Tidewater Transit Company, Inc. - Kinston, N.C.?

Discussion in 'Motor Carrier Questions - The Inside Scoop' started by Firebird, Aug 19, 2006.

  1. Road Dog

    Road Dog Medium Load Member

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    Aug 1, 2006
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    Glad you like it,GOOD LUCK,Keep on truckin.
     
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  3. Firebird

    Firebird Light Load Member

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    Aug 13, 2006
    Bristol, VA
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    Well, I have been with the company 8 months now and have a lot of new stuff to report.

    Overall the company is a good one. I am bringing home around $650 week and home generally 3 nights a week.

    Pros: They treat you well.
    Most of the places you deliver are not downtown anywhere. You are pulling tanks and haz-mat and most cities don't want you dragging that stuff through thier town.
    If I want a day off all I have to do is ask. i can even come in from a trip and ask for the next day off (no notice) and they have always come through and said "sure".

    Cons: Until recently the company only hired drivers with 2 yrs OTR or more. The training that you recieve reflects that policy. They teach you how to unload the tanks and how to deal with the haz-mat, but that's it. You may go on a couple of "training trips" where you ride along with a regional driver and watch him unload and then ride back to the yard but that is all you get.
    Lack of communication in the company. I was in Milwaukee, WI and got a back haul out of Chicago. The back-haul came from Central Dispatch instead of my home terminal dispatch ( I didn't know there was a difference). i had a problem and got lost and called dispatch(terminal) and they didn't know anything about me even getting a back-haul.

    This next one is my big gripe with the company. NO LAYOVER PAY, NO DROP/HOOK PAY, NO UNLOAD OR LOAD PAY(unless it is over 2 hours). And LOW MILEAGE PAY. .41 loaded,.25 empty which averages out to around .33 CPM. There are a lot of haz-mat companies that pay more out there.

    I know the CONS list is a little longer, but we tend to go into more detail when we are complaining now don't we:biggrin_255: but overall I am happy with the company. The Volvo 430 I have now is being traded for a 630 sometime in the next week. I am looking forward to a condo versus the flat-top I have now.

    Dave
     
  4. Driver30

    Driver30 Bobtail Member

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    Jan 15, 2008
    Kingsport, TN
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    Hey Firebird, I'm fairly new to trucking and new to this site. I really like Tidewater a lot and was hoping to get hired on there. Thought they would be a great fit for me. I live near Kingsport, TN and applied with them in October... had interview, road test, physical, and drug test....everything went very well and they seemed really interested in me. I thought I would soon be a Tidewater employee.They were having a hard time getting my employment verification from previous employer when I called back to check. Last time I checked back was in December and was told she thought everything was in on my file but they were in a hiring freeze through the holidays. It's now January and was just wondering if you know if they are hiring right now? Thanks a lot
    Driver30
     
  5. Lonesome

    Lonesome Mr. Sarcasm

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    22,839
    Dec 15, 2007
    Northern Indiana
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    Sounds like a lot of companies, Firebird. They all have their pro's and con's. As long as the pro's outweigh the con's, I guess it's good to go! It sounds like their are a whole lotta ppaces you could have went that were a lot worse.
     
  6. MorrisGray

    MorrisGray Light Load Member

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    Jan 14, 2008
    Rock Spring, GA
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    I will be going to Tidewater tomorrow to put in an application. Hope they are hiring. I live about 30 miles away in Ringgold GA.:biggrin_25525:
     
  7. MorrisGray

    MorrisGray Light Load Member

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    Jan 14, 2008
    Rock Spring, GA
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    Not hiring I was told, actually said that they "overhired".!? Anyway if you here they need anyone soon in Dalton please let me know.
    Thanks, Tony
     
  8. basalganglia

    basalganglia Bobtail Member

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    May 3, 2008
    Gray,TN
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    did you get on with them? I've been trying to get them to hire me back. Average Pay, but close to home. Remember as with any company, your dispatcher makes you or breaks you. I say that, but the driver has to do his/her part also. Run what they give you and keep your mouth shut. This is the best advice I can give you. Money is in the eyes of the beholder. When I worked for them, They only dispatched me on average 1 load a week. :biggrin_25524:
     
  9. Homeboy

    Homeboy Light Load Member

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    May 5, 2006
    touchin' em all
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    Firebird,
    I am so glad that things are going well for you. I, too, went from van to bulk tanker and it is as different as night and day. It seems that the "hidden jewel", as noted in another post, is tanker yanking. I love the work, and the pay is much, much better. Tidewater has a terminal in the Decatur Alabama area and I see the equipment running through there often. I work out of Decatur also for another bulk company.
    Best of luck and continued happiness and future success.
     
  10. NEWBOMB

    NEWBOMB Bobtail Member

    1
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    Sep 2, 2007
    huntsville, alabama
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    Yeah,

    I have been with Tidewater for about a month and a half. I just finished orientation, so I have'nt been able to go and deliver the chemical end. The cool thing is though, they send me out to pick up some empty containers from the Georgia Port Authority a couple times a week, and I don't want to do anything else now!! The pay is right on. I can't imagine my pay when I am doing "real" runs. But the thing about Tidewater that impresses me is that management really seem to care about the driver and if there is something wrong that they can fix, they won't lag about, they will fix that problem and check back with you to make sure everything was ironed out. I can see myself here for a long time.
     
  11. MorrisGray

    MorrisGray Light Load Member

    183
    10
    Jan 14, 2008
    Rock Spring, GA
    0
    Where are you at? Dalton GA? Never mind I see you are in Alabama. I need to check here in Dalton with them.
     
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