Those two sentences contradict eachother. The company has told you that due to the safe stat score you have a 97% chance of being inspected if you cross a scale. So just based on the statement more TMC trucks will be inspected then a company with a better Safestat score.

Good job on passing on your part, that will help improve the driver portion of the safesat score, but the fact that the trailer was placed out of service will go against the vehicle portion of the score.


terrylamar,

Make sure you read your permits completely and do not deviate from the route that is on the permits. Some states you can not run at night depending on your load and others will not allow you to run on the weekend. I asked Josh in Indy if TMC had a book of the restrictions for over sized loads for each state and he said no had had a kind of dumb look when I asked. Much to my satisfaction when I started at my new job, I was given a binder with each states oversized requirements and restrictions broken down by each state. What a concept. :roll:

 

Terry, the other night when I was at the warehouse, I thought of ya. Our warehouse is right behind the Flyin J/right beside I-27 in Lubbock. I saw a TMC going north towards Armadillo on I-27, but I didnt see a no flag on the trailer.

Sounds like a good check you had. Some times it happens like that. One week, real good, and the next you get short hauls, or cheap freight. :P

 

That is not true, I was faxed all that information. I don't know about Josh, but the permit department certainly has it all.

 

I still seem to be slow turning in my Trippak. Or rather, I think Trippak is slow picking up and turning them in. I have been turning them in on the same day I make delivery, I make sure the pickup time is after I turn them in and my average is still 3.1 days. I'm screwed by the fickle finger of fate!

 

I haven't been out your way in a while. I constantly ask my Fleet Manager to send me to the West. I get sent where I'm needed. I'll be out that way before long.

 

Cool beans. Hopefully, you will get a chance to come out here more.

 

Ok, hope these aren't stupid questions. Does TMC have a time line for you to secure your load during pickup? I know as experience grows you get faster but what happens if it takes you longer to secure as normal due to weather problems, injury or even being a new driver with inexperience? Also does TMC add extra time to give you time to deliver the load safely? Other words, allow time for fueling, time for you to eat, shower or even get some sleep. I read a post, here I think, that a driver waited almost 10 hours to get loaded and it had to be delivered the next day and it was 500 miles away. So the hours he waited to get loaded, he logged as time off, and drove all night to get the load on time. Ok, more than likely he didnt get any sleep while he was waiting to get loaded. If I remember right he got the load there on time. Good job BTW. Would he have gotten written up if during the night he couldn't take it anymore and had to pull over and get some rest which would make the load late getting there? The way I look at it, it's the shippers fault getting him loaded that late and knowing it has to be delivered the next day. So that shouldn't make the driver or TMC look bad because it got there late. Am I wrong looking at that situation that way? Ok thats all. Thanks.

 

I'm a brand new driver, I take my time securing and tarping. It is done to my satisfaction each and every time. If you are delayed for any reason not your own, your fleet manager will call and change your delivery time. From what I have seen there are several extra days built into almost every load. Your fleet manager takes the miles and devides by an average hour, I don't know what this average is. He gives you more than enough time to make it. There are some loads that have to be there at a certain time or day. You better make these. It is in your best interest. If you have to sit and extra day or over the weekend waiting to deliver that means less loads for you, consequently less money. It also means less money or TMC, they won't fire you, you penalize yourself with less runs and TMC might/probably will take off certification points so you will be making a lower percentage. In my very short experience, it is extremely hard not to make an appointment on time, even early. I am asking my FM to change my delivery time a day or more frequently.

 

I have determined that the very best way to succeed at TMC is to communicate, early and often, with your fleet manager. I have missed delivery appointments because of shipper, traffic, or regular truck driving BS. The thing is that I let my FM know what was going on and all was well. The FM's are overbooked on drivers and expecting your FM to know what is going on in your life is prit near stupit. Another example, if I end up being off schedule on my delivery times, I simply let my FM know the day before so that he can schedule a short load so that I can catch up.

As far as detention, I am sure the ne'er do well's and disgruntled ex TMC drivers would assume that TMC is stealing all the detention money and buying a new motor for the TMC race car. In reality, if you think of the fact that TMC has multi-million dollar contracts with shippers (Phelps, LaFarge, Tamko, Lowe's, etc.), weaseling detention pay out of them may not be good business. Although slow shippers F's up my day, I deal with it and go on. Often, because I am not a whiner, my FM rewards me with a sweet load.

Any current TMC drivers have any opinions on the new depart macro?

 

It's the begining of a new era, where eventually the company want's to go paperless logs. I met a newbie yesterday who was in his truck for 2 days, and he's on the Macro 11, sending in his 14 hrs start times. halfway there. Every fleet manager had to assign 2 guys to this new system.

I had a guy in my orientation class, who was also there on TQM the same time i was, and he's also on this 14HR thing. He says it's not hurting him a bit, b/c he mostly gets preloaded every single day, to match up his 14hrs, and to match his delivery times, even if it's delayed or so.

IMO until they figure out the weblogs to see that we are in the sleeper or off duty, and not on duty not driving or driving, i don't want anything to do with it.

Cheers

BND