I am thinkong about starting a job as a truck driver. my dad was one but I never have. I am thinking about pam because I live nere tonitown. can any pam drivers tell me if the like this company or should I stay away
I started with P.A.M. in 2001. Was with them for two years, before switching out for a local driving job in the Little Rock area. They kept me running pretty good. One of the dispatchers was great, never had an issue with her. There are people who have been with them for a long time. You will most likely receive a variety of responses. A lot of people aren't happy anywhere they go. But, with the economy in the tank, the trucking industry as a whole is sluggish. Not a lot of freight moving. A lot of companies have shut down, and some have had to cut back on their employees due to lack of business. There are a lot of drivers out of work, and we are hoping the economy will turn around soon and the jobs will come back. I sometimes miss P.A.M., but I enjoyed being a local driver sleeping my own bed every night. Good luck, I hope whatever path you choose will be successful.
Since you live there in Tonitown, you should go to their HQ and nose around and ask questions. Talk to drivers, guys going through orientation etc.
No problem bisley45. The only major problem I had with P.A.M., was if you wanted to take more than a week off, you had to return your truck to the home terminal, in Tontitown. Every year, I am involved in a group effort in Little Rock. It is a major event, and every member is strongly encouraged to take a week of vacation to help. But, I asked for two weeks. So? I had to take my truck to the home terminal, and unload all my gear. I got a family member to come all the way from L.R. to get me. And, two weeks later, go all the way back up there. Be easier for you, since you are close by. They don't allow you to park on the premises overnight. So, I hope you have a parking spot close to home while you are there a few days a month. If not, you'll have to leave your truck down at the Pilot. If you have to put your truck in the shop, or swap out your truck, you have to enter the yard, and you can't get back out until you have cleared all the departments. When you check in, they give you a sheet with all of the departments listed on it. You go to each department to see if they have something to talk to you about. Logs usually take the most time. If you forget to sign one, they'll make you sign it. If you make a false entry on a log, they'll make you correct it, and will coach you on how to do it correctly. When they have all signed off on it, you are free to go. That's how they did things when I was there. I don't know if any of that has changed. But, in all honestly, I didn't mind working for them, for the most part.
