I quit TransAm *Updated*

[spencerian]

Well, I got fed up with the BS here. I called my DM, and told him I quit.
I sent a satellite message that I am giving my 2 weeks notice.

Last week I had come back from hometime, so I missed a day of work.
The 6 days I did work only got me 1400 miles. The miles combined with the fact that I have to stay out 4 more weeks to get 3 days off were too much to handle.

I got an email from a recruiter trying to get me to call him for McCleod Express. So I bypassed him and called the company direct.

They offered 36cpm, 5 days a week, and typical mutterings of how great of a company they are. I had set up to go to orientation.

Then my DM from TransAm called. He said he would do whatever he could to keep me.

:shock:

Yep, shock.

I told him my problems, and he said he would move mountains if he could. Then he called me back a second time. His offer was for hometime next week.

I really wanted to quit TransAm. But there are a few points I have to consider.

One is that my DM called me and expressed concern.
That to me shows some character. I expected no reply, or no concern.

Two is that when you have a "heart to heart" with someone it shows a breakthrough. We have finally talked on a personal level, and I think we understand each other.

Three is that if I quit before July 11th I have to repay TransAm for the bus ride to orientation as well as the hotel bill.

So I guess I will stay til the 11th regardless.

[ROCKYROAD]

You have to repay them for a stinking Bus Ticket? Let's all do the Limbo, and see How Low Can You Go. That is the pettiest thing I have heard from a trucking company. Makes me want to puke.

Well, I got fed up with the BS here. I called my DM, and told him I quit.
I sent a satellite message that I am giving my 2 weeks notice.

Last week I had come back from hometime, so I missed a day of work.
The 6 days I did work only got me 1400 miles. The miles combined with the fact that I have to stay out 4 more weeks to get 3 days off were too much to handle.

I got an email from a recruiter trying to get me to call him for McCleod Express. So I bypassed him and called the company direct.

They offered 36cpm, 5 days a week, and typical mutterings of how great of a company they are. I had set up to go to orientation.

Then my DM from TransAm called. He said he would do whatever he could to keep me.

:shock:

Yep, shock.

I told him my problems, and he said he would move mountains if he could. Then he called me back a second time. His offer was for hometime next week.

I really wanted to quit TransAm. But there are a few points I have to consider.

One is that my DM called me and expressed concern.
That to me shows some character. I expected no reply, or no concern.

Two is that when you have a "heart to heart" with someone it shows a breakthrough. We have finally talked on a personal level, and I think we understand each other.

Three is that if I quit before July 11th I have to repay TransAm for the bus ride to orientation as well as the hotel bill.

So I guess I will stay til the 11th regardless.

[Useless]

Spencerain;

You are on your third company, and you have not even completed your 1st. year of driving. You wound up owing CR England a ton of money because you would not listen.

Did it ever occur to you that a considerable part of the problem might be with Spencerain??

[PackRatTDI]

Spencerain;

You are on your third company, and you have not even completed your 1st. year of driving.

Therein lies the problem with the trucking industry today.

[spencerian]

Spencerain;

You are on your third company, and you have not even completed your 1st. year of driving. You wound up owing CR England a ton of money because you would not listen.

Did it ever occur to you that a considerable part of the problem might be with Spencerain??

WOW...
From under whatever rock you crawl out just to negate me?
Let's go with YOUR theory...

CR England didn't pay me. i do owe them money for a failed lease.
I had no late loads, obeyed all company rules, drove safe, and never turned down a load.
So what could I have done differently? If the problem MAY have been with me, not CR England.
(you're probably going to say "not lease with them". Why not? if CR is great and the problem MAY be me, what could I have done differently?)

And the local flatbed company that wanted me to deadhead half the miles I drove at NO PAY? And the fact they promised me home weekends, but that never came to fruition!
What did I do wrong there? May be I should have driven way illegal, sped, and not slept ever. But YOU tell ME what I did wrong.

And TransAm? I have had 6 days home in the past 10 and a half weeks.
My new dispatcher can't effectively do his job. My miles are suffering. I sit on the average of 20plus hours per week waiting to load, unload, or get a load assignment.

So you tell me USELESS, what might my problem be?
Tell me how YOU would have made a better driver. I could really use advice that will better me. I am not out here to tour truckstops, meet lot lizards, our see the country. So what can I do?

