New to the site so bare with me, I'm considering going with TMC but I have heard a few things that worry me. First, I have heard you are expected to get 5 loads a week. 2. I have heard guys say they sometimes only get 3-5 hours of sleep at night. 3. I've heard that hometime might only be Sat afternoon to Sun afternoon. 4. You have to run illegal and falsify your logs to get the 5 loads. I'm not trying to bash TMC at all, I'm looking for some current TMC drivers to give me the facts no matter what they may be. I live around Port Huron,Mi and I think there is a couple of TMC guys that live close by, I would love to contact them and talk one on one but I don't want to "stake out" there trucks and look like a stalker. Any help is much appreciated. Also, Fred, your site is great, it has helped answer a lot.

 

I heard guys say that Snow White lost her virginity long before she met Horny and the other six dwarves . . . seems she was hitching and got a ride from a TMC driver . . . .

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: LMAO

Poorboy I take it you are a student? Don't believe everything you here. Trucking is tuff, it is no 9 to 5 and their will be times that you don't get much sleep. You are the one that will have to manage your time. I have never worked for TMC but talk to Flatbed Fred I think he will be honest with you, alot more then any recruiter will. With any company you will find drivers that like it and ones that don't. Out of all the flatbed companies that hire newbies I would pick either TMC or Maverick to start with. They both have good training programs, nice equipment and good pay for the newbies. Who ever you go with stay their for one year and keep your nose clean, then you will be pretty much able to go anywhere you want if you are not happy their.

 

I've actually been driving for 13 years but I am considering trying flatbedding, so I would be new to that. I have always been able to get my sleep and still make my loads with a clean log and it concerning me when I read about TMC pushing to get 5 loads a day with no sleep. I have owned my own truck and sold it when fuel skyrocketed and pay didn't. Played the whole broker thing, waited to get money owed from brokers. I appreciate the tips though and hope to hear from some TMC drivers past or present.

 

Most times you CAN get 5 loads/week delivered when running line haul. But guess what? If you can't, you can't. Sometimes $hit happens and you'll run out of hours or be too tired to drive. That's when SOME guys screw up. They run the load anyway and come on here or other websites and complain about it when they should have just told their fleet manager "I'm out of hours, I'm taking my break, goodbye." TMC, the COMPANY, requires you run legal. Fleet managers, the PEOPLE, sometimes push a little. PUSH BACK! You are the boss of YOUR truck. Drive it like that.

 

Fred - So are you saying that this is not the normal everyday routine but a once in a while problem?

This may sound like something a rookie would say but I don't want to work somewhere that I will be at constant war with my dispatcher. It doesn't have to be like that and if it is you are the one who always gets the shaft. I would think since TMC pays you according to your perfromance, if you argue with your dispatcher your percentage will go down and you will sit and get the leftovers. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very much considering TMC I just want to make sure this is not a daily problem. I don't like changing jobs so I research as much as possible before I leap, keeps you work history looking good.

 

Fred - I forgot to ask when you would be updating your pictures with some of your local runs with your day cab?

 

Jeff has been driving with TMC since Sept. he gets 4-5 loads per week. He always takes his 10 hour. He has had 2 really good dispatchers (First one is leaving the company) and hasn't had a problem there. One time he got a layover in Texas.

 

For me it was only a problem ONCE. I discussed it with my fleet manager and all was cool. It you let people take advantage of you, some will, some won't. I won't allow it so it doesn't happen. TMC has no surplus of drivers so they really don't want to push anyone into leaving. There is a chain of command too and if you have problems, you can ALWAYS go over someone's head without ANY fear of reprecussions. TMC is GREAT like that. The bosses care how we feel and what bothers us and work IMMEDIATELY to resolve it. Some drivers LOVE running VERY hard, others, like me, don't. After a couple of months your fleet manager will get a feel for how you like to run and it actually gets easier. :wink:

 

SOON I hope. I actually BROKE my $700 digital camera trying to take a picture a couple of weeks ago. It left it on the deck of the trailer while I finished strapping a load and didn't realize until I was pullin out. The guard saw it and FRANTICALLY :shock: yelled WAIT WAIT WAIT so I hit the brakes a bit hard thinking maybe I was dragging a body or something the way he was freaking out and I guess it fell onto the catwalk in front of the trailer and then the ground. Was in 3 pieces after that. :cry: I'm asking "Santa" for a new one. :wink: