Pam/Driver Solutions Contract

Javon wrote:

I've read various of articles where drivers have had horrible experiences with teaming and like i said i work better alone. There is no way on gods green earth will i be able to sleep in a moving truck with another rookie, that won't be good for me, him and other drivers on the road. I'm more so concerned with my safety and wellbeing...

You work better alone? God's Green Earth? Won't be good for me? Seriously? You wrote this in an earlier reply to this thread. Early on...before all of this debating with yourself occurred. I am totally perplexed how you thought you could thrive in a teaming environment if you knew all of the abov in advance of signing with PAM. Know yourself!

For all of you newbies and wannabes reading this, please, please, please take note; teaming is not for everyone. Know yourself and your tolerance boundaries before making the commitment to team. Think about it...before signing anything. Teaming? It is what it is, you need to live 24x7 with possibly a complete stranger in a box the size of a small walk-in closet. Constantly compromising on many things, trusting their driving skills (or lack there of) to get you safely through your 10 hour break, and possibly the most difficult task of all, getting quality sleep in a truck that pitches, rolls, rocks and jerks constantly. Teaming is best for couples or very good friends that already trust each and have the ability to work together.

Javon continues:

I've never been a risk taker...maybe its my luck but it seems when i decide to step out on a limb it always bites me in the a$$...furthermore getting into the trucking industry was already a big scary risk I'm taking.

Javon with all due respect, you are a walking, talking contradiction. If you are not a risk taker than why on earth attempt something as risky as trucking? Like I said "perplexed". Trucking is in the top 20 most dangerous jobs there is. I am not a psychologist but, the above statement is at the very root of your issue. If you are truly risk averse, you basically compounded your risk of becoming a truck driver by deciding to team. I really don't mean to pick on you, but dude if you are nervous now, before ever getting out there, what is going to happen the first time you are faced with a serious and potentially dangerous situation like descending into the depths of Donner or Cabbage Patch or the Grape Vine with only a thin piece of bent aluminum separating you and a 500 foot drop-off? This is part of the job and cannot be approached timidly, indecisively, or with paralyzing fear.

Consider your "a$$ bitten" as you put it (your words) and either completely cut your losses or cinch up your pants and get on with it by honoring your contract, committing to it, getting your head straight, and making it work. I wish you the best of luck because you have put yourself into a rather precarious spot.

Wonder how team drivers sleep going through those construction mazes in Indiana lol

Javon, you are about to TEAM up with a trainer for 6 weeks. So, I think all the debate here is a mute point, so wether you like the idea or not...get ready!

It's ok to be a little nervous, this can all be a little intimidating at first. But try to have a little fun, this is an awesome job

Here's something to think about...while in training at prime I was never told I would have to pay for chains... load locks.. padlocks.. detention stamps and more as a company driver. All that stuff came to over $800. Which they took x per week for. So $50 per week for chains $20 for load locks.. $20 for padlocks $50 for my pet fee $25 for my pay advance for food during school. Then take out my health and life insurance so that all came to like $300 per week or so. Prime had us sign a contract that if we left they could take $70 per week from our future company wages. So leaving would put me at close to $400 per week being deducted just because I changed companies? (Assuming you would have to buy all your supplies and have insurance). $50 for sleep study.. more for the machine if needed.. $125 for TWIC card $150 for passport. So what does your contract with pam say? Can they take future wages from the next company? Can u survive on that? My advice would be to stay with PAM pay off any debt by then you will have your miles. Moat employers who require college degrees are interested in commitment not the degree. Trucking wants commitment too. But you've already made up your mind... so why the thread?

At pam you have to do 6 months of team driving, it may not be all at the same time but you are supposed to do 6 months in the first year. The best way to get a teammate is to try and get with someone during your week of orientation that you get along with and seems to do pretty good during the training at orientation, then request to be teamed up with that person. And also alot of those so called trainers only have about 6 months experience themselves. AND if for some reason you don't do six months of team in the first year then you don't have to team anymore. But when you first start driving it's a big help sometimes to have a teammate, they can help with backing, route planning and a second set of eyes. Good luck to you.

Javon, I just dropped Stevens training last week because I could not logically understand how anyone that had never driven could go solo after just 2 weeks in training and 6 weeks on the road with a trainer. Why would you want to pay 12k (double) just because you have a problem with being with a stranger. You really should honor your contract, cause the grass is not always greener on the other side.

I promise you when you get to Stevens, it is like pushing cattle through and they don't care how you get your CDL (giving you answers to your testing, saying they are all about safety, and really could give a rats a$& about you)

Just remember the grass is not always greener........

Javon, I just dropped Stevens training last week because I could not logically understand how anyone that had never driven could go solo after just 2 weeks in training and 6 weeks on the road with a trainer. Why would you want to pay 12k (double) just because you have a problem with being with a stranger. You really should honor your contract, cause the grass is not always greener on the other side.

I promise you when you get to Stevens, it is like pushing cattle through and they don't care how you get your CDL (giving you answers to your testing, saying they are all about safety, and really could give a rats a$& about you)

Just remember the grass is not always greener........

Carla, perhaps you can suggest a better way then. All of us pretty much went a similar route as you described; 3 weeks of school, 6-8 weeks of road training, then solo. It's not just this way at Stevens. Look around...

Javon wrote:

....what is going to happen the first time you are faced with a serious and potentially dangerous situation like descending into the depths of Donner or Cabbage Patch or the Grape Vine with only a thin piece of bent aluminum separating you and a 500 foot drop-off? This is part of the job and cannot be approached timidly, indecisively, or with paralyzing fear.

Wow that sounds scary as hell...

The industry standard, as Brett stated, is a few weeks of school obtaining your cdl , followed by company training where you're in a truck one on one with a trainer for 4 to 6 weeks.

Obtaining your CDL-A doesn't make you a truck driver. . Company training does that. I got lucky and had the best trainer.. extremely thorough and OMG he was picky. Trust me when I say that was a good thing. He wasn't in training for the money and basically I drove all the miles and he actually trained. He only drove if a delivery deadline required it or he got extremely bored riding, or I needed help.. for instance through a horrible storm late one night.

Funny thing is that we became close friends and after I had tested out and gone solo we began dating and have subsequently began teaming together. He thought he could put up that trainer hat lol, but I knew better before we even began teaming. Lol he is such a stickler and apologizes for being a really bad about back seat driving, but I still continue to learn things from him all the time... not neccessarily about driving. Last week it was regarding "trailer drains". We were also discussing blown steer tires. The week before that I was grateful for his help when I literally ended up having to evade a tornado. When his backseat driving starts to bug me I deliberately turn up the jam very loud and tell him to go to bed. Life is good.

I just dropped Stevens training last week because I could not logically understand how anyone that had never driven could go solo after just 2 weeks in training and 6 weeks on the road with a trainer.

So what are your plans now? Cuz that's how training has been done in this industry for almost three decades now.

and really could give a rats a$& about you

Care to elaborate? What were you expecting that they didn't do?