I always said I would be honest

I am currently in orientation with Arrow. I will tell you this, even if I am not offered a job with Arrow, I did not waste my time coming here. The training department is pretty good at what they do, they have taught me things about trucks that a cdl school could not come close to teaching. I should find out tomorow if I will get a trainer or go home. I feel like I have done well enough being a new guy, but I did have a couple screw-ups on my second road test today that may prevent me from getting a trainer. Don't expect the trucks to be like what you drove at school, shifting is tight, really small shifting pattern, and they probably shift at a different speed than the trucks you used at school. well, good luck and hope it works out for you.

 

Do you want to make some money or just get driving experience? If you want to earn a living, I wouldnt go to Arrow. The equipment is definitely older. I'd go learn at a company that has more modern equipment, trailers, etc. Not to mention you'll be buying your bungies and two inch straps at Arrow. They dont provide them.

Right out of school I went with TMC. Modern, well-maintained safe equipment, top-notch training, dont pay for bungies, and average earnings were consistently $1k or more per week. No, they are not perfect, but I would guess better than most.

 

Jarhead, I was thinkig about getting away from dry box and going to learn flatbed. Does arrow train guys like me? And, whether they do or don't, are there better flatbed companies out there that WILL train an experienced dry box driver to flatbed? Any answer will be much appreciated!

 

Arrow will send u to orentation for 4 days and then u will have ur own truck and out on the road by the weekend. I highly recommend this company. You will be a number but the pay is good and on time. The miles are good. You will make 1K a week no problem if you are OTR.

 

Yeah, Arrow does train, but to be honest, their training isnt the best or most complete for flatbed. I would look into TMC, Prime, or Maverick for first class flatbed training. Dont get me wrong, Arrow's training isnt totally bad, but you'll #### sure make more money and get more complete training with more modern equipment at one of the ones I mentioned. I trained flatbed at TMC right out of school. I dont consider myself an expert, but I would definitely say it runs RINGS around Arrow's training. I'm very good friends with Maverick and Prime flatbed drivers and have been told about the very tough Maverick training as well as Prime. The only thing I've heard bad about Prime is that your not going to make the money you may at others like Mav or TMC.

My own opinion, but Arrow is not a top-rate flatbed company. I would give them a "D". Still, they'll hire you (and anyone else with a pulse and a CDL) and put you out on the road even before you think your ready (seen that happen).


BTW, I had to buy my own bungies, 2" straps, and winch bar at Arrow, and had to detail my truck when it was assigned to me (it was a disaster area). Are other flatbed companies (except for TMC, I know they dont) requiring that drivers buy their own stuff nowadays with the fuel prices going through the roof? Arrow didnt REQUIRE 2" straps, but I use them for cross strapping palletized loads front and back. Just that extra amount of securement that may save a life (learned that at TMC).

 

Arrow's starting pay for new drivers is .34 a mile and after 3 months .36. I know of no other large flatbed company that pays this well. I looked into TMC, Maverick, and Prime. Arrow overall is the better choice. I am making $1K a week easily since starting with Arrow. My miles are averaging 3K a week. I have never been broke down, but I have had to spend a couple hours at shop for repairs before. No problem for me; good time to do my #### laundry, take a shower, eat etc. My pay is always correct and my tolls and purchases (washer fluid, oil etc.) for truck are reimbursed promptly.

As for training, Arrows in my opinion is fantastic. You are given the information that you need to know. Securing loads is not rocket science. Open the #### regs if you dont know what to do or call safety. Tell them the load you have and they will be more than happy to assist you in securement. You get out of the training what you put into it. If you scramble through the manual just trying to complete the securement questions as fast as you can your not doing yourself a favor. Rather, take the time to understand what the heck your reading and why the securement is being done in that way. The load securement exam covers everything I have encountered in my 8 months with Arrow.

