TransAm Trucking, Inc. - Olathe, Ks.?

Well I'm on week 3 of my training. Sitting stuck in Nashville because the truck broke down. Should be up and running again this afternoon though. Then we're heading to Dallas and then Denver if all goes according to plan. I also found out today that they have me schedualed to do my last week of training in their Texas yard. That doesn't suit me at all. I live in Olathe, I'm a few blocks from their yard and want to do my training there. Not only would it save them money on a hotel and transportation for me, I would get to be with my family. And I would much rather be with my family when they try their "we don't have a company truck, but you can lease!" stunt instead of holed up in a hotel in Texas for who knows how long. Other then that I have been real pleased with the training process. I really hate not having my own truck just for the complete lack of space being with a trainer gets me. I have learned alot, and think I'm ready to run on my own, but only time will tell that.

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With respect to the L/O program, do you know how aggresive they really are? Perhaps a better question is, are there any company drivers that do well?

I'm just curious. This is a company that people are always telling me to avoid because they force you to sign the lease. First hand knowledge, however, is hard to come by.

And I do apologize is this has already been addressed. I'll go back and read this thread from the beginning.

 

You're a grown man, no one can force you to sign anything, but they will pester you to death about leasing. Good luck.

 

Got to agree with bigo1969, noone can FORCE you to sign a thing. They can lean on you to do it, but in the end it's up to you. I've talked to company drivers, and they seem to be doing just fine. Plenty of miles as long as you don't screw around and get a bad name for yourself. Well it's Friday now, and I'm schedualed to be back in Olathe for my training on Monday. I'm hoping to get back on Sunday, because the prospect of driving 11 hours, or being up for my 14 and then getting to the yard just so I can start a 10 hour test seems retarded to me. My training wasn't too bad, other then the 4 hour long training video and ton of homework that doesn't make much sence to me. Well I hope I'm able to pass all my tests and do good on my backing training. You'd think they would teach us to backup before we got in a truck for a month... yea...
After all this I'll get to see how long it'll take them to "find" a free company truck for me, I've heard from a day after I pass my final tests to a couple of weeks. The sick thing about that wait, is if I have to wait a few weeks and find a new job, I'll be "fired" and then charged for all my training since I was terminated befor 90 days. So while I say you can't be forced to sign a lease they sure can make things suck if you're financially screwed at this point in your career. Oh well. I'll post in the next couple of days with an update.

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You'll actually will have 4 days to complete all your work. You'll do some log work, as in filling some out and then looking for violations in some that they give you. You'll also take a test on reading the map and looking for certain features and blah blah. Sad thing about all that homework you did....doubt they'll look any further than seeing if you made a stab at doing it. Thats what they did with me. You'll have plenty of time on the backing range b4 you test out there. Hopefully, your trainer has been working with you also on backing. The big thing they'll be looking for is, you not hitting any of the trailers and that you don't come back so far to the right that your blindsiding. GOAL, GOAL, and GOAL some more. Don't try to force the tlr to go in a hole either. If you didn't do the set up right, do it again!!! Oh yea, if you do hit another tlr, it will go in your files as an accident and you'll be counceled about it.

 

Well here it is on Thursday and I just got back to the yard. Aparently they couldn't find a load to take back to the shop for my trainer till Wednesday. I'm on the backing range now and will graduate next week aparently. Now I just get to wait and see how long it takes to "find" me a company truck.

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I don't work for TransAM... never have, and never will. From what I've read here, it will take some time for them to "find" that company truck - like they don't know where it is. It's part of the game. They use the mental pressure to convince you to sign a lease. Hang tough, don't quit. Get a year or so experience under your belt. Then you can do what you like... just my 2-phennigs worth, man.

 

holy crap, TransAm sure has changed from the 90's when i work there, mostly all company trucks, never seen any ower operators if there where any, all the companys out are losing money so to stay afloat they have new hire's that don't now any better to pay the bills for them till times get better,so stay a company driver for 5 years or so and see if you still like being out there, about 3 and 1/2 days off per month for me for 11 years or so and i got burd out and left the field in 2004, don't forget when a company says you get 2 days off for two weeks out its really 48 hours off not 2 full days as if you had a day job at home, example you get home friday afternoon you go back to work sunday afternoon, so much for working around the house

 

For all its faults, and there are many, 2 days off or 4 days off with TA actually means that. They are supposed to get you home by 2000 the night before and your back in the trk by 0759 the day after. Getting home OT so far is about 99%.

 

I'm curious as to how long it will actually take for you to get a company trk so pls let us know. For me, it took a week. Someboy else came on and was talking about how they were holding their dad hostage at Rockwall and that he'd been waiting for 3 weeks at that time.
Just swapped in my old trk last month and wonders of wonders, they actually had one there waiting on me.