TMC the truth

Well been reading the posts for months now and have been away from here in a while.
So lets get down to the truth about TMC.

First and foremost TMC is a good company for training and a starter company and really that's it.
If you want to get flat bed experience and earn a semi reasonable living go work there but don't stay with them.

I worked there for 2.5 years as a trainer, I had previous trucking experience in the UK for 20 years.
When you go to TMC at Des Moines to train, as a starter you will go to classes for the first week and after that you will drive and practice in the yard for a week. Is it enough driving experience NO.
I had guys come in my truck that didn't even know how to shift gear!!!
Did I work my guys like dogs YES and the reason I told them this is I don't need you to do my job I am good at it Its hard out there and the more i can teach you and you can do the easier it will be for you.

About walking on the grass Its a myth, there are NO signs telling you not to walk on the grass its a respect thing, they look after there grounds very well so out of respect they don't want you to walk on the grass.
The training is good and the equipment is good, repairs are the same with every company, if the wheels are not turning nobody is earning, i negotiate my 13 week average on a daily basis for being stuck at a terminal i refused there 50 bucks a day lay over and 9/10 I got it.
Not all trucks have cameras in them and I was never asked to have one in my truck.
But they are fitting them in more and more, I always told them I wouldn't have one.

They say they are only recording hard braking hard turns and accidents, yes they do record voice and I am sure they are on 24/7 although they say they are not.
When you stay in Des Moines hotel you must also know they have cameras in the hotel all over they view, they also ask the cleaners what state you keep your room in at the hotel and your behavior in and around the hotel, if its bad they will dismiss you.

For the first year you will get decent pay after that it WILL go down.
I have spoken to many TMC trainers and drivers who all agree the first year is good then it drops off.
I think it has something to do with the mines closing, I had a very large influx of new drivers from the mining companies that have closed, remember if you live in a low pay area earning 600-800 take home a week is good money if you live in a major town it just doesn't cut it.

I always wanted to be home every weekend and never really had a problem with it (my pay was a little short but I choose every weekend home)
You will do 16-18 hour days and the tarps are hard (but why do flat bed if you want to ##### about tarps)

There are good companies out there. But you will need at least 2 years of experience and a clean record, there are also a lot of crap companies out there for the new drivers and 1 year guys.

I left TMC because I worked hard for them, had an accident on work time at a very well known goods store, and as soon as I started a claim they treated me like crap and lied to me about what I could and couldn't do, needless to say after week one I got a lawyer and wont be going back.
Made me wait to get paid what I was entitled to, and tried to fob me off to a doctor who wasn't a specialized in back trauma.

So summary:
TMC is a good company for a starter unless you get a dedicated account that you are happy with.
They don't treat you as good as they like to think they do.
If your fleet manager is being an ### fire him I did 5 times, my last guy was awesome.
Pay is below average but as I said I went home every weekend and I did get decent pay because I had a good FM
Trucks are nice
TMC's policy is no cell phone Bluetooth or not!!! even though they will call you and expect you to answer.
So work there for a year or more and move on.
If you want a very good job you need to earn the right I did my time but have now handed my CDL in downgraded to a car license, doubles triples tanker and hazmat.
TMC has like so many other starter companies out there become a puppy mill as fast as they are leaving they are bringing new guys in.

My advice to TMC take care of the good guys that are leaving instead of telling everyone well that's the way the industry is, be a leader not a follower, and stop using the industry as an excuse for poor treatment of drivers.
If your eyes were not so dazzled by the chrome you would see you will get to a point where there will be very few new drivers coming (they had to up there starter pay to 1000 a week for the first 8 weeks) and the good drivers would stay, get with 2016 you need to be doing tankers and everything, yeah yeah I know you have a few box trucks flying around and covered wagons, if you don't do everything you will get left behind.

Just my 2 cents.

thanks

 

I had previous trucking experience in the UK for 20 years
Read don't skip read!!!
Because I held a Drivers License from the United Kingdom and the United States doesn't accept it.
I had to take my CDL class A again and they didn't recognize my previous driving license history.
Thats why I held class A plus tanker hazmat doubles and triples, when I did my test I did them all and passed.
I will also explain seen as you have an easy job trucking the long hours, I would get up at 6am to remove my tarps for a 7am delivery, I would if lucky be unloaded and cleaned up ready to roll by lets say 8.30am.
Send my empty in wait maybe 30 minutes for a dispatch, then I would have to do my 30 min unload and pre trip. My average bounce was about 100 miles sometimes more sometimes less.
so there is 90 mins maybe 2 hours,
Get to the shipper maybe 2 hours there maybe 3 maybe even more.
Then I might have a 400-500 mile drive, maybe less normally your looking at high 300 low 400 miles.
My average day at TMC was 14 + hrs by the time I had unloaded , loaded washed eaten relaxed and then gone to bed, but a lot of the time with shippers and training my average day was 16-18hrs, it doesn't take a lot to work out TMC policy was not to be anywhere but in the seat next to your trainee for the first 2 weeks, so most of the time I would do more, so LOL YEAH RIGHT would be correct!

Thanks

 

Exactly
Mossyoakman0861
I tried to explain I enjoyed my time there and I worked very hard and as I stated I choose to go home every weekend, hence I didn't earn as much as some of the drivers that worked for weeks on end. I wasnt knocking them I was just stating what type of company they are, a good starter.
But I did have a good FM.
I earn what I would consider good money for what I did, I was just explaining you have to work hard and put the time in to get with the really good companies.
I believe TMC is a good company but it is only a starter company.
They need to step up and take care of the drivers who have worked there hard and long.
Nearly every driver I have spoken to says they like it there but they either want more home time or the money just isn't enough.
TMC get 100 bucks for tarping and only pay 20 for steels and 25 for lumber, if they changed that to 50 bucks it would make such a difference a lot of the drivers they lost would have stayed.

Thanks

 

Thanks startmaster5,
That's all I was trying to do be non bias and correct in what I saw and happened to me.

Thanks
Mick