TMC Orientation - WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

and explain to us exactly how you get into the industry without such companies...

 

I can't see going to any company for 2 weeks orientation, GOOD GRIEF.... That would have set off a light bulb in hubbys head real quick. and politely tell them, Thank You, I'll get back to you......... and never get back to them lol

Mind if i ask how much they were offering him for orientation pay? And did they happen to say Completed Orientation Pay?

 

Post stated 2 weeks for people straight out of school.
Well I kinda understand that.
You need to know how to secure lds. and proper tarpings. Not just throw a tarp over and go.

I wish more companies would do a better tie down class.
Just read the news papers in Birmingham,Al. about coils coming off of trls. due to some dummy not secureing the load right.

It's their company and their rules.So if you want to work for them you play by their rules.

Not saying they are the best.

 

Well if you are a new driver don't you go out with a trainer that can show you how to tarp a load?


I never did more then 3 days in orientation. 2 weeks is just crazy. I flat bedded locally for a couple years. But OTR? What a godawful job that would be. heck I hate getting out of the truck just to hang chains let alone tie and tarp a load in the winter. I got to turn my heat up just thinking about it.

 

Yes going with a trainer is good I guess.
Company I worked with before would send new people to our Il. yard and they would be there 5 days tying down John Deere loads.
These were what I called garbarge loads. A little bit of everything, plus multi stop.
but it did give them the chance to learn different ways to tying down.
Plus sometimes we would have them transfer tractors and dozers onto different trls. just to show them the basics of running equipment.

 

I'm actually glad I spent the two weeks at orientation. I think it was time well spent. Of course, like Passingthru stated, the 2 weeks are only for those who are just out of school. If you have experience, you go thru a different program.

The first few days are pretty much a review of what you should have learned in school, plus taking care of all the company "paperwork" such as W-2's, insurance, and all that other official stuff you have to sign when you start a job. You watch a few videos about safety and stuff, take a few tests, and review the HOS rules. During the weekend, you learn load securement and tarping. They are very thorough on this and really stress the importance of proper load securement. Yes, your trainer is supposed to work with you on that also, but as pointed out earlier, not all trainers teach the proper way of doing things. During the second week, you start the backing training, simulators, and road driving. They do do a figure 8, but let me stress, you do NOT do it backwards. That would just be wreckless, especially for a bunch of rookies who can barely go forward. I think the importance of doing this forward figure 8 is to teach the importance of waching your mirrors during turns. It's amazing that some of these guys made it past truck driver school. Some of them could barely pass the tests, and others could hardly drive. One guy said when he got out of the truck after someone else was driving, he immediately called his wife and had her check on their life insurance! Of course, this guy who was driving got cut, but you have to wonder how he made it this far? Let me also be the first to admit that I'm not a perfect driver. I make mistakes as well, but I do my best to be safe.

Is TMC the best out there? Probably not. But they do have a very extensive training program and I for one am glad to have made it thru. And I've talked to another company who was also pleased to see that I made it thru their orientation. Now I just hope it's enough to get me a job.

 

Hope it works out for you.
Everybody needs to start some where.

 

Can any of you going through TMC orientation recently tell me if you had to sign an agreement that you would not blog or post online about your experience with TMC or post pictures of their equipment? I heard this today from a TMC trainer who currently has a trainee and I thought it was worth asking about. I was also told that TMC threatened that they would trace IP's and go after drivers for doing so. I realize this is a hollow threat as boards like these are not likely to cooperate with a company seeking to persecute it's drivers for discussing their work online with other drivers. Still I'd like to know whether or not any new drivers can verify any of this?

 

If that proves to be true it sure would be a good reason to stay away from this company. If they were even as good of a company as werner, people posting about them online would get them MORE drivers wanting to work for them.

And especially pics of their equipment, because they have the nicest company trucks i have ever seen...

 

I just talked to a trainee who wuz with his trainer about this.he said they told them they didnt care if u talked aobut the company online or shared pictures. just signed a deal saying they couldn't post customer accounts, routes that type of stuff. makes sense. no reason to sell the farm ur working for.