A newbie needs some advice...

[mighty3]

I'm beginning my orientation with Trans Am next week. I am a recent TDI graduate living in Florida and have one careless driving ticket from a year and a half ago. Nothing else on MVR for over 14 years but I was turned down by Swift, CT and Schnieder. They all wanted 3 years clean MVR. Is anyone working for Trans Am and how do they like them? I'm a real newbie and I really wanted a regional route. Did most of you start out as OTR with big companies to get experience? Any tips or advice would be welcomed!

[madii'swife]

I guess I am not an unbiased opinion. My husband is quitting TransAm, effective when he gets into a terminal tomorrow.
It started out pretty good for us with TransAm, but lately they have been shorting his miles, messing with his hometime, leaving him out 3-4 weeks at a time, and refusing to reimburse a lumper fee because they "lost" the paperwork. His fleet manager says its not her, and that she really likes him.
He started out averaging 3000+ miles a week, $800-900 checks with per diem. The last month (excluding a week of hometime) his biggest check was $640, and he didn't see above 2500 miles....

Any more specific questions feel free to ask, and also I have a diary thread under what about this trucking company detailing our adventures with TransAm.

[mighty3]

I've read most of your diary, so we are prepared (mostly) for the good, bad and the ugly. This job is only to get experience and then, move on to green pastures. Has your husband got another job lined up?

[madii'swife]

I've read most of your diary, so we are prepared (mostly) for the good, bad and the ugly. This job is only to get experience and then, move on to green pastures. Has your husband got another job lined up?

We just found out this morning that he's been accepted at TMC If all you're looking for is a starting point, 6 months with them seems to be a magic number. However, if you can I would recommend finding a better company to start with, and therefore not having to move later on, but, as in our situation I'm aware that not everybody can do that.

[mighty3]

I'm trying to find your diary on TransAm. Can you tell me where to locate it? How is your husband doing with his new job? I am mighty3's wife and I would really like to talk to you further regarding maddi's carreer. My husband is just starting out also and I know he'll learn more once he gets on the road, but knowledge is power and I'll feel better knowing what to expect. Thanks.

[millersod215]

Hey Mighy3's wife, just a bit of advice if you're in florida, and if you're husband has not already started his career with Trans Am, look in to Commercial Carriers, they are a company within Comcar, who also owns CT, i'm guessing your husband was referring to Coastal Transport when he said he had applied with CT, but as far as i know all the different Comcar companies have different hiring requirements, and to be completely honest with you i do not believe his 1 ticket will keep him from getting on with them. I worked for them in 2004, and was happy while i was there, OTR just is not my thing, i was on a regional position and home every weekend and made decent money. I don't want to say where your husband is or isn't going to be happy, but i think you might find out the hard way that Trans Am is not going to be a good fit, if his intentions are regional, then TA is not going to meet that by any means, take a drive down to your local interestate and count the number of TA trucks on the road in Florida, my bet is you're not going to see many, and what should that tell you, if TA doesn't have freight coming in to Florida, well don't expect your husband to be getting back to Florida. Just some words of advice and encouragement for you and your husband, OTR is a tough life, MADII'S husband is an exception to the rule in my book, you're not going to find too many people who are able to put up with the BS and long durations from home like he has, everyone says, and goes in to an OTR career with those magic numbers, if i can just last a year, or 6 months, more oppurtunites will open, well believe me 6 months can feel like a year, and a year can be unbearable at times. WWW.DRIVECCC.COM, is the website for Commercial Carriers, give them a look and you might be able to save yourself some hassles, plus they have a local division he can transfer in to if he does not like the idea of life on the road. Sorry for the long winded message, just trying to help a fellow floridian out.

[millersod215]

let me put that in lower case so you can access it, www.driveccc.com

[madii'swife]

I'm trying to find your diary on TransAm. Can you tell me where to locate it? How is your husband doing with his new job? I am mighty3's wife and I would really like to talk to you further regarding maddi's carreer. My husband is just starting out also and I know he'll learn more once he gets on the road, but knowledge is power and I'll feel better knowing what to expect. Thanks.

The diary is here
http://www.classadrivers.com/phpBB2/...ic.php?t=22461

My husband took a week off to be home with us , so he hasn't yet started with TMC, he starts the 11th. Feel free to pm me with any specific questions, or email me at skittles46@yahoo.com . If your husband would like to talk with mine I'm sure he wouldn't mind as well.