Schneider, Walmart Or Roehl?

Rubber duck asked:

G-Town, I passed a Swift truck on Wednesday, 3/1 pulling a Walmart trailer. I was headed into Lewistown, PA at 1000 on 322 East. Swift truck was headed toward State College on 322 West. Was that you?

No sir. North Jersey yesterday. Thanks for thinking of me. Good luck with all this.

Sorry meant Wednesday.

So just an update for everyone who has been following this thread:

After much research, contemplation, and prayer I am wanting to drive for TMC pulling flatbeds. My application was submitted last week and I have been in touch with my recruiter several times. I am told that everything looks good on my app, but since I was terminated from my previous position TMC is wanting to speak with my previous supervisor there (who happens to be the company owner) and they have been dragging their feet responding to TMC's request.

I explained to my recruiter the entire circumstances concerning my termination (ouch...I have never had this before) as to the reasons why I was terminated - as it was explained to me at the time I was let go. I told them straight up that I have nothing to hide and was completely honest about everything. So both I and TMC are awaiting for my previous employer to get to them, then their hiring committee will make a determination. Hopefully, TMC offers me a conditional offer here in the near future.

I might still consider Roehl as well, but it seems I may get some more (or at least more frequently) home time with TMC. Plus, from what I can determine, TMC's flatbed training seems more comprehensive and the OTR training being 5 weeks instead of 2 sounds a bit better to me.

I'll keep you guys posted on the progress here with TMC. I'll definitely would like to start a training log about my experience with TMC should they offer a conditional offer.

-Bill

Best of luck with that Bill. TMC is a good outfit.

Hello Everyone,

So I just wanted to post an update to this thread that I started a while back and let you all know that I received a pre-hire from TMC! I was beginning to wonder if that would ever happen. Through much prayer, being an advocate of myself, and staying in touch with and communicating everything to them, I received my pre-hire last Friday, March 31st.

Yesterday, I just completed a DOT physical here locally and was given the green light for a 2-year medical card. I know I will have to take another DOT physical at TMC when I get there, but I wanted to have a baseline of my general health, and what to expect, prior to arriving (I don't go to the doctor much). The doctor that did my physical has been doing them for 35 years, so I should be good to go.

My orientation date to start their CDL training program is May 1st and I still have quite a bit to do before then. I am studying the Highroad Training Program here on TT and getting some other things in order. I anticipate taking my CDL permit test within the next week or so.

As far as TMC, they seemed to be the closest match to what I was looking for in terms of a trucking outfit (based upon my research here and my own reflections) and I do hope that I am exactly what they are looking for in terms of an employee. I have always believed that no matter your profession or where you work, you and the company you work for are a partnership to accomplish a common goal, and if that doesn't happen its time for one or both parties to move on. Everyone is in business for themselves (but many don't realize it) because while you may not own/manage/control the company and its resources, you yourself are a resource and you just so happen to peddle your time and talents rather than a specific product/service and that is something you do have control over. Ok, got on a bit of a soapbox there.

What I am most nervous about at this point is TMC's tarp test. I have read quite a bit about it and watched one of their videos demonstrating it. Even the recruiter asked if I would be OK with it...LOL. I have been hitting my weights again (been off them for about 8 months now) and I can still dead lift 120 lbs. easy enough, but I have an inkling that a 120 lb. tarp is a different beast with a different technique. I'm going to continue squatting/deadlifting as heavy as I can for the next several weeks (I know, should have started sooner) to build strength and start losing the 20 lbs. I put on over the winter.

I am both excited and nervous at the same time. This is such a big leap for me in terms of a completely new industry, though I have been around equipment for a long, long time. There is so much to learn! Things you're never taught, but need to know in order to not only survive, but also thrive in this industry. Trucking Truth (thanks Brett!) and the people here have been such a great resource to finding the straight and narrow! I'll start a new thread in a few weeks to journal my time at TMC in Des Moines.

Thanks for reading!

Great news. Good luck!!

Thank you G-Town! I'm pretty stoked and anxious to get rolling!

Ya know, I see so many Swift trucks like yours around here I think of you sometimes when I see them, wondering if that's you behind the wheel. Do your runs ever get you to the State College area?

Thanks for the thought.

My western most runs will take me to places like Williamsport, Bloomsburg, Sellinsgrove, south to Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg and further south to York pa and then into Maryland.

I tend to be in Jersey quite a bit. Give or take, draw a 120 mile circle around Pottsville Pa to get a rough idea of the basic territory. The only time I travel outside of that is delivering a vendor load (backhaul) to Johnstown NY. Next day I maybe run back south, or deliver to some of their stores for a while.