Why Im leaving TMC...

[csramsey640]

First of all, this is not a bash of TMC, this is an awareness to potential employees as to what they may, or may not be up against , as many of my circumstances are unique to me. I am a dedicated driver

1. Pay Cuts. Since I pull the same loads every week, I know most of the rates by heart, or so I did. I have seen rates go from 1008.35 to 658.84 on the same load. 1039.44 rates go to 794.54 in a matter of a year. With the exception of a few loads we run, all rates have been cut, and Im not talking about the normal downturn during the winter. I was a consistant 4000 to 4500 a week driver, who ran my butt off, just as many others on the account were/are, many are either running 4 load weeks now, or taking $415 bulls*it loads. I even watched a load loose $10 from a preplan to the actual load screen 12 hours later.

BTW, ITS A SLAP IN THE FACE TO SEE A $400 CUT IN LOAD RATE, AND THEN A MESSAGE ABOUT SUPPORTING THE RACE TEAM!

2. Pay Cuts. I have a 70 mph truck. This week I had to speak to driver training about fuel mileage. My fuel is in the bottom 3% of the fleet, since January. However they are comparing us with 8' tall flat front conestoga's to those of you with flats, and the guy said it shouldnt make a difference. Must have never pulled one, since last week I ran an overloaded flat from the Griffin drop yard to the plant and back again, and it pulled 10x better than my conestoga with a 42xxx load coming the same roads. Apparently wind drag does not account in the fuel mileage equation. I happily agreed to his call, except when I was asked to run at 63mph, and 60 mph on 300-400 mile trips, I then asked why I was even granted a 70 mpg truck. he kept reading from the teleprompter, i lost his call...darn verizon

So it takes longer to go the same distance, therefor I would make less per hour on the same run(yes you can gain time with 70 mph over an 11 hr day.)

3. Idle Time. Over the years I have had calls off and on about high idle time. If its an average night, I wont waste fuel, but I do not believe that a driver should have poor sleep because its cold or hot. The office personel do not cut the temps to save energy, and they do not make $$ for the company. I polietly told the person calling, if I am provided with climate controll of any type, I have no problem shutting the truck off, however when I sit for hours waiting for a reload back towards my dedicated, I will not wait uncomfortably

4. Logs...enough said, 4 calls in the past month all about the same fuel stop that is marked Flatwoods WV in our fuel book, and comes up as Sutton WV from comdata.

5. Respect.... Another year safe driving for TMC, no claims, no BS, etc and nothing from TMC. I am not asking for $$, but a simple Thank you would have been nice. A little appreciation for consistant 4000 weeks, early load/unload times, and gettin 'er done when TMC in a bind. No, just calls from Driver training, calls from Logs, calls from some idle time guy, oh and an express code that I never cashed that they wont refund me...err

Thats about it. I am trying to be professional in this matter, however for those on the fence, its getting stricter and stricter. Many of you reading these boards have never driven for any other companies, and do not see the other picture, if you can follow thier rules, its a great company. However I came from a smaller company before, and its night and day.

Again, Im not trying to get a bunch of people jumping ship. Things are tough across the board, and I only speak from the time I have personally . Its difficult seeing the same load take a drop in rate about every few weeks to a month, and knowing that Im taking a paycut, while so many others in the industry are still making the same average rate

My fleet manager is very good, and is very professional. I also recommend the Lexington SC yard for any truck repairs. They work good, and quick, and its very laid back.

I was a consistant 4000 to 4500 a week driver.

4,000-4500 mpw...what a load of BS!!!

Well, I have yet to have any supertruckers take me up on this offer...but here goes: I will put up $10,000 cash and you put up another $10k and we will wire an EOBR in your truck. And if you can average 4000-4500 mpw with the EOBR over a period of one month then you win. If not, then I win.

Care to try your luck?

[terrylamar]

I was a consistant 4000 to 4500 a week driver.

4,000-4500 mpw...what a load of BS!!!

Well, I have yet to have any supertruckers take me up on this offer...but here goes: I will put up $10,000 cash and you put up another $10k and we will wire an EOBR in your truck. And if you can average 4000-4500 mpw with the EOBR over a period of one month then you win. If not, then I win.

Care to try your luck?

Or, maybe, he is talking about revenue to the truck. That would be my bet.

[Snowman7]

Or, maybe, he is talking about revenue to the truck. That would be my bet.

Ya think? :wink:

[dollarshort]

I was a consistant 4000 to 4500 a week driver.

4,000-4500 mpw...what a load of BS!!!

Well, I have yet to have any supertruckers take me up on this offer...but here goes: I will put up $10,000 cash and you put up another $10k and we will wire an EOBR in your truck. And if you can average 4000-4500 mpw with the EOBR over a period of one month then you win. If not, then I win.

Care to try your luck?

WRONG! You now have someone taking you up on your offer. I am finally gonna shut you ****ing smart ass up. Just because you are a disgruntled ex-OTR doesn't mean the job sucks for everyone.

