2 Truck Driving Job Offers From TransAm And May Trucking?

Like said Brett the Trucking God....you keep throwing things back in my face!

So you're going to insult me because I'm quoting you directly? I guess even you can't stand hearing the garbage that's coming out of your mouth. Imagine how we feel.

So you're going to insult me because I'm quoting you directly? I guess even you can't stand hearing the garbage that's coming out of your mouth. Imagine how we feel.

I've said it over and over and over again that I should've worded it differently. Just don't see why you keep ignoring that part of all my posts. Seems kinda childish to me that you would keep doing throwing it back at me after I've stated I was wrong over and over and over. That's something my children do to each other and I thought this forum was for adults

It's not just about what you said. It's about your attitude.

This industry is all about attitude. Those people who come in thinking that they are owed something will never make it. They will be the ones sitting because they have refused loads because they don't want to drive in the Northeast or they won't take a load less than 1500 miles.

Those drivers that come into the industry with the attitude that nothing is owed to them will be the ones who are successful. I take every load that is sent to me. I don't care if it's 90 miles or 1900 miles. They all pay. I've taken my licks and rolled with the punches. I've never once been disrespectful or hateful to dispatch no matter how bad things have gotten, and things have been REALLY bad. And look how far I have gotten.

Change your attitude BEFORE you leave. You will go far if you go into this being humble.

Sorry that if that post didn't make a whole lot of sense. I've been really sick with a bad sinus infection and I'm kind of dopey on cold meds and antibiotics. Glad I'm on hometime and able to recuperate.

Just don't see why you keep ignoring that part of all my posts.

Because the statements you're now denying are the statements that revealed your true nature. It wasn't a mistake that you said that. It wasn't a mistake that you also said:

one slip by Trans Am and I will be making a phone call to May!

Those statements reveal who you really are and how you really approach this career. You can deny it all you like but it's a basic principle I've used for as long as I can remember - let people keep talking until they reveal their true nature. Everyone does eventually. It just didn't take you very long because you weren't aware at the time that there was anything wrong with that approach.

LIsten, I'm gonna go help others now. Thanks for stopping by.

Sorry that if that post didn't make a whole lot of sense. I've been really sick with a bad sinus infection and I'm kind of dopey on cold meds and antibiotics. Glad I'm on hometime and able to recuperate.

It made perfect sense and thanks for taking the time to help out. Obviously there's no helping this particular person but this conversation will help many others understand what works in this industry and what doesn't.

Glad I'm on hometime and able to recuperate.

Me too and hope you get better soon! Being sick on the road is awful. I've been there a few times. I had food poisoning from a McDonald's double cheeseburger one time. omg one of the worst experiences ever!

Change your attitude BEFORE you leave. You will go far if you go into this being humble.

Chickie,

After reading your posts concerning your trading experience I have changed my attitude and stated that in a previous post.

Unfortunately for those here that keep throwing my statements back at me, it doesn't matter that I've stated that or anything else because all they are is where I said something that I should've put in writing differently than I did to begin with. I'm not usually an a-hole about things like this but when something is continuously thrown in my face that I've already recanted and said it came out wrong I get quite defensive and quite the attitude toward those specific people. Do you understand where I'm coming from?

It's called drop it and move on. I made a mistake and realize that so leave it alone. Know what I mean?

I am with PAM Transport, and yes there may be higher paying companies out there, but pay isn't everything. I have several friends that started out with me at PAM that have jumped ship chasing higher pay and none of them are any happier. One guy left for .10 cents more, but is running less miles and has to suffer through long live loads/ unloads. Another wanted more home time and left only to be given crap equipment that constantly broke down and gave home more home time than he wanted. Others have quit PAM and the the second company they went to and now are having a hard time finding work with little experience.

For me, I am happy. I get good miles, and mostly every load is drop and hook. The few live loads I deal with are relatively quick. I get good home time, and now that I have proven to my DM that I run hard and don't complain things are getting even better.

My point of this is the grass ain't always greener, find out the differences between companies (besides pay) and you may have a different perspective.

Brett does tell it like it is, (he has told me some hard truths too) and he is honest, and wants the best for new truckers. So instead of trying to win your losing argument, yield, and listen to good advice. Going to any company with anything less than a positive attitude is a recipe for disaster.

