Have A Serious Question...

I have a very serious question that I really need an answer to. I have to say that I am very unhappy with where I am at. The more I see of this company, the less I like it and I believe that it is not going to be a good fit for me. They told us upfront that if we left before 90 days we were responsible for our hotel and transportation to orientation. I drove in so that's not a problem. But if I leave now, will they require me to pay this hotel bill upfront? I have pay that I am owed for this week so they can take that. But I just don't have the remainder. So what do I do? I am set on leaving and going to a different company but if they have me by the neck on this bill, I am not sure what to do.

By the way, for those that have read my diary, it is not the job that I have issue with. I don't doubt my abilities. It's the company and their policies and training time and other various things I am struggling with.

So it's about miles and training. I will tell you that other company drivers at prime who upgraded before me told me to expect 1200 miles the first few weeks so the Fleet manager can gauge how you run and see how you manage your time. Also itallows you to adjust to being on your own. The least I have gotten is 2000 the most has been 2900. So the drivers were full of crap. I asked my FM about it and he told me that I seemed polished and he'd give me as much as I can handle. I was also told prime would pressure me into a lease. Here was the pressure o got "are you going lease or company?" No further discussion. When. I said company.

As far as training... I can honestly say I am learning more on my own than I did with a trainer. The teaming part of training basically felt like I was being used to pad my trainers wallet. I drove... and drove.... but was never in the kinda of situations I am now. I make stupid rookie mistakes that weren't discussed because I didn't know I would make them and need the answers. If I didn't ask a question.. I didn't get information .... but how do you know what to ask?

My point is.... don't listen to people they are usually full of crap. You want to leave.because of the lack of miles.. and pressure to lease but that might not be true. And you didn't give them a real chance.

If you go to Prime you can be out with a trainer for 30k miles which can seem like an eternity. I know a few people who didn't feel comfortable enough being alone so they are teaming after they upgraded. That is an option here.

As far as the hotel bill... don't pay it now. What are they going to do arrest you? are you really saying you have never been late on a bill before? You have your car.... leave and pay it later. Send them $5 per month. If that is your worry you would have a heart attack to see my finances lol

I read your diary. What a tight operation! (TT is family oriented, so I had to phrase it that way.)

I think you're saying you have another company lined up? (I am set on leaving and going to a different company) At any rate, maybe you could finish school & get your CDL , and have the new company pay the tuition. Never hurts to ask now! Yes, your life now belongs to New Company for a year, but you were planning that anyway.

Dropping out of school ahead of time means you'll probably be back at square one, with two tuitions to pay!

I already have my CDL. I got a WIA grant and went to private school. I don't owe anything. I have a back up option in mind and I don't think I will have a problem getting on with them. My driving record is nearly perfect and I have no criminal background so no strikes against me.

My biggest problem here is the training time. You only get 11 days on the road with a trainer. Now that I'm here and back in a truck, I'm seeing that this is definitely not good for me. I need time to work through things and get somewhat comfortable with what I'm doing before getting thrown out on my own. There's no option of asking for more time either.

Secondary to this is the pay. The company is significantly lower than every other company out there. And I keep hearing that company drivers don't get the best miles with them. So it's not working out financially for me. I could stay at home and work another factory job and be home every night and make nearly the same amount of pay.

I have no interest in leasing and I don't like feeling like I'm being told that the only way I'm gonna make any money is by leasing.

I have no interest in leasing and I don't like feeling like I'm being told that the only way I'm gonna make any money is by leasing.

That's TransAm talking. Whatever happens you're not staying with them, so "in one ear and out the other".

So you only have the hotel bill to worry about? No matter what they say about paying it, plan to make payments you can handle.

So a small hotel bill in exchange for a company that will pay at least 5 grand more annually. Sounds like that hotel bill would be worth paying yourself.

So a small hotel bill in exchange for a company that will pay at least 5 grand more annually. Sounds like that hotel bill would be worth paying yourself.

My thoughts exactly. It makes more sense in the long run. I had a gut feeling from day one of orientation that this wasn't the right place for me and I wish now I had listened to it sooner. After a long conversation with my husband tonight I've decided to go ahead and leave tomorrow and start over. I still have some unemployment left to get me through but I hope to be in with my back up company as quick as possible.

I'm not the one to trash talk or bad mouth a company. And I don't have any reason to tell someone not to go with TransAm. Their equipment is amazing ( although I've discovered I don't really like the Kenworths. I've found myself missing the old beat up Freightshaker I drove in school!) and the perks are there. It's simply not the right fit for me personally.

..... So who is your backup company?

Ok I'm a little confused.

You had to know what the pay was and the length of training before you agreed to go to work for them, right? So why is this suddenly not going to work for you? It sounds like you were fine until you arrived there. My guess would be you got to talking with some of the company drivers and they said a bunch of negative garbage and now you're afraid you're at the wrong place. Am I right? Because their pay and length of training was something you knew ahead of time. I don't understand why the sudden change of heart.

I knew about the pay and length of training before I started. I was also under the impression that I could average between 2500-2800 miles a week which would have made the pay work. Now I'm getting the picture that I'm going to be lucky to get 2200-2500 miles. Which doesn't work.

As far as the training time, I believed I could make it work. But the more I'm out here on the driving and backing range I'm realizing that it takes me a little while before things start to click. I should have known this when I had to extend my school out. But the more I get into this the more I see that 11 days is not going to be long enough for me personally

I'll be honest. I've heard some negative stuff here. But it all had to do with the lease operators smashing the company drivers. I don't want to lease and I don't want to have my back to the wall either. The overall impression I'm getting is that if you are not a lease operator, they will make your life "difficult" until you do. I'm not saying this is true but I can't afford for it to be

Overall this is primarily about following my gut instinct. It's been screaming at me from day one that something was wrong here. I have given it some time to see if it was just nerves/fear but it never changed.

Errol, my backup company is western express.

So it's about miles and training. I will tell you that other company drivers at prime who upgraded before me told me to expect 1200 miles the first few weeks so the Fleet manager can gauge how you run and see how you manage your time. Also itallows you to adjust to being on your own. The least I have gotten is 2000 the most has been 2900. So the drivers were full of crap. I asked my FM about it and he told me that I seemed polished and he'd give me as much as I can handle. I was also told prime would pressure me into a lease. Here was the pressure o got "are you going lease or company?" No further discussion. When. I said company.

As far as training... I can honestly say I am learning more on my own than I did with a trainer. The teaming part of training basically felt like I was being used to pad my trainers wallet. I drove... and drove.... but was never in the kinda of situations I am now. I make stupid rookie mistakes that weren't discussed because I didn't know I would make them and need the answers. If I didn't ask a question.. I didn't get information .... but how do you know what to ask?

My point is.... don't listen to people they are usually full of crap. You want to leave.because of the lack of miles.. and pressure to lease but that might not be true. And you didn't give them a real chance.

If you go to Prime you can be out with a trainer for 30k miles which can seem like an eternity. I know a few people who didn't feel comfortable enough being alone so they are teaming after they upgraded. That is an option here.

As far as the hotel bill... don't pay it now. What are they going to do arrest you? are you really saying you have never been late on a bill before? You have your car.... leave and pay it later. Send them $5 per month. If that is your worry you would have a heart attack to see my finances lol