TMC Orientation Story

Hey guys, I finished TMCs orientation so I thought I would give you all an update on how things are going. Please keep in mind this is for rookie orientation.

Sunday - Check into the hotel, make sure you read the packet they give you and follow all of the rules. They don't care to send anyone home. Do not step on the grass, I watched them fire one of their drivers for this when I was there. They are not joking about it.

Monday to Thursday - You will be on the 7 am bus and go into George's class. Monday will be your drug test and physical. You will spend almost all of this time watching some lame old safety movies and taking tests on the computer based training. This is very boring and you will be fighting sleep the entire time. Don't fall asleep. They have 3 cameras watching you at all times, its like an endurance test. If you fail too many of the tests you get sent home. The material is pretty dry but George seems to find a way to make it entertaining.

Friday to Sunday - This is load securement training. They will teach you and you will get to do it on several trailers they have set up in another building how to properly secure loads to the flatbed trailers. I thought this was fun. Gets you thinking and working your muscles. You will also have to climb up a ladder on top of a 13'6 trailer to prove your not afraid of heights. During this period you will also have to pick up a 120 pound lumber tarp, carry it to the side of a trailer, put it on the trailer, pull your self up onto the trailer using nothing but your upperbody and legs. You will then place the tarp on top of a 40K pound steel coil and dismount the trailer. If you can't pick up the tarp, can't climb the ladder or can't pull yourself onto the trailer you will be sent home. You will also have to memorize the process for strapping down a steel coil and you will take a test at the end of this training.

Monday to Thursday - You will be driving their trucks. You will practice backing on the field and you will be going out with a training instructor.

Friday - You will be cleaning the trucks early in the morning, then go to George's class for some more lame videos and get your rental car assignments.

My class started with 41 and finished with 16. We lost people for drug test failures, physical failures, test failures, tarp failures and driving failures.

I have to say that I am not going to be staying with TMC and I am already going to another company tomorrow. I have nothing really against them, I have just found a company that is local and I like better.