TMC Day 1

Yea, it really makes me wonder if I will be able to get a decent job driving, if one at all.

I haven't heard about a hiring freeze an TMC. Fir, since you are a recent hire, what is your idea about TMC's freight situation? Did they indicate to you how much freight is available?

BTW, what trucking school did you go to? I am in the Waco, TX area and considering the Prairie Hill school at Elm Mott.

 

Fir,

Best of luck to you in the next five weeks. I appreciate your insight into TMC and look forward to your next update when you get the chance.

R/

Frat

 

Congratulations FirNa, I'm glad you made it. Good luck with your trainer and the next five weeks of learning. I'm pretty sure you are going to do well.

 

Well I'm finally posting here after being home for two days. Like FirNaTine said there was only one computer in the hotel and there was always a line waiting to use it. I knew he was posting so I figured I would just wait till I got home so others could have their time on the computer.

FirNaTine did a great job of describing the two weeks and theres really not much to add. If anyone heading to oreintation hasn't exercised lately you might think about getting out and walking a few miles each day because it is work. I felt good on my first pass with the tarp and while I was on the trailer but the trip back was wearing on me. I noticed I wasn't exactly walking a straight line! Unless your in pretty bad condition you should be able to pass it but if you don't want to be huffing and puffing at the end get out and do some walking before going. Oh! they fed us lunch right before doing the endurance test which wasn't great timing. If they do this to you my suggestion is to do like I did, don't eat to much or you won't be able to breath.
I really enjoyed the two weeks and really didn't find anything that hard. Like it's been said, just pay attention to what they say, take good notes, and use your free time to study and go over stuff like shifting and your turn procedures. I noticed a few that washed out spent a lot of time in the rec room shooting the bull instead of studying. I mean come on! Your there to learn and they give everyone plenty of free time to study. I really enjoyed meeting everyone in our class and wish everyone well, hopefully we will be able to keep in touch. You spend that much time that close with each other you become friends pretty quick.
I thought I was outta luck when it came to my trainer. I was first set up with a trainer in Joplin which is 400 miles from my home. This would have meant another 5 to 6 weeks without seeing my family which was gonna be rough. My training coordinator really did a great job and found me a trainer only 80 miles from my home. I will be home all this week and leave out Sunday but at least I was able to see the wife and kids before leaving, a total of 7 to 8 weeks without seeing them would have been tough. My drive home was pretty good. I ran into some heavy rain from Kansas City to Joplin but the skys cleared up after that. Coming through Ark I took Hwy259 and had to take all those S-curves and switch backs in fog so thick I could only see about 50ft in front of me, this was around midnight also. I pulled in my drive at 2:15am and enjoyed the rest of the morning, I have such a wonderful wife!
I wish all my fellow class mates all the luck in the world and I applogize to the ones I didn't learn the names of, I am the worlds worst with names as some of them can tell you. I had fun and enjoyed meeting everyone of you, hope to see ya on the road one day.

If anyone has looked at our class photo you probably can guess who I am. I'm from Texas so I'm the one with all the layers of clothes on. I'm about center way wearing a blue jacket with a hood on my head.

Congrates to Michell Bryant (AKA the Fairy Trucker, you had to be there to understand the nickname), I had to mention it Bryant, for winning the Excellence Award in our class. It couldn't have went to a nicer guy.

 

Fir and Grumpy, I wanted to thank the two of you for providing insight as to what orientation at TMC entails. I will be at orientation in Des Moines on Mar. 16, and know what to expect thanks to the two of you and the TMC drivers who have posted on this and other threads. Congratulations, and best of luck to both of you and hope to hear from you as time permits while you're on the road with your trainers.

