Chalk up TMC as a bad company.

How can we (collectively) make TMC pay for this type of absolute tyranny is the ??

 

Well there can be another way in looking at the problem.

You can look at it as doing the OP a favor. They set up their hiring area based on if they can get the driver home. Since they changed it, may mean they can no longer get them home. So if the OP was to been allowed to stay, he may not been getting home like he wanted to.

Since this crisis with the Economy, companies has more room to make changes which effects Drivers. The need for Drivers dropped, less loads to haul so terminate those who are more costly to the Company, Past Tickets, Hard to get home, or with bad history. the Company I am working for recently dismissed 400+ Drivers, and a few office people.

Try putting your self in their shoes, try to look at what they are looking at. Was the OP fired cause he was poor at his job? No. Just think how much it would cost the Company to deadhead him home, then Deadhead back out to load out. That can cost more than you think.

Was it a waist of time? Pending how you look at it, he did get alot of Training.

There are going to be a lot more changes coming down, so we all must be flexible. Adapt and over come.

 

the reason these company's are firing people for petty reasons is because if they just lay you off they must pay into your unemployment but if you are fired they may be able to get out of contributing

 

Well if the Original Poster can flood the board with the same story at least 6 times I guess I can post the same reply every time.
_______________________________________

The posts concerning TMC this week have been a mixture of truth and conjecture. Today we all received a qualcommm message from the owner of TMC, Mr Harold Annett. He had three main points:

TMC has started to weed out some of the drivers that they have had a lot of problems with. Drivers who argue with Fleet Managers, break a lot of rules, break expensive things, and cause other problems may be let go. This is because TMC has an opportunity to rehire many former drivers given the current economy. There is a waiting list of former employees who have found that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

The closing of only the training yard in South Carolina has been in the works for a while. Last year TMC bought the old schneider terminal outside Des Moines. That facility included 20 something acres of pavement. Also during the middle of 2008 TMC opened a brand new state of the art full service terminal in Gaston SC. The plan always was to close the training terminal after the new one opened. The fact that the lease is up now is purely coincidental.

As for the TMC/Maverick merger/sale/buyout/stock swap/etc rumor: There is no basis in fact here. There has been no transaction of any kind. Mr Annett states that he has been operating this company for 28 years and has no plans to sell out anytime soon.

 

I hate it for you guys that have mouths to feed, but until you get your own truck and start pulling loads (and making money for the company,) you haven't really done anything to be fired from. I know some people will argue this and think they've been "hired" when they're invited to come to orientation.

I went to orientation for TMC in Columbia last summer and left at noon on the first day. this was after the physical, road test, and all the written tests. I was so wore out I thought my legs were going to fall off after the backing test and running in place during the physical. and I had slept maybe 2 hours the night before having to deal with a snorer. they didn't want me to leave. they kept asking me why and I just told them I didn't care for the truck (for one thing, being a huge lumbering dinosaur - I was use to a mack.) I guess they didn't want to lose an experienced flatbedder with an immaculate record. I would've had 3 days of orientation, then be assigned a truck. I thought, no thanks when I thought about having to go back to working 16 hour days and trying to tarp/untarp a load with a windchill of -30.

you guys really aren't missing anything. if you HAD made it, you would quickly find out what a demanding job this is, and that the pay isn't any where NEAR what you are going to expect. and it's only going to get worse.

 

Tough times ahead for sure. This may just be the tip of the ice berg as far as hirings and firings. Rawlco, you have a point concerning TMC being able to hire just who they want now that the economy has hit a snag. Chief, you are right on sir. 16 hours per day and dealing with weather. I always tell folks that flatbedders are hot/cold, wet and always dirty. Look at the tarps on trucks now. Those that have been up north have all that grime from the road chemicals covering the tarps. One must untarp and fold those big monsters and it will make ya be covered in the dirt.

Good posts, I still think TMC is a good company, but, it really is a VERY tough job.

 

Don't make excuses for these companies. They shouldn't have brought him out if they didn't have work for him. These companies won't make excuses for you.

-Josh man, file unemployment, tell them what happenned. It doesn't matter that they 'fired' you....you can quote me on this, "Burden of proof is on the employer." Don't believe anyone except what unemployment tells you.
Sounds like TMC will be chipping in on your unemployment fund while you look for a job. Thanks TMC!

 

Trucker Josh- sorry that happened to you and hope it doesn't sour you to our industry. There are just some companies that don't care about the driver. They have the attitude that drivers are a dime a dozen and will continue doing the same things until they go under.
Sorry you had to use your Va benefits for a waste of a co. like that. Maybe you can get them back AND FIND A RESPECTIBLE CO. TO USE THEM AT. Have a good one and the best of luck to you...

 

They had to use the Shiny Pete to get the newbes in. They will not hire the older experienced drivers because they want their driver to drive their way and be a "yes man".