don't miss it

When I left over 3 years ago, there was a steady stream of guys turning in their trucks, I was the 7th that day alone. The Indy yard was packed with trucks that were turned in. I think they have a equal amount of incoming drivers as they have outgoing. Being that most of the drivers they get are straight out of school and looking for experience, I would think some left because OTR trucking wasn't for them. Some got better paying or local gigs after getting some experience. Some were getting screwed pay/hometime etc etc.

I left because I was only bringing home $400-$500 a week and did a lot of sitting and waiting for runs. I had some personal problems at home as well. Some of which could have been alleviated if the money was better.

TMC gets the low cost driver and the driver gets the needed experience to land a better possibly local gig. Sometimes they and other OTR companies take advantage of that. Cause they know there is lots more coming thru. I think if you can tough out your first year you can make better money. Also some drivers do better than others for some reason and are perfectly happy. As always YMMV

 

No driver new or otherwise needs to put up with making just $400/$500 per week. There are other companies paying better that hire new drivers. A flatbed company paying only $400/$500 is unforgivable under any circumstance.

 

I can only speak to my experience with TMC. I have been here for just over three years now and trust me, Ive had some F/U moments, and when I had them I voiced my distain loudly not only to the dispatcher I was dealing with but also to his boss. Was the issue resolved the way I wanted it to be? Sometimes yes, usualy, no. Sometimes the situation at hand was nobodys fault. In the end I would push on past the problem and learn from it to make sure it didn't repeat itself.

It has been my experience that most of the time how you operate determines how the week will go. I always left out Sunday nights and pushed hard all week to get home Friday night and usually it worked out. Hauling boats all over Canada and the US taught me to plan 2 - 3 days ahead to get myself home and take the loads that worked to make it happen. But, in both linehaul and boats, I was disapointed at times when I didn't make it home. No fault of my own and no fault of TMC's. Its trucking,,, it happens.

TMC is not for everyone. Many succeed and are happy with them and some don't. Everybody has a different experience and a different opinion.
I am not a recruiter for TMC nor am I a cheerleader for them. I am just a driver. I can only speak to my experience that I have had with them.
Everyone is different.

 

You wrote, "Hauling boats all over Canada and the US taught me to plan 2 - 3 days ahead to get myself home and take the loads that worked to make it happen."

How do you manage that at TMC? I am told it's forced dispatch and company drivers have no recourse in regard to what loads they do or don't take.

It doesn't seem like politics at play are the real issue with these driver complaints but the lack of miles which translates into a lack of pay. Sure, I can see how some are happy and others aren't IF drivers are happy driving flatbed for $400 or $500/week. If a driver is happy with that, more power to him/her but that's gross underpay for flatbed per week.

 

I was usually offered a choice of loads on boats. Take a 500 - 600 mile run on a wednesday would get get me home on friday. Didn't happen every time but, 80% of the time I had a choice. Linehaul is pretty much 100% forced dispatch.

As for linehaul pay for anyone on it,,,I simply cant speak to it anymore. I can only speak to my experience while I was on it. I was home most weekends and the weekends I was not home can be chalked up to "trucking", it happens. How you deal with it when it does is different for everyone. I rolled with it and took it in stride and my fleet manager appreciated that and worked hard to get me home. As for pay, I did well but, like I said before, I busted ### and worked to advance and my pay advanced as well. Empty as early in the a.m. as possible and you get the better loads and sometimes a choice.
Every situation is different and there are too many variables. Maybe they had a POS fleet manager, maybe they were the difficult person in the scenario. Maybe they busted ### to get the pay and maybe TMC screwed them.
In the end it is what you make of it and I don't fault anyone who chooses to quit if they feel they are getting screwed.

If you have followed some of my posts you know that TMC has come through for me and I appreciate them for doing so. Because of this I may be a little biased when I see random people on here complaining when in fact they may have been the problem. How do you know?

TMC is no different than any other job. Some will love it, some will hate it. It is what you make it. If you cant, move on.

 

Thanks for the information. Yea, I read your past posts regarding the company. It's why I've been following this thread as the posts from drivers for this company are all different from your personal experience, at least lately. I agree with you that some drivers can simply be bashing a company when they post but when you have multiple drivers saying the same thing, that a lack of miles/pay is their chief, and sometimes only complaint .. you have to understand that other drivers who would be thinking of transitioning to starting with TMC, are going to want answers to these variables after reading the posts.

 

(I am still in a TMC truck and slowly going broke I was making about 750 a week otr at 27% of the load netting about 500 to the bank gone 10-12 days at a time. Now I am home most days and gross about 700-850 a week netting 475-550. My truck is in shop AGAIN and expect 50 a day break down at least twice this week......Been with them 6 months, I have my year in this week been looking since last month. The week of Thanksgiving our dedicated run only worked 2 1/2 days with a final take home $158 after all misc taxes and junk came out and NO holiday pay. Never had a late load that was my fault, Truck in shop for something, blown tires, P/S system leaking, A/C in Arizona, check engine light loosing power 2 or 3 times.....Best week I ever had was when I threatened to go over dispatcher to his boss over load switching made a grand that week......What am I doing wrong? Any suggestions how to fix it and feed my kids?
Thanks for the information. Yea, I read your past posts regarding the company. It's why I've been following this thread as the posts from drivers for this company are all different from your personal experience, at least lately. I agree with you that some drivers can simply be bashing a company when they post but when you have multiple drivers saying the same thing, that a lack of miles/pay is their chief, and sometimes only complaint .. you have to understand that other drivers who would be thinking of transitioning to starting with TMC, are going to want answers to these variables after reading the posts.)(previous post)

(Thanks for the information. Yea, I read your past posts regarding the company. It's why I've been following this thread as the posts from drivers for this company are all different from your personal experience, at least lately. I agree with you that some drivers can simply be bashing a company when they post but when you have multiple drivers saying the same thing, that a lack of miles/pay is their chief, and sometimes only complaint .. you have to understand that other drivers who would be thinking of transitioning to starting with TMC, are going to want answers to these variables after reading the posts.)(previous post)



I think it was a good experience for a TRAINING company,however the lack of regular runs on the dedicated account and dispatcher refusal to pull from other boards to help us is my chief complaint causing lack of $$$$. It is a good stepping stone for newbies with GOOD training.

 

I work for TMC and have been here over 2 years now. I take home on average 800-900 a week. Im out every other weekend by choice because I took the offer of going on the JD fleet. They have been good to me for this long. Oh and I am on % pay and have only had 1 incident where I had to call about a reimbursing for a toll. I had an OD ld and had to follow routing on permits. Took a 30 second phone call and it was handled.