An Honest And Fair Review Of PAM ( Including C1 And Driver Solutions)

I never drove for PAM!

Ok, so why would I review PAM if I never drove for them? That's a fair question.

First, let me say that I'm a former professional- banking/lending for over 25 years. My last position as a Commercial Credit Analyst/Lender, I held for more than 12 years. I left with two letters of recommendation and all of my annual reviews were excellent. I say this because some people like to blame a company for their own lack of work ethic. That's not me. I left banking because of the stress, I wanted to do something different, and I had always wanted to drive a truck - at least for a while.

I provide this review as both a warning and as advice to those investigating the program.

Ok, so PAM does company sponsored training , This isn't a bad deal- actually. They sent me to C1 Indianapolis. I had to get there on my own dime, but they put me up in Extended Stay America (with a roommate). It wasn't the Taj Mahal but it wasn't bad. My roommate and I had some things in common- it worked.

The school itself was very good. You will get out of it what you put into it. I got the feeling they really want to see you succeed. Range trainer - Vic (Victor) is THE MAN. He will have you backing like a pro in no time. Road trainer William is a rock star. William had me shifting that 10 speed, and handling that truck better than I thought I could. Do what they say and you will pass.

I have one negative thing to say about training- and this is really directed at Driver Solutions- not C1. Don't tell people they will get done in 3 weeks. NOBODY finishes in 3 weeks. It took me almost 4 weeks and some took all of 5 weeks. My advice- plan for 5 weeks, hope for four weeks. It SHOULD take four weeks or more! You will be driving an 80,000 lbs truck at 65 miles per hour! I'm good with 4/5 weeks - I just wished Driver Solutions would have been honest about the timeframe so I could have planned better- logistically speaking. Made some lifelong friends in school- people of different colors, races, different walks of life, and by the end you'd have thought we all grew up together- it was great.

I went home and waited on my PAM mentor. I had heard horror stories about bad experiences with mentors so I was a little nervous. After all, you are going out with a complete stranger for weeks... living in the same truck. I was home for less than a week and got picked up about 8 miles from home. My mentor Rick (Richard) was great. Professional, courteous... good hygiene. Intelligent but not the most social guy I've ever met - conversation dried up pretty quick. But the great thing is that he taught me so much. There is so much to learn AFTER school- and I learned. There is is way more to being a truck driver than driving a truck. Nothing but respect for drivers.

So, after being out for just over 2 weeks, my mentor dropped me off at PAM HQ in Tontitown AR.

They put me in their bunkhouse. This made Extended Stay feel like The Four Seasons! The room was slightly bigger than the single (twin) bed and desk. No place to put the two weeks worth of stuff you brought. No closet, coat rack, not even a hook to hang a coat or towel on. Communal bathroom/shower- I've seen cleaner bathrooms/showers at truck stops.

Road and backing tests went well, and orientation wasn't bad. They provide meal coupons for a couple places close by.

So, after I completed the orientation they had me sign paperwork- and slipped a document in that said I would make .20 cents per mile split ( they make you team for 6 months). But I was told by my recruiter it was .40 cents per mile split. I was also told I would get a $1000 bonus for hazmat endorsement plus reimbursement for background check. I got my hazmat and later found out that you have to stay 6 months to get the full payout on the bonus.

So, I get "processed" which includes signing a stack of paperwork that rivals a phone book. They assign my truck -tell me I am "ready to roll" and send me out.

Here is where things get bad.

I go out to the yard to inspect my truck. It's an older Freightliner. Cracked mirror... scrapes on the mirror body(s), and the sides of the truck, a few cracks in the fender, holes in the hood where they mounted a bug guard and then took it off... all stuff I could live with. Then I get to the back and see that the APU is crushed, the passenger side wing/ferring is busted- wiggles rattles... about to fall off! The truck had been jackknifed- bad. Then I look at my air lines and they're cut! Gapping holes... very obvious! For those who don't know, these air hoses are your trailer brakes! I was told my truck was ready.... seriously? I get in the truck.... not only was it dirty on the exterior, it was FILTHY on the inside. It wreaked of cigarettes and body odor. Dirt and gravel all over the floor board. Burns in the seats. Door seals are thrashed.

Shorty after my inspection I get an email from the new driver development mentor - congratulating me on my upgrade and letting me know he is my "go to", should I have any problems or issues. So, I reply with an email detailing the issues with the truck. I get back a very curt reply "contact your DM (driver manager)". So much for having a new driver development mentor.... "what exactly do ya do here?"

Guys, if DOT sees a truck in this kinda shape (body parts flapping in the wind).... air hoses with holes... they are gonna rubber glove you! And the violations go against the driver!!!

Continued......

HAZMAT:

Hazardous Materials

Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations

DOT:

Department Of Transportation

A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.

State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.

Dm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

Driver Manager:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

Company Sponsored Training:

A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.

The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.

If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.

Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Continued from original post:

While I was out with my mentor, we had a blowout (it happens), we had to p/u a trailer for a broken down PAM tractor.... met a 2 year PAM driver whose truck was really bad... his mirrors were so screwed up and poorly mounted that he basically couldn't see out of them. I received texts from other classmates saying they had bad trucks, they were broken down, etc.

My roommate got his truck assigned to him with a badly busted fender and a hole in the windshield. I have pictures of his truck. He said "This truck is so bad that I wish I had your truck!" After driving the truck for a couple days he called me and said "this truck should not be on the road". I did a little research (probably a little late at this point) and found that PAM is notorious for low pay and broken down equipment. My mistake.... should have done my homework before I proceeded. It won't happen again.

