TransAm Trucking, Inc. - Olathe, Ks.?

All trucks have APUs regardless of company ot lease drivers. Cant vouch on the fridge deal in the 660s as for some reason I remember my boyfriend saying something about his coach having a plug-in cooler. But the 700s all have fridges and inverters. 680s will have the same. For the most part, most of the company drivers have 660s and a lot of lease ops have 700s, but theres are also a good number of lease drivers who prefer the 660 and I know company drivers who got 700s. The 680 will be a lease only truck for a while though.

 

All trucks should have fridges in them. Company trucks started out as LO trucks.

 

I asked a question about 3hours ago and can't find the answer on the forum anywhere. I leave tomorrow for orientation in Olathe. My question (s) are: What is the orientation schedule like? will we work on Sunday and what time do we usually end for the day. I've heard stories from a "friend" who works at another trucking company in Nebraska (Grand Island X) that Trans Am has a tendancy to return you home after arriving in Olathe. Is this true?

 

Typically Wednesday-Friday is orientation. You sit in the hotel for the weekend and go back to the terminal Monday whereyou get more lecturing and you'll start sliding tandems, couplng and uncouing and eventually the road test and backing pad. Passport can probably give you the rundown as he was just there. My class was over the holidays so we were at the terminal every single day until we left with our coaches. They provide lunch on the first 3 days and after that will load you onto the bus and take you somewhere where you can buy your own lunch. Ending time can vary. We ended as early as 1 on one day and ran until almost 5 on another. Dunno anything about why they would send people home.

 

Are we paid for the weekend?

 

Nope, but you can get a cash advance if you need it. By Friday you will get your company EFS card which will br used for fuel, gates at the terminals and payroll. You get a different card later if you lease. The weekend in the hotel catches a lotof people unprepared. You should have coupons for the breakfast buffet at the holiday inn, but the rest of the meals youre on your own.

FYI, the Holiday Inn runs a shuttle for TransAm nightly. You sign on a list at the front desk with your name and where you want to go within a 3 mile radius and they take seven people at a time. Or if you dont want to wait for a shuttle, you can walk to thr truck stop in less than 15 minutes and there are several food options that way.

 

Anyone know how much it would cost to get a room by yourself for orientation?

 

I was just there and Honeybadger has it right, with one exception, you do get paid $50 per day, even on the weekend. Pay periods are Friday through Thursday. So your first check will be for $100 (Wed and Thursday of orientation), then $350 per week until you are assigned your own truck and start earning by the mile.

There are fast food choices within waking distance (about 15 min. walk) and you can get a mini fridge in your room and there is a microwave downstairs if you want to bring stuff back to the room to heat up.

No one was sent home early from my group.

 

Or you might get lucky and get a room with a fridge, microwave and coffee pot. Not sure if it had anything to do with being the only female in my group, but I had awesome tooms in the hotels I was in.

 

^yeah, I was lucky that my roommate was outgoing. He talked to some TransAm guys who where checking out, he grapped their fridge and brought it to our room, then we called the front desk and tole them where they could find it.