Tango is grow rapidly, hiring tons of new drivers, yet noone here has written about them, so:

Tango's main accounts are paper mills and walmart add some federal express expedited runs and thats 90% of their business. Anyone who has been to paper mills esp when delivering scrap knows u could sit there in line for hours on end. Pay is 39cpm, detention pay and layover pay is like pulling teeth to actually get paid so no need to mention it. You have to be very precise at checking your pay because they will muddy the waters with per diems, use any opportunity to omit a run on your settlement or under pay you for mileage, mileage rate, reimboursements of tolls, scale fees, etc. Deadhead miles tend to be low but they tend to way understate how much deadhead a run has: 30% discrepancy seems average. Loaded mileage tends to be about 5%, less than 10% discrepancy from what i seen so far using the prescribed route. Added mileage to get to your mandatory fuel stops are on you. Average weekly mileage around 2000, higher if u manage to stay away from louisiana with all their short runs to the mills. Hometime for regional fleet is 3 of 4 weekends defined as a 34hr period. do not expect to be home on the weekend that you request, they will plain lie to you and tell you they have no runs to get you home, wont preplan you ahead of time. Often you get excessive time to complete runs and if you CAN deliver early, your next run wont be ready yet. I have actually run 2 days ahead of my preplan only to have to sit for 36 hours (not to reset my 70). Do not expect great miles early in the week, it seems u get offered good runs when its time to head home, baiting you to stay out.

Tango runs electronic logs, 65mph international straight ten and freightliner cascadia automatics. No, u cannot choose.

 

sounds like most other companies out there. Yeh, I used to haul for risinger brothers and they run the IP plant out there in mansfield. Wasn't to impresed with them when I talked to thier drivers.

 

its funny when a driver comes up to a Tango driver and asks 'so how do u like it over there' and see the blank stare and a moment of silence from the Tango driver.

 

Actually the pay depends on verifyable experience...Its not a bad company despite the tone my other posts took. They do have some growing pains and most office and dispatch personell are way overworked. All in all i would recommend them and ill be happy to answer anyones questions about them.

 

Rumor has it Tango is trying to get to 2500 drivers...from wherever they can. currently at about 1000 drivers, new trucks being delivered every day. Sounds great to me, they just have to get their support infrastructure improved to handle more drivers; 24hr repair shops, experienced dispatchers and other office staff are lacking.
Currently Tango does not offer major medical until you are on for 1 year- that is something they will have to change if they want to achieve this goal. Retaining drivers is a big challenge atm, too many drivers quit because of dispatchers and benefits.

 

Adding more drivers, keeping trucks that should be replaced, cutting dispatchers, cutting freight planners, cutting maint. personnel, cutting payroll personnel, cutting sales forces ... seems like a recipe for failure, but they are all operating this way the last 4 years or so. The company bottom lines remains healthy as they capitalize on inflated fuel surcharges, but for the bulk of the drivers operating at about 60% of capacity week in and week out, it sucks but it's going to remain that way as far as the larger carriers go for those who are not in the category of "a company man" and won't give 110% when it's asked of them.

Hang out with a small carrier, and each week you wonder if they are gonna leave you hanging 1,500 miles from home and owing 2-3 weeks back pay as they close the doors and shut off the phones one day.

 

Reminds me of First Fleet! Another big company that hauls to paper mills. I sure dont miss them, the stink and smell of paper making is so gross. I do know that Tango lost a big account to First Fleet in Louisiana , there home state because I was one of the drivers delivering trailers to there facility, awkward at best when you see there drivers and First Fleet is taking them over! They seem to have nice equipment and I do see there trailers all over the deep south. I guess thats why I just got a job with a smaller family style company that does not run electronic logs and no governors!