As for having to buy equipment, not an issue for me. It was deducted in a couple of checks. There not making money off of it because the equipment is less than what a dealer charges. I bought a hard hat ($7), safety glasses ($3), winch bar ($11), 100 bungies ($50), and 2 2" straps (dont recall the price). All of it was like $100 deducted in two paycheck. Its my equipment and I will take it with me if I leave. Its not like you were asked to buy chains, binders, straps, and winches. They were provided to you. Hell, any other career (carpernter, tile worker, plumber, painter, etc) you need your own equipment they dont provide it for you. $100 is nothing and its tax deductible, reducing the cost to $75 approx to you.

As for having to detail your truck??? Give me a break dude. I have never touched my truck. Once a month I have it washed at an Eagle wash at Arrow's expense. If my truck gets 2 dirty for me to tollerate, and this happened once to me in winter, I coughed up the money to have it washed myself and wrote that off on my taxes. If you look at Arrow trucks on the road you will seldom see a dirty nasty truck. And if you do, take a look at the driver. Its not because Arrow wont clean it, its because the driver is too lazy to take it to an Eagle wash. Yea, I have seen this a couple times but it is by far the exception and not the rule.

Anyway, I just wanted to clear some of this up here. Arrow has hardly any negative comments on trucker boards. Sure there are some, but in my opinion it is from drivers that no matter what company they work for are not going to be happy. I sincerely believe that they are disgruntled employees that did not want to run to make money. If your not willing to stay on the road for 4-6 weeks at a time your not going to make that kind of money with Arrow. Regional, your home every 7 days for 2 days but thats your choice. If $50K+ a year isnt good enough for you starting out, good luck finding another company where you can make that kind of money.

Arrow has been very good to me as far as pay and miles and I cannot ask for much more than that. As I have said before, I am a number to them, but thats ok as long as the money and miles are there. I dont need my hand held or to be told what a great job I am doing. My paychecks tell me that.

 

look into PGT also.

 

When I got my truck it was a holiday weekend and the truck was not perfect. Usually, they are armour-alled, and look fantastic. However, I wanted to get on the road so I took a clean, but not detailed, truck out. I am sure your truck was clean, maybe it wasnt detailed but who really cares. If the shop is really busy, sure, the company is going to get repairs done for other driver so they can get on the road instead of giving you a perfectly detailed truck. Do you blame them? Hell, you explain to the driver waiting on his truck that it was an extra 2-3 hours so yours could be detailed. Also, I am quite sure that if you asked them to detail it they would have done it when they could. It was your choice, like mine. to get the heck on the road.

Oh, I did want to comment on TMC and their shiny detailed trucks. Let me tell you, I have much better things to do in my spare time then to be shining chrome on a truck that doesnt belong to me (like sleep, eat, watch a movie, relax, or if I am in a ctiy with sports to catch a game). You talk about being unhappy your truck was not detailed by Arrow when you got it? Well, who do you think keeps those TMC trucks shiny and nice? The drivers are polishing that chrome and keeping that truck spiffy. TMC isnt paying to have it done 1-2 times a week. Factor in the time that takes, and that they pay less than Arrow, and I am thrilled to be driving for Arrow. I like a clean truck, but unless its mine, or I am getting paid some serious cash, I will settle for a clean truck not a show piece.

 

I disagree with Arrow being the better choice. Yeah, starting at .34 per mile is great, but so do a lot of other companies. TMC gives you a choice of mileage or percentage. On percentage, most are easily well over 1K per week. If your doing over 1k per week at Arrow, your the only one I've ever heard state that. Thats kewl that you are though. Granted, I was regional, that was the problem. Breakdowns are handled just like any other company. Never had a breakdown at TMC or Garero either. Repair time is normal. Nothing wrong with Arrow's repairs except the post by the thread starter about his problems with AC. I never had a problem with the paycheck, other than there just is not enough regional freight to keep you paid well.

Having been through both Arrow's and TMC's load securement training, I can absolutely guarantee you that TMC's load securement is MUCH more intense. No, it's not rocket science, but there is a science to it. NOBODY failed the load securement at my orientation class with Arrow. Those who should have were passed anyway. One former van driver at the 3/3 orientation class wanted to stay an extra week or go out with a trainer because he was just unsure of himself, having never flatbedded before. They said no, and put his butt in a truck that Friday. Now you know why their safestat is where it is.

