TransAm Trucking, Inc. - Olathe, Ks.?

Lonestarr, they can't MAKE you sign the letter. It's just another way they try to get you to commit to leasing a truck from them. The guy put that piece of paper in front of me and said "You just need to sign this before you leave". I was a jussssst a bit put off when I looked down and read "I hereby resign as an employee of TransAm Trucking", effective date (already conveniently filled in for me) the Sunday I was scheduled to come back in from OTR with my trainer. So when I came in the next day, Monday, to the terminal for the final couple of days of training and checkout, I would already no longer be an employee of TransAm Trucking. My only alternative at that point would have been to sign a lease with TransAm Leasing. The tactic really put me off, and I told him I wasn't comfortable signing it at that time. It really reminded me of the high pressure tactics you get at a car dealership.

Now Lonestarr...I'm not saying that leasing is necessarily a stupid thing to do. There are many successful lease operators at TransAm. I just felt that it was not right for me at the time, I wanted to learn trucking first and be confident in the in and outs of the business before I put my own neck on the line and took the risk myself, instead of TransAm. I may very well decide to lease myself down the road a bit, but I wasn't ready to do it yet.

Be aware that those guys will pressure you, tell you how much more money you can make as a lease operator over a company driver doing the same job and the same miles. They'll show you numbers that make your mouth water. They'll tell you all the ways that lease drivers have it soooo much better than company guys. Some of it is real, and some of it is pure smoke (smoke being a euphemism for something else, if you know what I mean). If you go in thinking you want to go company, I would simply tell you that the whole lease thing is a sales pitch, these guys make THEIR paycheck talking guys into leasing, and it's not the bed of roses they portray it as. Don't let those numbers they throw at you influence you into signing something you don't want to. They can't fire you for refusing, and you can always decide to go lease later. One thing they don't tell you is that once you go lease, you can't ever go back to being a company driver.

Good luck in training, Lonestarr, learn all you can from the instructor in orientation and your coach on the road, and I'll see ya out there! PM me me here if you want to talk more. I won't be online much at all for a week or two, but if you like we can exchange phone numbers and stay in touch that way. I don't have a laptop yet, but will be getting one for my truck, hopefully in a couple of weeks.

 

Dang!!! I was about to say I just there myself!! Only probelm with that is.... I was in Wilmington, DE. lol

For those of you thinking about leasing, let me ask you you 3 questions.

1) What do you know about running a business and all thats involved with it?
2) What do you know about trucking and all thats involved with it?
3) Do you think that its smart to jump into the middle of something, you know nothing about??

I ask these questions cause, when I did work for TA and posted alot about them, 2 guys that asked me questions both ignored my advice, went lease, and within 2 months, were gone. Think, think, then think some more!!!!!

 

I told a freind not to lease also and He leased anyway.he quit after 6 weeks.he didnt hardly have money to eat.

 

everyone leasing isn't starving
but a first time driver has no business leasing
enough to learn how to maximize your hours without getting into jackpots

 

Thank you every one for the response to my questions . And even though I haven't got the lease program sales pitch yet, I am sure of the fact I will not lease as I am new to all that is OTR !!! That being said , I know there are many of you lease drivers out there that are VERY successful , and I might consider leasing down the road some time when I have some miles under my belt and would feel comfortable to do so !!!! I know I can't be "forced" to lease just hope not to be "PUSHED " to hard !!!

 

the government made them stop the waterboarding and nail pulling

 

Pete you are right Im not even close to starving. I keep a package of bologna and a loaf of bread with me, and sometimes if Im lucky I will get a bag of chips, but the chips only happen on special occasions!! ROFL. Seriously though I am doing by far better than I thought I would when I signed on the dotted line. I am completely satisfied with leasing other than sometimes your day to day stuff that goes with the life of living on the road. That is really what O.T.R. Trucking is about. Its not really a career it is a life style. You either love it or hate it. As far as leasing right out of school I would not recommend that at all. Get at least a minimum of 1 year O.T.R experience, and 2 is even better before making a jump head first into Leasing. Its A BIG WORLD OUT HERE ON THE ROAD.

 

Oh guys, be very very careful today .....don't stop in any of the preferred swap areas. The inmates are running the asylum and the swaps will be crazier than they normally are!

 

Whew!!! Thanks Pete I will sleep better tonight knowing that LOL !!!!!!!

 

The planners had an epic brainfart with my truck. I sent in my empty call at 4pm on Monday in Cheyenne and was dispatched on a load that picked up 10pm Tuesday in Greeley. I was immediately like hey guys, why am I sitting 30 hours before I get loaded? (BTW there is a mobile washout guy who will come to you anywhere in Cheyenne and wash your trailer and he does a great job! $40 cash or $42 check, any time of day or night. Lil Al's Mobile Washouts) But after I messaged about sitting.... I was sent a preplanned Tcall to Olathe for 1pm today which did absolutely nothing to help me sitting so long. Load delivers at 0200 in Cincinatti on Friday. I kept getting told it was Tcalling because of too much time and I wouldnt need to sit. Everyone was clueless and I was confused. The guy who was taking my load was waiting for me inside the gate on the yard. Even my dispatcher was confused when I went in t talk to her. I got to Olathe with 13 minutes left on my 14. My next load is out of Dakota City gong to Atlanta and Henderson, NC. I got my truck washed and am spendng tbe night at 7-11. Oi, what a week.