Is TMC going Under???

Doh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Same thing my buddy says. Guess some people just don't won't to work for their money.

 

usually dont pop the hood every morning.

when I was a mechanic and I flushed antifreeze, I put the cap back on.

 

That's great for you, I'm happy for you. That is NOT the case for everyone. TMC STILL owes me money from my last check, they failed to reimburse me for tolls because they said I did not put in the right authorization code when I sent in my paperwork. Now they know the authorization code, more importantly they know without question that they authorized me to take those turnpikes with the understanding that they would pay me back for being their creditor. For them to turn around and say "well you didn't fill this out to the letter" is absolute nonsense and a show of bad faith which I'm certain at this point is why their creditors are starting to confiscate their equipment. I really enjoyed driving for TMC, but a little more respect and a LOT more honesty would have made them a company worth sticking with. I'm glad your experience with them was all good, but don't be that idiot who thinks their experience is everyone's experience.

You don't even drive for TMC genius, you are just regurgitating your spin on your friends opinion. Credibility? Who needs it?

Everyone has a brain fart but yeah I know exactly what you mean about the attitude. I had an idler pulley seize up when I was with my trainer and they actually asked the Pete dealer if it was the drivers fault. Just incomprehensible how stupid of a question that is, and any mechanic knows it, but their maintenance division doesn't seem to be run by mechanics. Still Carter, you should have caught that the cap was missing on the pre-trip. You know they are going to stay on that position even though in the real world we all know the hood doesn't come up EVERY morning.

 

If you don't pop the hood every morning, You are not doing a pretrip!
If you worked for me and I saw you starting the truck without popping the hood...I'd walk out and send you "down the road"

There you have it ladies and gentlmen...The reason that I don't hire drivers anymore and decided to sell all but one truck that I drive myself!

 

I remember reading the story about your idler pulley a while ago. I had a bad tractor brake valve and was able to find and diagnose the valve, was 99% sure it was defective and needed replaced, and the shop still argued with me about it, while I am stopped in traffic with air blowing out from under my cab. they sent me to some hole in the wall shop and paid two Joe dirt mechanics to crawl under the trailer and started tearing air lines off of maxi cans. I ended up at a Pete dealership, and behold, defective brake valve. hey, what do I know? every time I have tried to help or assist with any sort of maintenance issue it has been a waste of time. yet they give "atta boys" for a driver to snap in a replacement license plate light. I carry a full toolbox in this #### thing lol.

though lately the hood does come up literally every morning because I have to put a gallon of antifreeze in for it to start, got some leaks due to fittings shrinking in the extreme cold.

ok?

I check my oil and inspect my belts, steering, and whatnot when I fuel. I am quite familiar with commercial vehicle inspection procedures as I did annual federal inspections for years. I have done more work to keep this truck safe than TMC's shop has lately. I have a bad steer tire and it will be interesting to see how they go about getting it replaced next week.

I'm familiar with the condition of my equipment and how to do my job. sorta like the dump truck driver who approached me at a pipe mill and said you need more straps driver! I said no, 12 straps are plenty on 42,000lbs of pipe. he says no, I'm pretty sure you need 20 or 25.

rofl I can't wait to get out of this industry. I count the days. May 2010 and I'm "down the road"

 

That's understandable blakw900, honestly I can see your point. I'm having trouble right now finding someone I feel I can trust to drive my snowplow and it's difficult putting that kind of trust in someone. No doubt as an owner you want to KNOW that hood is coming open every morning, but realistically you also know there are days when it doesn't. I popped my hood the vast majority of mornings, but if I'm being honest not every morning.

 

Jim,
What is the program in Ohio you were talking about, I'm going to go to Tri-State in Hamilton in a few weeks, any help with paying for it would be great.

Thanks

 

Roadmaster, have you looked into the WIA program? It is available thru your local employment office. That is how I attended school.

Also have you looked into Napier Truck Driver Training, also in Hamilton? I don't know much about Tri-States program so I can't say anything really good or bad about them. But, here is why I chose Napier over Tri-state.

Tri-States course is 3 weeks, 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. I'm not sure what the total hours are, or how it breaks down to classroom and driving.

Napiers course is 5 weeks, Mon-Fri, 8 hours a day. 80 hours in the classroom, 120 in the yard or road driving. And I believe you get about 11-14 hours on the road, usually by yourself (with the instructor of course), occasionally with one other student. The instructors there are really great and will spend some time with you to help you learn. I like Napiers 5 week course over a 3 week course because there is a lot to learn and it just seem right jamming it all in in only three weeks. Just seems that maybe you're missing something. Granted, I have heard of other schools that go into more than what Napier did that I wish they would have, such as night driving, but it doesn't seem to have hurt me out there.

The biggest issue I have with Tri-State is that at one time, the state shut them down. True, they must have gotten their problems straightened out or the state would not have let them re-open. But it still gives me cause for concern.

Which ever school you decide on, look into WIA. They paid everything for me: full tuition, permit tests and endorsement, physical and drug tests, fingerprinting for hazmat, truck rental for the dmv tests, and getting the license itself. They even paid a small amout for fuel costs, but you don't get that check until training is about over, and it's such a small amount that it's almost not even worth it, but it did amount to about a full tank of gas, although I spent way more than that.

Good luck to you, and whereever you go, just study hard, pay attention, and do your best.

 

just got back from Indy, got the truck repaired no problems. everything fixed. both the mechanic and George behind the service desk didn't act like they were in any sort of danger of losing their jobs, everything seemed business as usual.

I only report things as I see them, good or bad...

did a little math, averaged $763 a week for the last year. less than I made 5 years ago. between that and ever-increasing "meetings" about my inaccurate out of route, I still cannot wait to get out.