TRANSPORT AMERICA
two thumbs down, I would not recommend any new drivers seeking employment their, new drivers really need to do your homework when looking for a company to drive for, stay away from Transport America, they are a stock holder own company with one thing on there mind and that's making money. New drivers beware of Transport America! Examples: if you drive onto a shipper or receiver parking and your trailer tire touch the corner of the grass, Transport America will write it up as a preventable accident on your new CDL and this makes it tough when seeking employment with better companies, new drivers not every shipper/receiver location is made for semis but they expect you to be able to back in, some shippers and receivers are located on roads that do not allow for big trucks and you have no choice but to cross onto the grass and I'm talking maybe 1 or 2 feet. Look for a company that will work with you in getting miles, making money, and getting home. Also to new drivers, freight is good usually during the months of mid-March thru Dec, after christmas thru mid-march to April freight and rates are low and cheap, some trucking firms have agreements with companies dedicating themselves with these companies such as Kmart, Sears, etc you need to understand that just about everyone is looking to make money with minimal layover time, this business is very cut throat and my experience with this company is very much as such.

They make you drive on the grass?!? Yes, this must be a bad company!

Unfortunately you have discovered one of the worst things about starting in this business these days. It is not just Transport America but almost all these rathole bottom feeder companies that take newbies are like this. What they do is try to make it so you cannot leave them for a better company once your schooling is paid for. Just have to do the best you can and ALWAYS ALWAYS document any mishaps yourself to a T and get any witnesses possible to cover your own *ss.

Yes this is correct, it is pretty exciting when a person gets their CDL and now looking forward to a new career in trucking, and unfortunately companies take advantage of new drivers. Yes new drivers should watch whom they are working for, the newspaper is always full of "help wanted looking for truck drivers with class A CDL" students and prospects "please question why the newspaper is full of these ads". The trucking business is corrupted PERIOD, don't misunderstand, "to graduate with a class A CDL is a awesome thing", not everyone can drive an 80 thousand pound piece of equipment and be able to back into a dock for loading and unloading, BUT some companies tries to lock you in, example: "Some companies offer you the opportunity to own your own truck, no down payment, start your own business, be your own boss, make your own schedule," this is the American dream and sounds pretty good, unfortunately companies that target new drivers will lock you on loads that pays cheap and keep you on a lane that experience drivers who know better will not except, let me give you an example of these kinds of loads: Some companies pay to trucking companies 100 percent fuel surcharge inwhich you should always receive, I repeat owner operators gets the 100 percent fuel surcharge. Revenue for 500 miles at $1.15 per mile plus .39 cents per mile fuel surcharge total revenue $575, $195 yielding $770 some trucking companies asks shippers to report fuel surcharges at .25per mile so when you get your statement from payroll you’ll see .25 cents instead of the .39 that is a difference of .14 cents a mile or $70 dollars and they are taking it right out of your pocket If this is done 5 days a week every week for a month that is $1400 in revenue stolen which could be a house payment, down payment for braces for kids teeth or better yet a 2nd truck payment to help get you from under the grips of your company and if you get mad and figure this out it’s to late because trucking companies speculate your entire lifestyle to be financed on earnings for them, they will tell you we have no freight the next week then the following week they will give you allot of freight then take most of it because your truck payment or some fee they make up is due.
Owning the truck and thinking you own the truck is a sense of REALITY you need to take seriously
as long as they hold the title and note to this truck you work for them the crazy thing about all of it "because they got you thinking you own the truck some of your revenue is going on fixing their truck, they know most potential owner operators don't last a year and walk away from the truck due to their corrupt practices". Bottom line companies will starve you or keep you in the hole so that you can’t leave, then black ball you if you quit. THIS IS REALITY! And this is only one of many reasons why the newspaper is always full of trucking jobs and why now trucking companies will hire right off the street and teach you to drive. The Federal government should put more mandates on these corrupt practices, unfortunately most in congress has never worked a real job ever in life and would know absolutely nothing about this illegal practice. New and prospect drivers use this site and learn from experience drivers, there are some good companies, just REMEMBER “you should never be in the hole financially when you are only home 4 days a month and on the road the other 26 you are doing all the work and it is free money to the company” trucking is a big responsibility because lives are at stake, not just the life of other stupid four wheelers but the lives of your kids and family which are depended upon you making an honest living unfortunate with corrupt companies. A truck company will always seek to take care of themselves at ANY expense.
REALLY BE CAREFUL
This is a raw version.

Stupid four wheelers is a whole different story for another time.

1.) Transport America hasn't been shareholder-owned for years.

