Considering TMC

Anybody have an idea what the work-load is like in the Charlotte NC area.... considering TMC...got accepted yada-yada, supposed to start orientation on January 2nd.... Ive done hella research and im just concered about the workload in this region... thx in advance

 

Can you (or anyone else) share about how things may be living in Raleigh, NC? Recruiter says home almost every weekend and that seems to be the case on these threads for areas close to Raleigh. As the last post asked about Charlotte, where would most of the runs be and does it pay well?

Also and I know this may sound like a silly question, but seriously what are the tricks to going onto dirty/muddy jobsites and not tracking that stuff into the cab that is supposed to be kept so clean? Hard to change shoes in the rain outside. Just wondering. Thanks.

 

OK, I will try to help you out. I don't know much about NC most of the time when you go home you will have a load that takes you through the house. Then they send you hundreds of miles away then by Wednesday or Thursday they start working you back towards the house. As far as mud and as such, throw some floor mats on the floor that's all you can do. Good luck

 

In regards to keping the floors inside the truck clean (or clean as can be) from dirt, mud and all that...

...my trainer cut up some old rug and covered the rubber floor in the front of his cab with that. I personally used about 3 or 4 large size towels, cut them to shape, and spread them out over the ENTIRE floor, cab and sleeper...and tucked excess into all the little nooks and crannies. (the floors in the 379 and 388s are a bit rougher to clean because of the ridges; the new 579s are all flat--much easier.)

I know that might sound like a bit much, but it's either do a quick wipe/polish job come truck service time...or spend about two or three unpaid hours scrubbing, blowing, THEN wiping and polishing. When that's gonna be the last thing you'll want to do.

I also, each weekend I got back home, took a few minutes to wipe down walls, wipe/blow dust off, and sweep my floors. Just to keep it clean for my own self-satisfaction--after all, I did practically live in there. (and despite what some may say...when you're gone 5-6 days a week out on the road, your mail gets sent somewhere--but you "live" wherever you shut down for the night. lol

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks Buc, very helpful. I like to keep a clean truck but know they have high expectations as well.

How is TMC on parking when you are home for the weekend? What do they deem safe? Surely, not every driver lives on 5 acres and has a place to park at truck in their driveway. What about the drivers that live in neighborhoods or cities?

 

The thing to that is this: If the municipality is ok with you having your truck in there (I presume you mean your neighborhood) and you can actually get it in and out of there without damaging anything, then make sure you have SOLID HARD PACK ground to park it on, being it either paved or gravel. Regular ol' lawn won't do it...that truck will sink something quick otherwise.

If that's not available, find the nearest safe place you can legally park. GPS can track the truck pretty much to the street address number of where you are. For me it was easy in Indianapolis--I just left it at the terminal. Up in Pittsburgh I just parked it on the street curbside (the police didn't even care, never mind the fact it was a weight-restricted road--in fact after a while they offered to HELP me park it). And once I moved to Nashville I parked it up alongside an abandoned building where several other drivers parked theirs. (Nashville is funny about that...so long as there's no "PRIVATE PROPERTY" or "NO TRUCK PARKING" signs posted anywhere, any open or abandoned space is fair game. It's really humorous, actually, to see some of the places drivers park their rigs.)

All this leads to one other thing TMC and Safety will especially drill into your head: wherever you do park the truck, ALWAYS set the theft deterrent. EVERY TIME. 100%. And don't leave anything valuable out in plain sight. (In fact I got in the habit of keeping my cab valuables on my bunk and closing the curtains so no one could see back there.)

 

Are they cool with leaving the truck parked at a truck stop?

 

Oh yeah. No problem with that at all.

 

Freight in North Carolina is okay, alot of lumber but the key is not to run in the south east, I run the northeast alot and bring home no less then 1k a week after taxes, and I am home every weekend just about. Tmc has plenty of freight and it is pretty easy to get home living in NC .

 

I was running the north east a lot! They found out I was making too much money so they send me all over the place now. All that money I made dropped in several weeks now I'm right where they want me to be as far as my pay goes.