TransAm Trucking, Inc. - Olathe, Ks.?

Trans Am is just about to bankrupt me. Between the load planners and the shipper mistakes Im not doing well. Mostly the meat houses are making wrong appt. times, or not making an appt. time at all. Then Trans Am gives me a time to deliver, get there and cant get in because of wrong appt. time, or no appt. at all. The latest problem was the shipper in Friona, Texas put meat on the trailer that was out of date, and the receiver wouldn't take it. They left 45 cases on the trailer, so I had to set for over 24 hrs waiting on the shipper to decide what they wanted to do with the product. I ended up going back into the same receiver the next day, and they took the product. Trans Am isn't willing to pay me for setting, so I told them I was quitting. That seems to get there attention for awhile, but then its right back to the same old stuff again. If it wasn't for the incompetence with the shippers, and Trans Am mostly weekend staff, things would be just fine for me. So Im still trucking until I get completely fed up, and then that's it. Cant continue to work, and not be able to pay the bills. Im going to work over the Christmas Holiday, so I can get the $1,000 bonus, but Im afraid the idiots at Trans Am is going to make that a nightmare.

 

Gosh, kirk, I'm sorry. I have been sitting here trying to think of an answer ....and there really isn't a good one because that just plain old sucks. I don't remember you ever saying who your DM is, but they haven't been willing to do anything for you on all of this? Honeybadger, didn't you get paid for sitting on that load of greens? I don't know much about the leasing side ....who else can you sit down and talk to? The thing of it is ...it is TransAm ....no matter who you talk to it normally gets everything straightened out for awhile, and then it will happen again. Normally with TA this was just a so-so time of year....miles would be down a little but not too bad. January would be back to normal as far as miles went. I know that's not any help to you. I sure hope everything gets better for you soon.

 

Thanks a bunch for the supportive posts Queenie and Pete.

I grew up in northern Illinois, snow was on the ground when I got my first learner's permit at age 16. I learned what a car can and can not do in the snow as a teenager. “Oh, I am no longer on the road but sliding across this farmer's field instead. Guess I was going too fast”. Just screwing around with my friends, doing donuts in the snow, putting cars into ditches and having friends with tow trucks pull us out.

Of course we NEVER want to learn by that method in trucking. Just wish I had a better sense of what this truck can handle. I will just keep it slow and learn by feeling it out.

Yeps, I now realize how my 4 wheel driving habits were just horrible to truckers. When some car cuts in too close and takes away my safe following distance, it is really just Karma that they did it to me now that I am the one in the big truck.

 

I had a new lease driver straight up beg food off me last week. We where parked in the same row at a truck stop in Ohio. I was in the driver's seat as he walked by my truck to go inside, so started chatting with him about how things were going. Told me he just started solo less than 3 weeks ago, things were not good, he was out of money. I used my points card to buy him a couple of slices of pizza and gave him some stuff out of my fridge.

 

Thank you,passport. You are a good person.

 

in my typical cranky way
I fed 4 drivers sitting at the terminal in texas
then proceeded to explain to them why they needed to do it different or
go back to mcdonalds



kirk I was sure if I just stayed one more month I would get that last piece figured out
then transam would be ok
I didn't know I could actually take a day off and still make a living

 

Yes HTQ, I did get paid for sitting on those greens for two days. Started by telling them I was gonna leave the whole trailer in Cheyenne and bobtail to a meat house, let the reefer run out of fuel once and in the end said they were paying two days of lost util or they could have my keys because I didnt want that swap with a coding reefer from the start, but I got stuck with it.

Im n Friona right now. Load is ready, taking it to Olathe after a 10.

 

Oh, and FYI, TransAm is starting to govern lease trucks at 64. Started this with the 680s right around 40013 I think.

Oddly enough, my truck generally gets better fuel mileage at 65mph than 59. Load weight and balance always plays in, but Ive been running faster lately because it keeps the truck happy.

 

every truck has a sweet spot
the trouble with 59 is overcoming the inertia to pull up a grade
this truck can do 75 but if i run at 64 and just use my power to keep it there seems to work

at least until i get a new theory
todays theory is a clean truck improves my crankiness
until kickoff anyway

 

The Doc gave me medicine and it seems to be working so I think I don't have a bad version of diabetes but will find out tomorrow. Nervous about this Drs. appointment cause if it is bad I cant drive anymore as they will pull my medical card. Need to get rolling cause I do lease and I am sure this company will not defer a payment.

Kirk sorry to hear you are having all these troubles but if you private message me I can tell you a trick that worked for me at other companies and it should work here.

Be safe out there drivers