how long were you with Transam and were you a company driver? Also was this your first driving job or have you been driving for a while.
I was with TransAm for 16 weeks. It is the first and only OTR driving job I have had or will ever have. I was a lease driver.
My husbands only been on his own for about 5 weeks but his pay has been really bad. He only had one check so far that was over $700.00 the rest are like $156.00, $210.00, 586.00.
He is doing pretty well with TransAm if he is getting any checks over $300.00. My average settlement was about $225-$250 per week.
My husband just started driving and we choose Transam and were going through the same problems. I don't know if it's the economy or Transam.
TransAm has been saying that lots of business is coming just hang in there and you will have all the miles you can handle. This is not true. As the economy shrinks, freight shrinks. Enough companies may go bankrupt that a few may have enough freight to make money, but that just means more drivers looking for fewer jobs.
He decided to stay out for 3 weeks at a time thinking he could make some money but although he's on the road he sits alot. They have been giving him 48 hours to go 56 miles. Give me a break. It cost us alot more to feed him while he's gone than what he's bringing home.
Staying out 3 weeks at a time may help if you do not sit. I sat on average 3-4 days a week. At best, it will give you 2 good weeks and 2 sucky weeks each month. The week you go home and the week you get back will not have good preplans (if you are getting preplans at all) and you will sit waiting for the right loads to get you where you need to go. Extending delivery times is TransAm's way of keeping your husband from getting layover pay. I bought food at WalMart and ate in the truck. One person can eat for about $40-$50 per week (if he can stand it), but it is pretty monotonous (I did not have a microwave and had to limit myself to items that could be eaten cold or fresh).
He also just got a new driver manager and so far they seem to be better.
I was wondering if Steve was your driver manager and if maybe that was causing all the problems. I don't mean to point a finger but I guess the next couple weeks will tell.
The driver manager is a point of contact, but does not have time to pay much attention to any individual driver unless directed to by his supervisor. At TransAm, the system is set up with almost no accountability for the driver managers and other supervisors. The only way to get more miles (at least for a short while) is to go catch Johnny Jacobson in his office and complain to him directly (TransAm has an open door policy). If enough people annoy the hell out of him, he might change some of TransAm's non-responsive policies and provide a way for drivers to address their problems and solve them before they (the driver) goes bankrupt. As it is, this is the program designed by TransAm and works as they designed it to. It is not an accident or oversight.
Have you found a new job?
I am not looking for another driver job. I have formed the opinion that the whole industry is a scam that screws drivers (especially new ones since their options are severely limited for at least a year) because the industry modus operandi is that another driver will always be available no matter how bad they treat their present drivers. They are aided in their despicable practices by the government training programs that pay for inflated charges for driver training in CDL mills. This allows the companies to overvalue in house training programs and screw another group of people by sucking them into long term commitments in return for supposed free training. Both public and private CDL programs have the effect of lowering the true value (but not the cost) of the training by supplying many poorly trained bodies to fill lousy jobs that have a constant turnover. This also has the effect of keeping pay per mile low. The other part of the problem is that there is a conspiracy of silence that keeps new trainees in the dark as to the actual realities of this industry until they are already committed to pay money for training, or obligated to a company and placed in a position to be screwed if they try to run screaming to the hills to get away from this madness.
My 16 Week Experience with TRANSAM
Discussion in 'Report A BAD Trucking Company Here' started by Old Guy 56, Feb 19, 2009.
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Just wanted to agree with Old Guy 56, the whole industry is a huge scam, so unbelievable its scarey. I have been in it for over 3 years, its so bad, its a wonder anybody ever continues with it, As Old Guy said " you are a profit center" just as there customers are, its got to be the biggest scam going in the US today.
I was a trainer for over a year and just could not keep lying to the students.
But will it ever get straight.......NO it will not, my company has a 200% turn over rate, that in itself tells it all, not 1 of the 40 people I trained is still employeed with the company not one. I continue why? I dont need money, If I actually needed to make money to support a family, forget it, If your not in it to just drive, due to your love of driving, forget it. I probably wont be with them much longer, due to my % is
getting higher and they can replace me with a new sucker. Literally in the last year we have lost our bonus, our safety bonus, our maching 401 k. our guarantee pay, our decent health ins, which is now health crap, they have taken everything. and laugh, Hey you dont like it leave, we could care less. Its all about money folks, my company makes more money training new students (Gov pays them)and selling used trucks.
As OLd Guy 56 said its a huge scam, apparently people 56 yrs old have a good handle on this huge scam. Unless your unable to get a reg job, stay the heck away, and if you still want in, dont believe a word your told period, Just find a couple of other drivers who work for the co, and buy them a drink, and ask them about the co.
What I find interesting, is how they get away with it, totally amazing.
Drivingguy also 56, and yes a old guy. Lets see what do I want to do next, maybe make donuts, that always looked interesting, Its fun when you dont need money and just want to do jobs you always wondered about, My last job as a
person assigned to talk to people who have been Baker Acted, by the police....Another Scam, Oh the stories I could tell Im begining to believe this whole country is just one big scam basically. Donuts I say Donuts for everyone
Isnt life fun............3 plain, 3 sugar, Oh one of those twisted one, and Hmmmm a large cup of coffee Please.
Just Laugh...It could get worse
Talked to a Swift driver the other day at a Loves tk stop, exit 90 in Savanna, hes earning 125.00 a week, hes thinking about moving to Mexico and becoming a Drug King Pin, But dosent know what Bowling alley they work out of. He asked me what do you have when you have 365 Swift trucks in a row driving down the road, One year of experience total.
Please dont tail gate......................Last edited: Mar 8, 2009
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