TransAm wasn't too bad!

So did they give you Joel as a DM? Thats who I got stuck with and #### sure miss my old DM. May not have always liked her answers but felt she was being honest with me. Joel is ok but hate having to deal with that idiot mitchell.
Just got finished with doing a reset after doing about 3300 miles and am doing another reset now. In that black hole called west TX waiting on a meat load.

 

I've just read the 10 pages of blah blah blah here concerning T/A. I notice that everyone is saying the economy is to blame for the bad freight and lack of miles there.

The bad news is this. I was with Johnnie from 2001 to 2004 and again for 8 months in 2005 when they bought us out from James Helwig. All of these stories i've read on here concerning bad freight, lack of miles, waiting for trucks, maintenence probelms, dispatch problems, preplan problems. Are not new problems with T/A. This has been going on since they moved from the KC terminal to the Olathe terminal. They bought out James Helwig supposedly to get the freight he had. Within 2 months of that buyout they had gotten rid of 80% of that freight. And we went from running 3500 a week with Helwig to 1600 a week just backing up rookies who messed up loads.

With that being said, I will now say this. I've always been proud to be a meathauler as well as proud to be a trashcan. For those who don't know, trashcan is what T/A drivers call each other. I guess I will have a loyalty to Johnnie. He is a fantastic owner who cares about his drivers. I just wished his management did as well.

 

I was told the other day that any new drivers that came to Trans Am has to do the lease. Was just wondering if this is true or not?

 

I just got hired on to Trans Am. I am hoping for a good experience. I will try to keep everyone updated but am not looking forward to the long bus ride. LOL.

 

Am wishing you lots of good luck with TA. With your experience, hopefully you'll be ok. I know the miles are there cause I'm just finishing up 6 days out this time and have over 3200 miles so far. Don't get that all the time of course but it does seem that my average is creeping up.
If they let you, request either Dana or Levi for a DM. Their both straight shooters and I never felt that they were lieing to me. May not have liked what they said but......#### sure wish I could get Dana back myself but seems like I have to go with who they put me with since I'm company.

To answer an earlier poster, as far as I know, all new drivers are forced to lease. My trainers last student wanted to go comapny and hung on for 30 days before they sent him home. They REALLY want you to lease for all the obvious reasons, mostly cause its cheaper for them!!!

 

NO its not only cuz its cheaper for them its cuz they make more money leasing you the truck. You pay for the fuel and the maintaince. If you leave dont even think you will get any of the escrow money back. My hubby is still waiting on money.

If your getting the miles you are one of the lucky ones. But I wouldn't count on it always being that way.

We know many drivers that arent getting the miles and have left or are going to.

 

Why don't you fly, I think they'll split the diffrence with you for the bus ticket. The greydog is killer.

 

The only reason I don't fly is because I hate flying. Had a real bad experience about 30 years ago and really only do it when I have to fly out to CA and visit family and I hang on to the seat the whole way. LOL. The bus ride won't really bother me and who knows what might happen on the bus. JK.

 

ewww I been on a bus for 5 hours and that was enough to wanna puke....it was by far the worst traveling experience to date in my life. I would honestly have paid out of pocket to get a train ticket or fly southwest.

 

It's NOT a lease! Get a copy and READ it! It's a SUB Lease! Look at who the lessor and lessee is and then figure it out! This is more like a rental! Ask OOIDA about TA's lease program and after they get off the floor from LTFAO you'll figure it out! Everyone of those poor slobs who signed the lease didn't read the thing or didn't understand what they read!

I would also advise anyone in this thread go look at the DAC report on TA in this forum! I did a post there as many others have! Protect yourselves from fleece programs! Get OOIDA or a lawyer to read the thing for you! IF the company in question will NOT let you do so then that should tell you that they aren't an honest company unless you are a total fool, then go ahead and we'll read all about it here in TTR Land!

And when did they start calling them trashcans? When I was there in 2003 it was Meat hauler!