My 16 Week Experience with TRANSAM

Oldguy56, you kind of missed my point, If you think sitting for 2 or 3 days in a modern truckstop in a nice new tractor waiting for a load is worse then the old guys sitting on the side of the road for 2 or 3 days trying to fix their truck themselves. If you want to know whats happening at home or speak to a dispatcher, you pick up the cell phone. They did not have that option or have any other modern conviniance. My point being is if we complain the way we do now with what we have to deal with, imagine how bad the complaining would be if we had to put up with what them guys did. I am not saying we do not have a right to complain but put things in perspective. We all or should all have a little common sense when it comes to changing careers or getting another job especially if there is a family to support. I can see a bright eyed, naive, 21 year old falling for a recruiters speel but after only a few months in the business the lesson should be learned. the saying "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me" comes to mind. I love my lifestyle, I have very few things to tie me down. I own my own house, paid for. a truck that isn't but with few bills I am managing fine. There are tons of stuff I do not like about the industry but my mind set is things could always be worse. Yes, I could be sitting in an office pulling a 9 to 5 with a steady paycheck, benifits and not have to deal with the IRS but then I would not have the chance to be sitting on the coast of the pacific ocean, then a few days later be in texas eating burritoes and flirting with the senoretas or in montana watching the sun rise. its all perspective

 

Personnally,..... I could do anything that those "old timers" did.
BUT, I wont work for FREE, or "peanut wages"

WORK = MONEY....period.
That's why they gotta give you money..everything else is bull..

 

Very well put Old Guy 56!!!! I am a newbie getting ready to start with schneider bulk division and I will admit I am very nervous cuz I dont know what is lurking around the corner.However after being on this site for about 8 months or so it has really prepared me mentally. So whatever problems come my way I should be able to deal with it. Finding this site is one of the best things that could happen to a new driver. I learned so much from all the experience on this site!!!!!

 

I'm just stating the truth. When my husband started looking into trucking there was very little posted about Transam anywhere. He's working very hard and loves what he's doing it's the company that is making it difficult. My brother has been a trucker for 32 years a owner operator for a while and he has never heard of the B.S. that companies are putting there new drivers into.
My husband expected it to be tough and we new he'd be gone for long lenghts of time. It's not the trucking industy in general were upset with it's Transam. Were also not stupid we know no matter where you go you start at the bottom. I'm just letting everyone know what the real transam is like and what kind of pay you can expect as a newbie and it is very hard to pay bills with such irregual pay.

 

I thought Schnieder was only hiring hiring experienced drivers. I called them and got a recording that said you needed at least 6 month's recent OTR experience. Perhaps I need to call again and try and get a human on the phone?

 

They are hiring students but they seem to be keeping it under the table. Not really advertising it.

 

Old Guy 56 speaks the truth from a new driver's perspective. Due to my inability to re-enter my former career of telecommunications, I tried vainly for a year to find work with a living wage. I ended up washing motorcycles for 3 months at $10ph. I even got laid off from that!
I entered trucking school and borrowed $4300 from a family member. I now am 5 months into it (now with an o/o leased to Swift) I have only had 1 check over $500 this whole time. Mostly in the $100-$300 range, often less.
Again, as I have said before, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect more pay than a fast food worker for having to go through so much training and testing and having so much responsibility on your shoulders.
It's that simple, the industry is stacked against the most important link in it, the driver.

 

From what i can see the driver is the last guy on the todem pole....yet they have all the responsibilty.

 

I have a prehire with Trans Am and I start at the local driving school next month for a 4 week class. Like anything else I get into I do alot of research and try to learn as much as possible. I have spent several hours on this site and other places on the internet trying to find out as much as possible about the trucking industry. From what I have seen there is alot of bad stories about Trans Am, but for every bad one there is a good one also. And it seems that way for every trucking company out there.
I have some really good friends that drive and a couple of them have been driving 20+ years so they have been talking to Trans Am drivers they meet on the road for me and so far neither one has found a driver that had anything bad to say about the company.
Everyone is talking about how bad a company treats the drivers. I have worked in a factory for 20 years and its the same way. The "powers that be" are the ones making all the money and will find anyway they can to take advantage of the real workers (the ones that are actually doing the work). So I am not expcting anything to be any different.
I also read on here about how terrible the lease program at Trans Am is and how new drivers are doing that and are not making any money. I personally can not see someone that is new to the trucking industry and fresh out of driving school taking on that kind of responsibility. Maybe after a few years of driving and understanding the ins and outs of the trucking industy but not being new to it.