Application Denied by TMC

Yes, but the company gives drivers jobs and a chance to work when other companies won't.
The man that started Western Express, Wayne Wise, was sympathetic to felons and ex-cons. He had a company prior to Western Express named XpressCo which was also flatbed. I worked there for a year. Almost every driver had serious felony background and prison time. Hard working bunch of guys and he could depend on them. One of them was arrested again while working there for something he did in his hometown in East Tennessee. Wayne Wise told him, "When you get out of prison on this one, your job is still here."

 

Years ago I got an offer from TMC to do their Texas regional accounts. It kind of seemed to work out because the oilfield tanked and I didn't feel like doing the big road. Plus at the time I really wanted to buy a tractor. They had the Pete 379's with CAT motors which is what I wanted. Unfortunately, those were expensive in the used truck listings even then. So if I could get TX work, learn flatbed and have an opportunity to maybe get a good deal on a nice Pete that's just too many wins! I got there, dealt with all the egos and attitudes which is tough for me to deal with. I'm prior military but in the military we're tough but not disrespectful. A military leader will always address you by your rank even while scolding you. Anyhow, day 3 of orientation they informed me that TX dedicated was full so they had me down for OTR. That was it! I quit right then.

 

You handled that the right way.
As with you, I keep my demeanor calm. Never storm into a trucking company office screaming and yelling and making threats.

 

Yeah, I will simply wish them well and part ways peacefully. I let the people at TMC do all the yelling and have all the attitude then just thank them for their time and wish them well.

 

Now that's more on the driver than the company. That load shifted, or it was poorly loaded. I never experienced that working there. It was a good place for me to get flatbed experience only because you learned how to secure everything. I will say they have old equipment. I saw a Western pulling one of those old SMX trailers, I couldn't believe it. We were using them when I was there back I'm 2010. You would have thought they would have upgraded by now.

 

Sometimes you do what you gotta do to get the experience. The best oilfield jobs require oilfield experience so the few companies that hire people looking to get off the road and into the patch aren't going to be the best jobs but you'll get that experience needed to go into something better. The issue drivers run into us that the road companies are pretty much all automatics now and so are the oilfield fleets that train. Meanwhile the oilfield job that requires experience will have you road test with an 18 speed. That effectively cancels the newer drivers.

 

Try Paul Transportation out of Tulsa, OK.

They’re a flatbed company that hired me straight out of school…after Schneider put me on ignore