Re: good news...
 

Hey Von, how come you didn't offer me this deal. :lol: :lol: My trainer and I got along well though, so it all worked out.

TookMaker: I had to meet my trainer at Nashville TN airport, which is 1458 miles from my house, beat that if you can. :lol: :lol: :lol:

BowSlap: You will not have to run illegal on any load. If you can not legally run the load then you are free to refuse the load.

TO Everyone: I just got assigned my own truck today in Columbia SC. (On a side note I almost think I have more miles in a rental car than during my six week training period driving a Peterbilt. :lol: ) I have number 92005 with 59,000 miles on the odometer. My only complaint is that it was a smokers truck, so I'll live with the odor a bit longer. I am almost used to it now since my trainer smoked as well.

I'm a newbie that will be turning 49 in a few months. I'm also thinking of applying with TMC and starting my career there. I'm a paramedic now and ready for a change and trucking is something I said I was going to do when the kids all left home. Me and the wife want to eventually team and I think that maybe TMC even though they don't hire teams would be a good place to start for me to get the experience. I also like the idea of not having to wait 6 months to take the wife with me to see if she can adjust to the life before she starts out. I was thinking of going with Schneider and had never really given flat beds a thought. Mainly because I always heard it was very hard for older newbies to do. I had been seeing a TMC ad in the local paper and then Sunday I saw a TMC driver at the local Lowes and stopped and talked to him. He said he started out with TMC 2 years ago and was now making around $70,000 this year. He said he was on the percentage pay. He had nothing to say but good things about them. He said he never had a problem getting home, always had the miles, and get treated as a human being. He said the load securement techniques really made the job easy. He said the hardest was tarping and a lot of the time you could get them forklifted to the top of the loads. He said when you couldn't do that the training really helped make it easier to get them up on the load. Is what he was telling me pretty much the truth? If it was I am going to contact them a soon as I can do it away from work. I live in West Texas about 40 miles from Lubbock and hopefully they will hire from here. I haven't read all 93 pages of the TMC forum yet but have read quite a bit of it and also Flatbed Freds site. If anyone can let me know if he was right about things and anything else I should know I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Tim

You would be AMAZED at the applications TMC and I see EVERY DAY! You'd be even MORE amazed at how many companies hire drivers you wouldn't let park your car.

TMC doesn't ADVERTISE they hire teams because they wish to stay away from the associated hassels of two drivers fighting and switching out etc... The DO run quite a few husband/wife teams though so you should have no problem teaming with your wife.
Whenever I had to lift (drop) a tarp it was only from my side box to the ground, after which the forklift guy ALWAYS offered to toss it up top for me.
TMC hires from all states but your home time will vary depending on if you are inside or outside of the "Orange Line" shown on our website's hiring map.
Feel free to call me any afternoon or evening if you want to shoot the breeze or ask any questions.

Hey Rawlco Congrats on making your dream come true i wish you the best of luck!!!!

Re: good news...
 

CONGRATS on getting your own truck. That's great :D

Looks like my trainer in NY isn't going to work out.....maybe it's WV now........no matter where they send me, hopefully I won't beat your mileage!!

jeff

So i just got off the phone with the recruiter and she said that TMC doesn't allow for any power inverters in their truck. That kind of troubles me. What are my cooking options? is there another way to hook up a microwave or it buffets and hotdogs while on the road?

Re: good news...
 

You would have been almost done by the time I unloaded my trainee. If I didn't evict the wingnut I had as a trainee 2 weeks before I would have been there for you. Fabreze and good old Maine air will get the stank out.

Ah, the eternal question....LOL.

I can see TMC's point of view in regards to the inverters....to big a chance of someone wiring it incorrectly and burning down a $110-120k tractor.

It's convenient to have a microwave in the truck to make a hot meal, as opposed to spending money on a truck stop buffet that'll not only drain your wallet, but will play hell with your health(always in moderation).

Remember, however, there are still ways to enjoy a hot meal with out an inverter-dependent microwave, the buffet or those evil hot dog roller thingies*shiver*....

They do make the hot plates and food warmers that plug into a power port(formerly known as the cigarette lighter plug), and if all else fails......I've eaten more than one turbo meal. Sounds low-rent, but it does a damned good job. Considering how how today's modern diesels run, you can have a searing-hot meal in less time.

You could also look into a small propane-powered grill. I've seen some pretty small one that'll fit easily in the tool area in your sleeper. Just remember to use common sense and follow all safety guidelines.....more than one way to enjoy a hot meal on the big road, just gotta be creative.

Still waiting on the employment pack to arrive from Des Moines.....hope it arrives soon....

Hey guys.. Thanks for all the info you put up here, as a newbie it makes all the difference in making an educated decision in employment. I've read almost all 94 pages in this thread and alot of other stuff in other sites (including the incredably informative flatbedfred site) about TMC and some other reputable companies in tricking. That said I am leaning toward TMC, I like the thorough training, the solid and growing company and big black Petes. I'm looking foward to the challenge of flatbedding and want to learn it right.

Anyway I'm about to start the 10 week driving half of my schools 20 program in northern CT. The school maintains that i could finish up early, possibly by the 2nd or 3rd week of March. I submitted an application on line at the TMC site and spoke briefly with some lady in DSM. I want to make sure that my application initially qualifies me for employment at TMC, is it possible to have someone do some checking on this for me?

I have submitted applications at the schools preferred companies for prehire but TMC doesnt go to my school. Again thanks to all, especially Rawlco, vonSeggern and Fred for the info