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Hi everyone, iv been driving for pam transport, went to c1 training and started for pam 9 months ago. I like the company and their equipment. But I don't like the pay or miles I get, I guess a good starter company. Needless to say I can't stay here any longer, I'm about to lose everything. Anyway I'm looking at other companies to work for and have 3. I'm thinking about. So I'm wondering if anyone out there knows anything about these 3 companys. US express, Arnold transport or frymiller. Thy all talk good but I'm sure they will. I read reviews and it seems everybody hates everything. I know it mainly depends on me but I could use any info anybody has, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and I'll keep yall updated on where I end up and how it goes. Thanks again

Welcome aboard Edgar.

If you've been at PAM for nine months and you're not getting top miles then you really have to figure out why that is. I can guarantee you there are plenty of drivers averaging 2,500 - 3,000 miles per week. Now we're just starting to crawl out of the slowest time of the year for trucking, especially for dry van companies, so things are kind of slow right now for a whole lot of people. But you've been there plenty long enough to prove your worth as a driver and form a good relationship with dispatch. And of course PAM has been around a long time and they're quite successful so you know they have the miles available. The question is why aren't you getting your share?

If you were to go to any of the three companies you've mentioned you will find the same situation you're in now. There will be top tier drivers getting excellent miles, there will be a bunch in the middle, and there will be some that aren't getting squat.

Trucking is a performance based career. Those who perform well and form good relationships within their own company will thrive. Those who can't figure out how to work the system or can't get the job done will languish.

Not getting enough miles is really no reason to leave a major company as large as PAM. If you wanted better pay, more home time, or to haul a different type of freight then I'd say go for it. Give another company a shot. But there's a reason you're not getting the miles you want right where you're at and if you don't figure out why that is the problem is going to follow you from company to company.

Now I worked for US Xpress for almost six years and I know for a fact they're an outstanding company. I really know very little about Arnold or Freymiller but like the others they are big, successful companies and you can certainly expect the miles to be available and the equipment to be solid. But before you leave PAM I think you should really try to figure out why you're not getting the miles you expect. Maybe you're not performing at the level of the top tier drivers. Maybe your dispatcher isn't performing at the level of a top tier dispatcher. Maybe things are just temporarily slow for the company across the board right now. But you really have to learn how to work the system. You have to perform as a driver but you also have to lobby for more miles. You have to move appointment times earlier when you can. You have to find ways to convince customers to load and unload you more quickly, hopefully ahead of schedule.

There are so many nuances to being a top tier driver. It's not just about making deliveries on time. You're competing with the other drivers at your company for freight because there is only so much to go around. You know there's plenty for the guys at the top and enough to get by on for the guys in the middle. You have to hustle as a driver and you have to communicate with dispatch. Let them know what type of miles you expect. If you're not getting the miles then you have to keep sending messages and making phone calls until you figure out why.

What kind of miles are you getting right now? Have you spoken with other drivers at your company to see if they're getting more than you are?

I will get 2600 miles one week, 1800 the next and then a couple at at 1300 to 1500. I ask for more miles and my Dm just says it's slow. I seem to get a new Dm every month. It's would be a little better if they paid more than 29cpm. I try to pick up and deliver early but my Dm tells me I can't do that. They don't pay detention or charge it to the companies so it seems that the companies don't get in any rush. I sat 24 hrs last week to get unloaded for free. I'm trying to get it all figured out but my Dm don't seem to be much help. Thanks for your help, I will listen to any advice that will help.

Well the problems you're having are quite common and it's part of the learning curve early on in anyone's career. Being a driver is a lot more like being a business owner than it is an employee. You're competing with the other drivers at your company for freight. You have to be creative when it comes to managing your time and you have to hustle to make things happen.

For instance, picking up and delivering early. That's one of the keys to cranking out a consistent 2,800+ miles per week. If you sit back and wait to make pickups and deliveries without trying to get the appointment times moved forward you're definitely not going to turn the big miles. You're going to spend too much time sitting around waiting on appointment times.