I agree that there is a problem when a new driver sees more than ONE company in a years time. I had just chalked it up to companies lying, and pushing drivers to pull feight for pennies. But I guess I am wrong. So tell me.

[Useless]

Spencerain;

You are on your third company, and you have not even completed your 1st. year of driving. You wound up owing CR England a ton of money because you would not listen.

Did it ever occur to you that a considerable part of the problem might be with Spencerain??

WOW...
From under whatever rock you crawl out just to negate me?
Let's go with YOUR theory...

CR England didn't pay me. i do owe them money for a failed lease.
I had no late loads, obeyed all company rules, drove safe, and never turned down a load.
So what could I have done differently? If the problem MAY have been with me, not CR England.
(you're probably going to say "not lease with them". Why not? if CR is great and the problem MAY be me, what could I have done differently?)

Useless:
First off, what could you have done differently??

For starters, you could have taken the advice that I offered you, as well as the advice others offered. We told you that CRE was a beggar's crossroad from the outset. We not only warned you not to enter the Fleece/Op program, but to run like hell from CRE as a company..

Did you listen?? NO!! You responded with arrogance and attitude.

Spencerain:
And the local flatbed company that wanted me to deadhead half the miles I drove at NO PAY? And the fact they promised me home weekends, but that never came to fruition!
What did I do wrong there? May be I should have driven way illegal, sped, and not slept ever. But YOU tell ME what I did wrong.

Useless:
Ultimately, you chose to drive for them; that was your decision. You bet on the wrong horse. You lost.

Spencerain:
And TransAm? I have had 6 days home in the past 10 and a half weeks.
My new dispatcher can't effectively do his job. My miles are suffering. I sit on the average of 20plus hours per week waiting to load, unload, or get a load assignment.

Useless:
Ultimately, YOU are responsible for your own choices in life, and you live with the consequences of those choices, be they positive or negative.

So far, what you have to show for your choices in life is a debt to CR England of over $6,000., and three failed employment choices in less than a year. You also have a problem with criminal offenses in the past; a record that is going to follow you, so you already have some doors of opportunity closed, and you have closed three more doors in about 10 month's time.


Spencerain:
So you tell me USELESS, what might my problem be?

Useless:

Well, let's see?? Speaking as an employer, there are a number of things that I consider when making a decission to hire. Three of those things are a person's employment history, credit rating, and criminal history, or lack thereof. Take a good look, Spencerain, and ask yourself that very same question!!

Tell me how YOU would have made a better driver. I could really use advice that will better me. I am not out here to tour truckstops, meet lot lizards, our see the country. So what can I do?

Useless:
Spencerain, in driving, or in any other career fields, you have two alternatives; you either adjust, or you go. Sorry, I didn't write that rule, but it still applies to you, just as it applies to me, and everyone else.

Show me a business owner, large, midsize, or small, who is unable or unwilling to adjust, (especially in today's economy!!) and I'll show you a person who will not be in business much longer.

I've been around the block a couple of times now, I have spent decades as a business owner and employer, and I've seen too many people who could not make their life work, and yes, just like you, it was always somebody else's fault. The truckstops and highways are all too full of these types of people.

At some point, if you have any hope of getting your act together, you are going to have to go stand in front of a mirror, and askyourself one important question: "Do I see a boy, or do I see a man??"

Now, obviously, the pathroad you are following is not working for you, nor is your game plan working.

Did you ever consider the idea of finding a different path, and developing a different game plan??

Spencerain:
I agree that there is a problem when a new driver sees more than ONE company in a years time. I had just chalked it up to companies lying, and pushing drivers to pull feight for pennies. But I guess I am wrong. So tell me.

Useless:
As for the lying, deceit, and incompetence of others, trucking is not unique in that respect, although it is more pronounced, and these obstacles are difficult to work around, especially for a newbie driver.


Now, flip the coin over, and look at the other side. With the exception of fast food flunkies, car salesmen, and WallyWorld cashiers & shelf stockers, show me an industry where you can go through three jobs in less than a year, and still hope to find work?

This is where we go back to my subthesis, which is that you have to either find a way to adjust, or hit the door. The lying, misrepresentations, broken & empty promises, incompetence, and revolving door policies of many trucking companies are no secrets. Spend just a few hours reading one thread after another one on this very forum, and anyone who can read will quickly discern that.