I took detailed pictures and video of the condition of my truck.... I may need these later.

So, with all of the problems I could visually see on my "ready to go" truck.... what about the things I can't see? RED FLAGS EVERYWHERE!!!

PAM does everything on the cheap.... including their equipment.

Guys these things will cost YOU money... they may cost you your career... worse, these things may cost you and other people thier lives!

I had a classmate and friend jump ship early and go to US Express. He has two brothers who drive for US Express and they are very happy with their choice.

So, I contacted a recruiter with US Express.... she contacted Driver Solutions to verify me... and get me released. Driver Solutions was completely uncooperative. They refused to provide US Express the necessary information. So, I called... they wanted $6000 for my training. The recruiter agreed to make payments for my training on my behalf - but she had to verify me before we could proceed.

After a little pressure on Driver Solutions (and a small good faith payment) they finally provided US Express with my records.

I did a little research and Driver Solutions has been sued (and lost) in a class action lawsuit for violations of the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act). As a former lender, I'm very familiar with this particular regulation. The judgment required Driver Solutions to forgive the debt of all of the claimants involved- and pay each of them $430.

I am considering contacting my attorney and providing the DOT with my video/ pictures of the truck they were about to send me out on the road with.

I am in orientation for US Express as I write this review. I'll post a review on US after having gone through their process, but so far it's been great... much more professional.

Folks, learn from my experience...

I'm not telling you not to chose PAM, but do your research and if you chose Driver Solutions/PAM .... do so with your eyes wide open.

So, you're saying PAM would't fix your truck or assign you a different one? Did you walk back into the office where you just got your truck keys and tell them the truck wasn't road ready? Did you give PAM any opportunity to fix the problem? Or did you just jump ship? If the answers to those questions are yes and they wouldn't even try to make it right, then you screwed up by not doing good research. What research did you do on US Express? What research did you do on trucking?

I am in orientation for US Express as I write this review. I'll post a review on US after having gone through their process, but so far it's been great... much more professional.

David S. , I am a recent grad of C1 in Indianapolis (3 weeks ago), as you, and just finished my orientation with US Xpress this past Friday. So are you at the Springfield Hub for Orientation?

I am going to be working the dedicated Kroger account for USX out of Shelbyville, IN, and cant wait to get the ball rolling. Right now they are looking for a trainer, and I should be out and about by the end of this week!

Good luck with your journey. Sorry to hear about your experience with PAM. Let me know how you are doing, and I will do the same if you want.

I am considering contacting my attorney and providing the DOT with my video/ pictures of the truck they were about to send me out on the road with.

I want to see the pictures. Reply to this, choose the "photo" button above the box you're typing your comment into, and upload some photos. I also want to see the photos of your buddy's truck with the hole in the windshield.

I'd also like to know the answers to Big Scott's questions:

Did you walk back into the office where you just got your truck keys and tell them the truck wasn't road ready? Did you give PAM any opportunity to fix the problem?

Did they refuse to fix the truck?

Hey Brett-

Honestly, I started to attach photos when I realized that this could get me sued. The photos and video have the truck number on them... should PAM decide to monitor this board (which I understand that they do) it wouldn't be hard for them to figure out who posted this. As I understand it PAM is a litigious company - and I really don't want to deal with that. You don't know me, so I'll understand if you chose not to believe anything I have said, but I try to live my life with honor and integrity. Not that I haven't failed- particularly as a younger man, but at this point in my life these are characteristics I pursue daily. I have no reason to lie, or make any of this up. I believe my review was fair and I gave credit for the positive aspects as well as the negative.

I guess what concerned me the most is that they would issue a truck in that kind of shape to any driver ... let alone a newbie. What if I (as a new driver) had missed these issues? Thankfully I didn't. What if I was just not a details kinda guy? Thankfully I am. What if I naively just trusted that PAM would never let me drive off in an unsafe truck? Thankfully I didn't. Or the outcome could have been really bad.

I can only assume they either never went through the truck when it came in, or that the guy(s) who did don't care a whole lot.

Guys, this isn't a job flipping burgers.... this is really serious. In my former career, most mistakes could be fixed... nobody dies.

But this isn't a game.... I don't have to tell you that in this industry laziness and apathy = death.

So, I guess PAM's lack of concern for my safety- as well as the safety of other people on the road was enough for me to realize this is not a company I want to be associated with.

I think that's a fair statement.

Hey Brett-

As I think about the review I posted ... (which I believe was honest, fair and motivated by concern for others who are looking into PAM) I started to worry that my review very well may get me sued. I fear I gave enough detail that PAM investigators could figure out who I am, and come after me for liable or defamation.

Can I ask you to delete my post?

What's your worry? You have a lawyer.

Freedom of speech works both ways. I hope he leaves it up. It will give me time to shoot it full of holes...when I have the time,

How does your foot taste?

I'm not telling you not to chose PAM, but do your research and if you chose Driver Solutions/PAM .... do so with your eyes wide open.

You're not? Glad you cleared that up. You ARE the reason NOT to trust everything you see on the internet.

Many people get a truck that has minor to major things wrong with it. It is up to us to bring these issues up to the company. As a brand new driver with a fresh CDL one should know how to pretrip their truck and spot things like bad mirrors. Once again the questions I asked before haven't been answered. Did you give the company a chance? You went through all that training with PAM. Did you not learn anything about how to solve problems them?