 

Hey I want to thank everyone who posted here before I went, it really helps to know some of what you will be going through. All the post on here also made me feel better about picking TMC over the other companies I was looking at.
I've heard TMC called a few names but Truckers Marine Corp kind of fits. Now they are now where near as strict as the military but I did notice some simularities. When you enter the class rooms you remove your caps, but you are still allowed to wear them in the dinning area and during load securement class room time. They like to see all your notes and stuff squared away and neat. They give you dirrections that seem to have no real meaning but they want to see if your going to follow directions. Theres just a lot of little things that reminded of me of the military but it's still a long way from actual military. The instructors are strict when it comes to learning but they joke around and pick at the students and each other when the time is right. If you go in with the right attitude it will be a fun two weeks, go in with the wrong attitude and most likely it will be a bus ride home. It's like anything else in life, it's what you make of it.
I can't remember if FirNaTine mentioned about the eatting situation at the hotel or not. Once at the hotel there is only three choices for food, vending machines, the Chrome Cafe (pretty good food), or delivery which can get expensive. There is nothing within walking distance so your stuck with these three choices. I would recomend bringing some stuff you don't have to keep cold like the little microwavable soups and dinners, chips, and of course the all time favorite peanut butter and crackes. You can bring some bottled water but the water at the hotel was pretty good and it was ice cold right out of the tap. I brought bottled water but if I had it to do again I would have just brought a few bottles and refilled them from the tap, most bottled water comes from a tap anyway so why waste the money when it's free in your room? This is just a thought. If your like me after eatting the huge lunch they feed you everyday you won't be able to eat much at night anyway. The lunch is huge, way to much food for me.
I wish everyone heading to orientation all the luck. Give it 110% and you'll be with a trainer in no time. I meet up with my trainer this coming Sunday so hopefully it won't be long before I'm back in Des Moines taking my road test and getting assigned a truck.
Good luck to everyone, keep it safe and God Bless.

 

Thanks Grumpy, quick question. I've caught snippets here and there about your final grade having an impact on how soon you find a trainer or something along those lines. What is the grading scale, and what grade is considered good as in getting you a trainer quick, what grade is considered acceptable but nothing to really smile about, and what grade is going to get you a ride home? I've got it in my head that it's possibly a percentage type grade where 90%+ will leave you in good standing. Can you explain the system some? Thanks in advance! I'm supposed to take my road test tomorrow, if that goes off without a hitch I'll be in Des Moines this coming Monday. Unfortunately we are expecting snow tomorrow, and they have already canceled our test once for snow. I've got my fingers crossed but this is the third time we have scheduled a test date with the Sec. State and so far they have failed to deliver every time. Again thanks for the information.

 

They have a really different grading system for sure. When you start the driving, backing and SIMs you will be scored 0 to 10 with 0 being very poor and 10 being exceptional. Your first day don't expect to get anything higher than say a 5, maybe 6. They do expect you to improve each day and for your score to go up. Using mine as an example, the first day I had a 5 on lane control and I went up each day with a final score of 8 on the last day. Now on shifting I got a 4 the first day but jumped to a 6 the second day and finished with another 8 on the last day. Your graded on 6 areas for driving, lane control, shifting, intersections-turns, mirror use, following distance, and overall speed. The backing is graded pretty much the same and those areas are 45deg, 90deg, serpentine, figure 8, and G.O.A.L, get out and look (very important!!! During the SIMs you will be graded pretty much the same. They also give a grade on pre trip inspection, adjusting seat and mirrors, seat belt (better not forget that one!), logbook up to date, 3 point contact, and commentary. These are graded with an S for satisfactory, I for improvement needed, and U for unsatisfactory. The test you take in the class room are close to the same grading system as used in college with a little difference, can't exactly explain them but they are close. Now there were a few who were sent home because they just didn't improve and were having a lot of trouble with shifting and lane control. You really feel bad for someone when this happens because they are usually pretty good guys and are counting on the job to support their families, but at the same time you don't want someone on the road that could be dangerous. One of the main things I think they look for is how professional you act, if your really trying, and if you are improving each day. I didn't notice the grade points getting anyone a trainer quicker. Once you finish oreintation they want to get each one of you out with a trainer as soon as possible, their not making any money off you by making you wait. That was the main reason they really wanted me to go with a trainer in Joplin instead of waiting a week for the one in Canton to become available. They really did a great job of working with me so I could be home some instead of being out another 6 weeks before seeing my wife and kids, they really seem family focused.