One ugly, absolute truth here is that you are not going to change any of that, nor are the ways in which the games are played going to change to accomodate you.

Having said all of that, there are a number of highly experienced, veteran drivers right here at CAD who decided a long time ago that they would adjust, work their way around the obstructions, hang in there, suck it up when they had to, and "keep on truckin".

No one here at CAD can make your life, or your career work for you. This goes back to what I asked you a moment ago. "Are you going to be a boy, or are you going to be a man?".

The fact is that there is still work out there for you; but if you keep job hopping as you have, regardless of reason or perceived justifications, those opportunities will become far more limited, and less attractive.

My advice??

Go rattle some cages at Trans am,, and find out who can help you with this. Speaking as someone who has had far more success in life than I ever should have had, and as an invester and company owner, I will categorically state that if your wheels aint' turnin' you aint' earnin'.....NOR IS THE COMPANY YOU WORK FOR!!! A parked truck is a liability to them; a depreciating asset that is not performing.

Is there a problem here ?? YES!! For you AND for your employer. Get your whinning ass into the office, and present yourself as the SOLUTION to their problem, and take it from there.

Good Luck!!
Useless

[Uturn2001]

You are rapidly getting to the point of having to work not for who you may want to but for who may have to, which are not going to be bottom of the barrel companies but the ones that live in the slime left by all the others.

You best bet is to stick it out and try really really hard to work it out with Trans Am and keep that job for at least a full year.

=============================================
As far as the deal with CR England goes. You have no one to blame for that but yourself. You can not even blame the company in all actuality. You were warned by many many people here about that company, about their LP and about LP's in general and you chose to tell every one of them they did not know what they were talking about and about how you knew what you were doing.

To a point Useless is correct, part of them problem is yours. At the very least it would appear you are not asking the correct questions when talking to a company (ie finding out what is important to you and the details of the "deal") before jumping in.

BTW: Here is a good question to ask yourself. If a small company like Mc Cleod is offering to pay as much as they are, and the hometime that they are, then why do they have trucks available?

[Useless]

Spencerain;

As I was driving back from my dentist's office, (how WONDERFUL it is to be able to drive again!!) another point came to mind, and it is so significant, especially in your case, that if you will just settle down, cool your jets, listen, and accept the fact that I know a few things that you don't know, then you will be far better off.

This is the "Magic Key".

You are the victim of your own disorganized thinking. Go read your comments, not only in this thread, but in so many other threads you have initiated. They all have a common ring to them.

You think in a world of "Fault", "Blame", "Villans", and "Victims".
You look at the problems you have, and you begin ranting about how these problems are not your FAULT. You then proceed to complain about how other people are to BLAME for your troubles.

In each case, the party who wronged you was the VILLAN, and in each case, you were the VICTIM.

Guess what, Spencerain!!

NONE OF THAT MATTERS!!!

Now, let's focus upon "Resonsibility", and "Accountability".

Ultimately, in your own mind, you can continue to exculpate yourself from fault and blame others for your troubles. NONE of that changes the fact that your decisions, as well as the consequences of those decisions, good or bad, are your RESPONSIBILITY.

Sorry life has dealt you such a sh*tty hand of cards. Would you want to play the hand of cards I was dealt??

(hint; My hand of cards included an alchololic, drug addicted mother, and a father who was a violent pedophile!!)

Ultimately, fault and blame don't matter. You are still accountable to your landlord or mortgage company, and the hungar pangs of your children are not going to be lessened by who is at fault, or who is to blame. You are the one who is in a posotion of ACCOUNTABILITY to your children, your wife, your employer, your landlord or motgage company, the utility companie, the phone companies, your bank, and whoever else you turn to in order to provide your family with the neccessities and luxuries of life.

I simply can not spend my company's payroll dollars on a person who is not at fault for his (or her) failings in life.

NOTE: I said FAILINGS, not difficult or catastrophic circumstances.

I have several employees who are ex-convicts. They are some of the best, most reliable people that I have. In life, they have been on the outside looking in, and in jail or prison, they have been locked on the inside looking out.

They know that I will take care of them as long as they take care of me. In short, they are able to work for me because they accepted RESPONSIBILITY for their past and present, and are willing to be held ACCOUNTABLE for their present and future.

