TMC

they don't have a training facility there. they just contract with that school.

 

don't know 1.50. i'm just trying to get into school thru them. do you know anything 'bout them? i mean are they a good co., or are these posts about tem accurate?

 

As I understand it: The bulk of the Northeast dedicated division is going to service Owens Corning in Mass. They also have a bunch of brave daycab drivers based at a terminal in NJ to run loads into NYC when other drivers don't want to.

 

I have been with TMC for two months and I enjoy working here. I have posted quite a bit on the other thread in this section. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

TMC spent an enormous amount of money training me. I provided my own transportation to orientation (rather than the Greyhound) and TMC paid me $150 for that, ($100 is the usual amount for most locations) TMC then sent me home in a rental car after orientation to await a trainer. TMC also reimbursed all the fuel and tolls for that rental car. TMC paid for a rental car to get me to my trainer since they couldn't find me one within commuting distance. (Something about being the first TMC driver from Maine ) They also paid for a rental car getting me home and back for Christmas. That in addition to other things brings me to believe that TMC is a good company to work for. That is about $2,000 on me so far, not counting what I have been paid, or motel rooms when my trainer had hometime. TMC wouldn't spend that kind of money on employees that they just wanted to throw away.

 

Ive been thinking about TMC, reading all the info on this site and everytjhing from FLATBEDFRED, anyway I'm in western mass and am just wondering if the money is there at TMC. I dont mind running two weeks at a time OTR but am concerned about the percentage pay. What kind of info you got on that?

 

The percentage pay system is a performance based concept. The driver receives a certain percent of how much the load pays. If TMC charges $600 to take this load from point A to point B then the driver pay is a percentage of that $600.

The way that your percentage rate is figured is complicated, and takes about an hour to explain properly. I will try to give you an overview. You start out at a base rate of 23% and can increase that to 32% by gaining certification points each month. The largest portion of your points come from your revenue. If you work hard you will earn more money for the truck and get more points. You get some points for almost any amount you earn. This is based on a 13 week average so one bad month will not hurt you.

The second way you gain points is by keeping your out of route miles low. You get dispatched on a load and the computer figures out how many mile are between the post office of the town you just delivered in, the post office of the shipper, and the post office of the consignee. Lets say the trip is 900 loaded miles and 100 bounce (deadhead) miles for a total of 1000 miles. Since this is a post office to post office route the miles are never going to be exact. Going the shortest route may be 1040 miles or 4% out of route. Going the quickest route may be 1070 miles or 7% out of route. You get the most points for 4% average and the least points for 11% average. It is also easy to add up miles if you take a wrong turn or wander off your route visiting friends. I use Delorme Street Atlas software to plan trips and check miles between a couple of routes. Usually the straightest line between two points is not a truck route so you need to find a legal route that is close to the same number of miles. Usually I find myself trying to manage the Out of Route against time/speed/fuel economy and places to stop/fuel.

The third item that gains you points is fuel economy. This is actual gallons of fuel purchased divided by actual miles driven. Idle time factors into this since you use about one gallon of fuel for each hour that you idle.

There are several things that can get you bonus points, like taking a safety or TQM class at a terminal, getting an outstanding truck appearance report, etc. You can lose points for missing your 8am check call or getting a chargeable ETA change. A chargeable ETA change is when you tell dispatch AFTER your appointment time that you are going to be late.

So all of these things combine to give you a percentage rate. You have to be asleep to get anything lower than 27%, and you have to work really hard to get past 31%.

The magic numbers at TMC are 5 loads a week and $4,000 in revenue to the truck each week. This is the goal of good drivers but it doesn't always work out. Sometimes stuff happens, or doesn't happen. Given the $4000 per week figure and a minimum 23% you are looking at a $920 paycheck. Add on $10 per load for tarping and you have $970 (before taxes) paycheck. At the best 32% you could earn $1330 on that $4000 revenue figure. My trainer averaged closer to $5,000 per week and earned nearly $70,000 in 2006. This is the advantage of training where you can run a few more hours each day to get a longer load done.


You don't get paid for the "bounce" (deadhead - empty) trip unless it is over a certain number of miles, 150 miles comes to mind but don't quote me on that.

 

The money sounds to good to be true..is it feasable that a rookie could be assigned and be able to pull 5 loads/ $4000 in revanue a week? And being from NE yourself maybe you could give me and idea what the TMC freight lanes look like up here?

You a very helpful to the flat bed dreamers btw..thank you

 

I submitted an application over the internet this weekend to TMC and I should be done with CDL school in the middle of March...can't wait to get out there..hopefully in a black Pete

 

I am on the long haul division so I get two days at home every two weeks. This means that I run for two weeks wherever the freight is moving around the country and then get a load home. Freight is really slow this time of year and most of what I have seen is between $3,000 and $3800 in revenue. TMC won't usually haul anything for less than $600 so if you get 5 loads that is $3,000. I have heard some Northeast line haul drivers complain about getting laid over lately. In that case they get unloaded one morning and their next load won't be ready until the next morning. In that case they get paid daily average. The long haul division in theory gets longer runs but the most I have seen so far is 900 miles. My trainer and I were laid over once and the time was used to get a full service and oil change done on the truck.

I don't have enough time in yet to tell you about the northeast freight lanes. I need to find a drivers brain to pick about that as well since my trainer lived outside the northeast and didn't run up there much. I guess I'll learn as I go.

I am not sure what part of western Mass you are in Sami but if you are within spitting distance of I-84 you should be able to get on the line haul division which is home 46 weekends a year. You may even be eligible for the dedicated division, you will have to check with flatbedfred on that one. Expect to stay out during your training as TMC is short on northeast trainers right now.

 

I live right off I 91 (could hit it with a snow ball) and about 60 miles from I 84, wife would like to see me on week ends but if Im to far from a dedicated or line haul, every 14 days will have to due. Even on the slow periods you are pulling $3000 in revenue, thats still $700 per week a starting rate of 24% and $800 per week after a month or so of sleeping, not to bad..

You mentioned "daily average pay" during layover?? What does it take to wind up with that and how is it calculated??

I was also thinking about Roehl but the information youve been putting up here is making me lean toward TMC.

I also saw that TMC has some kind of operation in Westfield MA..