Transam Trucking makes me wish i never got in the industry

My experience with Trans Am was they run ya for their personal rats to pay cheap and in the end your without pay and in debt.

If your leasing that is a bigger headache and a huge pain in the ###..... I signed on and then wasn’t making nothing so the beginning of 2018 I left TransAm on good terms and went to a different company. Yes taking the leasing truck with me. So nothing more with TransAm right? Wrong!! They sent a wrecker out to retrieve the truck and the wrecker person said TransAm wants their truck because I am hauling freight for a different company. Hmmm. I have my lease agreement and there is nothing in there claiming anything about TransAm, it only states about One Leasing. How ever I do have my termination letter where I left TransAm that’s the only paper with their name on it. My new contract has one leasing and my new company on it nothing with Trans Am. Oh and when one leasing is removing the funds out of your bank account they are coming out with the name of Transam not one leasing like the Financial institution paper states .

Something is not right here and how can that be even legal with paperwork stating one thing and they are doing a total opposite than what the agreement claims .....

So irritated with this and their liesssss.

 

Exactly.... it was a good company back when they had the old building...drivers could just walk in and check in with their dispatchers, and it had the deck outside where drivers & office people would hang out, even with Johnny himself. After they built the new place it went straight to hell, and drivers were kept apart from the office.

 

I would never go back to a company position after having gone up a step.

Step up? I get what your saying but I was never $900 in the hole as a company driver.

1. Since day 1 I have said you lease equipment onto a company, not from a company.
2. You lease with companies that have 100% O/O fleets.
3. You get paid percentage if possible & if possible self dispatched.
4 You learn to do PM's if the truck is yours & find good mechanics & insurance, not just the cheapest.
5 You learn the business & foster contacts with suppliers & brokers.
6 You do this all so you can get your own authority - facturing Co & permitting Co & stop paying for a company to find you loads.
Then & only then will you be a true O/O with control over your sucess in business.

 

There is absolutely no way possible to be sucessful in any deal where YOU can not know all variables associated with the "deal." You have zero control of the load assignment, how the company obtains the load nor what the negotiated settlement between the company and the shipper of that load is. You really don't know any of the financial details pertaining to the purchase of the truck, its operational costs or any aspect associated with it. The company, in other words, holds ALL the advantage. What possibly could go wrong?

 

Unfortunately the way Transam, Prime, and the rest of these mega-training LP companies have their programs worked out, drivers or rookies just out of their “training” programs are pushed or lured into the lease purchase, especially with promises that they will “be their own boss”. WRONG. You are still controlled by that company, treated as an employee but paid as if you are a full owner/op but you are not. Once you get close to paying that truck off they slap you into another new truck with another really inflated payment, and with TA you get a lousy per-mile rate as well. It’s an embarrassing shame what became of that place.

 

I work there for over a year I've never sat around for a 34 hour reset unless that 2 times I was getting serious maintenance done. Bottom like usually I've made between 2800 and 3100 miles a week but only made 850ish gross that's before taxes. I'm a trainer here so I run team and see 2500 dollar paychecks in one week. The only thing keeps me here is training if that ends I'm not gonna work here anymore and now they screwed us with 5mph instead of 15 mph drive time kick on.ive had a few bad weeks 2400 looking at a stupid 400 to 500 dollar paycheck 1800 just about break even like yeqh no doubt this company is a bottom feeder they leach off of us every penny countless times I've seen them screw me over for money I usually get it straingted out tho.

 

Geezus, I don't know why some people continue to hang on in situations like this. Leave!!! Buy your own truck!!! But, if you just want no risk and somebody to hand you the keys and tell you when and where you need to do everything. Then, don't complain.

 

For those out there who want their own trucks. It has been said a thousand times, save and get your own is the best route. However there are good lease programs out there. I work at one myself. Am i wealthy? No ofc not. But i make more than most company drivers. First thing, steer clear of large companies, they have no intention of making you money. Second do not get in a lease that pays per mile, unless they say its 1.60 a mile to you not including fuel surcharge. Percentage pay is optimal in my opinion. There are a good deal of loads that run 500-700 miles and the broker pays 1800-2700 on these loads. I personally take 70%, and yes the expenses come out of that. I also do power only, meaning i do not use my trailer so all is drop n hook. Now for 500 miles at 1800 with percent i make a little over 1200, thats a days work. If i made 1$ a mile for that 500 i would make? Right 500$, and this is where people fool themselves. Paid per mile is a rip off for company or lease drivers. And the big companies know it. So if your going to lease ask, is there a percentage pay? Can you get copies of the agreement from the broker or business? To prove that your getting the right pay. Also dont let some company take maintenance payments from your check, especially if your leasing a new truck, those are under warranty and most repairs are covered for 500k miles. Yes i know if a tire blows it will need fixed, so yes you should save a couple grand minimum for such incidents. And if they insist on a maintenance payment, ask what it stops at. If they say 10k, i'd laugh at them. Also ask, if the lease is a walk away lease. If not, run. Ask if you do get maintenance taken from you, do you get it back if you decide the lease is not going to work for you. Ask for the lease agreement prior to orientation and read it! Highlight anything that sounds fishy, such as clauses that may cost you things like that maintenance account money. Make sure they pay fuel taxes, base plates, permits ect. Most brokers companies pay these things. Insurances are normal to be taken out of your checks so that is one you should pay for. Don't be fooled by average take home weekly of 1800-2400 a week when you get paid 1.00 a mile. Do the math! If you run 3000 miles in a week, you wont make that. Fuel is not free. Truck payments need made. Insurance is paid weekly. So that math doesn't add up.

Some last advice if you want to do it. Take care with your fuel, its your biggest expense. And i dont mean just go slow. Don't fuel more than you need to. And fuel where its cheap. Dont fill up in California where its 4$ a gallon when you could have fuels in a surrounding state for much less. I use Fuelbook for this, and ask where you get discounts, most companies do at certain locations.

Maintain your equipment. Every month i get my tractor lubed and have the fuel filters changed, its not that expensive, and they check all filters for free. Keeps your truck happy. And of course do regular oil changes.

Keep your truck clean! I mean inside especially. If you trash it and return it, they can charge you for any extra they will claim to do to clean up your mess. Make them inspect in front of you if you return, and you have an immaculate truck. Video it, have them sign saying its clean. Dont get ripped off.