Where do you fit in this picture, Spencerain??

BTW" One more important suggestion here:

Start listening to Dave Ramsey, and get your butt into Financial Peace University. I require all of my employees to attend it, whether THEY think they need to or not. Time and again, they have thanked me for having that policy in place.

I PROMISE, IF you will listen, learn, and put into practice the lessons taught in FPU, then your life will be much more positive, happier, and more fulfilling in the future.

Good Luck,
Useless

[spencerian]

So if I work for a company, and do all I can as an employee, and I somehow fail, it is My fault?

Dude, you have lost me BIG TIME.

All I want to do is save a little money so I can quit trucking all together.
Also, while I drive, I would like to be able to see my family more than one day for every 2 weeks I put in on the road.

It is not my goal to make trucking a career.
But... I cannot attain my goals with 1400 mile weeks, udue family strain, and no communication from my dispatcher.

You do the math... 32cpm at 1400 miles.

Now say you have a wife and 3 kids at home. Is that $448 gonna pay the bills? How happy would your wife be with a $400 paycheck AND she doesn't get to see you but every 4 weeks?

You know, I used to be an employer. If I had an applicant that had several jobs in the past year I would be concerned. So much, in fact that I would call the previous employers.

Now $400 a week is not enough to drive a truck (I hope we agree).
So if I called the employers and they told me they had to cut hours, or drop his pay and he quit; would I be persuaded to hire him, or dissuaded?

I would probably hire him.
Now if I did, and told him he gets a pay cut, or fewer hours, or has to work on weekends, or has to work unpaid overtime and he quits...I deserve that!

I won't accept 1400 miles a week. Nor will I accept 3 days a month hometime. If that makes me a bad apple, or a reject, then so be it.

[Useless]

Spencerain;

There you go with the "fault" thing again!! What did I just get through telling you??

This is YOUR problem. YOU have to find or create a solution!!

I just spent a bit of my time trying to help you, and, still your response is arrogance and attitude.

Got news for you, guy!! I'm not the one whose children are going to suffer here. I'm not the one who's wife is going to be angry and resentful!!

Oh well, all's not lost!! If you don't wish to consider my advice, hopefully, some other noobs or wannabees will!

[Useless]

So if I work for a company, and do all I can as an employee, and I somehow fail, it is My fault?

There we go with the "Not my fault" thing again!!

Dude, you have lost me BIG TIME.


You know, I used to be an employer. If I had an applicant that had several jobs in the past year I would be concerned. So much, in fact that I would call the previous employers.

Well, if I am reading this correctly, you USED to be an employer; PAST TENSE!! Hello??

Now $400 a week is not enough to drive a truck (I hope we agree).
So if I called the employers and they told me they had to cut hours, or drop his pay and he quit; would I be persuaded to hire him, or dissuaded?

I would probably hire him.
Now if I did, and told him he gets a pay cut, or fewer hours, or has to work on weekends, or has to work unpaid overtime and he quits...I deserve that!

I won't accept 1400 miles a week. Nor will I accept 3 days a month hometime. If that makes me a bad apple, or a reject, then so be it.

Okay, so be it!! And when the rent or the monthly house payment is due, or the children are sick and need medicine, then as you say, "so be it"
:sad:
In spite of our past differences, I have tried to help you, Spencerain!! I didn't get to be where I am by embracing your self-defeating attitude. I guess it is obvious that you will not consider what I am trying to do in order to help you.

In the end, though, my table is set, my pantry is full, my beds are all made, my bills are all paid, and I need a couple of commas to register my net worth. Yet, it is obvious that you know far more than I do.

My prayers will be with you, but even more so for your wife and children. Unfortunately, they will take the fall with you; what is all the more pathetic is that your children have no say-so in this matter!!
:sad:

[spencerian]

This has turned into a pi$$ing match like all the posts you choose to screw up.

Tell ya what, I will quit posting on here.

That's it.

I didn't post this so some egotistical asshat could blame me for poor miles and no hometime.

[fireman932003]

Now $400 a week is not enough to drive a truck

Well, $400 a week working is better than $0 a week sitting at home on your rump looking for another job while your kids are saying "daddy I am hungry!"

[greg3564]

Spencerian,

I think the majority here are saying you need to hang tough at Trans Am. You say you don't want a career in trucking, but you are getting to the point where you're really starting to limit where you can work.

