[devildice]

Originally Posted by Smooth

TransAm is not a great company and I can understand you wanting to pursue new options , but you definately should wait until you get your full year experience in , this will give you many more options . Take weeks if not months finding the right fit for you as a driver with the best company for you . I don't find myself feeling bad at all for drivers that just sign on with anybody because there in a hurry to try something new because it fits there need that day . Some better sites to search for your next job include
www.careerbuilder.com

www.truckertrucker.com

www.bubbajunk.com

www.fullfleet.com

http://www.ooida.com/RC/viewlist.asp...0007&sid=50025

and try all your local sunday papers , good luck

I agree with Smooth, but IMO, the best sorce will be speaking with current drivers for a company....not "A" driver, but several.....get the most current accurate information possible.

[spencerian]

I agree about the research.

I read madii's post. I laso had 2 friends start for TransAm about a month before I did. Everything was great.

Then shortly after I started I hear my friends and maddi having little issues. Now maddi's husband and one of my friends have quit.

There is a reason why. Sitting for 9 hours to get loaded with no detention pay, constant harrassment from night dispatch, poor load plans, and hometime that is only available after 3 or 4 weeks.

And there are drivers that think TransAm is the best company in the world. So don't ask them. But if you do, ask who else they have worked for. Ask how many felonies they have. When I was in Olathe last I talked to about 6 drivers. All had felonies. Only one had less than 2 felonies.
So because TransAm was the only company that would hire them, they believe that TransAm is excellent.

[marcel27208]

Originally Posted by devildice

Disclaimer: This is not directed to just Spencerian, but for anyone.

Even though I am new to the industry (actually haven't entered yet as I am in CDL school) I would like to echo what many experienced drivers have consistanly stated in the past with regards to companies......."research, research, research".......research a company hard and thorough BEFORE signing on the dotted line. Make sure you have as much information as possible, fully understanding what to expect and what not to expect so that you can make an educated decision. This is a great site for some info, but should not be the sole source.

you can research all you want but the sad fact is sometimes companies dont add up to what they say there are going to

[spencerian]

^^ I agree with the above^^^

[ROCKYROAD]

There sure are a lot of judgemental people calling you a louse. I would keep trying them out until you find the right company. Hope it works out.

Originally Posted by spencerian

I agree about the research.

I read madii's post. I laso had 2 friends start for TransAm about a month before I did. Everything was great.

Then shortly after I started I hear my friends and maddi having little issues. Now maddi's husband and one of my friends have quit.

There is a reason why. Sitting for 9 hours to get loaded with no detention pay, constant harrassment from night dispatch, poor load plans, and hometime that is only available after 3 or 4 weeks.

And there are drivers that think TransAm is the best company in the world. So don't ask them. But if you do, ask who else they have worked for. Ask how many felonies they have. When I was in Olathe last I talked to about 6 drivers. All had felonies. Only one had less than 2 felonies.
So because TransAm was the only company that would hire them, they believe that TransAm is excellent.

[Twilight Flyer]

Doesn't appear to me that anyone is calling him a louse. I've followed the threads about this and it all boils down to job-hopping and more than a few people have tried to make that clear to him. Bottom line, 3 jobs in 6 months just won't cut it with most companies. And for each additional job he picks up, he severely lessens his chances of getting on with another company. And what's worse, when he finally gets that year of experience under his belt and starts looking at companies that pay a lot more than what he's getting now, none of them will look at him because of the jumping around. That first year is never easy and doesn't pay well at all. But you've gotta put that year in before you'll be able to find a company that you can make decent money with.

[Karnajj]

Originally Posted by ROCKYROAD

There sure are a lot of judgemental people calling you a louse. I would keep trying them out until you find the right company. Hope it works out.

That has to be the worst advice I have ever seen given on a trucking website bar none. All that will get you is black balled. You eventually will reach a point where even the worst of the worst won't even return your phone calls.

[Cluggy619]

I had to read this post twice. All I can think is: "spencerian is right to quit." 1400 miles a week? Are you all kidding me? Tough it out? Earn your miles?

He already tough it out by waiting 10 weeks. 1st 1400 mile week for me would have been the last. And I'm not nice. They would find their abandon truck at the bottom of a lake. (that a hint since your up in Michigan. :twisted: )

None of you on this board would work for that slop. Niether would I.

Best advice I can give him, and all of you, is NEVER stick it out with a lowpaying company.

Stick it out. What kind of stupid advice is that? Glad I don't do that $hit. If a company don't want to pay a decent wage, leave it ASAP.

Stick it out. What a bunch of BS. :evil:

[Useless]

Originally Posted by Cluggy619

I had to read this post twice. All I can think is: "spencerian is right to quit." 1400 miles a week? Are you all kidding me? Tough it out? Earn your miles?