Dispatch and customer service like to tell drivers not to mess with appointment times because they want to have control of everything that's going on. And anything you do they'd like you to do it through them. Well you'll quickly find out that doesn't get you very far. When you have appointment times there's nothing wrong with calling the customer to ask for directions and while you have them on the line find out if they can squeeze you in early. Rarely will they commit to it, but unless they tell you specifically that you're not allowed to show up early then show up early.

When I arrived at the customer I used to tell the shipping clerk or dock workers:

Listen, I know you guys are busy and you're doing all you can but if I can get unloaded a little bit early it's going to make a world of difference. They have another load waiting for me after this one but I'll miss out on it if I can't get out of here by 2:00 and I'll have to sit the rest of the day. I'll lose about $250 out of this week's paycheck if I can't get that next load so I would really, really appreciate it if you guys can help out in any way. If you can't then I totally understand but it would be awesome if you could.

They'll usually just say, "We'll see what we can do" so just say "Thanks so much! I really appreciate it!" and wait quietly in the truck with your fingers crossed. More times than not they'll get you loaded or unloaded early. And trust me, your company isn't going to get mad at you for taking the initiative to get more work done in less time. That's what making money in business is all about - efficiency. The more efficiently you operate that truck the more money everyone makes and the better service the customers get. Everyone wins.

Now as far as you changing dispatchers quite often, that's no good at all. You need to stick with one dispatcher for as long as possible so you can develop a good working relationship with them. Once you've proven you're reliable, hard working, and have a great attitude you'll get a lot more miles and some special favors along the way. But if they're bouncing you from board to board then I would talk with someone in management about it. Tell them you'd really like to get on with someone that's going to be there for a while for exactly the reasons I just mentioned.

As far as things being slow, all you have to do to verify that is speak with other drivers at your company. If you've been working hard and making your appointments on time you should be getting as many miles as anyone out there. If you find that several other drivers are turning more miles then it's time to ask dispatch why you're not getting your fair share. Now let me say this - if you're not reliable or you're not working hard or you're not getting along with people at your company they may be more than happy to let you sit while others get the better miles. But if you've proven they can count on you then ask them why you're not getting your fair share of miles. Don't threaten anyone or give them any kind of attitude. Just let them know that you're as good as any driver out there but you're not getting the miles the other guys are getting. You want to be persistent about it but very professional and calm at the same time. If you give them attitude or start making threats you might as well hang up your keys and go elsewhere. It isn't going to work. Be cool about it.

And you're right - 29 cpm isn't as good as some of the other companies out there. You went to C1 so I'm assuming you're working at a lower wage right now to pay off some of the tuition. You should be do for a raise at the one year mark and possibly another before that. If you can get that cpm up near the mid 30's at the one year mark you'll be doing a lot better.

Try to stick it out and make things work right where you're at. At least stay until you hit that one year mark. Like I said, some of this is just a matter of learning how to work the system like lobbying dispatch for more miles and lobbying customers for earlier loading/unloading times. Some of it may be that things are a bit slow right now and they'll pick up real soon. And hopefully another raise or two should put you into a nice salary range.

Thanks for your help, I'll try calling the shippers and consignees and see if that helps. I will get a one cpm raise at 1 year. Drivers I've talked to that have been here for awhile are only making 36cpm and they have been here over 5 yrs. So I will probly be moving on anyway. US express said they would start me at 36 and after 3 months of safe driving at my yr mark would raise it to 40cpm. So I'm thinking about that at the end of the month. But until then I will take your advice and see how it goes. Thanks again and I'll try and keep you updated

Drivers I've talked to that have been here for awhile are only making 36cpm and they have been here over 5 yrs. So I will probly be moving on anyway

And no one can blame you there. Making 30 cpm with a year of OTR experience is not really competitive in today's market.

How long is the contract at PAM for the schooling? Whatever you do make sure you honor that contract. Either fulfill the driving time or pay it off right away but don't put a blemish on your DAC report and possibly your credit report over something so dumb. You've worked hard to get to this point. Keep your record clean so your opportunities stay open.