What about Interstate / Tacoma

[NevadaJim]

I finally found Interstates website, but it doesn't look like it's been updated for 5 years. Does anyone know their pay scale? Tuition reimbursement? I understand they're taking on student drivers now but no details are to be found on their site. Any pro's and con's of this company would be appreciated too.

[Cynduck]

They were one of the companies we talked to at the MATS show last weekend. We decided not to go with them for several reasons. I also found a lot of negative on the net about them. Also the only thing they really had going for them was that their trucks are nice (I'm sure not when you just come in though)

Here's info from their brochure:

I do not see anything on here about taking on students,

6 months experience - 32cpm
3 years 34 cpm
5 years 36cpm

4 cents per diem included in mileage pay which I don't like. Actually takes their cpm down 4cpm when comparing with other companies because you can't take that tax break at the end of the year.

Things from talking to them (this wasn't verified - just what the recruiter told us when answering all our questions):

orientation pay is $200
out 7-14 days
can authorize layover pay which means good luck getting that
$10 on all stops
told me detention pay doesn't happen because you don't get help up (in this industry that's a joke)
Rider policy is free - spouse can go immediate (with my husbands experience - not sure about everyone) Kids are after 6 months. 2 weeks max per person per year
They have pre-pass
all trucks have inverters
eligible for 401k immediately
they have bunk heaters and power packs

Now I found a lot about dispatch being hostile, not getting people home for emergencies, lots of 3-50 mile loads, not paying layovers, I think they also made you take their routes as well but not positive on that.

Hope that helps.

[Roco]

Roco.. I' live in Pierce County Tacoma area' Interstate' at one time had!
Rave reviews' A' very nice company site' over by Interstate Five..
Just a.. short distance from ' Lakewood Wash' I'have heard things'
from drivers' For instance' Tag Teams! and No Layover Pay!
But! many companies dont pay layover pay! Really so whats a driver.
to' do.. And yes many nice trucks.. Roco 8) Its up to you!

[glasman2]

I'm starting with Interstate on 4/30/07.
They do take student grads
orientation pay is $200, thats 1 day orientation, 4 days local driving w/trainer
then out with an otr trainer
weeks 1-3 $400.00 a week
weeks 4-6/7 $500.00 a week.
Back for 2 days orientation and driving test.
.26 cpm for 3 months
.28 cpm per website but I thought "they" told me .29 cmp for the next 3 months.
.32 cpm at 6 months.

I have a friend that works for them that's going to train me, said he has never needed detention pay, mostly drop and hook or gets a load in about an hour or less. He gets along "GREAT" with his dispatcher. So I assume not all dispatchers are bad, it depends on how you treat each other. You grease his wheel and he'll grease yours, just like any job. If you have a personality conflict with your dispatcher, just ask for a new one, no brainer there. They have people that wash your truck for you at terminals or give vouchers for truck washes if not near a terminal. Not like some companies that give you a bucket and a brush.

I talked to my friend last night and right now, he is getting 3600 to 4000 miles a week.

This is how good he and his dispatcher gets along, every 2 or 3 months my friend tells his dispatcher he wants a load to Miami Fl. So he can visit friends he has down there. He gets a load, takes 2 or 3 days off, then gets a load out with no problem.

They do pay .04 per-diem, not sure if I like that, but will find out.
My friend says he likes the per-diem, it works for him.

The only "real" negative thing I have "ever" found on the net was from people that didn't have a clue or a brain to rectify any problems.
I've talked to a lot of drivers that are happy with Interstate.

Every Company has it's ups and downs, it's what you make of it that matters.

I've already had a positive response from IDC.
Just in the last week or 2 they changed the way they did orientation.
It was 3 days orientation 2 days driving local, off the weekend, driving 5 days local, off the weekend, then OTR with a trainer.

They said they had a flood of people that just wasn't understanding orientation for some reason. ( all I can think is they never finished 2nd grade or didn't have a brain )

So they changed it to the way I wrote above, so after being OTR with a trainer, they would understand better. ( back to my positive response )

I had made plans to see a Doctor during my 2nd week of orientation/driving local, and this was a very important doctor visit.
(My friend has to go thru the Train the trainer program before he can train me.) I talked to my friend, told him how orientation changed and he said I had better call IDC.

They said no problem.... they rescheduled his train the trainer, canceled my air flight, got a new air flight, and are making sure I have a car to get to my doctors.

They do have Tuition reimbursement, but I don't fall under that so don't know how it's done, never asked.

I have a friend that works for them that's going to train me, said he has never needed detention pay, mostly drop and hook or gets a load in about an hour or less.

I talked to my friend last night and right now, he is getting 3600 to 4000 miles a week.

I do wish you the very best of luck on your new venture, but personally I would be wary of what your friend is telling you. Sounds to me like he's fishing for a recruiting bonus.

[glasman2]

I have a friend that works for them that's going to train me, said he has never needed detention pay, mostly drop and hook or gets a load in about an hour or less.

