TransAm Trucking, Inc. - Olathe, Ks.?

That's a 10-4 panhandle. I'm doing all of my posting on my Droid now so I haven't figured out how to reply directly to a post on this site yet. I appreciate your heads up to my comment and ill keep that in mind. I wish it was more fair but a rookie in this day and age can't really ask for much better. However, in that case would putting in for hometime during my training increase my chances of having a ,somewhat more relevant HT?

 

Don't quote me on this Chris but am pretty sure the answer is no. Have to wait until your off training status and a "real" driver b4 putting in for HT.

 

1 other thing about this company ya'll need to know. If your ever called up and asked for a favor, the proper response is "whats in it for me?". They do NOT comprehend what doing favors is all about and it will all be 1 way.
EX: was getting rdy to take a 10 hr break while waiting on a load 1 night when I got a phone call from them. "We let a load slip thru the cracks and need your help. Will you do it for us?" My "reward"? Setting for 3 days in IA waiting on a load that would get me by the yard for a PM.

 

I started with TransAm on Wednesday out in Olathe KS. I'll be out with a coach Saturday morning, was suposed to be out after orientation Friday, but he got held up or something. So far it doesn't seem to be a bad gig. Of course with my zero experiance with TransAm (and the trucking industry in general) I don't have much to judge by. You aren't allowed to put in home time till after your training time and even then you'd only be able to get one day since you'd be working one week. To get two days in a row you have to work two weeks in a row, 3 for 3 and so forth. So hopefully they route you close to home so you can load up, but no promisses. Let me know if there is anything I can answer since I'm going through it ATM.

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Just got through my first day of orientation. I was tired as hell from getting in late and having a ###### 24 hour bus ride from hells bunghole. Got to rockwall tx and the hotel served breakfast which now includes eggs and sausage which is cool and the bus driven by jim something who handles the orientation picked us up. Have a really cool roomie by the way. Everybody at the terminal seemed really laid back and everything was pretty much stress free. You'll do your drug form and do your drug test, then you'll do the rest of your paperwork, then you'll get pizza the first day in which case they ordered five pizzas for us 11 so they're not cheapos either so far anyways. Afterwards you'll watch a compilation of videos you've already probably seen in ctd school hosted by john jacobson, clearly and annoyingly looking at a script the whole time he's talking to you. While you're watching them 2 people at a time will go on a road test down the highway like 10 miles just to show that you know how to handle a truck. And the autos are crazy, we tested in an 09 t660 and they're clutchless and just plain strange at first to drive. Then its more videos. Just letting you know exactly what you'll be doing if you come to rockwall. And yes they talk a LOT about leasing. And then they talk some more. You can't escape it, you've just gotta tell yourself you're not gonna do it and tune them out. But eitherway I like them so far. A good first impression id say.

 

I don't care what APU you have, Help them do their job easier as anything over 95* is an almost hopeless cause! Go to a hardware or home supply store like Lowes or Home Depot. They sell a roll of insulation that looks just like those things you see in the truck stops or Wallyworld that unfold and fit in the windshield. That roll costs the same or less than the number you would need to cover all your windows!

You'll also need duct tape and a retractable box knife (this tool you'll need on the docks for unloading if you have to! Don't use your Buck Knife or other favorite as shrink wrap will dull a knife really fast!) Now unroll enough to fit in the window and take your box knife and trim it so it fits tightly in the window. Duct tape around the edges. Drop the sun shade down to hold the screen in the window. Bet it's cooling of already! On bigger windshields you'll need to cut 2 the same length and tape them together to make the shield taller to fit the whole windshield. Duct tape it on both sides then trim it to fit the windshield.

Now the side windows, Cut them to cover the whole window even the vent. then if there IS a vent gently cut on TOP of the latch and then push it on to the latch and also after you have taped around the edges, at the top of the window take a 6" piece of duct tape and going straight up and then to the back of the screen making a flap, use this to go over the top of a slightly (1 or 2" open window) then roll the window back up to hold the screen in place.

Now if you have one of those useless sun roof windows (found mostly in Freightliners) cut one for it and tape in around the edges to hold it on untill the tape softens up then replace the tape but leave it up there.
Do the same for the windows in the sleeper.

I'll bet you any money you want that this will cool the truck down really fast! That APU wont work as hard and in 95* temps and above it will actually feel like the AC is working on the APU as they will work hard with all that sunshine coming in and the curtains will NOT keep the heat out! They are NOT insulated or designed for this kind of job.

Now if you are an O/O NOT L/P I would seriously think of pulling the paneling off the inside of the truck and using this under it especially in the roof but the sides is a good idea also. You'll find out most truck manfactures think foam rubber is insulation! Well is's an ok SOUND insularion but for weather insulating it's as good as nothing!

If you have an APU this will unload some stress off the ac pump and the engine If you're just idling then the same thing happens and it'll save more fuel on either.

The floor is harder and yes during the winter that floor can get pretty cold! You'll also have to be under the truck so old clothes is necessary but the insulation and fibre glass sheeting attached to the floor joists or aluminum like some show trucks do will work to keep the insulation under the floor.

Have fun on your new project keeping cool!

 

You, don't have to work 3 weeks to take 3 day's off, Your given 4 day's a month and can spilt them 2 weeks out, 2 day's home. The great thing about T/A is your hometime starts the day before and you leave out day later.

 

Well I'm on day 6 with TransAm on the road. My trainer is on home time so I was put up in a hotel with internet so I can finally toss this up here. So far everything has gone great! Me and my trainer get along really well and I'm trying to learn all that I can. I'm glad because in the past week I've only had to back up twice to dock, the other loads I was able to pull through a spot to park them in a yard hehe. The auto shift was very wierd to get used to, but I love that in traffic or just in general you can just point the truck and floor it. I was annoyed at first with being governed at 63 since I'm not very popular on 1 lane highways, but now I find it amuseing to watch the 4 wheelers swing in and out of my lane daring themselves to pass me hehe. I distinctly remember thinking "i love this" when my trainer went to take a nap the first time. Before he went he plugged in my MP3 player so I could listen to my music while i drove from Ardmore, OK to Liberal, KS to pick up a meat load. Had a blast doing my thing, and I can't wait to get my own truck so I can set up shop my way, not crammed into another guys living space. Well I'm going to hop off and jump in the hot tub I'll try to keep up as I go. If anyone has a question for me please feel free to ask, you can also PM me, but I can't respond because I don't have enough posts yet to send PMs myself... Drive safe everyone!!

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Is Trans Am a good company to work for?

 

IC you have 2 years of experience. They probably won't take you on unless you become a L/O. Some make it as one, most don't. If you'll use the search function in the upper right corner and type in Transam, you'll find several threads about them, both good and bad. I'm thru all of them. Read them and then if you have any questions, I'll try to answer them.