Questions about TMC Training

You can't go by 'miles driven' when you're paid percentage. When i was with them, if i got some good paying freight i could bring home 1,000 dollars and only drive 2,000 miles for the week. But wight freight rates down so low right now, you'd probably be better off on the mileage program. Not sure what CPLmac is on, though.

 

o ok eckz how long where you with them and why did you leave?

 

I started with mileage because I knew bounce miles would be at least a quarter of what I rolled and I wanted to get paid for them, also with the industry being slow freight rates are dropping so percentage was less appealing. Add to that the fact that TMC regularly skims 10-20% off the top before it ever gets to the driver by brokering through a sister company, and mileage was an easy choice for me. I'm not making anywhere near $800-$1000 a week, not even on gross. Right now it looks like I'm going to be grossing around $400-$600 a week before taxes are taken out, but it's difficult to say at this point. Take the pre-pass fees that drivers have to pay, the crap they MAKE you buy from Des Moines and any other money they feel like taking out of your check and you are looking at a pretty petty earning. Last week I think I drove around 1500 dispatched miles, this week I'm going to be close to 2000 dispatched if the week keeps up. I actually wanted to pay for all of that stuff up front in cash because I don't trust them tinkering with my checks, but that was not an option, they require you to allow them to take it out of your check for whatever reason.

 

I think I really pissed TMC off beause after finishing up my five weeks with my trainer I quit. I enjoyed the job and they do have some great trucks but after five weeks I could see that the money just wasn't there. I actually made more on my trainee pay my last wek than my trainer made, we spent most of the week sitting waiting on loads that either never happened or were cancealed just as we showed up to get loaded. I would love to be able to drive again but until the economy picks up I guess I'll stay in the oil field. Even though I swore I would never go back to the oil field at least the checks are good and they come regularly. Does anyone know how many drivers TMC has let go so far? When I left it was something like 400. I know the Joplin yard was full of tractors the last trip through there. It got so bad that my trainer is now driving for a tanker company hauling fuel, coastal I believe.

 

I take it the freight with TMC is no better than what I am on right now with the company I work for. Just doesn't make sense if they are getting rid of guys over BS what is the point of hiring all these newbies? Guess it is cheaper to pay a newbie at a cheaper rate than a driver who is at a higher pay scale. Guess I will wait and see what happens with the economy before I make any career moves.

 

TMC not hiring newbies anymore you have to have flatbed experience i found that out today i was going to join the end of april but i guess thats on a hold but i guess that is a good thing for me ill stay where i am till freight picks up and they start hiring again.

 

TMC is still hiring folks right out of driving school. A friend just went with them and is suppose to leave for DesMoines sometime next month, even after all the stories he has heard about frieght being so slow. I've kept in touch with a couple from the oreintation I went through and all of them are talking about leaving because of the small checks. My trainer had been with the comapany for several years and he was laid off but at the same time they were bringing fresh drivers right out of school in for training. This was someone who was driver of the month and in the million mile club, never had a late delivery that was avoidable, and his mileage and OOR was excellent, except for my first week with him but that wasn't his fault. It seemed to me like TMC was getting rid of some of the higher paid drivers and replacing them with new drivers at a lower wage. I wish it had worked out at TMC but I just couldn't see myself living on such small checks when I couold go back to the oil field and make twice as much and be home every night. I miss driving over the road and hopefully one day soon the economy will get back on track and it will be worth driving again.

 

Well thats is what the guy from TMC told me he asked how long i been driving i told him 2 in a half almost three years then asked me if i had experience in flatbed i said no thats when he said they are hiring experience flatbedders right now, im not saying your wrong or anything like that but that is what a recruiter told me, and i am in the hiring area.

 

I think the problem is your not a "genuine" newbie. They may not want any experience at all or an experienced flatbedder, nothing in between. You may be right though. I have a friend that is with a TMC trainer and he said there are talks about winding down new hires. Last week was his first week and he has already drove 12 hours once and they crossed their fingers on an overweight load. This guy is a retired trooper and military and he already sounded a bit rattled. He said they ran 2000 miles last week but said things appear really slow from what he has seen. I backed out of TMC and I'm going to KLLM. I was second guessing myself but he said its probably the right decision. I will say from what he has told me and from what I read on this forum, the info in here is spot on.

 

The more I hear about TMC, the more they seem to be a bit underhanded. Why not just man up and play straight? Keep your good drivers, don't overload the seats with noobs, and when things pick back up you have a real crew and can do new hires for real.