how about TMC

For Florida that's common. That's why most flatbed drivers prefer not to go in there.. Unless the load you're taking in pays you enough for one week. (I had a 3 stop load of john' deer mowers that paid me almost a grand, and all the stops were within 30 mins of each other, so i got it all off in a day.)

Other than that, no thanks Florida.

 

Hey jarhed, just wondering if i could pick your brain about TMC? You said if you run line haul and live on the east coast you will be home every weekend. Does that mean anywere on the east coast. I live in central north carolina near I-85 and I-40 about 25 miles south of Winston-Salem. It is very important that I get home every weekend. My brother-in-law works for TMC as well. I like most of what i hear from the company. Also, can you make decent money being home every weekend, say 45K-50K running hard during the week. Just wondering if you could shed some light on this. My brother is fairly new so i don't think he knows.

 

I cannot answer for your particular area. I am from Texas. TMC guarantees home time 46 weekends per year. Average is 48 weekends. If you are in a good freight area and have a Fleet Manager on top of his game you should be home every weekend.

If you are Line Haul you should be able to make 50K+ per year.

 

Thx Jarhed!

 

Im sorry terrylamar, i didn't pay attention to who sent it until i had replied!

 

Tarheel I am sure you will have no problems. There used to be a TMC driver that used to park at the truck driving school on the weekends near denton--down 109 i think it is. I forget the road but its right there outside of thomasville. He used to be home every weekend and parked his truck there.

 

I am not offended by being called Jarhead. While I am not the Jarhead in question, I am, nevertheless, a Jarhead.

Semper Fi!

 

Terrylamar,
I'm going to TMC for orientation in a couple of weeks, I used to be a owner/operator a few years back and have driven nothing but 379's.
How does the 387 compare for handling? As Im not sure which truck I will be assigned etc.... Any info you may have would be appreciated.
Thanks!

 

You could be assigned either, though the 379 is more common. The 387 's are being phases out as they reach their trade in mileage. They are too heavy on the steers and have too many electrical problems. Depending on where you live you might get one of the new 388's. You have to live and run in an area that has a lot of Ultra Low Sulpher Diesel fuel. Our 379's are short nose versions. If you have over five years with TMC you might get a Long Nose 379. You have a slim chance of being assigned one of the few Kenworths.

I was assigned a Short Nose 379, a 2007 with a 2006 engine, best of the best. That is what I am most familiar with. I did six week of training in a 387. When I was in it, that is what I thought I wanted. It has more room, a lot more room. The road is more visible because of the aero hood. It does seem to be more top heavy and sways. Overall weight is heavier, also. Once I was in my 379 for a week, I wouldn't go back to the 387. The turning radius is a little tighter. Not being able to see the front fenders bothered me at first, but I got used to that real quick.

The 388's are about like the 379's. They don't get as much fuel mileage. If they break they are harder to fix with all the new fangled federal requirements on them. Expect more down time for repairs.

 

Well, unfortunately I'm not an East Coast Line Haul guru. As a matter of fact, I was forced home after 5 weeks due to a sick four year old. My app has been submitted for re-hire, so we'll see what happens there.

The drivers I talked to while at Des Moines were doing pretty well. I talked to one Line driver that said that he did a little bit over $70k his first year, but understand this: HE ALMOST NEVER WENT HOME. He had a 7 or 8 year old daughter that he missed painfully. I dont know if his experience could be considered "normal". I'm guessing the average east coast linehaul driver is doing between $45-$55 (if they are running hard) first year. And to tell the truth, I wouldnt expect that EVERY weekend you'll be home on time with ANY company.

Any of you linehaulers have any input on this?