There are plenty of OTR drivers that do quite well in their position.

So come on smartass, lets dance.

Sorry, didn't mean to highjack thread, but I am sick and tired of this ******* and his pessimistic horse****.

[terrylamar]

Or, maybe, he is talking about revenue to the truck. That would be my bet.

Ya think? :wink:

I was trying to be polite. 8)

[wild bill]

[/quote]Again, Im not trying to get a bunch of people jumping ship. Things are tough across the board, and I only speak from the time I have personally . Its difficult seeing the same load take a drop in rate about every few weeks to a month, and knowing that Im taking a paycut, while so many others in the industry are still making the same average rate

csramsey640

I don't drive for TMC but I am considering them in the near future. I was just wondering which companies are you referring to, when you say others are still paying the same rate?

I have a brother in-law that has been driving for 35 yrs., he has been with the same co. for the past 8 yrs. He is an O/O, and pulls a reefer. His net has dropped from a consistent $2200.00 to around $1500.00 a week. He has also decided to leave his present co. in search for better paying freight, as at least another dozen drivers have that work for the same co. some have been there well over 20 yrs.
Now I should say that his co. did lose a major acct. due to a bankruptcy so that didn't help matters any.

I'm just wondering if the drop in rates is an industry wide problem?

[Orangetxguy]

I'm just wondering if the drop in rates is an industry wide problem?

The drop in rates is industry wide. Monday I picked up a load(tanker load) in Sauget IL, to deliver in Beaumont TX, which 2 months ago paid $1389 + FSC to the truck, on 733 HHG miles. The load I picked up Monday paid $729.41 + fsc on the same 733 miles.

The only reason I pulled the load, is because it brought me home. I needed to get work done on the truck, and prefer sitting at the house over a motel room. Even still...I had words with management over the rate cut...I asked if there was any possibilty of the oil companies dropping the pump price of diesel fuel, to match their rate cuts to the truck. :?

[coalregion]

I asked if there was any possibilty of the oil companies dropping the pump price of diesel fuel, to match their rate cuts to the truck. :?

As God is my witness, I was thinking the exact same thing as I read through this. How is it that fuel is going up like a dime a day, but rates are dropping? :shock:

[wild bill]

My Brother in-law sat in Jacksonville Fl. for two and a half days waiting for a load. They finally found him one going to the Bronx, NY. It paid $1200.00. He Challenged them to find anyone that would take that load for $1200.00 to the Bronx. Needless to say he turned it down. He told them he would not take it for less than $2200.00 He finally got a load to New Jersey paying $2000.00
So it looks like he can still get a decent paying load but he has to sit and wait a lot longer than normal.

[Smooth]

I was a consistant 4000 to 4500 a week driver.

4,000-4500 mpw...what a load of BS!!!

Well, I have yet to have any supertruckers take me up on this offer...but here goes: I will put up $10,000 cash and you put up another $10k and we will wire an EOBR in your truck. And if you can average 4000-4500 mpw with the EOBR over a period of one month then you win. If not, then I win.

Care to try your luck?

WRONG! You now have someone taking you up on your offer. I am finally gonna shut you **** smart ass up. Just because you are a disgruntled ex-OTR doesn't mean the job sucks for everyone.

There are plenty of OTR drivers that do quite well in their position.

So come on smartass, lets dance.

Sorry, didn't mean to highjack thread, but I am sick and tired of this ******* and his pessimistic horse****.

This could get interesting .

[Bumper]

Nah. CFM is going to tap dance outta this like Fred Astaire in an MGM musical......

Or, maybe, he is talking about revenue to the truck. That would be my bet.

Hmmmm...thought he was talking about mileage..forgot those guys ran under percentage (and are now seeing the error in doing so when rates fall through the floor). Ah, I see my error silly me.

[wild bill]

I was just getting ready to ask that question, I know TMC gives the option of pct. or cpm. But I don't know how it works on a dedicated acct.
It seems cpm would be the way to go for the foreseeable future anyway.

[ben45750]

I was a consistant 4000 to 4500 a week driver.

4,000-4500 mpw...what a load of BS!!!

Well, I have yet to have any supertruckers take me up on this offer...but here goes: I will put up $10,000 cash and you put up another $10k and we will wire an EOBR in your truck. And if you can average 4000-4500 mpw with the EOBR over a period of one month then you win. If not, then I win.

Care to try your luck?

WRONG! You now have someone taking you up on your offer. I am finally gonna shut you **** smart ass up. Just because you are a disgruntled ex-OTR doesn't mean the job sucks for everyone.

There are plenty of OTR drivers that do quite well in their position.

So come on smartass, lets dance.

Sorry, didn't mean to highjack thread, but I am sick and tired of this ******* and his pessimistic horse****.

