First of all 21k miles in three months? Thats 7k per month. Maybe its different out west but around here you can easily do 10-12k miles per month with a flatbed and be home weekends. Second it sounds like you were on mileage, should have taken percentage, you would have made more. I started on a flatbed, paid by percentage, home every weekend, made 800-1200 gross every week without fail. I've met TMC drivers and been around flatbeds enough to where I have no problem believing these numbers. Matter of fact I think I would have made a little more at TMC. I was at 26% and I could have been 28-30% at TMC. But I preferred the smaller company, no qualcomm, non forced dispatch, more laid back.

 

Snowman,

The 21k miles was done in 8 weeks. I had to go out with a "trainer" for 2 weeks because the recruiters were too lazy to call prior employeers to verify flatbed experience. So I had 1 week at orientation, 2 weeks with a trainer. If you read my entire post under the TMC thread you will get all of the details. The 7k gross was for the entire 3 months of employment, training pay, orientation pay, and load pay. I am sorry for the confusion regarding the ammount of actual time I was solo in a truck.

And as far at getting a higher %. I was paid 25% driving for a guy where the truck was making $1.78/mile. That was ALL miles put on the truck. You will NEVER see that kind of rate at TMC. The reason is they run all their freight through their inhouse brokerage. I have proof of this also. I picked up in Pittsburg CA headed to Santa Teresa NM. The load screen said the load paid $1625, but the BOL said the freight charge was $1819. When questioned about it, I was told the difference was tarp fee and fuel surcharge. Tarp Fee is $80 according to the AHI rate and tarif guide. That would leave $114 for fuel surcharge on a run that was almost 1200 miles. If you believe that they are only getting around $.10/mile for surcharge I have a bridge to sell you.

 

Things may have changed in the last year. When I was doing it I wasnt happy unless I got $4000 to the truck. A couple guys I still talk to say its been hard to get over $3000 for the last few months. Housing is off, auto manufacturers (steel) are off. Competiton for loads must be alot worse. Hopefully it will pick up for you this summer. The TMC guys I met were making money a year ago. I dont think its just a TMC thing. From what I hear you are right about the rules which is why I was reluctant to go there but I have always heard they make good money. BTW my company also deducted 10% for brokerage or whatever they want to call it and the fuel surcharge was seperate and we never saw it. Best of luck to you Buzzdog.

 

figure on running 100,000-120,000 your first year. then mulitply that by your cents per mile and thats what you can figure your first year being without bonouses or anything else added in.

 

You may have more experience driving (if you say so) but obviously you still don't know how to make money. Since I see you are "New" on HERE with only 7 posts, I'll cut you a break and NOT rip you TOO bad. I DID make $60,000 my FIRST year with TMC. Now I run a dedicated account and make a guaranteed $1,100.00 per week no matter WHAT.
Also, since you're new I won't bitch you out for not having followed my past posts where I informed readers that I AM NOT COMPENSATED FOR RECRUITING DRIVERS. I DECLINED TMC'S OFFERS FOR THE RECRUITING REFERRALS AS IT UNDERMINES MY CREDIBILITY. Especially with guys JUST like you. I own my own VERY successful business and have no NEED for TMC's "measly bonus" so it's really no big deal. I drive for them because I LOVE driving my big black Pete.
I'm sorry if TMC didn't work for you (if in fact you DID work there) but personally, I don't think you were there LONG enough to learn HOW to make good money. It takes time to learn what runs to make and what runs to pass on. It takes time to learn our customer base and make it work for you. If you weren't making GOOD money you should have spoken up. Changed your fleet manager, reviewed your freight lanes, asked yourself what could you have done to make more, etc..

 

Fred,

I am all too familiar with your other posts on the net. You were called out on another forum for being an " experienced driver recruiter " when in fact you had not even been with your trainer yet. Your original post on another site was made April 10th 2006, at that time you had not even been out with a trainer yet. So you have less then 1 full year of experience.

You have not had a full year at TMC yet based on when you originally posted, so I find it very hard that you actually made $60k in that first year. Also what standard of living is $1k a week living in New York? It would be equivalent to flipping hamburgers being paid minium wage where I live.

Do you remember posting this?

You can easily go back on other forums and trace back when I started driving. I started driving in May 2003. I did work for TMC until last week when I turned the truck in. I do not need to be lectured by some company suckup on how to make money in this industry. You have no expereince in reagrds to what actual rates are for flatbed freight. I had no issue at all with my FM he was the only reason I would have considered staying. I never turned down a load while at TMC. If you are up to the task, please respond to my post regarding my experience in the company fourm under the TMC thread and try and refute any issue that I have placed point by point with documented facts. I am willing to back up any statement that I have made with documents.

 

Yes I remember posting that. And elsewhere I also said I made a grand total of $700 from recruiting BEFORE I told them I no longer wanted recruiting bonuses.
My $60,000 claim is based on what I have ALREADY made plus what I am making NOW guaranteed. ($1,100.00 per week SALARY) for my local dedicated run. It will come out to around $59,000.
As far as making enough to live in NY. My business www.goldiesplating.com is doing well thank God. That helps with the $137,000 I made for the 2006 tax year from it. $60,000 is not a "great" income in NYC but for a trucking job, it's excellent in my opinion.
You say you had no issues with your FM???!!! It's his JOB to make sure you make money. He gave you $hitty loads if they didn't pay well and you are at fault for accepting them. I'd be looking to kick his butt, not quit. He may have been nice, polite and got you TONS of runs..... but if they paid bad, what good were they or him for that matter?
I may not be DRIVING as long as you, but I have owned my own business since 1996 and KNOW how to make money and deal with people and problems set before me. I will be profitable no matter WHAT I do or WHO I work for. Swift, Schneider and more included. TMC just makes it a little easier to make better money while driving nicer equipment and they treat ME well and with respect. Why you label me a "suckup" is a bit confusing since you never met or spoke with me. I simply LOVE my job while you seem to hate yours. Your anger and quite honestly your envy, pervade every post you make. I hope you find happiness SOMEWHERE. Life is WAAAY too short to go through it pissed off and "cheated".
Here's a free tip: Spend less time getting "documented facts" AGAINST your employers and work at making YOURSELF more productive and happier. Positive feelings and attidude promote growth while negative vibes tend to bring you and others around you down lower and lower each day. I never felt the need to play detective with TMC and don't CARE what flatbed rates are. I earn enough and could care less if TMC were making $100,000.00 per load I delivered. THAT"S NONE OF MY BUSINESS NOR IS IT YOURS. As long as I was taken care of and so far at TMC, I am quite pleased.

 

Fred I suggest that we keep this in the TMC thread so we are not hopping back and forth. I look forward to the debate.

 

B.S.!

$60,000 in the first calender year for a rookie driver (such as yourself Fred) regardless of dates is not realistic with several weeks of training pay and learning the system. I don't care what dedicated run you have out of wherever, you are not going to make $1,153.84 every single week from the time you start training to the end of that year.

I would think the exception to this would be if you were fortunate enough to hire into a full-time L.T.L/Union driving position immediately.

:wink:

 

Well compared to what I made the 4 years of Trucking driving for different Companies, I did not do so well. But I did enjoy the job. I made enough to pay bills, and would have some saved up if the ex did not spend it as fast as we got it, or go around blowing the engine of the car cause she did not want to pull over to the side of the road when she notice the steam boiling out from under the hood.

I sold at several Flea markets afterwards. Many of the venders would brag how good they use to do. Making 1000.00's with 1.00 items. You knew the Bull was getting Deep. Same with alot of Truckers.

Only way to make money is to work for your self, othe wise all your doing is getting the owner of the Company richer.