Well when I went through orientation two years ago I was at home for one week before starting in my trainers truck. Of course that week was Thanksgiving week so that may have had something to do with it.


The training was thorough, and the test at the end was easy, mostly just driving correctly and safely, and backing without hitting a cone.

I have heard several military veterans claim that TMC is nothing like the military, except about walking on the grass in Des Moines, that will earn you a trip back home. You do need to prove that you can pay attention and take this job seriously, because unsafe and inattentive behavior out on the road will get someone killed. Orientation is designed to test you allow TMC to see how you react. They don't want to find out that you are incapable of handling problems once you are 1000 miles from a terminal and quit.

__________________
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

-- J R R Tolkien

Thanks Rawlco,

I am a former veteran and they don't sound like they are very "militant" just thorough. I'm just tryin to find out when the next orientation would be. Again thanks a lot for your answers.

rebel

TMC starts an orientation class every monday in both Des Moines IA and Columbia SC (or whatever suburb in SC it is now) I believe that the only mondays they do not start orientation are the mondays of Thanksgiving and Christmas week. Once you are hired you can generally choose which monday you wish to start.

__________________
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

-- J R R Tolkien

rawlco is exactly right. you call them about a week before the monday that you want to start so they can get all your paperwork together.

you can schedule ahead too but you will need to call back the week before on monday to confirm and the thursday before for the bus ticket confirmation.

i had to do this because i need to put in 2 weeks notice with my current employer at least i know i have a spot.


does anyone know what bonus is if you drive yourself?? (i really dont plan on driving myself but would like to know it may change my mind)

also does the hotel they use in columbia have a free breakfast???

I think they will pay you $100 to drive your own car. You may be able to negotiate that up to however much your bus ticket would cost one way. The catch is that you also have to drive yourself home, and TMC won't give you any more for that.

If you take the bus out TMC will rent a car for you to return with, but you get to drop off other people along your route. TMC will reimburse the cost of gas to get home in the rental car that they pay for.

You really need to be ready to leave from orientation with a trainer as well, so bring what you need. It does get difficult if you leave your car at the terminal while out with a trainer to get both your car and TMC's truck back home.

It did not last I knew, but I think they are using a different hotel now than the one I was familiar with.

In Des Moines there is a breakfast at the hotel for I think three dollars and change, it is a really good deal with waffles, toast, sausage, grits and fruit.

__________________
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

-- J R R Tolkien

The breakfast at the hotel in Columbia is very small. Bagel, muffins, cereal, fruit, corree and juices. There is a Hardees over the bridge. you can walk up there or leave the hotel ten minutes early and get some food. Also a gas station across the street.

hey free is cool with me i'll eat what ever is free, on the orientation pay you get you should take full advantage of free breakfast.

Does tmc have a per diem option??

I do not think that TMC offers per diem pay.

Now when it comes to taxes you can deduct like 70% of $53 per day (or something like that) for every night that you are away from home all year long. If you are starting this year it won't matter much, but next year you need to keep track of all your itemizeable deductions to add together. Get a large envelope to keep receipts in.

__________________
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

-- J R R Tolkien

i was planning on getting a small accordian folder to keep receipts in order by the day of the month, and at the end of the month binder clipping all receipts with a total spent from the previous month.

I should get a good refund on my taxes because i will get like 2g back with one of the education credits for my cdl school.

shoot i'll probably be able to almost pay off whats left on the student loans when i get my refund next year