Trans Am Still

I have no illusions or beliefs that there is anything easy about this industry. In fact I actually have found that the rule regulations Hours solitude almost everything I have seen heard read or encountered has been a lot of things but easy was never one of them..

 

Speaking from the experience of a company driver in regards to any of the mega-carriers....Always take your home time as soon as possible..... even if you only take a day. Number one it is healthier, you can't live in a box non-stop for weeks on end, married or not. The second thing to consider is the way the carrier operates. They have contracts with shippers and have freight lanes that they travel all of the time. In most cases, you will pick up at the same places many times and travel certain lanes. The load planner and your DM will plan your loads according to the circuit that you are in. TransAm in particular, guarantees home time....because you are normally in your driveway on or before your approved time off, it closes the door on many aggravating swaps.....you can not rescue load after load if you are set to be home on a certain day. Just because you can take 2 days off every 2 weeks doesn't mean that you have to ......take one day, get a reset and stay in your own circuit. Our experience was that it never paid to stay out 3 and 4 weeks at a time, the swaps and rescues ate up time and money.

 

If you have a clean background just about every company that is willing to hire new drivers will hire you. If you keep your record clean after a year of driving you will open up about 85% of the experienced companies doors.

Most new drivers fail at this because of unrealistic expectations. We all have a vision of the way this business is before we start and even as we get experience and move to another company but often our vision and real life are two different things. If this kind of work is in your blood, DNA you will find a way to make it work. It's not just the rules, its the lifestyle. A lot of veterans do fine cause they are used to small places and being away from home for lengthy times plus (cause they drill this into your head in bootcamp) they pay attention to details. A lot of frustration in this business is someone not understanding how something works. When you go to class and learn to drive a lot of info will be coming at you and very quickly. When I trained I repeated and beat into the students heads certain things. Tried to get them into good habits cause we all have bad habits. You can't possibly remember everything they try to teach you. So when you are in your own truck and something happens, sometimes it could have been avoided by paying attention to detail and remembering your training.

Be safe.

 

Great info everybody !!!!

C,mon , Cranky Yankee I know your chomping at the bit to say something
Do those cats have your tongue.....Meow

 

I can't speak for all of us, but all here I can think of, we had some kind of problem with our record that kept us from being hired on at another starter carrier. If not prevented, at least some issue that made us look elsewhere. For me, I had not lived in the USA for many years, I had no current driver's license or driving record when I started CDL school. My first choices to apply to, rejected me.

TransAm is for those who:

1) Have a problem with their employment, criminal or driving record.
2) Feel the need to drive a truck with an automatic transmission.

The good news is if you fall into one of those two categories, you can do ok at TransAm, prove yourself to the industry, repair your record and move on.

 

Dennisroc, thanks for including me in the roll call. Like HTQ, I have been reading the posts, however, not being a driver myself is mainly why I haven't been posting much. I was beginning to think that I was going to have to come back to pull some sort of rank to get HTQ back. (Ach! Ya saved me from that task, Queenie!)

It is most unfortunate what transpired to cripple the thread, however, Pete (Cranky), you and HTQ have a valid, worthwhile, and earnest mission (or task) on this thread. I am so sorry to hear of the abuse you received, Pete. I beg your cranky, logical side, try to let the ignorance roll off your back for the greater good. You and HTQ help many drivers interested in starting out as drivers, as well as the experienced drivers due to combined mega years (☺) of experience. For the sake of your expectant loyal fans, please return Pete. FLASH, you too. "You can run, but you can't hide!.....joking!

Gotta add this note, while Pete, Cranky Yankee, may come off as being cranky or sarcastic, he (you, Pete) has given much logical, necessary advice. George occasionally gets on the thread asking about which route may be better depending on current events in an area or detours. Pete is often the only one who has responded and with mark on advice.

So, come on, all TA posters, give it a go. Let's put past negativity behind us and move on for the original intent of this thread....to encourage and enlighten you truckers. I'll be watching and waiting. Have a safe and awesome day, Everyone!!!

 

I guess it is true what they say...1 bad apple spoils the whole bunch

 

Living in an area with several mega-carriers, we had seen and heard most of the horror stories. For us TransAm was simply a matter of proximity ....close enough to home....and the fact that I had seen too many new drivers being forced to run illegally or lose their job, and then end up losing their career over it. This was back before many of the carriers were using elogs. A number of companies also used to have hundreds show up for orientation, giving up their current jobs, then only have jobs for 1/3 of those drivers.

TransAm isn't simply a company for problematic records or folks that need a second chance. They pay the bill to have student drivers in trucks that cost thousands of dollars, hauling freight that is valued at thousands of dollars, and they pay the insurance premiums to do all of that. Of course the pay is lower, you don't start out at the top even in this industry. Of course they micro-manage everything, because not only do they have inexperienced drivers but many of their dispatchers are new to the industry also.

They set their trucks up nicely for their drivers to live comfortably on the road. They understand that rookie drivers make rookie mistakes. They never force you to drive if you feel it is unsafe driving conditions. They never ask you to drive illegally. They repair the trucks in as timely a manner as possible.Never once did they say no when the King told them he felt there was a problem with the truck. They had even sent a service truck to our home twice. If you break down on the road, TransAm will pay for a hotel.

There are many companies that can not lay claim to those attributes.....even for experienced drivers. I have several friends in the trucking industry, I know big surprise , including one that sat in Texas stranded for several days before his company decided to have his truck repaired......in a non-working truck, no hotel, during the summer in Texas heat.

And it just so happens that TransAm is one of the few companies that will give drivers a chance if there is a problem.

 

I will talk to, Pete ....but there is no guarantee. He quit following the thread. I feel like he was just flat out disgusted by the lack of support.

 

Thank you I appreciate the information. As far as micro managing goes.. I am assuming that once you have proven yourself to the company then I assume that some of that goes away? Also I do understand as I know Mr. Jacobson purely on a professional level from dealing with him years ago. I know that he owned National Beef and founded National Carriers growing it to the 3 largest refrigerated carriers in the US at 1 time. I also know that he is not involved as much with the business as he once was. I know that at 1 time TransAm was a carrier that many drivers flocked to because of there reputation pay and equipment. it seems that many things have changed and that is why I am asking so many questions. As I have mentioned I have 5 pr hire letters and of those TransAm has continued to stay in contact which indicates that on some level they would look after a driver.. Now this could be just a recruiting effort but it has caused me to at least consider them and take a closer look.. I was at one time convinced that I could select the right company to drive for and then that is where I would stay. However with the information I have gotten I have come to realize that it is not very realistic and the best I can do is to make the most informed decision I can. focus on getting experience and then seeing where that will lead..