My TMC experience.

For all those who think TMC is this awesome company.. let me give you my experience. Won the "excellence award" in orientation. Got stuck with an ####### trainer who was only a trainer for the bigger loads requested out my 4 week learned basically everything with the new trainer for the week I was with him. Got my own truck. Got the ####test loads they can possibly give you.. 5-800 loads.. First week the engine light when on for low coolant.. missed a day of work the week after because it had to go to the dealership. second week had a headlight out.. they don't fix it so you have to fix it.. then they make you jump through hoops to get your money back from paying for the bulb and coolant. taillight was out in a trailer swap out.. road repair played the fix it yourself game when they know you have no tools to do anything. 4th week I got an over weight load out of silver springs, ky and that ###### me over on a load. you sit at the shipper for 2-3 up to 6-8 hours and your time ticks off your clock. expect to work anywhere from 6-7 in the morning to 10-11 at night and get very low pay. my first check was 1080 and every check after that was around 700. the shippers are the biggest problem.. they expect you to do work for them to get the truck loaded.. that was the final straw for me.. turned my keys in on my 5th week. not worth the money for the aggravation you have to deal with.

 

also don't be fooled by these trucking companies who say 60,000 80,000 a year.. your working 80 hours a week. do the math.. expect a great deal of BS when working with these trucking companies.. TMC seemed like it was going to be a great company to work for and then as soon as you get your own truck you find out how great of a company it is.. and they will tell you the old quote: "that's flat bedding"

 

I think you should have stuck it out and after 6 months if you still felt that way about TMC you would have at least had some experience to apply to other companies that don't take rookies. I agree with Gunner no disrespect but sounds like you went into this with your hopes way too high.

 

I know nothing about the trucking industry having only driven a Digger Derrick locally for the same utility company for 21 years. That being said 5 weeks is not enough time at any job. You are still learning the ins and outs. Furthermore, this is Gunners thread about his TMC experience.

 

the coolant was showing no signs of a leak or wetness anywhere.. I am a truck driver.. if I wanted to fix trucks I would have went back to being a mechanic and received compensation accordingly.. and another thing.. how the hell are you supposed to get anything done when you know #### well you get a 7.5 hour trip when you have been sitting at a shipper for 2-3 hours.. lets expose some more bs here gunner... you start your day at the consignee.. ok your unloaded by 9am... send your empty get your next load.. so its say 9:30.. its a 3 hour bounce... so you now have 8 hours on your drive clock.. you sit at the shipper for 2 hours.. now you have 9 hours on your clock it takes you an hour to tarp and load.. your now digging into your drive clock.. and its a 9.5 hour trip.. that's about every load I received in the month I worked there.. I can make more money locally being home every night not brushing my teeth in a water bottle.. stop bsing yourself and everyone else.

 

Why would he have 9hrs left on his clock if he started at the consignee? The point of being there the night before is to get unloaded without starting your clock. It sounds like you were going On Duty while getting unloaded. Everything your saying sounds like it falls on you bud... learn to use your time

 

and to say its not enough time.. its a repetitive job.. whats to learn? you drive the truck from point a to point b. strap/chain and tarp as needed.. I spent 5 weeks with a trainer and 5 weeks solo.. if you cant figure out what kind of company it is in that amount of time then that's your fault.. its not getting the job done that's the problem.. its the variables outside of your control that's the issue and nobody at TMC wants to fix those variables because the systems been like that for years.

 

I couldn't tell you how much stuff I fixed without even calling road repair. I had a coolant hose let loose one weekend at home, lower radiator pipe clamp. I called up road repair, told them I called the local napa and they are bringing me the coolant and I will put it on my credit card. I told them the amount when they got there and they sent me a Tcheck number over the Qcomm and I had the money back immediately. Lights, OD signs, flags, OD lights, anything, never had a problem every getting reimbursed. Always got back every penny every week.

 

your clock starts when the truck moves a mile.. when you bounce from the consignee to the shipper your clock starts.. if its a 3 hour bounce and you sit at the shipper for 2 hours that's 3 hours off your drive clock and 2 hours off your 14 hour clock. and when you start digging into your 14 hour clock it takes from your drive time..