Here I go with TransAm Trucking!

Ok, I wanted to wait until I was gone before I unleashed on TransAm. But if I can keep one driver from getting screwed, it will be worth it. Here's how it went for me and I challange anyone to prove anything I say isn't true. I was picked up from the airport and driven to our hotel. A decent place, very close to the ternimal. We were picked up early in the morning and were driven in a van to the terminal/classroom. After the first day or so, I started noticing something strange. The hotel was full of TransAm students preparing to leave with their trainers, however there were no students who were returning from training. I later found out the reason for that, TransAm does not want drivers returning from training having any contact with brand new drivers. They are so serious about this that they except the added expense of having the returning drivers staying in a totally separate hotel which is about 15 miles away from the other. Two hotels, 4 different bus trips a day and 2 different classrooms. What could they be so worry about the returning drivers saying? Bet you can figure it out. What kind of company knows that their employees are going to talk trash about them and rather than make efforts to fix the issues causing the low morale, they through money at it and avoid it. My trainer wasn't available for an extra week. They were nice enough to pay for my room, but the lunch the agreed to pay for while in training stopped. So now I'm in a hotel with no laundry and very limited money to eat and nothing but overpriced fast food to walk to. After training we arrived and were sent to the "big boy" hotel. In addition we were told that we were to have no contact at all with the new people and any form of negitive commets heard would result in termination. Now we test and get ready to get our trucks. We had heard pitch after pitch on how wonderfull the lease deals are. I went there wanting to be a company driver and was assured by their recruiter that the company drivers were averaging 2800-3200 miles a week. Now I am being told that lease drivers get all the good routes and milage and that the comp dvrs get whats left. So then I thought, well if they lied to me I'll just leave. Not so fast, if you leave prior to 30 days you'll have reimburse all expenses ie, hotel, travel, food, classroom, ect. Now you're hooked. So I'm thinking, ok so I'll take my chances with a company truck and hope for miles. Then they lay this on us. "We have plenty of lease trucks avalible right now, you can leave today in your new truck." "If your waiting for a company truck it could be up to a week or two." I couldn't afford to be sit in the hotel for another two weeks and I couldn't quit because of all the money I'd owe. Everyone there tells you that they won't let you fail. So far none of those people have answered their phones or return my calls. Now I'm on my own and have been getting good miles, but crummy pay. Listen if your a company driver it's as simple as miles+$.30/mile=Pay. No doubt. My first week in a lease 3200 miles+ whatever=$310 WTF. A new guy can't figure out where the money went because of all the junk listed in the settlement for you to try to figure out. No one there will help you in any way, if you can get them on the phone. Basically, in my oppinion, TransAm hires a ton of students, collects money from the Goverment to hire them, get them to pay for their trucks for as long as they can take it before quiting. Then they start the cycle all over again. Basically they have no ethics and are all about the $$$$$$$. Scam and should be investigated.

 

I hear ya, Kinghunter. I feel like they do have plenty of trucks, it's just another way to presure you into a lease.

 

Angelochris7: I hate to argue with you, because it sounds like we're pretty much on the same page. But, unless something has changed within the last month, new students stay in Rockwall and returning students stay in Royse City. Much more than across the street. I do have a 2010 with the Cat, but I run at 62 MPH and manage to maintain pretty good milage(usually 6.6-6.7 MPG). As a trainer, can you tell me how I can do 3246 miles and get paid $316. I have had three different people with leasing now tell me that there is something wrong with the settlement. However, none of them could offer a solution. If you want to sent me a PM I would gladly give you my info to view my settlements. Maybe you can find the error for me.

Panhandle, I more than agree with your statement about training. My coach was a real nice guy. But the whole time I was with him we never opened the hood or a map. All I did was drive.

Just got this weeks settlement -$281.41 THIS IS BS> So over the first five weeks with TransAm I have made $590. I have lost time with my family and have fallen behind on all my bills. This company is full of ####!

 

I just figured it out. I have driven a total of 12,036 miles over the last five weeks. Even with my ht, that averages to over 2400 miles a week. According to TransAm, it takes about 1500-1600 miles a week to break even with the lease. If that's the case, where the hell is my money? 2400 a week - 1600 to break even = 800 a week. 800 x the five weeks = 4000 miles. 4000 miles at just $0.84, forget about the fuel surcharge, = $3360. So why did I make $590. Where is the other $2770? I haven't been driving long, but there is no f'n way I used that much extra fuel! At $4.00 a gallon that's 692 EXTRA gallons of fuel in a month. Seriously, is that even possible? They are flat out ripping me off. I know I am going to end up walking away with them saying I owe them a boatload of money. I would love for them to sue me for it, because I would look forward to their explaination to a judge how these numbers played out. I am so pissed off.

 

Say hello to Gwinnett County for me Explorer. I used to work for the Suwanee Police Department and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. I would move back there in a second if I could. Beautiful place.