This is why they are called trainers, they train new drivers. I don't know about you, when they showed us how to fold the tarp, I got it. I felt no need to see it again or even to do it. I knew when I went out with my trainer, I would see plenty of tarping. The trainer's way should be the TMC way. Yeah, it pi$$e$ me off to get only $10.00 for a tarping job.

I disagree with this statement because TMC will send you to orrientation right away, you will be placed with a trainer, finish training and be placed in your own truck before Maverick even sends you to orrientation. You will not have to wait two, three, six weeks or even months. You will make more money with TMC because of the delay with Maverick.

Personally, I would be on the phone with a recruiter at TMC first thing Monday morning. You need to take a proactive approach. I get irritated with TMC's recruiter's when they don't follow up on an application. It is not the first time I have read this. I was calling within 24 hours of submitting my application and frequently thereafter until I had an answer. Call, or settle on one of your second choices.

That largely depends on where you live. In my opinion, I would RATHER go with the company that isn't so hard up that they take anyone with a pulse asap. If a company isn't so desperate to get people in, that usually means they don't have the turnover issues some companies do. Just my 2 cents.

TMC is no more hard up than Maverick. Maverick is relatively new to the recruiting new drivers game. They do not have the infrastructure like TMC has. TMC has been doing it for many years now. I think Maverick has been hiring new drivers for about two years. Someone may have to correct me on this. TMC is also larger than Maverick. I have nothing negative to say about Maverick other than waiting for weeks if not months to go to orrientation. I have better things to do with my time than to wait by the phone. Earning money comes to mind.

While TMC's turn over rate is higher than I like, I attribute it to a problem with new drivers not understanding what driving and flatbedding is all about rather than a problem with TMC. TMC certainly doesn't take just anybody. Many people get turned away because of various reasons.

I agree that waiting will cost you money. But, it all depends on many factors such as having money to hold you over, if you currently are working, etc.

Again, as far as waiting to go to orientation, Maverick has 1500 trucks and having to wait weeks or months is a good thing in trucking. It means they aren't churning drivers through faster than most companies. They are in no rush because they aren't loosing drivers at a high rate.

TMC and Maverick are very similar. But like you said, and I've heard from others at TMC, there is a fair amount of turnover there. Why? The reasons I've heard was the treatment by dispatchers and the people in DM. I would say at least half the drivers I talk to have nothing good to say about the company other than the good training and equipment. I don't hear nearly that much at Maverick. Almost every Mav driver I talk to can tell me how much they like it there(and no, none offered to recruit me or give me their truck number).

I don't work for either so I have no first hand experience like you Terry. Although I did come close. I was pre-hired and was to go to one of their schools, but something came up and I couldn't go. Well, apparently that rubbed my recruiter the wrong way and she sent the most unprofessional nasty email to me about it. I forwarded it to the management at TMC but nobody responded. That little incident told me that I made the right choice and also sheds a lot of light when drivers claim the people in DM are real pr@cks. If it was anything like I was treated as student, I can only imagine what they do to the drivers. Anyways it worked out fine for me and I work for a good company with no complaints.

You can be submisive and accept the treatment as a second class driver or you can rear up on you two back feet and say I (the driver) am the only one in this company generating revenue. Your sole purpose is to support me. I don't take shiite from anyone.

Well, I do NOW as a driver. But there was little I could do in that situation as a prehire student. Fighting back against dispatchers or management will go one of two ways. 1. Your point is well taken and the problem fixed and all's well or 2. They're pissed and are on a mission to make life as hard as possible for you. How many times have we heard that last one?

I'll throw another one into the mix.

SWIFT - Flatbed div. Look at some of the other osts from drivers in the FLATBED div. Not VAN div.

From what i';ve seen so far, they treat their flatbedders a lot better than the van drivers.

But i have not started driving yet, i'm just getting with my mentor now.

Good Luck!

Flatbed is just not for me i guess ..GL for anyone Going into Flatbed...it seems tougher to get into that then Van...