TMC Transportation, Inc. - Des Moines, Ia.

Discussion in 'Report A BAD Trucking Company Here' started by TurboTrucker, Apr 23, 2006.

  1. eckz

    eckz <strong>"Radio Rambo"</strong>

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    About the chains, the trainer knew how to do it, it's TMC's policy that we do not use them, we carry them where we are required to, but should we be required to use them we need to have safetys permission to do so, and rarely ever will they give it.

    They make a hell of a mess and cost allot of money when they come loose, that's not to say i haven't used mine, but it sounds like the trainer was following policy, not being a rookie.

    People draw alot of silly conclusions on here, just clearing it up.
     
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  3. eckz

    eckz <strong>"Radio Rambo"</strong>

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    Then, you will get paid for 4 loads. They go by revenue to the truck, not the amount of loads that you run, as long as you can make at least $2800/wk to the truck, you're fine. You won't bring home a whole lot, but you'll keep them off your back.

    $2800 is an easy week, fyi.
     
  4. eckz

    eckz <strong>"Radio Rambo"</strong>

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    I average 49CPM on the percentage pay, that's loaded and empty.
    Find me another company that pays that.
     
  5. eckz

    eckz <strong>"Radio Rambo"</strong>

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    Thumbing through the last few pages of this, sadly allot of you have unrealistic expectations of trucking, you blame TMC for things that happen, which is fine, but allot of those things go with trucking, not just TMC.

    Training is a big issue, they have recently revamped the training system, and are starting to look a little bit closer at who they offer training positions too, i've talked to about 6 drivers now that were removed from the training program, and placed under "Observation" for things that they have done, i will say that personally my trainer sucked, he was an #######, he did allot of stuff that he shouldn't have done, i stuck it out for 5 weeks and on my last week i got another one who was excellent.

    The thing is, i stuck it out - realizing that when i got my own truck i was responsible, and i could do things *My* Way. I am accident free, claim free, with a perfect DOT inspection on my file, THEY TAKE CARE OF ME.

    For the person who said that at TQM He tought you how to cheat logs, this is FALSE. He teaches you how to work the system, if you have to wait 8-10 hours at a shipper to get loaded, that 8-10 hours CAN LEGALLY be logged in the sleeper birth. This is common-place and is not illegal.

    Turbo-Trucker,
    you said you gave up flatbedding because it's too dangerous, i'm sure you'll agree that it's hard work as well, please stop blaming the turnover rate on an "evil company". Those two things that you mentioned are the reasons for most of our turnover, safety ratings aren't the best because we've started to hire students that ill admit make stupid mistakes. We hire directly from schools, and sadly most of the people that go through the program made the journey to des moines with no idea what they were in store for (I blame the recruiters for this). My class started with 60 and only 10 made it all the way through, not because they thought it was a bad company, but because they thought truck driving was going to be easy -- they saw the shiny peterbilts and decided they wanted to be the guy driving one without giving a second thought as to what was required of them to be able to do that.

    TMC was audited, and yes there were falsified logs, since then safety has been on us - i talk to drivers every day that are being shut down by safety for exceeding their hours - They do not condone this type of behavior, they HAVE turned a blind eye to it in the past, which is what got them into the trouble -- they do not anymore.

    Another note on accidents, when you have 3100 trucks on the road and have 100 accidents a year, that's like having 5 trucks and having 1 accident per year. Big companies will always look worse in that regard, safety ratings shouldn't stop anybody from working somewhere, cover YOUR ###. It's not my problem who they hire now, or what those drivers decide to do with their time I DO MY JOB RIGHT, and do not concern myself with others - maybe that's why i am successful with this "Evil company".
     
  6. Tip

    Tip Tipster

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    There's a huge difference between not knowing how to chain and simply not chaining because your company doesn't want you to.

    OldLady posted clearly for all to see that her husband's trainer simply didn't know how to chain. That's no surprise given the substandard training in truh-khin these days. Just clearing it up.

    In my opinion, if anyone cares, every trainer should know how to throw chains on a rig. One never knows when he will HAVE to chain. Driving east through the Donner Pass area in the winter isn't something one should do if he doesn't know how to chain. You will chain it when told or be fined and towed out of there if and when you get it stuck. You COULD also call a tow truck or ask a fellow driver for help in that case. Be ready to pay out some serious mulla either way.

    Learn to chain it.
     
  7. eckz

    eckz <strong>"Radio Rambo"</strong>

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    I see what she said, i was stating that there was something misunderstood there, if her hubby had gotton out and chained without the companies permission, they both would've been fired. Sounds like a truckers tale to me. Just clearing the air there again.

    TMC Teaches drivers how to put chains on, so i know he knew how to do it, i am not arguing that allot of our trainers shouldn't be training, mine was a real ignoramus but he was one of the few that had more than a years worth of experience, I sent Tim Annett (Our President) a really long email a few days ago about how to reduce driver turnover - let's see if they care about it or not. =)

    There ARE things that bother me about this company, but they take good care of me and many of the other drivers that i have talked to, so i am defending them because alot of what is being posted here is false, and either under or over exaggerated, and after thumbing through the pages here i felt that someone had to say something.
     
  8. Tip

    Tip Tipster

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    I'd have done the same as OldLady's husband. Being caught in a blizzard high on a mountain pass around Denver is somewhere one wouldn't want to be. No matter what the company's policy would have been, I'd have gotten down off of there. That's just my self-preservation kicking in. If the company would have given me static about it, well, let 'em. If they would have fired me for it, I'd have gotten a lawyer and gone to town with them. One will probably be fine if he waits out a blizzard in a big rig, but why risk it? I can see the USA Today headline now: "Driver freezes to death because his company forbade him to chain"....
     
  9. RedSovine

    RedSovine Bobtail Member

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    "TMC Teaches drivers how to put chains on, so i know he knew how to do it,"

    They do? When does this training kick in? At 6 mos? A year? Because they surely dont say a thing about chains during orientation nor the 6 weeks you are with a trainer ( who may or may not know how to chain himself apparently)
     
  10. eckz

    eckz <strong>"Radio Rambo"</strong>

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    They showed us during our last week during orientation, it might've changed since then, though. Not sure.
     
  11. Tip

    Tip Tipster

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    So they ARE training people to chain up. Sounds like they're being smart and covering their arses.

    No matter what a company's policy is, there can come a time when you will HAVE to chain 'er up. One place where you will asked not so politely to "move it or be fined and towed" is the Donner Pass area in California. Storms move in quickly in the Sierras, and if you think you can simply pull off and wait for a snow plow around Truckee, you will be in for a surprise.

    Learn how to chain it and you'll save a service call, a tow, and/or a big fine later. I think the fine in Cally is around 300 bucks if you become stuck and can't get it out when asked. I've heard those around the Ike Tunnel in Colorado are around 500. Plus, you'll still have to do the service call, the cost of which your company will be able to dodge, as they do train drivers how to chain.
     
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