Not complaining about the price, yes it's cheap. As a matter of fact, it's COST. The issue is having to buy it in the first place. Is any other flatbed company making drivers buy their own stuff? Just asking.

Give you a break? Everyone I spoke to in the 3/3 class got a truck that had not been cleaned out. EVERYONE. My truck had enough dirt in it to grow plants. There were shoes, socks, a polyester tie, MANY used pieces of dental floss, toothpics, TOENAILS, and other assorted crap. I would not lie to you about that. I was totally disgusted. I went to the bay and used their equipment to clean it out. It was truck 4127. You have any idea what freakin pig was driving that? And BTW, I've seen filthy Arrow trucks on the road. Plenty of em. Not blaming the drivers, because we could only get it washed once per month. I didnt manage to get mine washed until right before I turned it in because they would not approve it. Not sure why. Not saying they should be washed like TMC trucks, every week, but when I call and say that the truck is covered in mud and ask for a wash, I shouldnt be ignored.

Your not home every 7 days with Regional. You get home every three weeks or so if you dont live near a terminal. I believe the promise for regional is 7 days on, two DAYS OFF. That means two days wherever you happen to be. For me, it was Dallas or Houston. I live in NC. No biggie for me though. Those two days are usually Sat and Sun, when nobody is accepting or loading freight. I dont take days off, not even for a 34 if I have hours to drive. I never sat as much as I have waiting for freight as I did with Arrow. Started out great, but started getting slower as the weeks went by. And honestly, if your not making over $60k your first full year with TMC, your simply being lazy. On the other hand, I'm still trying to figure out the angle of a few drivers I met at the Houston Arrow terminal who said that they flat out wont work more than 9 hours per day.

BTW, I'm not disgruntled, I'm merely telling it like I saw it. I saw a company that appears to me to be cutting a LOT of corners in a LOT of things, including a fleet of trucks that appear to be aging. I know some folks are getting newer trucks and that is good, but the majority of the drivers I hung with while waiting for freight were well over the 650k mile mark and were falling apart, like the old Freightshaker I drove. The 2002 FL Century I drove for Garero Trucking was in better shape with more mileage than that Arrow truck. Not going to even try to compare an Arrow truck with a TMC Pete. It's like night and freakin day.

Thats good for you. I'm glad that they are piling the miles and pay on you and that you have a well-maintained truck. My experience, and the experience of several other drivers I've met, many with decades of driving under their belt, unlike me, had the same feeling I do. No handholding needed at all with me, but some communication would be nice. Matter of fact, I'd prefer if a DM not bother contacting me unless I contact him/her first. But to be snubbed on freight after three same day deliveries with cheap freight is just rediculous, especially when I flat out gave my DM permission to send me out of Region.

Not a place to begin a career, especially in regional, and especially with the ancient equipment. Those spring ride old iron trailers with the "portable winches" (STILL shaking my head over those!) are dangerous. 90% of their rollovers involve those old beasts.

Anyway, glad your doing well. Dont let my posts change your mind.

 

Wrong. I asked, they said no. All I wanted was for them to vacuum the filth and dirt out and pull out all of the trash left by the previous driver.

No, I said my truck was FILTHY when I got it. Read the post above for details.

Thats a bunch of bull****. TMC REQUIRES you to take your truck to a wash ONCE PER WEEK. They pay for it too. and I never EVER shined the chrome on my truck at TMC, nor does anyone else who hasnt lost their marbles. It's not necessary. But you ARE required to keep the interior of your truck neat. Notice I said neat, not polished.

Dont be so sure. Longhaul drivers at TMC DEFINITELY average over $1k per week, in a lot of cases with the drivers I've talked to at TMC, over $1300.

Shoulda never left TMC. No biggie though. I went to Arrow, I got out before I got too far into it. If you've driven for other, more reputable flatbed companies, you'll see the same things I'm warning about. If you dont care about those things, have at it. Personally, I wouldnt send a newbie to Arrow. I'd suggest a company with deeper pockets for safer equipment. But thats just me.