I used to be a retail manager for a nationwide chain and if I saw an application with multiple short term employers, I would round file it. Because I don't want a quitter when things might slow down or payroll hours need to be cut for a little while. Sometimes you need to bite the bullet. Give it a chance.

You've talked to your DM and now see what happens. Then proceed up the chain of command.

[Karnajj]

Now $400 a week is not enough to drive a truck

Well, $400 a week working is better than $0 a week sitting at home on your rump looking for another job while your kids are saying "daddy I am hungry!"

I think his point was $400 was not enough to keep him on the road. He can make that much at any of a number of jobs that don't involve being on the road for weeks at a time.

Spencerian, I think Uturn hit it on the head. You need to do whatever it takes to make it at TransAm short of losing your dignity. Perhaps you still have a misconception of what being a truck driver is all about. Maybe you unwittingly contribute to your problems. All I can do is echo Uturn's words: "You are rapidly getting to the point of having to work not for who you may want to but for who may have to." Your options are quickly running out. Good luck.

[Useless]

This has turned into a pi$$ing match like all the posts you choose to screw up.

Tell ya what, I will quit posting on here.

That's it.

I didn't post this so some egotistical asshat could blame me for poor miles and no hometime.

In other words, you did not come here wanting help finding or creating a solution. You just wanted us to blame the three different companies you have driven for in the past 10 mos., and have us cry in your beer with you.

Just look at your past posts, Spencerain!! Count how many times you have used the words "fault", and "blame", which are always laid at someone else's doorstep.

Contrast that in terms of how many times you have used the words "responsiblity" and "accountability" as those words apply to you.

Oh well!! As always, you know more than any of us, certainally, you know more than me!!

[Useless]

I would encourage Spencerain, and everyone else, to take a good hard look at "UTURN2001"'s tag line.
It says it all!! :rock:

[spencerian]

Well, some of you did not understand my post.

I never intended to sit on my rump at home looking for a job. I was going to make an immediate transition from TransAm to another company.

I didn't intend to give up. If you read the last part of my first post it says that my DM showed some effort, and in my book that deserves some credit. I have had this new DM for the past month. So this is not "a bad week". It is steady consistent lack of communication.

Also, to me it doesn't feel like I am closing doors. I now have 6 months experience. I have been in contact with several companies that wouldn't hire me before, but now are ringing my phone.

On a side note, I am sitting in Grand Rapids waiting for a load that will be available at 1pm. I was empty yesterday at 2pm. So it's only 23 hours UNPAID without a load.

[devildice]

Disclaimer: This is not directed to just Spencerian, but for anyone.

Even though I am new to the industry (actually haven't entered yet as I am in CDL school) I would like to echo what many experienced drivers have consistanly stated in the past with regards to companies......."research, research, research".......research a company hard and thorough BEFORE signing on the dotted line. Make sure you have as much information as possible, fully understanding what to expect and what not to expect so that you can make an educated decision. This is a great site for some info, but should not be the sole source.

[Smooth]

Well, some of you did not understand my post.

I never intended to sit on my rump at home looking for a job. I was going to make an immediate transition from TransAm to another company.

I didn't intend to give up. If you read the last part of my first post it says that my DM showed some effort, and in my book that deserves some credit. I have had this new DM for the past month. So this is not "a bad week". It is steady consistent lack of communication.

Also, to me it doesn't feel like I am closing doors. I now have 6 months experience. I have been in contact with several companies that wouldn't hire me before, but now are ringing my phone.

On a side note, I am sitting in Grand Rapids waiting for a load that will be available at 1pm. I was empty yesterday at 2pm. So it's only 23 hours UNPAID without a load.

TransAm is not a great company and I can understand you wanting to pursue new options , but you definately should wait until you get your full year experience in , this will give you many more options . Take weeks if not months finding the right fit for you as a driver with the best company for you . I don't find myself feeling bad at all for drivers that just sign on with anybody because there in a hurry to try something new because it fits there need that day . Some better sites to search for your next job include
www.careerbuilder.com

www.truckertrucker.com

www.bubbajunk.com

www.fullfleet.com

http://www.ooida.com/RC/viewlist.asp...0007&sid=50025

and try all your local sunday papers , good luck