I didn't read through every line of this, but as a new driver I think what any new driver needs to know are the following:

1.) Training is HELL. You have to be tough just to get through it. No one incident or one person can show you what the overall company can provide you with. It takes time to get to know the company just as they will get to know you. Training is the worst part of being at any company, so judging them at that point is useless. Another great reason to wait the year ... you have a much better idea of the company as a whole.

2.) Training times differ greatly. I was in training from Sept 19th to feb 14th. I went home 2 times in 5 months (and once was an emergency surgery my mom had). It took almost 2 weeks from getting my truck to get me hometime on Feb 28th I think it was. Being solo, that is not normal. I get home on time or early for each request now. Which is another example of how training does not depict realistic views of being solo.

3.) Your first company is the one who puts out the money to train you and is more willing to accept the responsibility and loss when you screw up... and you WILL screw up. You'll be late and hit things which can cause issues with the customers and costs money. If you hit something while still at Trans am, they are more likely to forgive you and keep you rolling than the next company you go to who will expect you to be more seasoned. This is one of the reasons rookies should stay with the first company for a year..not just to prove commitment but to protect yourself from possible termination from a company who expected you to be better than you are. Say you leave Trans am after 4 mos cause you don't like something... be it the pay.. a dispatcher.. etc. Then You go to May and back into a door at the customer but hit a pole and the door falls off the trailer. It hapoens. May could fire you... but trans am would have probably looked the other way. Now your 5 kids have no income.

4.) All those years of experience from your family is valuable in some ways and useless in others. For example, they ran on paper logs. Therefore they could be feeding you information that is unrealistic because you wont be driving 15 hours a day. Believe me when I tell you that ME, I have given advice to veteran drivers on time management when it comes to the elogs cause I love my 8/2 splits that they never had to use. DOT rules change all the time, so do company policies.

5.) Regardless of cpm , YOUR effort will determine your success. If you have a bad attitude, time management problem, or safety issues at any company. .. you will not be getting a lot of miles. So getting .50cpm at that company versus. 25cpm at a compnay where you have proven yourself and is giving you 3000 miles per week does not compare. Time management and safety are things you need to learn and perfect. That will get you paid.

6.) Perhaps you can go to court and get the child support reduced temporarily or sign an agreement with the ex. Once your miles normalize you could return. To the original amount.

7.) The fact you have speeding tickets that are so recent will eliminate you from many companies. The best way to prove yourself to a company is to drive safely. What if the recruiter at May told you what you wanted to hear and after a few months you left and went to may. You get to orientation and now they say "ooohh we didn't know you had speeding tickets. Your going home". Now you just burned. A bridge at TA, and have no job at May. Any other company will look at you as being a non committed irresponsible driver. They dont know you.. they know only what the paper shows. Now you won't get hired anywhere.

There are a lot of reasons why people on this thread said the things they did. And here's the kicker... Brett's numbers on people going to orientation is correct. In my class of 76 only 20 made it til Friday. The rest were sent home. Of those I think 12 got the CDL. Of those only 8 made it through training. So wrap your head around that. Just because you got two "offers" to orientation does NOT mean you are actually hired.

What everyone here is telling you is that competition is fierce. YOU have to be the best of the best. At prime we were told the entire orientation and training period before the cdl was an interview. I know 3 people sent home for "not being of Prime material" just because of attitude. They wouldn't listen to anyone. THAT is what the previous posters are trying to tell you and protect you from.

When I read the OP I got the impression you made the decision to go to May but just wanted others to confirm your decision is correct.

You have a $600 per month child support payment. I had a $1200 per month apartment lease I was never at. I survived. You will too. Once you get rolling with some great tips from this forum, you could be earning big $$$$

I do.

Btw... I forgot whether you had a CDL or needed to go through the testing.. but do you need to sign a year contract for the training?

At prime if you needed to get the CDL you sign a $3200 contract...and if you leave before the year the contract says they can take $70 per week from your future employment... their way of eliminating having to get a judgement against you. Which means going to a new company already puts you in the hole.

Yet I have heard some drivers say "well I went to school and got my CDL so they better give me what I want"

That won't fly either. Getting the CDL is the easy part. What you DO with it will prove how great of a drive you are.