He already tough it out by waiting 10 weeks. 1st 1400 mile week for me would have been the last. And I'm not nice. They would find their abandon truck at the bottom of a lake. (that a hint since your up in Michigan. :twisted: )

Cluggy;

The problem here is that Spencerain's circumstances do, indeed , suck; at the same time, REGARDLESS of who is at fault, or who is to blame, ultimately, a person's employment history is his/her responsibility, and fair or unfair, the driver is the one who will be held accountable for his/her decisions and actions.

Four driving jobs in less than a year's time is simply too much for most reputable companies to accept. As an employer, a business owner and investor, and as someone who spent that first year OTR, I did not write the rules but the rules are, none the less, in full force.

Simply stated:

1.) "Fault" and "Blame" Are A Loser's Game!!

Those who focus their attention upon who is at fault, and who is to blame, (and, speaking from decades of experience, the fault and the blame invariably rests upon someone else's shoulders!!) find themselves on the outside looking in, and there really are no "and's", "if's', "but's', or "maybe's" about it, regardless of circumstances. Desireable companies and good employers have no use for professional victims.

A keen focus upon Personal and Professional Responsibility and Accountability, and the willingness and determination to operate in those two intertwined dimmensions are what prepair and position a driver, or someone in any other career field, to be able to advance into the more desirable jobs and positions.

As an employer, why should I bet my payroll budget on a professional victim, when there are plenty of far more attractive candidates to court who can solve problems rather than create them, and increase my bottom line, as opposed to costing me hard earned revenue through high maintanence, baby-sitting, more problems, and increased turnover??

2.) In Trucking, In Any Other Profession or Occupation, or Life In General, You Either Adjust, Or You Go!!

In driving, or in any other career field, as an employee or a business owner, or for that matter, as an active or passive investor, and in personal relationships as well, if you can not adjust from one day to the next, one week, month, quarter, or year to the next, you'll soon find yourself left behind those who can and will adjust to an ever-changing environment.

The days of a company's "Five Year Plan" have gone the way of The VHS VCR; Unless I have bought an underperforming company, I NEVER "restructure" my companies, but rather, lead my people and condition them to perpetualy growing and evolving. Five years?? I'll be so far behind the curve that I'll have to look up in order to see the bottom!!

Trucking is even more exponentially caught struggling to deal with the problems of today, because of poor planning and inefficiencies in years past. That problem will only worsen in the years to come.

Now, as an owner or a manager, I have never been involved in the trucking industry, with the exception of one specialized niche area where the people (men AND women, not just "guys") who know the business do the hands on managing of it., and they do it quite well.

My observations as an OTR driver were that I have NEVER seen an industry that seems to survive in spite of itself as the trucking industry seems to do.

That makes the difficulties and the challenges of a new driver even tougher, and, IMO, tougher than they should be, certainlly tougher than they need be.

Spencerain's situation is magnified even more, because he got started on the wrong foot with CRE. So bad were his circumstances (and they indeed WERE very bad) that he sought "any port in the storm, which is what predicated his job jump, which was based upon what I call "The Hope System"; with his lack of experience, ALL he could do was HOPE that the next job might get better. Unfortunately, it did not.

At the same time, no one who has been here at CAD for ten months need be reminded that ALL of this could have been avoided if Spencerain would have LISTENED to those of us who were trying to help him.

Sure, he and I have had our differences, but I still tried to reach out to try to help him, (NOTE: I said HELP, not SUGAR COAT!!) and to help get him to see where he was setting the stage for his own defeat, serving as his own worst enemy, and yet, in this very thread, you see how he has reacted.

Methinks Spencerain is just going to have to hit bottom. Sadly, his children will most likely sink with him. I'm through trying to help him, but I never give up hope that some other noob, wannabe, or plan2B may read this thread, learn something, and research and plan ahead.

Life is only 20% of what happens to you; the other 80% is determined by what you do about it. The sooner new drivers accept that fact, and embrace the opportunities for growth that come with it, the better off they will be.

Peace,
Useless

[spencerian]

I just save myself 10 minutes and avoid reading Uselss' comments.
But I swear if you don't know ME or my kids. So leave them out.

I would never put them in jeopardy.

So answer Cluggy's post.

How many weeks at $400 would you work?

How many times would you put in for hometime ONLY to get it approved for a month AFTER you have been on the truck?

How many times would you call or message your dispatcher only to get NO response?

See I just sat for 24 hours in Michigan. Now I get a good run. 1100 miles to Cheyenne. But after Cheyenne they will give me a Dodge City meat run that won't pick up til Monday. It will be about 1000 miles too, and drop on Wednesday. So that will be a 2100 mile week. And for what? $672?