6 months with PAM

Started solo with PAM in May and still sticking with it. I intend to finish my year and get my CDL tuition discount.

I don't regret signing up with them. I was unemployed and not having much luck finding a job and signing up with them got me into a trade. Also I suppose for a noob it was neat to get into an auto-shift truck.

Money wise I could be doing better. Part of it is because this truck has been in the shop to much. After my year is up I'll probably move on to something else.

 

In a way I was spoiled by my first truck. It was a Volvo with a full sized sleeper. Lots of room and a nice ride and because it's PAM it was automatic. They made me give it up though because it was old. They only reason a newbie like myself got to have it was because the driver abandoned for a family emergency. It had 480,000 or so miles and 500k is mandatory retirement for PAM trucks.

Now I have an International 9400i which I'm not as happy with. I was spoiled with the Volvo and the storage in the 9400 just doesn't compare and it is only a midroof. Also this 9400 has been in the shop to much for Air Conditioning, Starter, and Exhaust work. A few times I've been close to asking for a different truck to get rolling again.

Aside from that I also did a short run in a Freightliner Century(while my International was in the shop again). Compared to the International I have I didn't think it was to bad and tit had more storage space.

So basically if you get a choice of trucks I personally wouldn't recommend the International 9400.

 

The school I went to was C1 in Fort Wayne, In. That took about a month. I have to say I think it is fair to call this a CDL Mill type of place. I have hear Indianapolis is better though.

Then I had a break for about a week and a half before going out on the road with my PAM trainer so that was a month.

Then I finally get dropped off at their headquarters in Tontitown, AR. I wound up catching a ride with another driver to pick up my assigned truck at another PAM yard up in Flint Michigan.

That is how it worked out for me. I'm sure if can vary a bit. Also the Automakers in Michigan are having a hard time which I think is slowing things down for PAM because we do some parts delivery between them and Mexico. PAM doesn't actually drive in Mexico but we drop loads by the border in Laredo, TX.