I talked to my friend last night and right now, he is getting 3600 to 4000 miles a week.

I do wish you the very best of luck on your new venture, but personally I would be wary of what your friend is telling you. Sounds to me like he's fishing for a recruiting bonus.

Nope... Not at all... He thought I was going to work for Gordon.
When he found out I was going to work for Interstate, he told me NOT to put his name down. That he was happy with Interstate, and didn't need the bonus. That if he could point me to a company that "I" could be happy at was all he needed. That we were friends and he didn't want me thinking that he told me anything about Interstate for a bonus.

I was the one who cried bull, that I was going to make sure ( because he is a friend ) that he got the bonus. His response "Then I'll just give it to you when I get the check" my response "nope... how about we split it?"

So when he gets his bonus check, he's going to give the 1st half he gets when we first start out OTR to help me out with funds, because he knows that the time between my last L&I check and my first few months with Interstate is going to hurt me.

I've known this friend for over 20 years, it's not like I just met him.

As for his mile... Been talking to him several times a week.
He'd tell me where he was, and where he was heading, then tell me to find him on the map, and tell him the miles to his next stop.
Been keeping a book on his miles and drops for a few weeks, trying to get use to using the Motor carrier road map, looking for low bridges, speed limits, weigh stations ect. Been kinda like doing extra homework while I was in CDL school. I'd stay up untill 11 pm and get up at 3 or 4am to do "MY trip planing for school", and his trip planing to know where he was.

I find your comment about my friend disturbing, but I will let it slide, because you don't know him like I do.

I do thank you for wishing me luck in my adventure.

[flood]

Cynduck
you are mistaken you can still write it off at the end of the year taxes.

most company per diem do not give you the 75% of $52 a day per diem or $39 a day fyi if you want to spend the time some citys are higher than that btw at .04cpm and running 600ml pre day you are only getting $24 a day per deim to get the $39 you would need to run 975ml pre day..?

[Fredog]

I'm starting with Interstate on 4/30/07.
They do take student grads
orientation pay is $200, thats 1 day orientation, 4 days local driving w/trainer
then out with an otr trainer
weeks 1-3 $400.00 a week
weeks 4-6/7 $500.00 a week.
Back for 2 days orientation and driving test.
.26 cpm for 3 months
.28 cpm per website but I thought "they" told me .29 cmp for the next 3 months.
.32 cpm at 6 months.

I have a friend that works for them that's going to train me, said he has never needed detention pay, mostly drop and hook or gets a load in about an hour or less. He gets along "GREAT" with his dispatcher. So I assume not all dispatchers are bad, it depends on how you treat each other. You grease his wheel and he'll grease yours, just like any job. If you have a personality conflict with your dispatcher, just ask for a new one, no brainer there. They have people that wash your truck for you at terminals or give vouchers for truck washes if not near a terminal. Not like some companies that give you a bucket and a brush.

I talked to my friend last night and right now, he is getting 3600 to 4000 miles a week.

This is how good he and his dispatcher gets along, every 2 or 3 months my friend tells his dispatcher he wants a load to Miami Fl. So he can visit friends he has down there. He gets a load, takes 2 or 3 days off, then gets a load out with no problem.

They do pay .04 per-diem, not sure if I like that, but will find out.
My friend says he likes the per-diem, it works for him.

The only "real" negative thing I have "ever" found on the net was from people that didn't have a clue or a brain to rectify any problems.
I've talked to a lot of drivers that are happy with Interstate.

Every Company has it's ups and downs, it's what you make of it that matters.

I've already had a positive response from IDC.
Just in the last week or 2 they changed the way they did orientation.
It was 3 days orientation 2 days driving local, off the weekend, driving 5 days local, off the weekend, then OTR with a trainer.

They said they had a flood of people that just wasn't understanding orientation for some reason. ( all I can think is they never finished 2nd grade or didn't have a brain )

So they changed it to the way I wrote above, so after being OTR with a trainer, they would understand better. ( back to my positive response )

I had made plans to see a Doctor during my 2nd week of orientation/driving local, and this was a very important doctor visit.
(My friend has to go thru the Train the trainer program before he can train me.) I talked to my friend, told him how orientation changed and he said I had better call IDC.

They said no problem.... they rescheduled his train the trainer, canceled my air flight, got a new air flight, and are making sure I have a car to get to my doctors.

They do have Tuition reimbursement, but I don't fall under that so don't know how it's done, never asked.

best of luck to you, sounds like you have a good attitude, that's half the battle.

[Cynduck]

Cynduck
you are mistaken you can still write it off at the end of the year taxes.

most company per diem do not give you the 75% of $52 a day per diem or $39 a day fyi if you want to spend the time some citys are higher than that btw at .04cpm and running 600ml pre day you are only getting $24 a day per deim to get the $39 you would need to run 975ml pre day..?

I apologize, I still don't understand all the tax stuff - that's why I pay the accountant LOL The company that we went with does per diem too but they do it different and I don't know that I totally understand it but the drivers have all told my husband how much better it is. So we shall see!