TMC, Des Moines, IA

Yah....but how far did he bounce for free (23% of 0 is 0) to get that load.....and how far will he bounce for free (23% of 0 is 0) to get his next one?

 

I'm not sure where you get your facts, but TMC does not get the full cost of training paid by the government. There are incentives, and help form the government, but they want you to suceed. They also don't want sub par drivers. The trainer could be nicer, but the trainers on the inexperienced side seem to do a good job. What was the experienced trainer's name?

That not true entirely true. The hotel is owned BY TMC and thus the hotel staff can report drivers. That being said, they are looking for drivers with a bad attitude, drivers who are drinking while in orientation, drivers who disrespect fellow drivers and staff. If you say Harold is it an idiot, it wont win you any points but I'm sure you wont get fired. There are no recording devices in the room so once you close the door day whatever you want. As for talking in the rest of the hotel, unless your seen or heard doing something unprofessional its no big deal. The public does stay in that hotel as well and you are representing TMc when you walk those halls. If I owned a companya nd you started bad mouthing me to your buddies, I'd ask why you didn't tell me the problems with my company. TMC has many ways to suggest improvements so you can be heard.

Rumer has it, TMC was going bankrupt and he made some hard decitions to save 1000 driver jobs of those working for TMC. He refinanced all the trucks and many just got paid off do to him trying to save the company and 1000s of jobs. Tough times call for desperate measures, but he did what he thought was best to save as many jobs as possible.

They want you to do it their way becuase their way is really the safest. It's their load and their equipment. if you want to do it your way, then start your own company. Whenyour driving their equipment you need to follow thier rules.

I think your trainer was probaly not the best. You also need to relise, hands on and what they do in the shed at DSm are 2 differnt things. If your argueing with your trainer then he would say your un trainible. That being said, your trainer sounds like an ###. if you had called TMC training department first to explain the situation, thye would have questioned your trainer and set you up with a new trainer. TMC tried to weed out the bad ones. but bad ones do slip through the cracks.

TMC is stricter the some companies, but Id ont think its bad. They expect you to act professional. They expect you to follow direction. They expect you to secure thier way since its their load and their liability. I dont think that is to much to ask. I trained for TMC and if someone constantly argues with my way of doing things, i would tell tmc to give hima try with another trainer and if that new trainer had trouble get rid of them. Your with the trainer to learn, weather you think you know more or not. You need to respect them.

 

If you cant follow a rule about not walking on grass how do they expect you to follow their rules when securing a 48,000 pound load? They will wanr you the first time you walk on the grass.

 

I average .48 for all driven miles at TMC (including empty and oor) Over 150 empty they pay you /mile

 

It most certainly is true. Have you ever asked why that is? I did and was told a straight up answer that makes perfect sense. Harold spends over a million dollars a year on landscaping in Des Moines. Pretty good reason IMO.

 

A million dollars a year on landscaping? Wow. All I get to see is gravel at my company's yard!

 

My truck was sure speed limited at 62 but I can tell you that the 475HP that C15 was said to be rated at was real, very real. Everything I have read and kept track of from my time there, the only thing they did to those motors was cut the speed to 62 and govern the RPM in certain gears. I could pull 44PSI of boost@1800 RPM in 7th over pulling grades in my specialized fleet truck. My line haul truck was right about the same, only difference was the gears in the rear end. 3.55 in the specialized truck and 3.36 in the line haul truck.

I can also add that many weeks I would average over 50CPM on all miles driver. I have delivered loads at TMC that paid me in the dollars per mile. Just flipped through my books from then, Made 209 bucks plus 100 borough pay on 39 loaded miles..... There was plenty others from when I was on the JD specialized fleet that paid very very well.

I will say that this guy had a trainer who sounded like a complete idiot and I would have reported to TMC and went through the proper channels to report him to the training staff. My trainer was awesome, had been with TMC for 13 years and an O/O for 11 of them. Was laid back, respectful, and taught me a ton.

 

Well said true blue.I worked for these guys for two years just to get my time in.Im an owner operator now and think back how stressed and miserable all that BS made me.You hear alot of trucker story's but these posts i read pretty much sums TMC up.They have great equipment plus i did learn a few things while i was there.Thank God i lucked out and had a great trainer from beckly wv he was a awesome guy but wow some weirdos i met in that motel i had to deal with while there.I ran myself as hard as they would let me and still made peanuts.Every company has its flaws some bigger than others but i will say i'm glad its over and would never do over again.The drivers i had met and became great friends with made my stay alot better thank goodness!!

 

I am really glad to see that you started this string with, "This is just my pov." From your own words it appears that you have a hard time keeping a job and I would bet it was tough making the transition from being your own boss to having to work for a living and play by someone else's rules. So a man of the world like yourself with all those years of experience and you managed to remain with TMC for, what two, three weeks and you feel qualified to share your opinion of TMC and Mr. Annett as fact?

When the economy tanked in 2008 and you had to "Bite the bullet" and get a job so your nagging wife would get off your back. Mr. Annett was still running the very successful business that he bought in 1972. Didn't you say you started your trucking career in 1979? Hum, interesting. Mr Annett only had about a seven year headstart on you and by 2008, about 2000 trucks on the road in 48 states and Canada.

I started my driving career in 2007 by going through the very same orientation and training that you did in 2008. While your business was failing, I was covering all the miles I could in a Black and Shiny Pete, then a Kenworth taking loads to all 48 states and Canada, courtesy of Mr. Annett's fine business planning. I never missed a day of work, or a wash on my truck.

Mr. True Blue, your first paragraph or two you list all of your 34 years in the transportation business and then spend sixteen paragraphs throwing rocks at a company that you didn't even spend one month working for! You are a legend in your own mind! I hope that all that read your post can see the bitterness that you still hold for the success of TMC and your own failure to make it there.
No, you don't get fired for having a dirty truck.
I made between $45K to over $60K driving for TMC on a couple of dedicated accounts and I personally know a couple of trainers that will clear $100K in 2013.

I am sorry to hear you had such a rough time with orientation and training. Guess you were really a guy that needs to be an O/O. TMC does require that you be a team player and show some respect for the people you work with.
Best of Luck to you in 2014!
Me, I'm gonna stick with the best employee owned flatbed company in the USA. TMC!

 

In 2012 I made 74K on the JD specialized fleet at TMC. 2011 was about 65K. I don't think I did to bad choosing TMC. I have said it in many threads on this site and I will say it in this one, I would not hesitate to go back to TMC ever. I have even thought about quitting my union ready mix driver job to go back to them because I enjoyed that job that much more and the money is not much different. That says something about them IMO. But hey to each his own!