Starting Late in Life

Update 6 Sep 2025:

I have been a little reluctant to post an update until I had something good to say.

I failed out of TMC on 9 July. Crazy, and somewhat stupid. The night before testing I was introduced to my trainer, we had plans, etc. The following day I failed the DOT pre trip exam for not calling out the regulator cutoff pressure. I called out the required operating range and the current air pressures. Was off the property and headed home within the hour.

Drive home sucked, tried to go to a couple other companies but once they saw TMC in my history they went dark on me. Lacking options, I man'd up and wrote the check to TransTech in Fayetteville. Four weeks. I took some time off before starting class. I finished up at Trans Tech a week ago and passed the DOT tests a couple days ago.

TMC has since invited me back to attend their new driver orientation program and is going to reimburse me for the cost of attending TransTech.

I am really looking forward to getting back to TMC in Columbia. They gave me a lot of time behind the wheel. I would have aced the tests for yard maneuvers and over the road. At TransTech I got behind the wheel at every opportunity, even convinced the instructors to allow us to go to a truck stop and do 90 degree alley docks between real trucks and not just cones on the yard. TMC in South Carolina tests for straight line, forward left side offset and reverse right side parallel park. NC still uses the old test that substitutes a 90 degree alley dock for the reverse parallel park.

On test day, I smoke the pre trip. Ran through it Army Jump Master style (IYKYN). Tester said I was the first one in a long time to not loose any points during the pretrial portion of the test. I was all messed up for the maneuvers. I drove the trailer right into the alley without any pull-ups, no cones and only the one GOAL to confirm the bumper was in the box. That being said, I used a pull-up on the straight line (WTF) and on the reverse offset I straight lined all the way to the last cone (Instead of stopping after the front pumper cleared the first cone). Instructor told me after that she got a pretty good laugh at this.

I feel pretty strong about going back to TMC. The guys that were in my group the last time are all in their own trucks now, loving life and are very happy with their decision drive for TMC.

I convinced a guy in my group at TransTech to sign on with TMC. We are both scheduled for orientation the 15th and will be roommates during orientation.

Driving these trucks is a lot of fun (I know it is serious, no need for a lecture) and cannot believe they are paying people to drive these rigs.

 

Everything that I have seen or read about TMC indicates that they are organized and very well run. Tuition reimbursement seems to be the norm in the industry, but I assumed that TMC would not reimburse me because I failed their program. Nope. Their policy is to reimburse tuition for all new drivers. I feel that I have been very fortunate and that TMC has been more than fair to me. They have my loyalty and I will work my arse off for them.