TransAm Trucking, Inc. - Olathe, Ks.?

Part of being new to this is I am so ignorant that I really don't know what are good loads or not other then the miles attached to them. That will come in time as I get more expierence. I really screwed up my 70 HR clock and I'm paying for it right now. I'm sitting in a ts in Dixon Il waiting for midnight to come around to get more hours to drive. That too will come with expierence. I'm on my way to Cheyenne. I only had this truck for a week with no problems yet... Knock on wood...
I read you are driving else where. How is that going? I wish you the best of luck.

 

learning trip planning and managing your clock is vital to success in trucking
I am no hero or the best driver
but I just stayed out 102 days drove everyday but one and never reset my hours
my last week with transam was over 3400 miles so it can be done
but of course not my first week

you seem to know the difference between what is your fault and what is transam's or just trucking in generals fault

 

I will be the first to admit when it is my fault. I was in Dodge City last week waiting (like you say for the cows to die). I signed up on the wake up list and went to the Flyin J accross from National Beef. My load was supposed to be ready at 2230. I finally got the call around 0100. They told me I put the wrong number on the wake up list. When I signed up I asked the man what number I was supposed to put and he said the trailer number. Well come to find out I should have put the pick up number on it. In any event it was still my fault because I should have had my butt there at 2230. Lesson learned!!! Won't do that again.
I am extreemely hard on myself. My coach and friends told me that. I look at it this way, if I'm not hard on myself then who will be? I have to learn this business as quick as possible. That is the only way I am going to keep my head above water concerning this lease thing. It will be a real treat when I figure out how to back up without 20 pull ups... lol

 

oh and kirk
I might miss my 700
where am I going to put everything in this midroof Cascadia
but it does go 75 weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
4 person office
10 company trucks
10 O/O
will all be ok
after I learn how to shift again

 

Hi EMCHIEF, I'm glad to see you made it online. I have a feeling that you are going to do just fine. Everyone starts from the same place it's what you do from that point on that makes the difference. You have a willingness and desire to learn and friends to help you, I would say the odds are in your favor.

Honeybadger! How have you been? How was your home time?

Pete, the King is in Cuba, Missouri getting ready to eat a good dinner and watch the ball game.

 

Im ready to turn back around and go home for another couple days. I am so over this week already. Monday I came off hometime and picked up in Decatur, AL. There was a rail car n the way so the shag driver had to shuffle trailers around so he could pull my trailer out for me. It was an ancient 4-digit trailer and the mudflap bracket was bent and the mudflap was in full contact with the tires. It had damage to the frame rail and a few crossmembers. Rd assist got called out for the mudflap and to assess the frame and ended up hammerng a few chunks off so they didnt fly off. Three hours after arrivng, I was able to scale on my way out the gate. 500lbs over on the trailer and this place wont reduce weight. I go to slide the tandems. Not budging. I was doing quite a number n my transmission tryng to force it. Several hours later and after going round and round with TransAm, rd service is back. That trailer needs so many repairs. Delivered in Ft Worth this morning. Picked up my next trailer at the same place and as I was doing so, I noticed a weird spot o my left steer. Examined it closer and I had a 4 inch long gash in the first tread line that went down past the metal threads. Ive been at the Petro in Weatherford for the last 5 hours replacing it. I also had my centramatics put on. Got hooked up with a set for an unbeatable price and while I was home I painted them to match my truck and they look fantastic! But Im so fed up with today and cant make it to Odessa so Im staying here for the night. Screw it, Im done.

 

Do you think they loaded the trailer knowing that it was bad.... or that they did it? In any case once they loaded it they washed their hands of it and then the problem became yours.....it has always been unfair to the driver when that happens. Call it a day, have a nice dinner and tomorrow is another day ....sometimes that is the best thing that you can do. It will go better tomorrow, you have the problems taken care of and you will be starting fresh.

 

No clue. Knowing our drvers, it was probably already damaged when it was loaded. Dispatch wants me to pick up another four digit trailer at Family Dollar for my next load. If its so I can pretty much transport it to a terminal, I might try to get them to cough up some favor money if there are other better trailers available. Who actually picks up a 4-digit when there are newer trailers available?!

 

HTQ I hope all is well with you and your family and thanks for the vote of confidence. I did ok my first week out. When I left Olathe I was so sick... I should have just stayed there. Had to been the flu. I knew the week had to get better after that.

I survived my first Chicago run. Was really happy to get out of there this morning. I have been there before for military training but that was a whole new expierence driving a big truck thru there. I believe I will get my first red light camera ticket in a tractor trailer. I was going under the speed limit when the light changed and I didn't have enough distance to stop. I would have ended up in the middle of the intersection if I did. As I was going thru I saw the photo enforcement sign... GREAT...


Other than that I am learning valuable lessions out here. I have learned some shippers/receivers are cool and others are dorks.. Always take your time backing (at least until I get better). Must get better at time management so I don't run out of hours anymore. I learned trip planning is essential and many other things...

 

Has anyone ever been to Dow Chemical in Wilmington, IL? They had all the drivers turnover the the keys to thier trucks and made us stay inside the driver's designated area just inside the door. I thought that was odd. I went outside to smoke and they had a fit. The guy came running outside yelling at me... I told him I wasn't a child and to calmdown. I told him that was my first time there and I will respect their policies. I thought wow what a jerk..... Something tells me that won't be the last time I have to deal with idiots...........