Transam

@Broke Down 69 I've read most of your thread Trans Am as seen by Broke Down 69 and can't help but wonder if your particular experience as a company driver for TramsAm isn't directly related to what you described in post 166 paragraph 2 of your thread (It looks like you kind of rocked the boat a bit). I've been considering TransAm for my starter company and other than your story I've yet to find any nightmare stories from other company drivers.

 

I worked in the past for TA as a company driver and agree with this statement. If you have a problem in your work, driving or criminal record TA could give you a chance when others won't, otherwise much better choices out there and TA should not be considered.

 

I did not read the Broke Down 69 thread. TA was my first job out of CDL school. I had lived and worked as a teacher in Japan and Korea for 7 years prior to CDL school and had no current US driver's license or driving record. For this reason, TA hired me when others would not.

I don't really have a "nightmare story". I think your experience depends greatly on who your driver manager is. For my first couple of years (I only worked part of the year, would take 4-5 months off and travel back to Asia) I had a great driver manager and things worked out ok. I would get stuck "rescuing loads", doing swaps where one driver would get paid most of the miles bringing a load out east, I would get stuck paid only a few miles to make the delivery. Stuff like that but it still worked out mostly ok.

My driver manager left when TA required her to change hours, got stuck with an awful DM. Starting getting bad, low mile swaps piled on. Goofy stuff like showing up for a delivery, told I had no appointment (TA customer service did not make the appointment, or first driver was late, missed appointment) and I would have to sit 12 to 24 hours unpaid to make the delivery. It started to work out, I would get one long run, Kansas to the East (NJ), make my delivery, then have to do swaps while in the East and make an additional 1-2 deliveries for other drivers. They would work it so you would get just the min about of miles on a swap so you did not get detention or extra pay. I had many swaps (if I had run min miles the day before) with mileage pay of less than 30 miles ($9). TA base pay rate is too low to make up for many bad run/deliveries like this.

If you sign a lease with TransAm, you get what you deserve since on this forum and others you have been warned over and over and over again not to.

 

Well, I suppose you could say I rocked the boat or you could say I called them out on their lies and misinformation. Personally, I don't appreciate being baldly lied to. As far as what you are looking for in a company, that's entirely your purview, but horror stories abound out of Olathe, there are much better options.

 

Well Ron... That's probably because they're too poor to afford a phone or tablet to publish any new nightmare stories after being tormented for whatever crap rate per mile they're getting after months of being on the road. Do some more research man. Not many happy success stories about that place. Matter of fact... I don't think I've read one.

 

@The Big T
I’ve done my research and I think they’ll be a good fit for me (we’re talking starter company here, not a company career choice)!

I’m a 53 year old burned out self employed remodeling contractor ready for a change. It seems pretty apparent to me that the first year with any company you’re not going to make ####, so I’m more than willing to give up a few bucks for a few amenities to get through the 'apprentice stage' (not everyone lives paycheck to paycheck).

I’ll tell you what I’m NOT going to do and that’s living with some dude that I don’t know in a box for a couple of months teaming!

11 days on the road with a trainer is very appealing to me compared to all of the other options I’ve been seeing.

If after some time I decide that I want to commit the next bunch of years to this business then I’ll buy a truck (no lease).

If you know of a starter company that may be a better fit for me then please let me know.

@passport220 I will agree that of all of the lease deals I’ve read up on TransAm’s deal has got to be one of the worst.

 

Ten-4.

Ten-4. I dont blame you for not wanting to be trapped with another person for as little time as possible. No matter what you choose, its all a sacrifice. Just which spoon full of **** tastes the best

 

My first job was at trans am. It was a good learning experience but I don't think I would ever go back.

Cons
DON'T LEASE, it is a scam. 900+ plus just to rent the truck, add in fuel, apu fee, a few insurance plans and money put aside for break downs and your looking at $1200+ plus a week TO GO TO WORK!

Also, if you don't drive enough miles, you will go into debt. If you don't have money for food or fuel, they will loan it to you. Not sure if they charge fees

If your only cost of living is food and phone bill, you could turn a profit. Assuming your pushing 3400+ miles, you train new drivers, no brake down, 2+ delivers planned out ahead AND you only take one or two days off a month.

You will make more money leasing over company but most, if not all, will go back in the truck!

Do not give your driver manager your phone number. All route info should be sent to the truck.

The pro's

They got a decent backing course in Olathe.

If you feel it's unsafe to drive, you just say so and they don't mess with you. Unless you miss your delivery and they probably cut your miles.

When coming off home time, put in your next home time in before you start driving.

This was five years ago. I was company, never got close to 3k miles and made 300-600 a week.

 

You do bring up a good point. You reminded me, one of the big reasons I went with TransAm was their shorter "live in a small box with another dude" training period. I know myself well enough to know, I will take it slow, be safe and work it out. Did not need someone breathing on my neck for an extended period.

Since TransAm takes drivers that others don't, I ended up training with an ex-con with some serious anger issues. 28 year old guy who had already spent 4 years in jail. He got frustrated because I was not backing well enough, threw the heavy lock he just took off the trailer, slam dunk style through the driver's side window at my legs to vent. Challenged me to a fight in the customer's parking lot because I complained about it. It was the weekend, I called the training manager to tell him I was having a problem with my trainer, I never got a call back. Spent the rest of the training trip managing this screwball instead of learning anything about trucking.

TransAm is very forgiving of mistakes by new drivers, if it is your plan to start with TransAm, get out quick. I stayed too long, I went on to my next job and immediately started making 45% more doing the same job (another refer outfit, many of the same shippers/receivers as TransAm) with newer equipment and overall much better working conditions.

In spite of some negativity about TransAm in my posts, once I got past the problem with my ex-con trainer, I did have some good months running solo, learning as a new driver. No need to stick around more than 6 months as a company driver. Many places that advertise they want 1 year experience, will hire with only 6 months.