TransAm Trucking, Inc. - Olathe, Ks.?

hopefully he is a company driver with a 700 I found training in a 660 a tight experience

 

I know when your just starting out and in training everything seems important and overwhelming
6 months from now it will all be like
"What was I worried about"
of course you only get rid of one problem by replacing it with another
today you think staying a year seems like forever
but the time goes quick if you try to learn everyday
to move onto good companies that the money insurance time off coincide with your needs

 

I have been sitting here thinking about this and trying to figure out how to word it. I know how hard a driver works....the hours that they put in, the stresses and frustrations that they deal with daily, the days away from their families, the treatment that they receive from some of the people they have to deal with, the regulations that they have to comply with and the burden of responsibility that is on their shoulders. The trucking industry made 600 billion dollars in profits last year and that figure is expected to almost double this year .....and from the miles that are being driven right now I can see that happening. I am having a hard time grasping the concept that it is alright to work 70+ hours a week for a multi-million dollar company and not have a paycheck..... because for most people that would be unacceptable. I understand that everyone has different needs and goals....but .....

I do a lot of volunteer work and research for different organizations .....but they are nonprofits. One of TransAm's executives gave $80,000 to his daughter's college ....did any of the lease drivers make $80,000 last year?

 

I thought we were going to have to fold you up to get you into my little jeep...or open the sunroof! The Cranky Yankee is a very tall man!

 

I grossed $152000 last year in 10 months
by the time all the truck payments insurance and fuel came out
figure was $30000
after all the rest of my taxable deductions for food etc
taxable income was $15000

all that year my wife lived with our daughter and I lived in the truck
I stayed out over 100 days once
maybe I just wasn't good enough at my job to lease

I had owned my own business for 35 years previously that included trucks
so take this into account new drivers with the ink not dry on your CDL before you lease

 

the hobbits of MO are just short
the King is really Randy Newman

 

I had forgotten about that mean little song!....I never thought it applied to me! Although I did have a friend in high school that would pick me up to say hello! Geez, someone else on here, who shall remain nameless, used a dwarf reference in relationship to me and now I'm a Hobbit!

 

There many many reason leasing is a bad idea when you start. One there is a lot to learn it is not hard one by one but all together a lot. Second as a company driver if you make a mistake they pay for it if you lease you pay for it. You can alway go lease after company but you can not go company after lease. Leasing is a big stress and more to learn. When something goes wrong it is usually very expensive and sometimes you pay for other peoples mistakes like that mechanic in Big Springs, messed up my apu for a $900 while that is being disputed I have to cover that. I could go on and on. dennisroc go back in these post and check out how many have come and gone that have leased the odds are against a new driver leasing and being successful and not by a little bit but like 90%.

HTQ it is all logistics for training most stay out about a week.

Cranky I do no better than you but maybe I bumped my head a few to many times as a kid

Be safe out there

 

Trainer Is a company guy with a t700 seems pretty cool gonna be off to Waco tonight for a 1am pickup wish me luck

 

I thought that was it, jaso .....scheduling and load planning. But, WOW! a week? That's much to learn in a short amount of time. I can't remember how long the King was out with a trainer, I want to say right at 4 full weeks. His first coach parked in a bad place after being out for a week ....and got the nose of the truck ripped off. So they had to get him back to the yard and because he didn't have the required hours of driving logged he had to wait and go out again with another trainer. It was frustrating ....but a blessing in disguise. The second trainer took the time to really teach ....the first one you just learned what NOT to do by watching him.....all good lessons to know! I wish they would go back to the old training protocol ...I believe it would be such a benefit to student drivers. Even having two trainers isn't a bad thing, you would have the benefit of two different perspectives. That way a trainer isn't sharing his truck all of the time, also....it would give you a break.
Sadly the newest statistics that I have seen say that the turnover rate for drivers is 115% within a year. They didn't have it broken down between company and lease but I would bet you that more company drivers stay in the business than lease drivers do. All of that being said, I do realize that experience makes a tremendous difference and that it is far easier for someone with experience to make it work.
I should tell you though, that as a company driver the King made more than Pete, was home every two weeks, took paid vacation time and had health insurance. That is why he stayed company the whole time he was there.