TMC What To Expect?

I know the cdl school is 3 weeks. During trainer phase 5 weeks, do you get home any? Also is TMC mostly day work sleep at night or mixture of both. Thanks

Welcome to our forum Redbeard!

During trainer phase 5 weeks, do you get home any?

I would not count on that happening, but it is possible. It will very much depend on where your trainer's home is. Many TMC drivers run an almost regional area so that they can be dispatched in a way that gets them home on weekends. If your trainer lives in Seattle, WA, and you live in Tulsa, OK, it's probably not going to happen. You may end up spending a weekend in the truck at a truck stop while your trainer takes a couple days off at their home. The logistics of getting trainees home is complicated. I suggest you not count on it. They may be able to work it out, but it should not be a priority for you. Let your priority be the training. Focus on that.

Remember that you are taking steps at the beginning. Each of those steps leads to another level of responsibility and commitment. Once you have jumped through all the hoops you will eventually become an employee who has his own truck assigned to him. At that point they will work with you on getting some home time on a schedule that works for you. At the beginning they are focused on getting you to that point. You want to have the same goals as they do. Learn, and soak up as much as you can during that training time.

They try to pair their trainees with a trainer who lives near them. That allows both people to take home time at the same time. That is not always easy to do though. Just take the attitude that says, "I will take what I get and do the best I can with the situation." Training is probably the most difficult part of getting started in trucking. You have to remember that time period is just a drop in the bucket when you consider your whole career ahead of you. Roll with the punches and don't let the small temporary inconveniences of it throw you off the horse.

Also is TMC mostly day work sleep at night or mixture of both?

TMC is a trucking company. They do what ever it takes to get the job done. Their drivers manage their own schedules, making sure they are delivering on time. You and your trainer will work at whatever hours are necessary to make it happen. You will probably spend a few nights sitting parked in some customer's parking lot. You will unload first thing in the morning and be off as quickly as possible to get your next load. There may be a few times where you drive all night and arrive early in the morning to get unloaded and then find a place to park for a rest during the daytime. It will be a mixture of schedules. None of that is specific to TMC. It may very well be more connected with your trainer's preferences or the demands of the loads that you are dispatched. Flatbed drivers work their schedules in all different ways. Their main goal is being efficient with their time and making sure they are satisfying the customer's needs.You can count on being exhausted at times. Make sure you are taking your rest and sleeping anytime you get the chance.

Welcome to trucking. We hope you will stay in touch and bring your questions and concerns to us. We are here to help you. There are a lot of things that will be challenging to you at the beginning. There are a lot of drivers here who have experienced all of what you will be facing. Don't be shy - we don't bite. If you have questions, we will be glad to help you. We always say there are no dumb questions. A lot of people drop out of trucking early in their career. It is typically because they were not prepared or ill informed of what to expect. We can help you avoid that disaster, but only if you keep up the communications with us.

Welcome!

My brother driver for TMC out of South Carolina. He chooses to run Sunday afternoon (park up points) to Friday morning. Home Friday afternoon-Sunday. He could start Monday morning but TMC has a point system for their sliding pay scale. The pay % of load or you can be paid by miles.

I know the cdl school is 3 weeks. During trainer phase 5 weeks, do you get home any? Also is TMC mostly day work sleep at night or mixture of both. Thanks