Looking for info on PAM

yes there is a drivers solutions school in fort worth

 

Make sure you know your 108 point pre-trip inspection if you go to this school. They will fully test you on it when you go to upgrade to solo driver in Tontitown.

 

Just wondered if a move from PAM to US Xpress would make sense after I complete my year contract in the next few months.

My understanding is that USXpress' fleet is all autoshifter like PAM. I wondered if I could expect better equipment and pay if I switched.

Right now my home is Michigan and I'm deciding if I can find local work with hometime or if I'm better off sticking with OTR work and if that is the case should I try moving on from PAM.

 

how is it at pam trucking

 

Got my phone call today and will be leaving Sunday night to head to PAM down in AR for orientation.

Once I get there, of course I'll have to do the road test, and therein lies my question. I read on another thread that the new hires out of their driving school have to do a test on the pre-trip.

Do they also have experienced drivers do a pre-trip test?

I haven't done a pre-trip since I got my license last year. The trucks that I have been driving, well, let's just say you get in it in the morning, cross yourself and say a prayer that it will hold together for the day. Very old equipment and not well maintained. About the only pre-trip we actually do is to which tires need replaced that day (only half joking about this), the lights and signals work (when we pull out, doesn't say anything for the rest of the day), and it has enough oil to make it through the day. We usually had to replace multiple fluids each night due to excessive leaks.

I just need to know so I know whether or not to brush up on my real pre-trip skills.

Also, when doing the backing test, do they penalize you if you get out and walk around to look where your blind side is? I'm a firm believer in get out and look if you don't know where it is. Saves scratch and dent on everyone's equipment that way.

 

I took the test 3 years ago, it wasn't the whole pretrip, but we had to name some of the parts and what we we looking for, (being just out of school it was easy). The road test was easy and the backing up was super easy. Backing up between cones, set real wide apart to a dock 18 foot wide. When I was there in June of 08 they failed a kid just out of CDL school, he was 23 ? and had a real ####y attitude.
I'm at Crete now, I like it a lot better. You might want to apply here

 

so what is this I am hearing that Pam is opening a new lane. I need to know something do Pam Transport have team driver. I know choctaw have team driver.

 

I attended C-1 and have been hauling for PAm now for 11mths. I was completely new to trucking and needed to start some where, so after some researching went with Pam.

I think Pam is a good company for new drivers to start with. Pay is cheap, but all pay is cheap when you have less then a year driving exp. they do pay layover pay ($40) which is if you go 24hrs without a load, dentetion pay, $10 an hour for ever hour you sit at the shippers waiting to get loaded, but the first two hours is on you. They keep you moving fairly good, 1800-2500 miles a week. Not great but your getting your year exp in. They have very new equip, trls and trks with apus. I have an 08 ProStar. They do not care about MPG's at all, this is nice for a guy starting out not to have to worry about. All trks are auto which i dont like but it does give you time to focus more on actually driving, cornering, braking which is very important when your new.

Pam is a good stepping stone to get your first year, and possible even after. There pay raises are steady and there are guys that stay here.

Right now (7/13/09) all employees are getting a 5% deduction from the pay untill the company gets thru the slow economy. Its 5% subtracted after your taxs are taking out, so 5% minus from your net weekely pay.

Overall if your new to trucking and looking to break into the industry this is a good way to do it.

I think Pam is slightly better then USA trucking, Swift, Jb hunt or most other starter companys that hire new guys on and provide training.

Best of luck God bless

 

Thanks for all the info. I've been looking into a trucking career a lot lately...don't have much else goin' on right now anyway.

I'd like to get on with a Co. that has a terminal in the Tri-Cities TN area (Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City--about an hour from my place in VA) and it looks like PAM has one in JC. Other choices in my area--for an unschooled newbie--are USA Truck, Roehl Transport, CR England, and Central Refrigerated.

Got to love this forum and I've got a lot more reading to do on everything..and from what I've read so far, PAM seems to be the best of these 4 by at least a little bit.

Thanks again