Profile For metalhead

That's great to hear! It seems almost everyone has hurdles to overcome when getting their trucking career underway but not everyone has what it takes to battle through them and make it out there but obviously you did.

Keep enjoying yourself out there and be safe!

By the way, are they running you coast to coast or are you staying within a certain region?

I am getting ran coast to coast and most of the 48. I am also proud to say that I made the top performer list this last quarter. I am having a blast out here and about a month ago my soon to be wife started riding with me and now she is considering getting her cdl. I know it took me a while to respond but I don't get online much anymore. Thanks again for all the wisdom and support :)

It's been a while since I have been on the forum. I had a rough start to my driving career but now I am very happy with the company I am with which is Trans Am. I have been driving for them as a company driver for about five months now. The pay isn't great buy you have to start somewhere and the experience that I have been gaining is priceless.I absolutely love my job and I could never imagine doing anything else. My wife lives with me out on the road and this has actually brought us closer and our relationship is better than ever.I know there is alot of bad reviews online about Trans Am but that is true with just about any company out there. Trans Am will give you a chance even if you have a past and they have top of the line equipment.

Yeah that's a bummer. You gotta remember though that it won't just be customers, you'll be driving to all different parts of the country; many of those places will have entirely differently ethnic makeups if you catch my drift. Not to mention the truck stops where there will be a varying cross-section of races every night. If those tattoos are highly visible you may run into problems just walking in to use the restroom. Are they in places that can easily be concealed by sleeves or hats or something? If not, what about permanent removal? I know it's probably expensive, but I wonder if it's something a local employment assistance office would cover in order to help you get a job?

unfortunately the only way I would be able to cover one of them up with clothing is if I wore a turtleneck all the time.Ive never had any problems getting along with people out here in the free world when it comes to those issues and I conduct myself in a very professional manner (for the most part) I have thought about the laser removal process but it is too expensive for me right now. If the same thing happens at Trans Am ,I will just assume it is the tats that are giving me problems and I just might try to take out a loan to get them zapped off

That seems really odd that they would just let you go without any type of explanation, especially considering the fact that you did so well during the time you were there and got along so well with your trainer. It doesn't seem to be in their best interest to fire someone who shows the potential to be a valuable asset. Is there perhaps any other information you can provide which might give us some more insight as to why they would make such a foolish decision? Maybe something in your past which they discovered in a background check? Or maybe some incident that happened which you thought was minor and have therefore neglected to share so far? I'm really just baffled that they would do this for no reason.

yes,I do have a past.I did ten years in prison and I didn't hide anything on my application. I am covered in tattoos and there are a few visible tattoos that would be considered racist.Im not into all that anymore but the reminders are on my skin.Thats the only thing I can think of.But if that's the reason why wouldn't they just tell me?

I might hazard a guess that a customer saw those tattoos, knew they were racist, and complained to you company. That is not an image their company wants to promote. Just a guess.

I was texting with my trainer last night and that is one of the guesses that he had also.He tried to stand up for me,but it didn't work.maybe I will have to invest in tattoo makeup just in case.Trans Am is going to give me a chance,so hopefuly things will work out for me this next go around

That seems really odd that they would just let you go without any type of explanation, especially considering the fact that you did so well during the time you were there and got along so well with your trainer. It doesn't seem to be in their best interest to fire someone who shows the potential to be a valuable asset. Is there perhaps any other information you can provide which might give us some more insight as to why they would make such a foolish decision? Maybe something in your past which they discovered in a background check? Or maybe some incident that happened which you thought was minor and have therefore neglected to share so far? I'm really just baffled that they would do this for no reason.

yes,I do have a past.I did ten years in prison and I didn't hide anything on my application. I am covered in tattoos and there are a few visible tattoos that would be considered racist.Im not into all that anymore but the reminders are on my skin.Thats the only thing I can think of.But if that's the reason why wouldn't they just tell me?

Seriously, take everything Old School said to heart. Anyone getting ready to start training should read what Old School said over and over until it's drilled into your brain. The reality is that this industry is incredibly difficult to get started in. The money for schooling and the length of time it takes is really very modest. But the toll it takes on your nerves and your life as you've known it can be huge. It's exhausting, it's stressful, and you're overloaded with information continuously. You often feel like you're hanging on by a thread because of the workload, and you'll often feel like you've chosen the wrong company or the wrong industry altogether because things are so different than you expected.

Go in with an open mind. Do anything they ask of you (assuming it's safe and legal of course) and do it with a smile. Work hard, listen and learn, and stay positive. If you'll keep moving forward one day at a time and keep a great attitude and work ethic it will work out great in the end.

