TransAm Trucking, Inc. - Olathe, Ks.?

he deserved everything that happens to him you really should feel sorry for all the new drivers he pushed to lease that were not ready to drive yet hes lucky that one of them thatt are in debt up to therr ### didnt come back and shoot the #######,

 

I will likely start with TransAm next week, strictly as a company driver. Any updates about TransAm?

 

Good luck,passport. TransAm isn't a bad choice. Olathe or Rockwall? Go company ....atleast until you know if this is the life for you. I hope you have a good coach, but if not, don't give up. My husband's first coach could rival some of the nightmare stories you have read on here. His second coach was a blessing. He not only taught my husband many tips on driving and backing but also taught him how to live on the road. You will not get rich with TransAm but you can make a living. Be sure that you take your quarterly safety classes, no raises or bonuses if you do not keep up to date. Take your book in, make sure your permits are up to date. In other words, make the rounds. Your red handbook is your bible, keep it handy. Put a tab on the page that explains to the DOT about your elogs. Send a message if you have any questions that we can help you with.

 

^Thank HTQ, I got the call and I am officially hired, I am excited to start! I'll will start up dating this thread myself in due time.

 

Keep a good attitude and you will do fine. When you get your own truck remember that it will be your home ...set it up that way. Be prepared, a microwave, a small George Foreman grill, a few canned goods. Things that you can fix a meal if you get stuck at a shipper, receiver, or a rest area. It's not always possible to plan ahead and sometimes schedules will be tight. A good book to read, a movie to watch, those things come in handy also. Keep a notebook, write down anything that is questionable. You will be in so many different places that it will be hard to remember things. Call ahead to see if there is overnight parking. TransAm is good about hometime but ....it also depends on how many drivers are already scheduled to be off. Don't wait to put in for your time off, put in for it within a day or two of coming back on duty. Just a few of the things we have learned along the way .....and are still learning.

 

^Awesome, thanks! I have been living and working overseas prior to this, so I do feel I am good at adapting, going with the flow and working with new experiences. I have a good attitude.

I do plan on largely living in the truck and that is one of the reasons I picked TransAm, I have read some pros and cons, but almost all agree, TransAm has very nice, well equipped trucks. I understand they come with a fridge and an inverter already installed, so a microwave will be my first purchase once I go solo. Have you/your hubby tried any cooking in the truck with a crock pot?

Oh, one thing I am wondering ... I knowTransAm is largely a meat hauler, bringing frozen foods/meat from the Midwest to the East... but what do they haul back?

 

Husband has hauled everything from beer and soda to plastic pumpkins and chocolate Easter bunnies. Always, always, always weigh your load....even if you are doing a swap and the other driver shows you a scale ticket. TransAm pays the $9 or $10 it costs to scale if you are a company driver. Some of the meat loads are what they call combos. They pack them on skid sheets but they will still slide if a driver stops too fast. TA also hauls paper at times and it will be in large rolls. You never know how the other driver has handled the load, so CYA. We thought about a small crockpot in the truck, I have one here at home that I bought for him. For him the microwave and the little grill work best. You will be tired and hungry when you stop for the day. The fridge in the truck is small, and some of them don't seem to chill down as well as others. A coffeepot is another essential if you are a coffee drinker. He also takes gallon jugs of drinking water with him. My husband doesn't even mess with his laptop when he is on the road, even though he does take it with him, usually he just calls me to look something up for him!

 

^ Thanks for the info about the loads, I was wondering about that.

My sister loves to cook with a crockpot and gave me a bunch of recipes, that is why I had that in my head, I also saw a trucker on youtube who had one, it had latches on the top so nothing would spill out, he said can could throw his stuff in the pot, let it cook all day while he drove and have a meal, plus extra when he stopped at dinner time. Save the left overs and heat them in the microwave later.

I understand about the fridge, I think those small ones will only cool down a certain amount depending on the temperature just outside the fridge, like 30 degrees or so. Still a nice item to have pre-installed in the truck.

How about you? Do you ever go out on the road with your hubby?

 

How are you doing, passport? What do you think of the orientation process so far?

 

^Hiya HTQ:
Everything is good here. I now have my certificate of completion for orientation. Just relaxing at the hotel this weekend waiting for the next stage of training to start. For others to know, the new orientation process for TransAm is:

Training starts with a 3 day orientation starting on Wednesday (Wed, Thurs, Fri) then, 2 day weekend off in the hotel (Holiday Inn) then 3 days on the range at TranAm HQ practicing backing and such. So 9 days total in the hotel,then out with a trainer for 11 days.

I am looking forward to the next step,I hope I get a good trainer
Take care