Skillet

Great website, next time do us all a favor and not include your pic!!! SCARRRYYY

hey von, is that pay that you posted is that gross or take home? if that is your take home pay i am doing something seriously wrong! :?

That would definately be gross pay.

i am constantly amazed at how many people know so little about the company and make it seem like they know so much. my pay is just fine. as a matter of fact my loads have been VERY good this week and no tarps. and my truck revenue is headed back north like it should. there is still plenty of money to be made here if you want to do it. :moose:

Orientation Monday
 

I will be attending TMC Orientation Monday in Des Moines, They have me classified as an E2 and on Dedicated S.E., I was woundering if there are places to eat Dinner around the hotel?

Nothing much.
 

As far as anything close by to go to eat you won't find anything other than the crap in the vending machine inside the chrome cafe. The terminal is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. I know you used to be able to sign out one of the TMC vans and go into town for something to eat. That was a few years ago, so I don't know if they still allow it. You can also call in pizza to your room, but that gets old after a while. I usually went past the airport and to the mall. There is quite a few different choices around there. Good luck to you!

Thanks
 

Thanks for the info Dollarshot, I'am looking forward to joing TMC and appreciate any info that may help me out..

TMC
 

Sure, no problem....

I was a driver for TMC about 5 years ago. I have moved on to a sweeter deal. As far as a training company, you will not find a better one than TMC. As I have said many times, having TMC on your resume will definetely help you down the road in your career if you choose to make a change. Their securement classes can be pretty intense but pay attention, because it will be the most important thing you will learn in your upcoming adventure. A good piece of advice for you to remember....After securing down a load and you look at your headache rack and their is still a chain or two still hanging on it, there is always a place that they could be put on the load. Nobody ever got in trouble for too much securement. Other than that just be patient and give yourself a good 3-6 months after being on your own to get into your own groove. The first few weeks after going on your own will be very overwhelming. Don't give up. You will get it. Just don't get in a hurry and shortcut something that will sacrifice yours or someone elses' safety.

Sincerely, Tony

Jeff just passed his CDL test today and will be joining TMC on July 10th. :D

The hotel does offer room service evenings and weekends and it's GOOD. The TMC Burger is awesome and VERY filling. Other than that, the Chrome Cafe serves hot lunch.

Yes you still can use a company van to go "off campus" for food, groceries etc...

Good luck to you with training and congrats!!!

Jeff Congrats Too!!!! See how easy it was!!!! hehehe

Life is Good!

I just got home from my second week with my trainer, it was all Great, "Thanks Brian."

I'm happy to say that I will be leaving out tommorow, by way of rental car for Des Moines Iowa, to get my own truck, looking forward to it big time, it was nice driving my trainers truck the last two weeks, but as we all know, it will certainly be better to drive my own.

See ya'll on the Big road!
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NC, i was out in your neck of the woods earlier this week. glad everything worked out. go get one of the nice new 379's :D

Where at?

delivered in ayden, drop/hook in laurinburg and spent the night in kings mountain. a lot of skinny road driving

[quote="mudflap276"]delivered in ayden, drop/hook in laurinburg and spent the night in kings mountain. a lot of skinny road driving.

Yeah it does sound like you did some skinny N.C. road driving, the reason I asked was to see if you had been by any of the places we picked up or delivered to, but Kings Mountain is like about 40 miles from my house, so I guess you stopped at that truck stop off of exit 5 on I-85.

We took a our break Wendsday night up at Raphine Va. at White's truck stop if you ever get up that way it's off of I-81 exit 205.

It's a nice truck stop with great food and free showers, I know I'll see that place again, it reminded me of the way I remember truck stops from the old days, in other words, "they are all about taking care of the truckers."


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definitely will check it out

A couple of TMC questions......
 

So much great info here guys!

First of all, Is the 6 weeks with a trainer always mandatory, or can the time be shortened if the trainer sees that you are ready before then?

The next questions may sounds inconsequential, but we just wanted to know:

During orientation, do they put up more than one person in the hotel, or do you get a room to yourself, and also, are any of the meals covered during orientation?

One more......once orientation is over, how long will the time at home be until training begins?

Re: A couple of TMC questions......
 

another week down. cant say it was a great week. sunday started with a 660mi run then monday got another 660 back through the house then tuesday i had a full service. after that i spent the afternoon getting sh!t on by a shipper in bedford heights. spent half the day wendsday looking for consignee's. oor was through the roof on that one. got routing up a restricted road so that didnt go well. found my way around after a while then i got the qcomm and my directions mixed up and got turned around again. i had a 2 stop load in eastern pa. but i got unloaded by about 1700ish loaded out of a place above philly . got a nice run up to NY was unloaded relatively early compared to the other day. well to make a long story short. i still didnt make it home until 2230 on friday. oh and did i mention i didnt get a shower since tuesday morning before i left for that F/S. all in all i am coming to the conclusion that this is just another meat in the seat co. and they really dint care because they can get 20-100 ppl in orientation a week. hate to sound negative but i am hanging in there and doing everything i can (i think) to do better . well dint mind me i am just being tired and b!tchy

Hang in there John, everyone has a bad day once in a while just as everyone has their bad week's, God knows I've had my share and then some, a couple or few months ago at the last company I was driving for it was like right before I came to TMC everything that would go wrong, did go wrong, but I just shook it off and stood back and made note of the fact that no matter how bad I hate it, sh*t does just happen, thats life, we can either tuck tail and run away when times get hard, or we can pull up our tarps and straps and drive on..

