TMC Transportation, Inc. - Des Moines, Ia.

It depends on several different things. Such as what part of the country you are running in, whether freight is hot and heavy or slow, the time of the year and your own work ethic.

In the West, where there may be a lot of bounce miles you will do better on mileage, because you will be paid your percentage rate for those empty miles. I'm mainly speaking of a driver with over one year because he will make more on mileage than a driver with less than one year. If freight is slow you may have the same problem with empty miles because there may not be freight close to you and you will have to bounce.

In some parts of the country freight is cheap. You might make more on mileage than percentage.

If you do not know how the percentage system works and do everything in your power to earn as many points as you can and avoid any deductions mileage might be the way to go. If you can play the system percentage may be the way to go.

While out with your trainer for five weeks, you can figure which is better by figuring the load by percentage and by mileage. Make your selection base on which comes out better.

In my opinion, most loads come out better with percentage. With percentage, you have the opportunity to earn $60K your first year. It is much harder if not impossible to do that with mileage.

 

So you say it depends on your dispatcher, but you don't want to switch. Don't be afraid of change, because change will happen weather you are afraid or not.

Keeping your 13 week average over $1000 is tough. I never got anywhere near there living here in Maine. Terry did a lot better living in Texas on Longhaul I think. Some people are out there to only make money and they do well. I prefer to enjoy the job and maximixe my time at home, eat well, and spent weekends at a decent truckstop when I was out. I did a lot of things to make my life more comfortable that cut into my pay, but that was a choice I made.

You have choices sometimes about where to park for the night, such as parking at the consignee gives you a better start on the next day. Trip planning becomes easier once you know the country better. I found that my last 4 months on longhaul were much easier than the first 4 for several reasons:

First I could inform my FM of what HE needed to know properly. You need to communicate without wasting his time AND get your point accross. I only told him important things and gave him information he could use, such as "when I am empty I will only have 130 miles available for today, can do 500 total by 10 am tomorrow" Don't tell him you have such and such hours and make him think and/or get it wrong. Words matter so make every word count.

Second I could start driving on my bounce when I got the dispatch because I planned things out BEFORE I got empty. I would list out how many hours I guessed I would have when I got empty, How many miles before needing fuel, I could guess what direction I would go in, and have my paperwork organized and ready to go.

Third I took a few hours one weekend and bought one of those $5 pocket truckstop guides and a pack of highlighters. I highlighted all of our authorized fuel stops in one color, the transflo stops in another color, and my favorites in another color. This made trip planning easier.

The fourth thing I did was never turn down a load that I could do. Even if I couldn't I would call my FM and tell him that I would likely be a few hours later than that appt or whatever the issue was. I would never refuse. Even when they were sending me the wrong direction from home I would say: "This load is going to make it difficult to get home, so make sure the planners send me the right direction tomorrow please." I didn't refuse loads even the new york city loads. I did verify always that I would get Borough pay before getting loaded since it didn't always get into the computer properly. I even did a split with another driver on my Fleet Managers board into New York city. So to summarize my FM and I had a good relationship. He could trust me to get the job done, didn't need to babysit me, and I didn't complain endlessly or waste his time. Most of the time the complaints you have are not something he can fix anyway.

On a side note I will say that the freight availability and rates for the first three months of the year sucked anyway. Nothing paid well at all except hazmat loads of which I hauled several long well paying runs, like from PA to UT.

 

I made out better overall on Percentage vs Mileage living in the northeast. When I was near home the rates were usually low, but frequently I would get short like 300 or 400 mile runs that had a good rate. I could take one of those and make as much on percentage of a 300 mile run as I would have on a 600 mile pay per mile run. Basically it allowed me to earn the same pay for less work.

 

IF 6.50 is good milage then i'm there.As far as out of route they short change you on that because trucks can't fly.And i do use a gps and take the shortest route.I clean my truck inside and out once a week.I don't complain or refuse loads.And have asked to be out for more than a week.And that was a dissaster too.

Bottom line if you don't get a FM that has a higher rank of work time and he don't like you.You can kiss those big paychecks goodbye.
As far as dispatchers go there leaving too 4 last friday so you won't get a good one.

 

You left out the part about the dispatcher bring you coffee and breakfast in bed.

 

i see the schools are still selling this as you are a tourist yea you'll see it all !!! going past your windows at65mph

 

I think that if TMC were going bankrupt we would all kn ow about it. You know communication is the reason for the qualcomm in the truck. As far as the people who want to talk bad about TMC ,you guys are not worthy of driving for them! There are not alot of men who can a flat bed truck to start with,But those who do it do it well.. These truckers are the hardest working on the road, One guy said that they make you polish your trucks chrome (TMC) No, they ask that you keep your truck clean because they (the owners ) and the employees want their trucks to be clean and shiny...I call the peterbilt the harley davidson of trucks so I am proud to say that my boyfriend works for TMC ! He may come home dirty but atleast he works.. If you don't get dirty you ain't workin...So yes I am very PROUD.....

 

Glad to hear you're proud and all...but car haulers work ALOT harder. I've done both.And the H-D of trucks? you mean the current yuppie fashion statement type of Harleys,or ones more like my old Panhead...

 

leroysangel, How many days did you spend at orientation? How many weeks were you out with the trainer? Who was your trainer? How many times during orientation did you ask questions? Do you wear the pants in your family? Tell leroy that he isn't the only trucker out there with no courage or backbone, with no respect for himself. Our nation was built on those who had enough and stood up for themselves and their families. Tell him not to worry, some of us was not born with a YELLOW line down thier back, and we the PROUD,