If you know of a specific trainer, you can request him. If not then you'll be assigned one near the end of your orientation at the TMC terminal. The reason why they wait until the last minute is because there are so many variables that change constantly. These include:
-The trainers getting a new student or a student switching trainers can have the trainer available sooner or tie him up longer
-The trainer sending a poor student home and suddenly being available
-A new student requiring an extra week of training
-A new student being released from his trainer early because he is good
etc...
They will try and get one as close as possible to your home when you finish orientation.
Hope this helped.

 

I finished my first week out with my trainer. We had one lousy week for runs.

Monday, we delivered steel tube to Larado, we waited hours to be unloaded, then we picked up steel coils from the same drop yard. Drivers, avoid the TMC yard in Larado unless you want to wast a whole day. We were there for about 11 hours.

We then delivered to Pollock, TX. That went smoothly.

By that time we were out of hours. We had a problem with the suspension on our trailer and had to bounce to the TA in Houston, they were the only ones within 150 miles that could fix it that day. Our next load was out of Houston and TMC covered the out of route miles. We wasted another five hours at the TA and they couldn't fix the trailer. They told TMC they could. We went to the shipper and spent the night, it took a while to get loaded with steel sheet. We then went back to TA and had the trailer fixed at their expense. Seems like TMC chewed some a$$.

Then we drove to Seminole, TX to deliver. Bounced to Rotan, TX to pick up a load of sheetrock for Kansas City, MO, a monday delivery. I got to go home early for the weekend.

We seem to be bouncing a lot. It is all under 150 miles, just, for some reason. :wink:

I don't know what you guys are talking about flatbedding being such hard work, I've had more rest this week than I have had for many years. :lol: I would be really pissed at the pay if I was not out with my trainer. He got screwed. Ni modo, we'll make it up next week or the one after. I'm having a lot of fun driving, now if I can make it out of Texas :!:

 

If TMC does not quit buying those T800's and 387 Pete's there going to loose there( Black and Chrome) status!!!

 

The T800's and 387's come in black, TMC adds its own chrome. They will still look sharp.

 

I rember the first couple times I had seen drivers step out of a TMC truck I thought that TMC stood for THE MULLET COMPANY ,As both drivers resembled a poor mans Billy Ray Cyrus ...If their really is such a thing as a "POOR MANS " Billy ray . :lol:

 

Hey there Terry...........I was cleared!!!!!!! Finished orientation today, flying home tomorrow......there are zero trainers in my area (CT) so I have to call in every morning and check my trainer status for the next week.

jeff

 

Hey Terry, welcome back and glad to hear you're enjoying it so far.........but what in the world would you ever want to lave the great state of Texas......you should be ashamed of yourself for saying that :wink:

 

Translation, please.

 

If I leave, coming back is so much better! :lol:

 

The more that I find out about TMC, the more I'm unimpressed with the company. Freight is picking up, and we're (me & trainer) are getting loads quicker with just a little lag time here and there. However, I've never liked the overall attitude of the people at the Des Moines terminal. I was there today to get some fuel, truck washed, and my trainer had some things to pick up. He was showing me around the place and all the friendly people must've taken an early lunch. Two words describe most of the people that I've come across - rude and unprofessional. You need to move, instead of excuse me, could you step over here please. One girl just looked at my trainer and said, is that your trainee? How about, hello, how are you, and is that your trainee _____________? I was introduced to one person that knew my trainer's name, was polite, and actually smiled. Perhaps my trainer isn't well liked in Des Moines, but I've seen this kind of behavior before.

"Destination Exellence" is pretty far off as far as I can tell. I'm not here to bash the company, but how is that we as drivers are held to such a high degree of professionalism, and the people at headquarters act like a bunch of spoiled brats?