2.) You said it right the BUSINESS is cutthroat.. the INDUSTRY is cutthroat. You will find this wherever you go.

3.) Freight slows down INDUSTRY-WIDE after Christmas

4.) Many trucking companies want to hire and train RESPONSIBLE drivers. An irresponsible driver is the only one to blame if they goof up behind the wheel of an 80,000lb rig. Stop blaming YOUR mistakes on others.

Folks this site is the best thing that could have been created, the corruption is very REAL. If I was one to rate the industry from 1 thru 5 with five being the worst, I'd give it definitely a 5. This industry should be regulated by the federal government, Obama need to created a czar to surgically infiltrate these corrupt practices and shut them down. Folks its easy to speculate and say "well one must have been a bad driver" not everyone is a bad driver, not everyone is irresponsible, not everyone is a goof and NOT EVERY COMPANY IS RESPONSIBLE. BEWARE consider looking for smaller established companies to work for. Some small companies have dedicated freight with large corporations and honestly cater to the driver. Examples: the next time you are driving down the interstate and a truck pass you by, take a look at the trailer door, most companies uses their trailer to advertise that they are hiring, Yellow, UPS/overnite, Carolina Freight, ABF and just about most of the companies that pull doubles don't advertise, why? Because most of these companies don't need drivers because the drivers are happy, they are being paid by the hour these companies don't want to risk losing contracts with their customers and the work gets done. "You don't have to take my word for it just try to apply with these types of companies or at least go talk to these companies, the lines of those trying to work for these companies are long". With large companies it's easier to get rid of a driver than to address a drivers situation. "REMEMBER" YOU ARE DOING ALL THE WORK. A TRUCK COMPANY MAIN ASSET IS THE DRIVER IN WHICH THEY DO KNOW THIS, OWNER OPERATORS NEEDS TO REMEMBER, "[B]IT'S FREE MONEY FOR THE COMPANY[/B]" PASSING THE LOAD INFORMATION TO THE DRIVER TAKES 5 SECONDS WHILE THE DRIVER DOES ALL THE WORK TO MAKE THE MONEY. Folks the posting above"OPTprime" confirmed my article BUT, states it's my fault that they are corrupt. Sharing information is a necessary tool in which you need to know. These companies are not to be taken lightly, "it's up to you to research these companies". OPTprime points out, "mistakes", giving them the benefit of the doubt, "FOLKS don't make the same mistakes", find a good company to work for, BEWARE DO NOT LET THEM FEED YOU A LIE AND TELL YOU IT WAS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY PRES. BUSH QUOTED "WAR ON TERROR" AMERICA ASSUMED IT WAS IRAQ AND LOOK AT TRUCKING TODAY.

Your posts remind me of a guy who drives an old beat up station wagon around here with every "conspiracy bumper sticker" ever printed stuck to it...

Get a grip....

__________________
"Men are respectable only as they respect." ~ Emerson

I drove for TA from 2005 until Feb of 2009 Its not the best company in the world, but its not the worst. I would work for them if they would rehire me.

Dude you are really making a mountain out of a mole hill. Does this industry have problems??? Yes it does. Anyone that says different is in denial. Going all the way back to the "driving on the grass". First off, if it was a location where it was impossible to get in without jumping the curb, or dropping off the pavement then there wouldn't be grass to start with. There would be a well worn patch of dirt. Second, if it is a known problem then why would the company report it back to the carrier??? This all holds about as much water as the "the company is intentionally trying to starve out their senior drivers so cheaper inexperienced drivers can pull their freight". Any company worth a crap knows experienced drivers cost less. We don't drive on the customers grass to start.

Jumping to the bottom of the page you mentioned the LTL carriers and not advertising on their trailer doors. That's because they are unionized! Did you not see where Yellow (I believe it was/someone check me) sold their 22 million dollar headquarters building WHY? For the same reason the big 3 are upside down. Unions drag good companies in the ground. A strike is nothing more than legalized blackmail. If you surf around these threads you'll see a lot of posts from LTL drivers that have been laid off. I've even seen a couple of posts where companies will not hire laid off LTL drivers. I know I wouldn't.

One last thing then I'll close my trap and get off my soap box. You said the companies are only out to make money. HELLO! If you don't make money, you don't stay in business. How long could you keep a company afloat in this economy without turning a profit? Ask any of the old JEVIC drivers.

Hello Truckin'...
Who are you working with now? What terminal did you run out of when working with TA? I'm in Princeton MN and soon to be out of school...was thinking of getting my foot in the door with Werner but am looking into other ops.