tcurr, is there someone else at the company that you can voice your complaints to? I understand that you are telling the Fm but sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease and you have to go over their heads. Maybe if some higher ups realized how much money they were wasting on fuel because of bouncing everyone things would change.

I can understand your frustration though.

 

i wouldn't mind going into one of the good ole' boy meetings of drivers and bring up a few items. it may not be in my best interest but what the heck. maybe i can hook up with a greyhound hottie on the way home.

 

The last driver meeting (bit*h session) I attended in DesMoines, I sat right next to Harold Annett and told him exactly what I felt the problems were...especially about wasting money. Three months later; after realizing it went in one ear and out the other I left TMC.

 

whoops, gotta work on that! you can hit the "STOP" button on your browser's tool bar. The re "x" NOT the close one, the other one.

 

I was at the driver issue meeting last month, got to meet Tim Annett... nice guy. and yes it is nothing more than a good old bitch session. My trainer ( I won't bring up names) pretty much attempted to control the meeting ............ and he did... What I gather is the driver issues meeting should be centered around the drivers not all the top dogs telling you what the topics are and then focusing around the topic. I guess they have there reason.


Now pay......... Tcurr you will like this. Me and another driver from a different company picked up at a load of shingles at a plant in North Carolina to be delivered to Virginia to the same company..... that load was going to pay about 1.47 a mile the same load was paying him 2.75 I actually saw about 225 for this and talking to the other driver was getting close to 400 to do the same exact run. This guy worked for a company driving their truck using their equipment.


What alot of the young drivers needs to know about TMC is from stories that I have been told over the course of six months. Like the fact that Mr Harolds late brother owned the company in the beginning and alot of the stuff the drivers do todat would have never been tolorated with in past.



I think someone asked if there was some one else besides the FM to go to. I was assigned my FM OPS manamger safety ... ... ... ... ... when I got in my own truck, well I have lost my ops manager, and safety so I have no clue who I can turn to now, and I be damned if I am going to trust my FM. I even spoke to my FM I had while I was in training and told him I wouldn't mind working for him but he works specialized and ya have to have a year before they will consider ya

 

You guys have some great insight into the company and some of you have only worked there for a few months like me.

As far as detention and time...
Even though our time is free to the company, so to speak, it isn't if you look at it closely. tcurr, your bounce calculations make a ton of sense and are indisputable. If we are detained or have to spend a ton of time being detained it still costs the company money; they should take a look at it. I too have only received one detention pay for the countless loads that were macroed (is that a word?) Excessive and wasted time will eventually cost the company a load. Maybe not on the day that you are detained but the time will eventually cause you to miss a load. That's when it costs the company money, I assume that they see and understand this. On the team leader, fleet manager, load coordinator level, I don't think that they all get it. In many weeks, especially since the new log rules have been in place, I lose a load for the week because of detention. On this upcoming week, because I had to stop on Friday evening for a 10 hour, I won't be able to start until late Sunday and that will cause the whole nasty cycle to begin again. Yo Mr. Annett! It is costing you money

Also, in the cold weather, I don't need to idle a truck much. In the summer, while I am sleeping, waiting, or even while I am loading, if it is hot outside that AC will be on. As I found out that when I was frugal with idling I didn't get the certification points, I see no reason to sacrifice comfort when the bar is set so high anyway. So in the 2, 4, 6, and sometimes 8 hours that I am waiting for a shipper or consignee, the truck runs; at 1 gallon per hour it costs the company money.

If any of this causes driver turnover, HELLO!, it costs a ton of money to get us trained and productive.

Keep in mind, if that is what any of you might be thinking, I am not a lazy-a** driver. I don't screw around, I work. It's all about loads and Benjamins, you won't see me dingleing around at truck stops or pickle parks.

I have a bunch of management experience within large and small organizations. I have seen companies like TMC destroy themselves in their agressive attempt to grow too fast though acquisition and organic means. CEO's, and COO's have a tendency to overlook the obvious when attempting to grow too fast. Countless numbers of time, I have seen a successfull small business expand and collapse because they had no concept of how to get bigger. TMC is beginning to scare me because they are looking away from the basics and looking at everything big picture. What are the basics? Drivers, trucks, loads and therefore profits. I want this company to succeed and I want to succeed with them. If they lose me, tcurr, and johnc, they will lose good (yet rookie) drivers. No a**es in the seats, no loads, no profits. The will spend about, I estimate, $50,000 to replace us.

It's up to you TMC.

 

Your point about TMC wasting money by wrongfully bouncing is very good, except that your math is off a bit. ops: FYI, if half the fleet bounced 100 miles, that comes to 115,000 miles, not 1.15 Million. Your numbers may be off, but your mind set is right on. I currently drive elsewhere and am considering TMC. Good luck to ya and thanks for the insight.

 

What happened to the recruiters that always posted on here with everyone? I see no input, ideas or suggestions from them.

 

Got ya on the math was late an dI was tired but you get the point

Fixed it so as not to mislead the numbers are still boggling

 

FOr people considering joining TMC it is still an excellant first job. For all they do wrong they definately do alot right. You will learn the right way to secure loads to manage time to run legal etc. The training is very good and as stated it looks very good on the resume.

They have some steep hills to climb but if they overcome the adversities they face it will be an excellant company. I prefer to work for a smaller company with a whole lot more personal touch.

In the end its just best that you talk to everyone you can research all you can and make the best decision for yourself and your family that fits your needs.

There are some great folks at tmc Matt on here is awsome and will not mislead you.

In the end all companaies have good bad and ugly, you just have to make the choice of the lesser of the evils.