I am definitely going to stay positive, move on and try again.I just felt kinda used by the company.I gave them a couple great weeks of work just to be let go without explanation .supposedly with Kentucky right to work act they can just let you go without any kind of explanation or reason.

can anyone tell me what to expect?

Metalhead, the single one biggest thing that trips people up when trying to get started in this career is their expectations.

first off thank you Old school for your advice and feed back.First off I finished my phase 1 training and then I was "let go" without any kind of explanation.I ran 8 thousand miles in 2 weeks and my trainer and I got along great.I did everything I was supposed to do only to get called into the office in Murry Kentucky to be told I can't work there.Yes I am bitter and the first thing I did was go online and blast the company.That was childish of me but I acted out of anger and disbelief. I am still baffled but I am just gonna move on and try again.

I can't tell you how many times people have quit their trucking jobs, or gone home before they even finished their orientation and training period because things did not happen the way they expected them to. This job is so unique to itself, and involves such a commitment to a unique lifestyle that is contrary to the way that most people live, that it is like a startling slap in the face for many when they first try their hand at it.

The best advice that I can give you, knowing that you've already tried this and blamed your failure on the company you chose, is to expect it to be hard - incredibly hard. Expect to miss home, expect to make very little money at first, expect your trainer to treat you like a dummy, expect about half of what you thought the recruiter told you to be false, heck, you might as well expect the barbecue sauce they serve you with one of the free lunches at orientation to be nasty tasting - we actually had a guy go on a rant in here about that one time!

Expect that you are going to feel like you are being mistreated, that's right because you may very well feel that way. I went through my entire training period going through what most people would consider as untenable mistreatment. The folks at corporate told me afterwards that they knew I was going to be tough enough to handle the job because they very seldom had people make it all the way through the training with this guy! They knew what it was like to endure this nut job, and they still had him training people!

A big part of the training at many trucking companies is designed to test you and see what type of personality you have. If you are the type of person who can't problem solve and keep moving forward in a stressful situation, or manage to get along on a daily basis with really disagreeable people, you may not make it in this job, and they would like to qualify whether those qualities are in you or not, right up front. The training is front loaded with stress because they want to know if you bail at the first signs of trouble, or if you have got the testicular fortitude to face down a dragon and slay him when it is necessary. They will usually give you enough rope to hang yourself, or incriminate yourself by your own reactions, which is why you see so many people on trucking forums slamming companies for the way they were treated - they went in there with false expectations, then they jumped ship and cried foul because nothing was like they thought it should be.

Now, let me counter all of that with the fact that I love this job, and I excel at it every week with measurable quantifiable results, and some really nice paychecks. I'm not saying in any way that you are going to have to be miserable in this job, but what I am saying is that 99% of what most people expect it to be like when they first get started is totally bogus and based on false assumptions. If you want to enjoy success at this career be prepared for a tough time of it for that first year. It literally takes that long to get a feel for how to manage all the many things that can take their toll on you while out there on the road. This job is a problem solvers wet dream. You have got to be on top of your game every day because it's just that type of environment. If you love a challenge then you can do well out here. If challenges tend to make you leery and your mental endurance tends to shut down when taxed, then I say beware the trucking career.

I go to Trans Am orientation next week,can anyone tell me what to expect?

I go to PTL orientation starting on May 20th.Is there anyone out there that has worked or is working for PTL at the moment that can give me an inside scoop?

Metalhead,

Welcome to Trucking Truth and PTL. You are going the same route that I did. I got my CDL at a community college. It wasn't TCC, but I have taken classes there.

The motel ain't no Motel 6, but you won't have to worry about getting bounced out of bed while sleeping. There are waffles, bagels and cereal for breakfast. There will be a plate lunch provided at PTL. Evening meal is a voucher for the buffet at Sirloin Stockade about a block away from the hotel.

There will be a driving test, but I think is more of a test to see if you have ever been inside a truck than a test of driving. I was there around Thanksgiving. All of the trainers were on their way home. The trainers pick the trainees, so don't be afraid to talk to someone you think might be a trainer.

Have fun with it. PTL is the only place that I applied and I am pleased with my choice. If you have more questions, shoot me a message.

thanks for the reply,I have read alot of negative things online about PTL and it is nice to finally hear someone say something positive.

I just graduated Tidewater community college truck driving school in Portsmouth Va. The cost was a little over 2600 and the course was 8 weeks long.I had 12 people in my class and we had 8 trucks.The schooling was 5 days a week 7 hrs a day.After about 2 weeks of classroom the rest of the time was spent on the skill range doing backing and docking maneuvers and driving on the road.I averaged 3to 4 hrs of actual seat time every day. I highly recommend going the community college or votech route,you will get more seat time and better training.