how many times you make it home in a 2 month period working for those companies… Look trucking companies are greedy and don’t truly support their drivers in more cases than not across the board… I will however state I never even after the first day in my own truck EVER made less than a 600.00 paycheck at TMC… This past whole year I NEVER missed more than 2 weekends at home and with many over nights at home along the way… It tends to be a tough world as a driver not only the responsibility one holds in their hands but also being properly compensated for the task we perform each and every day… There is no black and white in this business you have to adapt to the situation and its not 9 to 5… You wont always be asked to do the same things twice on any given run. You have to move and shake a little to your company. Build relationships all the way from load planner to road repair to be taken seriously and treated like a human being… Not just a number… Everything is not always above board and yes sometimes it may call for you to fudge the numbers a little so you can get home or get to a safe location for the night… Do what you can live with by days end… Don’t expect to come out here be treated like you did at your last job… You drive the job from start to finish or they will drive you… In a manor of speaking… I take pride working for a company like TMC they don’t mess with my home time never mess with my paycheck… They are by far from perfect but I tell you this… They are by far more ethical than most period.

Anomeley · **^ Top** #**104** 02.07.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakeReady

… I take pride working for a company like TMC they don’t mess with my home time never mess with my paycheck… They are by far from perfect but I tell you this… They are by far more ethical than most period.

I appreciate reading comments like this.

sting77 · **^ Top** #**105** 02.07.2007

after ready all this stuff dating back to the begining of '06 with the fines and charge backs and everything makes me laugh!!! working here at TMC and seeing the comments from guys who either didnt give us fighting chance and just refusing to come here from the rumors is overwellming also. im telling you if you can follow direction, and some rules, and log legal, and have a since of responsiblity, you can make it at TMC. you wont find another company that is like family my friends. every company has its flaws, all we ask is make good decisoins behind the wheel no matter what company your at. all i say is speak up if your in training and demand results, and if your thinking of coming to TMC you will like it here.
PM me if you have any other ?'s guys.

Anomeley · **^ Top** #**106** 02.07.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by sting77

after ready all this stuff dating back to the begining of '06 with the fines and charge backs and everything makes me laugh!!! working here at TMC and seeing the comments from guys who either didnt give us fighting chance and just refusing to come here from the rumors is overwellming also. im telling you if you can follow direction, and some rules, and log legal, and have a since of responsiblity, you can make it at TMC. you wont find another company that is like family my friends. every company has its flaws, all we ask is make good decisoins behind the wheel no matter what company your at. all i say is speak up if your in training and demand results, and if your thinking of coming to TMC you will like it here.
PM me if you have any other ?'s guys.

It is amazing isn't it? You put all the time, effort and money into getting qualified and then listen to a bunch of internet hype from guys that simply had no business coming here in the first place! "It's scary bad guys, they really expect you to work and do things right at TMC!!" ####.

melfry · **^ Top** #**107** 02.07.2007

I won't. If the company wants you, the driver, to be at your absolute 100% best at all times, then I hold them to that same standard. I expected to be trained by a trainer that could at least train me. Isn't that the whole concept? I went through 2 weeks of info and policy training for TMC then got out on the road and watched my trainer break every one of them.

And you know what? If he had just done things the right way, the job would've been that much easier. Instead he made costly and time consuming mistakes and then wanted to blame TMC for them.

And I know it's not the whole company, a few bad apples, so they say. But I'm not going to be some careless truck driver like my trainer. It's drivers like him that got the DOT on everyone's hide in the first place.

Wake up. Until drivers start demanding better standards among themselves, none of us will ever get treated like the professionals that we all are and should be. It's not rocket science.
melfry

slacker03 · **^ Top** #**108** 02.07.2007

melfry

I am not tring to trash on you by no means but you should have said something to the guy's in the training dept long before you got to your two weeks. I have been with TMC for almost years now and as far as I can tell there are alot of bad egg's out there but you need to open your mouth and say something or nothing will ever get done about people like your trainner. I got lucky when I went through the trainning program it I got two good trainners. But the rules at TMC where a hole lot strictor than what they are to day and I do belive alot of the guy's tranning do not belong in that position. I wish you luck at what ever trucking outfit you decide to go with.

melfry · **^ Top** #**109** 02.07.2007

I did open my mouth. I sat on the phone for 2 days with safety and my training coordinator before I finally was able to talk to the head of training.

And we're not in any real disagreement on the issue. I made it a point to call the guys in training down in South Carolina and tell them what this trainer was up to, because it was defeating everything they were trying to improve upon. And the company, overall, was not happy about it.

I just refuse to stand by and act like this guys training methods are okay, because they're not. I gave TMC ample time and consideration, and in the end, the trainer was the last straw. I'm out 170 bucks in rental car fees, which I paid for because the company didn't have a company close to my home so I had to get my own to get to their rental, and not to mention my cab fare, and the fact that this slob of a trainer wanted to dump me on an off ramp in the middle of the Baltimore expressway. TMC didn't seem too concerned about that. The whole reason I wanted to be removed from the trainers truck was that he kept making idle threats, in general, about people who cross him. I guess he thought I was gonna rat him out about losing the steel off his truck. I knew if I stayed in the truck we were gonna have a very physical, violent confontation, because my patience had just about worn out with his threats. The company wasn't really able to assist me with that issue. That's why I left. Enough of my valuable time had been wasted.

I think overall TMC is a good trucking company. I, for one, had a bad experience. They did offer to set me up with another trainer, but the closest one to me was 400 miles away, which meant another rental and I had had enough. I've spent more money trying to start this job and alot of what was promised from the onset by the recruiters and the like was all just rubbish, but I expected that. Either way, I won't compromise. TMC is a fine company, and has a lot to offer drivers. I don't deny that. But I flat out had a bad experience that they were not able reverse.

That's just the flat out truth.
melfry

slacker03 · **^ Top** #**110** 02.07.2007

I am sorry you had such bad luck with your trainner and dealing with the tranning dept. You are right about the recuiters they are the biggest bunch of liers i have talked to. I was not trying to give you a hard time just wish some one would have helped you out and not jerked you around. I hope you have good luck finding the right outfit. If you dont mind who was your trainner mabye i can say some thing to some guy's I know and we can make sure this does not happen again. Have beeen here awhile and know some of the big wigs.

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