TransAm Trucking, Inc. - Olathe, Ks.?

Its going good getting lots of info in and taking it all in as it comes. Joe is a funny instructor and full of info.

 

Good morning everyone!!! Start of day 2! Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful day!

 

Lol I saw you yesterday!!! It doesn't matter that I don't know which one was you and that it was over a camera with leasing talking the whole time lmao

 

the lil blond in leasing talks 100 mph
so you cant remember the lies

 

I wrote this post awhile back about feeling forced to lease:

If TransAm invites you to an orientation and tells you the company driver option is available but then takes that option away ... why would you then want to get MORE wrapped up with that dirty dealing company and sign your life away on a lease where the company holds all the high cards?

Much of the orientation staff is paid a bonus to sign lease drivers (Joe is not), once you get past that gauntlet and are working as a company driver, no one else cares. Your DM, office staff, etc will treat you just fine as a company driver, treat you as a whole part of the TransAm family.

 

Lol she did talk fast

 

I decided before I came here that I was going company and am still sticking to my decision.... It surprises me how many people are already saying they gonnA lease tho

 

^Yeah, the orientation staff must be good at their job as the same thing happened at my orientation. Guys started out saying that FOR SURE they only wanted to go company but they started dropping like flies signing leases.

My roommate and I, plus one other guy were the only ones out of a group of 16 who stuck it out and stayed company. All the lease guys were starting a good natured rivalry. Giving us company guys a bunch of grief that we were suckers for not going with the flow and signing a lease. They kept it up until I had the following exchange with one vocal new lease signer:

Me: Keep your truck clean now.
New lease guy: huh?

Me: Keep your truck clean, I am not so worried about the outside but inside, keep it clean and nice smelling.
New lease guy: Huh, yeah, ok ... I will keep my truck clean ... but what do you care?

Me: Because I am a company driver and you will NEVER come and do a recovery of my truck but I might just come and get yours and I like to drive a clean truck.

He shut up after that but frankly, it was not too hard to shut up the lease guys in the friendly rivalry. Most all of them looked a little bit shell shocked and not very confident in their decision to sign a lease.

 

Lol thats funny passport. I got a recovery truck and it was a mess. Its nice and clean now smelling like lysol. I will never understand why people trash property that is not thers. We only lease we dont own the truck.

 

Good morning everyone. I am glad that you copied your post about asking questions, passport.....I was going to look for it today and re-post it for our new drivers, in hopes of helping them deal with the big sales pitch.....thanks!

It is a great disservice to new student drivers that TransAm spends so much orientation and training time trying to lure drivers into leasing. Think about that for a minute ....would they be doing this if there was no return in it for them? You only have the opportunity to be a company driver with TA when you are new ....but you can lease a truck at any time. My advice is always to take this opportunity to learn at the companies expense. If you are someone that has no previous experience in the trucking industry, and OTR and reefer in particular, there is much to learn. It is scary, nerve wracking and stressful, why would you add to that stress? Learn the business then decide if leasing is for you.

TransAm is a good starter company, you will learn, you will gain experience that will be invaluable to you. As a company driver a good portion of your income will be tax free, you will have paid vacation time and be able to participate in their health care plan. You will have guaranteed home time. TransAm will not push you to drive in unsafe conditions. It is hard work and many long hours of frustration and dealing with some shippers and receivers that could care less about drivers. The turnover rate for drivers in this industry is over 100% a year. Many decide this is not the life for them. If you have leased a truck right away and then decide this is not the job for you, the company wins. You have been paying for the truck for them and you will walk away and still owe them money on the lease. It is a win/win situation for them. The truck paid for, no benefits to pay to an employee, you still owe them money and they already have someone else in orientation that can be talked into paying them to drive. Some people do make a living by leasing, that is true. They have a high frustration threshold, are stubborn,(and sometimes Cranky!) and most have some experience or background in the trucking industry ....they also make untold sacrifices in order to make it work.

Everyone will make their own choices no matter what our advice is .....we have seen it too many times. It boils down to basic math. Do the math. If it still seems feasible to you, have an accountant or attorney look over the contract BEFORE you sign it......too many wait until after they have left to take the contract into a lawyer. You can not blame the company when you have willingly signed on the dotted line without making sure that you know what you are signing away.