Maverick Vs. TMC

You would not want to choose CPM over %, and I have the numbers to back that up, as I'm tracking every mile, every %, and every CPM, etc.

Solo, you are brand new at this, and you started during a time when flat bed rates were pretty decent. You have one month of number crunching - that's not very credible evidence to base a decision on. Freight rates are extremely volatile at times, and there are market forces that move them up and down in very cyclical patterns. Be careful giving out advice like this. Even regions of the country vary considerably. After a couple of years of doing this, I'm fairly certain you'll find your numbers to indicate that there's very little difference in percentage pay and mileage pay. We had another TMC driver go through this same comparison and he found his pay would have been very similar no matter which way he went.

Ask yourself this question... Why would TMC offer you a choice of how you get paid, knowing full well that they are going to have to pay you a lot more if you choose the one they actively promote to their drivers? Percentage pay is actually designed to protect the company from the volatility of the rates. That's something you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing just yet.

Maverick technically runs epus , if that makes any difference to you.

Hello Tyler , Where in Korea ? I'm a reservist myself in the Navy ( Seabees ) and spent some time there and am heading back there this year . Anyway welcome aboard 👍!

I spend a year and a half at Kunsan Air Base. It's about 3 hours south of Seoul on the west cost of the peninsula.

I have 0 regrets having decided to go w/ TMC, other than their no pet policy, and that will ultimately be the reason why I will depart after my year commitment is up, if not sooner. I will just have to find another flatbed company w/ a dog-friendly policy but will know TMC has set me up to be successful regardless of which company that may be.

The money you owe for the contract goes down every 3 months, so after 6 months, you only owe 2k (1k after 9 months), I'm not sure about Mavs.

I have talked to some Mav drivers that haul glass, and all appear to be happy w/ their day-to-day.

All-in-all, I'm sure either are fine choices, it will just come down to 1-2 things YOUR looking to get out of the industry and can either give you them or at least get you going in the right direction to help you obtain them.

Thank you for the information. Without getting into too much detail, what's a reasonable expectation for a weekly gross income if I'm home on weekends? Are they pretty good with trying to get you home when requested?

To build a little on what Old School said, believe it or not (and no Tmc driver ever will), drivers at both companies make about the same. As an example, Solo was talking in another post about how his first month total averaged .54 cpm , not including bounce/deadhead. A maverick driver in his first month will make .54 cpm plus .02 cpm in bonus, including deadhead miles. We haul the same freight, from the same places, down the same lanes, to the same consignees, one of us with a black truck, one with a maroon.

The key to making money in regional flatbed is efficiency in loading/unloading, and being smart with your clock.

TMC only takes CDL students from select states in the midwest. But I think they sometimes make exceptions you'll have to contact them.

They were recruiting at my school in the northeast.

The key to making money in regional flatbed is efficiency in loading/unloading, and being smart with your clock.

That's it. Well said!

I have 0 regrets having decided to go w/ TMC, other than their no pet policy, and that will ultimately be the reason why I will depart after my year commitment is up, if not sooner. I will just have to find another flatbed company w/ a dog-friendly policy but will know TMC has set me up to be successful regardless of which company that may be.

The money you owe for the contract goes down every 3 months, so after 6 months, you only owe 2k (1k after 9 months), I'm not sure about Mavs.

I have talked to some Mav drivers that haul glass, and all appear to be happy w/ their day-to-day.

All-in-all, I'm sure either are fine choices, it will just come down to 1-2 things YOUR looking to get out of the industry and can either give you them or at least get you going in the right direction to help you obtain them.

As an outside observer, why wouldn't you wait out the 2 year window that most specialized flatbed companies require to get hired on. If I were younger & just starting out in this field, that would be my goal. 130-150K a year for 80K miles is a great motivator.

I know you miss your baby but...

Sorry for late reply, but you can't really go wrong with either company. Do you want a black truck or a maroon truck? I was with maverick for over 2 years, and I would definitely recommend them. Of course I'm biased since I never worked for tmc but they're a reputable company as well. As far as pay, you'll do well with either company. Percentage can be great as long as the rates are decent but you have no control over that aspect. I like to know that I'll be paid as long as my wheels are turning. I was in the mid 60s cpm when I left and was very happy with the pay. Yes we had epus and fridges installed which was nice. I don't ever plan on going back to otr but maverick is the only place I'd consider if I had to go back out.

Sorry for late reply, but you can't really go wrong with either company. Do you want a black truck or a maroon truck? I was with maverick for over 2 years, and I would definitely recommend them. Of course I'm biased since I never worked for tmc but they're a reputable company as well. As far as pay, you'll do well with either company. Percentage can be great as long as the rates are decent but you have no control over that aspect. I like to know that I'll be paid as long as my wheels are turning. I was in the mid 60s cpm when I left and was very happy with the pay. Yes we had epus and fridges installed which was nice. I don't ever plan on going back to otr but maverick is the only place I'd consider if I had to go back out.

What do you do now? My ultimate goal is to get into heavy or specialized hauling. There seem to be a lot of those companies in Western North Carolina. I want to do a few years flatbed first to get the experience, comfortable behind the wheel, and learn the trade.