TransAm Trucking, Inc. - Olathe, Ks.?

Are you in Olathe or Rockwall? If in Olathe, is there a chick in your group called Lori? I wasn't able to find out before I left the yard. Love the T&D staff in Olathe, especially Will. Don't listen to Joe and his "the gps will take you where ever you need to go" crap because this thing SUCKS. It has its moments, but for the most part is an annoying POS ((and before anyone says it, I also trip plan ahead of time using an atlas so I know when I should ignore it)). They do push the lease pretty hard, especially when you get back from OTR with your coach, but half my class still went company and all got trucks the same day all of the contractors did. They do have nice equipment for sure though. I love having the APU and have more space than I know what to do with in the T700 I'm driving until my T680 comes in March.

 

^ I am in Olathe, no female in my group,I did see one in the group processing through before mine.

Yeah, Joe is presenting everything like it is a perfect world, the GPS will hold your hand, shippers and receivers will have you processed through in 2 hours or less, etc. My experience in the real world tells me he is painting a rose colored picture. Not a big deal, I know patience and problem solving is part of this job, so I won't freak out when in the real world. Joe is a character and he is keeping the class moving so I have no problem with him.

On the lease push: only one laid back, lunchtime presentation so far. However, there is a story that one guy from the last group was kicked out because he complained about being pushed to lease. The story says they where pushing lease when the group was out on the TransAm yard. He got loud telling with the girl talking to them about lease, that he already said he did not want it. Soon after another member of staff came out and told him to get out, as in, get out or we will call the police and you will be charged with trespassing, get out.

How was your time with your trainer? They are telling us, we will be driving the whole time. The trainer is just to sit in the number two seat and train. Sounds boring to me. Did you stay out 11 days?

The T680 looks SUPER nice. Do you plan on leasing one?

 

how was the road test down there??

 

Glad to know all is well. You're almost there. I hope you get a great trainer and enjoy your time on the road. Let us know if we can be of any help.

 

Road test was easy, just a drive around that end of town.

Joe is a trip, I loved him. Darren in T&D is a really great guy. As for my OTR training, being female, I got shafted. My original coach was sick and couldn't pick me up so Darren called in a favor and sent me out with a gal names Pam. We hit it off great and adamantly adhered to the no team-driving with students. I did all of the driving while I was on her truck. The downside was she was scheduled for sometime and I was going to be dropped back at the yard a couple days early. Then the planners screwed everything up and I was back on the yard after only 3 days OTR. I spent the rest of the week running local with Peaches ((old guy who drive the grey city truck)). When the rest of my group returned, most of them were happy with their coaches, a couple were not and one buy had the coach from hell. Every last one of them except dorm me were run like a team truck. TransAm will ask coaches to make runs, asking if they can do a "strong solo" which translated to teaming, but Pam refused to do them because it wasn't fair to the student. She told me that I was actually the one student she would have made an exception for because I could put in the driving hours and drove well. After testing out on Monday, we all got trucks Tuesday and were gone by Tuesday night or Wednesday. I am currently leasing a 2012 T700. and in March will be signing a 5 year lease on a purple T680. Im very excited to get the truck. I decided to lease because I've had several months to learn how to best work it so we make money because my boyfriend was leasing before I started driving. In fact, I managed to get the truck he had been driving. He just quit to go home and be with our kids... we have a two and a half ear old and a four month old. I've been very happy with TransAm since my bf started with them They're not always perfect, but what trucking company is? My dispatcher has been great so far. I asked for a load through the FL handle to swing by my house and two hours later had a custom short giving me exactly what I asked for. Unfortunately, I had a DEF issue with my truck that has had me shut down since Saturday morning so I had to have that load swapped. I put in for a day of sometime and this morning sent a freedom off to my DM and told her my date/time were flexible but if she could get me another load by the house like I just had then I could cancel the sometime request. She said she would work on it, so we'll see what happens. Im stuck at Kenworth right now, baiting a drop and hook going to Oklahoma. Chances are that I will go to the meat patch and haul something out of there as long as I don't get delayed so long that I lose the load Im under now.

 

I will never mess around with DEF ever again, but the T700 is an okay truck. It'll get great fuel economy. I guess some people prefer the T660 because of the car style shifter instead of the push button controls of the T700, but I liked the T700's bunk size and the "hill hold" feature. When did they get the T680s and how are they?

I've long since left Trans Am. I'm now at Celadon. I actually like it here better and the dry van schedule.

 

Well I have been looking into many different companies to start with and Trans Am is looking better and better.

I am looking for a company that has apus...and they do...

Do they already have inverters in them and if so what size?

Where is the orientation location?

What do they pay during driver traing?

 

Im not a fan of the button box. I prefer the lever style in the 660. Everything else about it is great though and I get good fuel economy. Can't give an opinion on the 680 yet as the first shipment won't be ready til March 1st. Im definitely looking forward to it though. I have a truck in the first batch reserved.

Daxxed, TransAm has APUs, refrigerators, and 2500 watt inverters on all trucks. Orientation us either at the main terminal in Olathe, KS or the terminal in Rockwall, TX. You might start at one and finish training at the other, never know. Training pay is $50 per day from orientation until you get your truck. They pay fir your hotel and transportation to the terminal. It has almost always been by Greyhound bus, but when I went, everyone in my group was flown in.

 

Yes, all of the trucks have APUs, with 1500w to 2500w inverters and a drawer style fridge installed.

Orientaion in Olathe, Kansas or Rockwall, TX. Training pay is $50 per day for the 20 to 22 days that I described above.

They don't have them yet, set to get them in March of this year. Guys in my class are lined up to get one!

 

transam will pay for the bus ticket up front or
reimburse you if you fly up to the price of the bus ticket