There is a part of me that kinda thinks CFM would actually put up $10,000 for this bet. He's right though, 16,000 miles in 30 days just isn't very likely. You might do 4,000 miles in a 7 day period but 16,000 miles in 30 days just isn't going to happen. Your talking a big game Dollarshort, but i'm thinking your the one thats full of BS.

Why do I feel like this conversation should be taking place on the CB?

[terrylamar]

There is a part of me that kinda thinks CFM would actually put up $10,000 for this bet. He's right though, 16,000 miles in 30 days just isn't very likely. You might do 4,000 miles in a 7 day period but 16,000 miles in 30 days just isn't going to happen. Your talking a big game Dollarshort, but i'm thinking your the one thats full of BS.

Once again, for those of you who don't actually read the thread, the numbers refer to REVENUE TO THE TRUCK not mileage.

[shadowsknight]

There is a part of me that kinda thinks CFM would actually put up $10,000 for this bet. He's right though, 16,000 miles in 30 days just isn't very likely. You might do 4,000 miles in a 7 day period but 16,000 miles in 30 days just isn't going to happen. Your talking a big game Dollarshort, but i'm thinking your the one thats full of BS.

Once again, for those of you who don't actually read the thread, the numbers refer to REVENUE TO THE TRUCK not mileage.

During the good times our drivers make lots of money on percentage but then quickly jump ship in the bad times when rates go down. Honestly if you look at a 5 year average of percentage vs mileage you will find that there isn't much difference unless you get really great rates. During the summer rates are good. During the winter the rates are bad. That normal. What I don't like is what the shippers are currently doing. They are writing the same check that they were 1 year ago. As the FSC goes up the rate goes down. This isn't just a TMC problem, this is an industry problem. My solution: if you don't like the rates then run for mileage.

Now for the other problems that were mentioned... ie MPG, idle time. I don't care who you work for you will find that this is common practice. How would you feel if you were paying the bills in a tight market and your employees were just wasting your money? You're just 1 driver out of 4000. Multiply what you waste in idling by 4000 and you will see a huge figure that the company would like to save.

Oh yea....you want thanks and a pat on the back! Thanks for doing a great job of wasting the companies money.
"Boogity Boogity Boogity!" "Lets Go Racing Boys!" -- Darrell Waltrip

[vonSeggern]

Freight rates are a mess. I took a load out of Vermont on Monday that paid less than a $1 to the truck (per mile) going out and on Wednesday got a load going in that paid $2 a mile. At 28% it probably all averages out but things are bad.

The shippers have everyone by the balls. They pay X for the freight and charge Y, making a profit. Who suffers? Drivers, operators, and TMC.

[csramsey640]

Ok some things need cleared up here. I averaged about 4-4500 in rev each week.


Shadowsknight, your the only one I will respond to This is not a downturn in winter freight, ive been through that before. Again, you must read, and understand before firing back that im wasting $$.

I run a dedicated customer account, which is night and day from a regional dedicated, line or long haul. We do not have a certification, and are just paid a flat rate 25,26,27% depending on years in the truck, with 27% being the cap. Unfortunetly, I am trying to get back to one specific area, so I dont/didnt have the option of turning down a load, nor does my fm, have the option to send me to an area with better $$.

All has been well on the account, because what some of the lousy line haul loads paid coming back, was made up for in dedicated runs going out. Now its a mix between the lower rates, and higher fuel surcharge, and a pi$$ing match with another major player going to the same places.

I am not saying TMC across the board is a horrible company, is out to screw you, etc,etc. You guys read into something its not. Im in a different division,have no cpm option, and operate different equipment.


Im saying that this downturn is one of our biggest yet, and on the dedicated side its harder. I havent abandoned the truck, screwed them over, etc,etc. They HAVE NOT screwed me over. Its just that they are cracking down and working to save $$, Im just not willing to give them $$ back out of my check to do so. I earned a 70mph truck, and im gonna run it...lol.

I should have never wrote a word, I just wanted potential new drivers to know that they must run by a strict set of rules, that are being more and more cracked down on. I still have made no enemies at TMC, and are not wishng to do so. They have been good to me, and by working out a proper notice, Im returning the favor.

BTW, wasting thier $$ ShadowsKnight, ck the top 5 drivers by Fleetmanager, youll find my name consistantly in the top 3-4 since going dedicated, and the list of top 50 TMC as well. Wasting $$ is washing a truck every week in the Northern winter, only to slam salt all over it 100 miles up the road, or 1 day later. Wasting $$ is being in Joplin to have 24 broken things fixed with your truck. IM on my 3rd truck and have never had such "problems"

[DaveP]

Freight rates are a mess. I took a load out of Vermont on Monday that paid less than a $1 to the truck (per mile) going out and on Wednesday got a load going in that paid $2 a mile. At 28% it probably all averages out but things are bad.

The shippers have everyone by the balls. They pay X for the freight and charge Y, making a profit. Who suffers? Drivers, operators, and [s]TMC[/s] (Insert Company Name Here).

Everybodies hurting...