One More PAM Thread

I think I have held my breath long enough. Like Bama, I too had a hell of a time. though my checks were not that small and yes they did sit me in places for days on end, My big gripe was home time. If you are going to keep drivers keep them happy. I was 100% on time, never refused a load. and was always courteous at pick up and drop off. Do you think those degenerates could get me home when requested?? HELL NO. I missed weddings, a funeral, lost 2 tickets to a NFL Game. I was out 3 1\2 weeks wanted to get home before thanksgiving (we planned on doing it 2 days earlier) Well November was 1100 miles. After recovering a truck I got 1 week to run it good. Then was sentenced to T Town for an APU. 2 Weeks and several degrading moments dealing with the Gauntlet of outprocessing, they sent me on a 300 mile weekend trip. Any thing to get out of T Town. So I deliver in Nashville, APU lasted for 35 minutes then fried. Dispatcher says pick up this load to NO and call me I will get you off of it and headed back NE for home time. Like a fool I did it. When I called she said not her problem because I was on an auto dispatch. At this time I had had enough of the BS. I called and asked them if I could T call in Whites creek and bring the truck back to Willard. THey said they were shutting my card off and if I moved the truck they would call the state police. Hey I had the cash, got a rental and left thier piece of crap in whites creek. I am willing to fly the company flag, loved to drive loved the lifestyle, But I am sorry stuart, the answer to everything is not "thats Truck driving." I am now driving local, home almost every night and making 3X more than I did OTR. Thanks PAM for letting me get started started
on your crappy trucks that spend more time in the shop than on the road.

 

PAM is in the Baltimore paper every week.How many drivers do they need in a week? i think im done otr. back to driving a taxi for me.

 

Well, Did it and signed up. It was a joke but hey it was worth a try. Truck wasnt full of trash. But the parking lot was cleaner than the rubber floor mat. Pay sucked. Seemed like a poorly run company. No 2 people had the same answer to any question I asked. Last straw was when I was low on hours and made me T-call in little rock. After that they said your truck is due for service get it done while your there. Wait a minute I just got the truck why was service not done then??? And was told first thing this afternoon. and then was told first thing in morning. noon rolls around and I said how about turning this truck in? This has to be the most unorganized company that I have ever worked for. Schedual my service appt. Dont just say "hey your there get it done". Run my but off for a whole whopping first full paycheck of $350 Yea right I can make that working 40 hours a week at McD's And I got a good feeling unless more people say NO WAY they will keep screwing drivers. Myself I would steer clear of this company and I did not leave on bad terms or get fired. Left because I just wont work for free. I can handle the long hours and crappy life but #### it make it worth my while. Luckily I didnt have all the extras to pay out like these guys fresh outa school or my checks might have been negative numbers. If you "really" need the experiance then fine do it for six months. And dont tell them them your done till your near tontitown with enough fuel to get there. They were going to try and run me around till it was convenient for them to get me home and then back to turn truck in. But after some talking they said ok if I left it at little rock. And they charge you for abandonement??? What gives??? they dont recover their trucks, the new driver assigned to it does. You hitch a ride with another driver then pick up your truck where ever it may be.

anyway pay sucks and company sucks and I would never go back or recomend them to anyone.

 

Do you guys read the contracts you sign? I keep reading this, reading that, about how all this extra money is coming out "for no reason". Come on now... I'm not doubting your story or the way the company is ran, but do most of you totally disregard the contract entirely and just hop in the truck and go? What gives?

 

As a Trainer for the company, I do see alot of things. As for the 5% that is what they started taking out of are ck's. Alot of companys got it way worse. It is suppose to be going away soon. Not sure if they will make the dead line due to the APU issue. The company who made them and got P.T.S.I. to buy them up and went out of buesness. So they are stuck out of pocket for the repairs and to locate the parts for them. As for there trucks. I tell each student right off the bat, Your first truck will be junk. The company isn't going to give you a nice truck just to have it get torn up. BUT inspect that first truck left to right, top to bottom, front to rear. Inside and out. Any little thing wrong with it report it. Or if you are on a yard, report it to the shop after yor DM. They will work on it. Most the problems are improper pre-triping. In fact one guy i can along last week at a truck stop in N. little rock had coolant draining on the ground. Said he never noticed but wondered why it was running so hot. The company cant fix trucks or trailors it doesn't know need to be fixed.

 

Someone should talk to the nieve young people who believe that PAM will be all that they say they are and give them a real shot allowing them to represent that company with pride and a sense of pride in themselves for being PAM...Be prepared to be calm when no one picks you up like they said. That the daily calls and e- mails are redundant and be patient. Also, these starry eyed young people need to read all complaints and praises on line so that while they are waiting they will read opinions, truths. lies, fees paid, fees not paid, how to not take a truck unless all parts are working properly and no dummy lights are on before taking the truck. Be aware of all instances to which the company owes them money or you owe them. Be prepared to be at the bottom of the roll call and listen to other truckers when they talk . they will learn everything they want to know. Do not become angry when they feel like they are being wronged. Be patient and wait. Do know what you are going to owe PAM and what Pam can legally do to them. They really do not know. Thank you. From.....a mother of a frustrated Pam child who blew up my phone every day of class and a pic of his cdl.....but still waiting 4 weeks to get picked up to go to tolitown and get started

 

Zombie thread!!!! Ackkkkk!!!!

 

My opinion is...those that enter this industry "starry-eyed", have already let themselves down. It is nothing but a job, a hard job, a hard thankless job, a hard thankless miserable job---it is NOT a vacation or a tour of the country.