Drive On TMC!!![/b]

To: Newbie's wife
 

If your husband is handling the truck well and is a fast learner when it comes to securement they might cut him loose early. They used to want you to drive a minumun number of miles also, but this could be overlooked also if his trainer thinks his is ready to go.

This was the policy a few years ago, as I was cut loose early in training and given my own truck. I don't know if they still do it for sure. Maybe one of the new trainees can tell you for sure.

As far as staying in the hotel in DesMoines, it kinda sucks to share a room with a total stranger but it's better than sleeping in a truck :)

Even after orientation and you are on your own, anytime you stay over in DesMoines you will probably share a room. It sucks if you and your roomate are on different schedules if you know what I mean.

John, I like the "meat in the seat" comment :)

Hey guys Love the dedicated so far in two weeks been home 8 times by 5 3 times by 1, home friday by 5 and 2. Made more money in the first two weeks there then i did in my last 6 weeks in line haul.

Hopefully the new software they are installing will solve alot of line haul issues but one of the nights I stayed out I slept in the yard in indy. It looks like a peterbuilt dealership there are so many trucks there.

I know everyone is frustrated with the new rules etc. But it was interesting to talk with a few people (in the know) and the reality is that black boxes in every truck on the road to tell your log is coming and alot sooner then later. I even had the chance to talk to a DOT about it and he confirmed.

The entire industry will be affected by the change and will suffer. TMC is trying to be ahead of that.

Dollarshort is definately right there is nothing like that sweet local job but the cold hard truth is they want 1 to 2 years of exp. I dont think you will find any better company to do your time with then TMC. This isnt a tmc stroke its just a reality of the best of the worst.

Any big company will have issues. You just need to try to do the best for yourself tell you can get that job like dollar has.

I can tell you there are alot of those 2 year plus guys turning there trucks in now for the greener pastures. The changes have kind of forced the vets to reeevaluate there positions.

I think most of the big companies and even small will hit this same big issue when this all goes down and thwe fact is TMC will be ahead of the game with solutions.

I gaurentee they are not happy with the revenue lost caused by this stuff. But it is going to be a cost of business for everyone in the industry. In the end the freight prices will have to go up to match the losses suffered and the driver compensations will as well.

Re: A couple of TMC questions......
 

usually, weekend at home then leave on sunday to deliver. the wait depends on if a trainer is available in your area. he may have to driver and park a car at the trainers house during the week and drive home friday.

Peterbilt 379's?
 

When your assigned the 379 at TMC, what is set up already in the truck? Is there a frig., microwave, TV, inverter...etc. I have my own CB. Keep the CB at home and use the one that comes with the truck? If no inverter, can you have one installed and how large of one will they allow?

Thanks

it has cb installed. not "supposed" to have an inverter in the truck. there is not a lot of room for a fridge. i have a small one and it gets in the way when i want it next to the drivers seat and when i bring one of the kids with me. it already has tv antenna's installed.

Oh my gosh NC Trucker. You actually choked down that stuff they call food at White's?? I have heard nothing but bad about that place as recent as a few months ago from a bunch of old timers. The only thing you can eat and not get sick or an upset stomach is a plain piece of bread. Better off hitting the Wendy's or Burger King. Can't say anything bad about the showers.

Good luck on your own though. :D

where do I start.... in the past three weeks I have been from started out in Summerville SC picking up a load of coil wire and dropped it in Blackstone Il then a couple more loads in between then the past two weeks I made a request to run the freight and that is exactly what I did... Rolling River, NC to Huron SD down into Nebraska to pick up a load of steel that went down into Arkansas. then a load of weights out of chatanooga TN that went back to north carolina. Another load out of NC that took me back out the both North and South Dakota then work my way back to the house loads in north dakota south to Missouri, and finally got a load to get me back to the house in South Carolina

Re: Peterbilt 379's?
 

Guess I was referring to Peterbilt's web site. It has a virtual tour of the inside of the truck and it looks like there is a refrigerator behind the driver seat. Microwave and TV are behind the passenger seat.

Is there room to put a fridge in the compartment behind the driver seat? I wrote Peterbilt and haven't received a reply yet. :?

Sorry...Here is the link http://www.peterbilt.com/index_gal_m...model=model379

Talked to Jen today, she set me up set up to arrive in Des Moines on Monday.
I'm gonna drive, no way I'm taking Greyhound.

I was trying to find a company with a local training terminal, but at least I'll only have to make this drive once.

Good Luck, I'm hoping to start with TMC Aug. 21st.. I live in New York State and plan on driving myself also since when your done with the 2 wks orientation they send you back home to hook up with a trainer. I don't want to get stuck at the hotel and not be able to get around.

Bugsy

I got your PM and I PM'd you back. If yu need any other help let me know or if you have any questions I can answer them. Thanks

Matt

Thanks Matt

My husband will be coming as you are leaving. He is going to orientation on July 10th. He is also driving.

Talked to Jen this morning, she told me TMC trucks don't have inverters :sad:
How do you guys live in these trucks without powah? :shock:
I want internet access and a microwave 8)

I also called the maintenance department, they said only a few trucks have inverters.

:twisted:
mine does. and i have internet access and warm food. usually.

You can get a 12 volt plug for your laptop. You can use a microwave in the truckstops or use a burton lunchbox to heat food. I was told that microwaves don't last long in a truck anyways.

I also wanted my dish network in my truck. :roll:

This job may not be happening. :cry:

Sounds to me like you want to drive a recliner, not a truck. Don't get distracted with all the add-ons, your job is to ,FIRST, drive. Get on the road, then add what you need as you see fit.