Flatbed Companies with hometime in NC

Good thing TMC turned you down. They absolutely do not get you home every weekend. Ive only heard of that with a few companies, and all were small southern companies with a strict Christian owner. TMC is absolutely not one of those companies...

In fact, most flatbed companies dont have ANY hometime policy. Even Crete's flatbed, Hunt... no hometime policy. Then they wonder why they cant hold drivers like Crete can.

That said, if you are willing to do all that flatbed work... Why not just do a hand unload and be home every weekend, and get a nice paycheck as well? A lot of companies work the Dollar General account, it pays well and will get you home every week. Its one of the only accounts for new drivers that can even come close. But it takes a lot of work. You have to push these "rolltainers" out the back of the truck and lower them with a lift gate. Its hard work, just like flatbed, but it pays well and gets you home. Not to mention that you have the luxury of always being at a dollar General if you ever need a drink or food when you are working... flatbed will have many hungry and thirsty days away from civilization. I cant recall how many days Ive gone without eating...

 

Good company and real picky about drivers they hire. Apply with several flatbed companies then pick through the job offers.

 

I have a buddy who works for Tmc and lives in South Carolina. He's home every weekend. I got home every weekend when I wanted to be, but now I'm specialized. I have a buddy in Ohio who gets home every weekend, even when he lived in Virginia. They get you home if you communicate with your fleet manager. That's the problem with new guys, they don't know how to go about things. It clearly states 46-52 weekends a year on their page. I'm guessing you either didn't know how to work, had a bad attitude, didn't know how to communicate, or were in a piss poor freight area. The Carolina's are not piss poor.

-Don't do western express. They're thieves and hire anything that walks in the door.

 

The key word is TRY to get you home weekends. Don't count on it. It may not happen so don't go off on the dispatcher. Getting home every week end on OTR is not really feasible and many times not doable. If your out 3 to 5 weeks use that time to learn as much as you can. Don't look at it as a negative.
Just because a company is near your home is not the only reason to go to work for them. The wrong company will burn you out.
Research Research Research. If a company wants you they will get you to the terminal nearest to your home.. Kiem is out of Sabetha Ks but has nice equipment and has steady flat bed work.
Don't be discouraged. Now and again our past can come back to haunt us. You will get over that hump.

 

I didn't think they did anymore. I ran out of the terminal in Eden, NC circa 02 - 03, but I heard that one shut down around 05 or 06. I never heard anything about them opening another one up, and I still post in the flatbedder topics in the Swift subforum, and never see mention of terminals or drop yards in NC. I'm pretty sure all of those boards were transferred to Greer, SC, and remain there.

 

I believe Greer is what he must have meant, cause that's all my buddy knows of as well.

 

One of the reasons many drivers do not get home when the told the dispatcher they wanted to. Here is how it goes.
Driver_ hey John I need to be home on the 23rd .OK?
Dispatcher - got it. Pete.
You didn't get home on the the 23rd.
WHY??
It could have been when you said OK you turned your statement into a question with OK At the end of it and the answer was NO.
Not dispatchers fault as much as the drivers not stating it and leaving it a statement. . I have heard so many drivers that do this OK at the end of the statement and don't realize they do it. Say what you mean. Don't turn it into a question.
I have seen this happen with less than stellar companies that like to use new drivers nearly exclusively. Just saying.

 

Just because the website has "No misdemeanors within 5 years", doesn't really mean they won't hire you. Many companies bend their own hiring rules these days. Submit online applications anyway & no phone calls first, and they will call you if interested.