Trans Am Still

jungHo, we may not talk about it too much but we have all been where George is......and I have been where you are. The frustration of adjusting to this industry can make you miserable. It was beyond my understanding when the King first started driving how he could spend hours taking care of their business and days away from home and not be paid for it.....it still is beyond my sense of what is right for that to take place. It isn't a TransAm issue it is an industry issue. Since I couldn't wave my magic scepter and change the trucking business on my own, I decided I had to change the way that I looked at it. I decided that every time I could help some driver make more money by learning the ropes quicker it meant that the company had to pay that driver what he was truly worth sooner than if he was left to figure things out on his own. Every driver that we have helped that has moved on to better pay forces this industry to value experience and pay a more fair wage for it. Good drivers benefit all of us .....drivers that were not qualified from the beginning, drivers that quit and drivers that have no concept of what they are getting into, hurt all of us. It is our responsibility to do our best and to help others do their best. I am just naive enough to believe that small changes made by a large enough group of people can make big differences. How do you eat an elephant? The answer is a bite at a time .....so that is what I do, I keep nibbling away at the trucking industry ....and if enough of us nibble away at it for long enough, eventually we will bring down the elephant. That's what I tell myself anyway ....and I see some hopeful signs in the industry.
For what it is worth, that is the way I have learned to deal with trucking. Do things still get to me? Most definitely. Do I still get mad? All the time!

 

^ Along the same line, My employment with TransAm may be ending very soon after all.

I was sent a load, pick up in Kansas City at midnight, deliver in Kansas City 1am. Total paid miles 24 or $7.20. Due to changing trucks, new truck had to go back into the shop for a minor adjustment, I ended up not getting that load ... bullet dodged.

Ok, so my next load in the new truck comes in: wait around 22 hours and then take a load sitting in the Olathe yard, drive it 36 paid miles and make the delivery. $10.80. I'll spend more than that in meals waiting around to take the load in the first place.

I refused the load but they told me there is time, so I should go and talk to my new DM in the morning. Being in Olathe I will refuse face to face and I expect that will lead to the end of my employment. I signed up to be an OTR driver, not a local delivery boy. I guess I am just a driver with unrealistic expectations as I think my time is worth more than pennies per hour.

Good luck jdmredneck33, seems like you have a good attitude. Reading back through the old thread maybe you can see I had a good attitude at one time also but I can not take the stress of fighting with TransAm over stupid stuff like this. I can go and teach as a volunteer and help kids fulfill their dreams rather than act as a charity worker delivering TransAm's freight for next to free.

In this thread, we have been generally positive about TransAm. I may just end up having to stop posting here as I can no longer carry the positive tune. It may be an industry issue but I feel like TransAm can not be counted as doing any better than the lower end of the industry as far as "spend hours taking care of their business and days away from home and not be paid for it".

 

I really hate seeing everyone going through rough times. It seems to me that you all are a group of good people trying to make an honest living and each day seems to be a struggle.

I know a lot of trucking company's are pretty much the same but I feel bad for you all when you talk about making just a little money and being away from home all that time with load swaps , trucks breaking down , waiting on shippers and receivers etc...
I see so much negative stuff on here , not just TransAm but all the company's so I guess that is why such a big turn over rate.

I am the type of person that can put up with a little BS now and then and don't expect a perfect world but my admiration goes out to you all for getting through it.

like Passport said making $7 -$10 bucks for a delivery and spending more than that on food. I guess I could do a little for the company but I think some company's expect too much. I feel like there should be a minimum a driver should earn each day. If they don't have any miles for you or truck is breaking down or sitting at a customer you should be paid what you could make if you were driving your full allowed hours. Of course that is just me an I am sure any company will will feel different but if everyone could at least meet in the middle somewhere. It's crazy for you guys to not get paid when everything is out of your hands and you are all willing to drive everyday.

Just wanted to vent , stay safe

 

Karen, what George is going through, is the same thing everyone one of us has and still goes through on occasion. Hell, I remember when George was on my truck the same thing happened to us on a swap, and we were a team. I'm not saying it's right, but he's been through it more than once. What he needs to do is bring it to someone's attention higher up the pecking order instead of his DM. I always told him, if you don't ask or voice your displeasure about something, they will continue to throw it on you.

 

In Olathe waiting for my trailer to get here so I can go home. It is coming in from Holcombe and it is suppose to be here 1200. We will see.

I am going to try and find passport. I agree with him 100%. At most companies I have been at there was a minimum pay for local loads or short runs. Trans Am is not fair with this. passport don't stop posting because of TA.

Jungho this life is tough and a lot of very unfair things happen to us drivers and we all get frustrated. Hang in there it will get better George has a great attitude and when he hits 1 year experience doors will open up and things will get much better. Please remember that stuff like this will happen again but hopefully the good will be way better than the bad once he can move on.

Be safe out there

 

Everybody keeps mentioning that magic "1 year" mark. Truth is, you could get lucky and find a local job, or a small companyn but the reality is, you'll just move on to another large, self insured carrier, if you want to stay OTR. Like every thing else, insurance companies hold the big stick, and most of them require 2 years experience. Just trying to be realistic here.

 

And speaking of insurance, if the feds raise the minimum amount up drastically, we may all be working for mega carriers, since they will be the only ones who can afford it. Rates will go up 6x what they are now, if the minimum goes to 4.5 mil. Even at 1.5, they'll double.

I'd probably have to go back to working for the state. Depressing thought.

 

Thanks for the support. I feel kinda bad that I made Dennis feel kinda bad. I do blast out my frustration here but I am okay. I am facing a situation that is annoying, super ##### annoying, but it is not a real hardship. I am older and have some stuff to fall back on, I will be fine but thanks again for the support.

My situation did resolve itself. I don't know if my complaining did it but as I slept the BS 36 mile dispatch was voided and I was given a new assignment. A proper long run out to California. I may have to kick up a stink about the 250 miles we are shorted on the backhaul from California runs, but I know how to fight that fight.

So now I have a new DM, a new truck, with a new (quiet) inverter. So actually until the next problem crops up, I am sitting pretty.

I am off to see if I can track down Jaso here in the Olathe yard.

 

Was that in California by chance? I recall you had an extremely long wait there but not sure if it involved a swap. You are right, as are Hometime and jaso. It is typical of the trucking industry for the various trials to come up. You guys (and gals) certainly have to roll with the punches frequently. I'm sure every one of you drivers have been frustrated (sometimes majorly) often over issues. It really makes one wonder whether people really realize the enormous sacrifice drivers make to deliver the freight we all need.

HTQ, what you do to advocate for truckers is great. I agree with what you said too, John, that George needs to take issues of great concern to the higher up powers at TA. Thanks for the advice and encouragement, everyone. I know from reading posts on this and other threads that other drivers go through difficult times too. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so hasty in posting my rantings. I remind myself, one day at a time.

passport, hope things turned out ok for you with your dm and load assignments. JB, glad to hear things are going pretty well for you on the home front. God bless