I'll throw my two cents in on TMC. First of all they are an excellent company to learn flatbedding, with a strong emphasis on safety. Safety will be hammered into you and you will be tested on it. There will be alot of tests and you will work every single day through orientation, no days off, no time off, usually from 6am to 4pm. Lunch will be provided the first week, after that you are on your own. My suggestion is to bring your own vehicle, because the company van will not take you someplace to buy lunch, so starve or get used to the vending machine.

I have only two gripes with TMC's training and orientation.
First, the trainers for the driving part of the orientation NEED to be on track with each other. We would go out with one trainer one day, then the next day we would go out with another. It seemed like they would contradict the previous day's trainers way of doing thing. The orientation training when it comes to the driving of the vehicle NEEDS to be uniform (this is South Carolina) I cant comment on Des Moines though.

Secondly we had guys that had gone through orientation only to find out that there wasnt a trainer either in their state or more than 500 miles from their home location. It would have been fair to those drivers to know this ahead of time before going through the whole orientation process. I dont know many people that commute 500 miles or more, to get to work.

TMC isnt perfect and no company is and you will fine guys who do nothing but bitch about a company they worked for, or talked to some disgruntle baby about a company that they worked for, but TMC is pretty good as far as I'm concerned. I decided that flatbedding wasnt for me at this time, but because my scores were high and got along with the trainers I can come back to TMC when I'm ready I'll go back to TMC.

Rule of thumb, dont ask the recruiter any detailed questions, except about trainer availability etc. Trainers in every company will lie to you, its their job. Mine didnt lie to me because I didnt ask them anything that would give them the opportunity to lie. Just go with an open mind and dont listen to the hype or the flack. Its bad to go to a company with dreams of riches and home everyday and its worse to go to a company with low expectations as well.

 

Oh my god you are so correct about Columbia. Jake the backing and yard guy was cool though.

 

Wow that was alot of reading, just very curious how much do they pay.. For instance if your just out of training with your own truck. You earn 3800 for the truck, what could you expect to make?

 

Anywhere from $874 (@23%) to $1216 (@32%), depending on your certification percentage.

 

Do you get paid for tarping and securing load?

 

For tarping you get an additional, hold me back cuz I am going to the promised land, $10. Securement is part of the deal.

 

:lol:

 

I just got out of Des Moines orientation. Same crap as Columbia, sounds like. All I heard all week was drive legal and be safe! Then every driver or trainer I,ve talked with said toss that out the door. Well I have been with my trainer for one week and seen how it really works!!!!! You know how this is going to turn out. I wont incriminate myself, anyway. The road trainers in DM is the same.

 

Get out while your ahead.It will not get any better.They will run you to death or will starve you out.

 

I'm still there, not running to death, and not starving. Besides, how can YOU, of all people comment? You never WORKED there have you?