TMC states OTR and Regional are the same thing and I'm confused

I should say so.

 

No Way. Unless your a trainer running your trainee. And you won't see that on cents per mile.

 

If it worked I would still be there. And many others I'm sure. Gunner takes more time writing about his experience then I do. I'm sure he will post at some time. Bringing home the big dollar paycheck requires you to be at 32% ( back then) too many things beyond your control effect that percentage. I tracked my pay for five years and found I made the most in my first year and it declined by 1000.00 each year until I quit. Made no sense to me. A lot has to do with your FM, planners, shop service, and lets not forget about the time spent repairing trailers other drivers leave you . While not being compensated for repairing them. Then we got the shippers and receivers. Now that's being regional. I have been told dedicated drivers will make less.

 

When the company starts pressing you to become a trainer because your top of your fleet managers board outside of trainers, it's time to move on. At 5 months they were already asking me to give them the ok to be a trainer. No thanks, i didn't want the responsibility.

 

I know many guys who are happy with their income, my trainer in 2013 he did in excess of $110k, but he always had a new trainee, and after 3weeks the truck was ran as a team truck for the next 2 to 3 weeks.

 

I'm not saying that. If you find they work out well for you then stay on. What ever you do complete your commitment.

 

The first year is going to suck no matter what company you’re with. Don’t hit anything and run anywhere they send you. Go as many different places in as many different types of weather and conditions as you can. Get all the experience you can. Take pride in your work. No matter how much flatbed experience you have, always ask questions of other drivers. You will learn 20 different ways to secure the same load from the same 3 drivers each time you ask them. Ask them from other companies as well. Most importantly keep your securement equipment organized and your tractor clean inside and out. Take a ####ing shower. Just because you haul open decks doesn’t mean you can just go around stinking. Back your trailer every chance you get. You’ll be in some weird situations in flatbed that most van and reefer guys will never dream of seeing. Most of them won’t require backing. So you’re going to need to practice backing into spots even when you can pull through or nose in. One pretty common issue with a lot of flatbed guys is that they can’t back for ####. Some are great at it and some make people think none of us can back a trailer. And some places you’ll go will require you to back down into really dark looking holes with less than an inch on either side of you at the opening. Practice.

A clean driving record and a year of flatbed experience and you’ll graduate into a different tax bracket should you go look for another job.

Really take pride in your work. I cannot emphasize that enough. Don’t get frustrated and upset when your tarp job looks like garbage for a long while. But do make a point of not being content with a bad tarp job. You’re not building rockets here, you’re keeping things dry. And always add more securement than you could ever envision a load requiring. No such thing as too many straps or too many chains until you have to roll them back up and put them away.

Just like your pretrip... get a System down and follow it. Don’t get lazy on securement. Maybe even get a step counter and see where your inefficiencies are. If you get 50 bucks to tarp and do it in 20 minutes, you’re making pretty good money to tarp.

 

Also, look into whether you live close enough to a dedicated location that TMC operates which might also have a daily home time option with day cabs. That way when you want to make that switch you can have another option available.

That's the path I'm on once I finish training, which I was kind of surprised to find out it existed toward the end of my orientation.