TransAm

The onboard GPS on the TA truck is pretty good. It may not put your target on the right side of the street, but it will put you on the street. I used it without another gps. I carried a hot spot so I could access google maps too. You have to use the gps route within 5 per cent of out of route miles.

 

I was a company driver with TransAm for about a year and a half. The upside with TA is the nice rigs. The downside is the low starting pay AND TA will regularly put you in spots, unpaid, for a day or more to fix problems, not only with your loads, but bad swaps they hand off for you.

They had me pick up loads at wrecker's yards that another driver had problems with, give you swaps where the unload appointment time has been missed and you have to wait 24 hours + for a new appointment time, etc. It is now your load, your problem, babysit it unpaid to get it delivered.

As others said, the lease with TA should be avoided and as a company driver, you will be expected to do the trucking dirty work unpaid. Look at TA ONLY if you have a problem with your driving, criminal or work history. If you are clean in those areas, you have many better choices, IMHO.

 

I do have problems with some of those things. So far, out of all the companies I have put in apps with (total of 5 since two weeks before I started school) the only one that has called me not once but twice is Werner. The recruiter even called me yesterday on a holiday. We discussed those issues yet again because I know they wont do the official MVR and Criminal until I get there and I do not want to get down to Dallas with no way of getting back home. I'll probably go with Werner as of today but that could change if I get any calls over the next two weeks I have left of school. After training with a company I will most likely go over to JCT anyway and team with my old man. I just need 3 months on-the-job before I can do that. We've already talked with his recruiter about all of this. Even if I don't team drive with the old man I'll be a company driver whoever I go with. I am not interested in trying to buy my own truck right away. I've seen what my old man has been going through with the truck he bought and had to sell 6 months after he bought it and with the one he is currently buying with JCT. Thanks for the info though.

 

Grace, what Passport says is true. I have made sacrifices and have bitten the bullet to get my one year in with this one company. I am a glutton for punishment. My attitude and perserverance has kept me in the ball
game. Now, I am hoping to get paid and will be able to say it was all worth it. I have rescued loads with near empty reefer tanks and spent more than a day babysitting to get paid 10 miles. I have rescued 5 trucks and gotten paid miles for going after loads AFTER picking up the abandoned trucks. Good luck to you!!

 

Are there any career company drivers who have been with TransAm for any length of time, for any number of years?

 

I found out Friday why training is only 10 days. One of Roadmaster's graduates popped by Friday afternoon on home time. He said he has only had his truck for about a week and a half. What he also said is that due to TA's trucks being automatics is the reason why for the 10 day training. I guess due to the automatic transmission not as much time is needed to make sure a newbie can handle the rig.

 

Yep. You can concentrate on your turns without having to worry about grinding gears and mashing a clutch. Think of the traffic jams too. I will take an automatic anyday.

 

I'd never in a million years take an automatic! That takes the fun out of driving, especially in traffic.

 

My coach had been with Transam for eight years as a company driver. He loved Transam. He was home every week.

 

Driving a truck is not fun with a stick or an automatic, especially in traffic. It's just a job.