there are still a few 387's running around with the KTL on the roof

 

Sheepdancer,

I am an experienced driver. I should have never went with a trainer, but had to becasue the recruiter was too lazy to verify my flatbed experience. As far as my pre-employment drug test, I was charged for that also to the tune of $68. The cost of orientation is neglible as the lodging was at the company hotel. Running my DAC and MVR as well as all of the above is the cost of doing buisness.

I have to ask what is your relation to TMC? If you are a driver for them, what is your total experience in the industry and what companies have you driven for?

I have driven for several different companies. At none of them have I had to pay for a pre-employment drug test, orientation, disposable accident camera, bunk warmer, NOTHING. So yes the company is making money with this little charge. I am sure that TMC is right in line with the national average of 120% turnover. You do the math, every week they put 75 bodies in DesMoines for orientation.

I just hope that any one that is even considering this joke of an outfit will give pause and consider an opposing view to what is presented by the fanbois.

 

$35 is cheap for a bunk warmer. at http://www.flyingjestore.com/index.c...MBER=3&SKU=100 its $79. so you had to pay for some stuff big deal. write it off on taxes. im sure that it didnt break the bank. besides, you signed the paper that said you were being charged for all this stuff, if you thought it was so terrible, why didnt you leave then? i had nearly 12 years of driving and went with a trainer. they didnt show you how to do the paperwork in the orientation so you have to learn somehow and still be able to get you and the company paid. that would suck if you didnt get paid because you didnt want to go with a trainer for 2 weeks to learn how TMC processes the bills and learn some of the company policies that are in the handbook that just got tossed on a shelf in the bunk, if it even made it to the truck.
if you want a good job and have a desire to work, then TMC is a good choice. maybe not for you and others, but it seems to work for the other 3100 of us.

 

Well I put a long rant on here, but backspaced it off. It's enough to say my husband is also leaving tmc. His 6 months we think is up this week. He has worked for a few other companies also. Wanted to try flatbeds. While he does like the work he doesn't like TMC so much. He does like his FM though. And he is in the top 5 earners each month. But all to often he isnt making vey much on a load. Seems a couple good loads a week and a few very bad ones. Might be better to be paid by miles. When he figures out what he is making per mile with the % system he is on, often its like this load, 26 cents per mile. Unreal. he made more when he started out many years ago. TMC is by all acounts here, a great company? Maybe I am biased, I have been at UPS for 22 yrs. They dont have the organizational skills they need at TMC. My husband is buying a truck this week-end and going O/O. Seems like the best way for us to go. Even consistantly being in the top 5 earners he isn't making what he is used to.

 

Mudflap,

Thank you for your educated unbiased response. You are right, if you read my original post you would see that I did consider leaving at the point when it was brought up to us about the camera and bunke warmer. But it was convienient that this was after we were at the check out phase. Ok so you have "justified" charging for the bunkwarmer. Every company I have ever worked for would issue the bunkwarmer to the driver in hopes that the driver would no idle the truck.

What would be the justification for you to charge the $5 for the disposable camera? You know this little thing that should be issued to the truck and used for load claims and accidents? Once again, TMC is the only company that I know of that is frugal enough to charge the driver for this.

You bring up a very good point regarding the 3100 other drivers. Have you ever spent any time talking with any of the drivers from the former companies that were aquired by AHI? They dont paint such a pretty picture. What is that other company that is known for rapid growth through aquisition of companies?

The biggest mistake that I made was going to work for a large newbie company. Over 2/3 of the fleet has less then 1 year experience over the road. This is reflected in the attitude displayed towards the driver by the company. It is also without a doubt connected to the incredible safestat rating that AHI currently has. You do realize that the SWIFT has a better safety rating then TMC? There has to be a reason other then the day of the week why all of those big black shiny peter cars are being found greasy side up. And of course we can not forget the big brother attitdue, face it, TMC is no more then a black and chrome Werner with web logging. Oh you are told straight up that you will be nailed if you try and bend the book in regards to line 3, but wait driver when it comes to time at a customer go immediatly to line 2 and stay there until you are ready to move at which time you back log 30 minutes on line 4 and go about your way. This was told to us by the log girl in DesMoines during our check out phase. It is ok to falisfy your log if it is free time, but dont do it on the money line 3 for the driver.

On the topic of money, maybe you have a low self esteem and feel that drivers deserve $40,000 or less a year. I ended up making right around the same milage rate as san415's husband. Why should drivers be worried about foreign guest workers coming here to work for less when you and the rest of the fanbois are here. You seemed to have skipped over the issue of the company running the frieight through the inhouse brokerage before it gets to the truck. I am sure you justify making a % of % of the freight charges. What about the HHG vs Practical miles? If you doubt what I say please send me a PM with your email address and I will provide the AHI rate and tarif guide that will spell it out for you.

A good example that demonstrates exactly what TMC feels a drivers work is worth is the rate that they pay for "company buisness". They compensate the driver with $0.20/mile HHG for any load that is for the company. Yes you a valued member at TMC. If 1/2 of the effort was spent on quality of life issues instead of Mikeys race car, that might put a dent on the revovling door of turnover. 60-75 warm bodies show up every week for orientation. Lets play the conservative numbers, and say they have 50 weeks for holidays. On the low number that is 3000 new drivers a year that go through orienatiton. Yes driver with at least 100% turnover things are better at TMC, the drivers that leave are just malcontenet.

I feel that TMC is not the only guilty party when it comes to companies in the trucking industry. I am sure they are not the worst. But I do think that at the end of it all, it is the few drivers that are willing to stay and work under these conditions that lowers the bar for the rest. It is almost like an abused wife, no matter how many times you are abused you go running back.

I welcome anyone to try and refute any of the claims that I have made against TMC in regards to turnover, pay, HHG vs Practical, safe stat score, accident rate, average experience level of the fleet with hard facts and not speculation. Once again if any would be interested please send me a PM with your email address and I can provide you with documentation from AHI that will confirm my claims.

 

Buzzdog,
Also I didn't mention my husband is at 31%, So makeing that much when figured out for miles, really means TMC shouldn't take loads like that, or more likely, that they ae paying themself off the top in some way prior to deciding what its worth to the driver. They also seem to have a problem letting experienced drivers off the road, He only gets home for about 1 1/2 days every 4 to 5 weeks. And once again, only through alot of yelling can he get home this week-end. I don't think older drivers would want to stay there at TMC. To many other options out there. Anyway live and learn, he is making plans to leave them now.

 

They're really pretty rolling roadblocks. Seeing "Destination Excellence" on the back of a black truck means "Look for an opportunity to grab the hammer lane." Wherever Excellence is, they ain't gettin' there fast.

 

Whoops, I missed the fact that there were already 153 replies in this thread. Nevermind.

 

Probably not his 700 bucks,but what if 100,200,300? or more drivers quit every 6 months,then how much do they make?