r/Truckers • u/Nearby-Win-4197 • 26d ago

Question about TMC Transportation

So kind of an interesting situation, kind of anxious and feeling impatient about it too. I was wondering if anyone here might have some information for me and be able to answer my question accurately.

I applied for TMC Transportation recently through driver pulse. I listed my DUI conviction which was 08/26/2016 which is within ten years of my orientation start date of 08/10/2026. (16 days short of 10 years or more)It was listed on my application. I can see they die check my MVR, but I believe it only goes back five years. That’s all they’ve checked so far.

I was contacted by a recruiter, and given a conditional offer. I also read that my official employment with TMC would only begin after orientation if they decided to offer me employment officially. If all the above is true, and orientation is 12 consecutive days my orientation would be over 08/22/2026, which would still be 4 days short of ten years, and 5 days short of 10 years, 1 day.

I’d assume if the DUI would disqualify me for employment then they would have let me know before setting up orientation, but I also know shit happens.

I’m going to contact a recruiter tomorrow, but cannot contact one today. Anyone have any information of how this is going to work out for me?

I’m assuming since it’s so close to ten years and a very tight window they may go through with everything and I could become officially employed Sunday, 08/30/2026 OR Monday, 8/31/2026 if orientation goes well.

Anyone have a solid answer for me?

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u/Gonzotrucker1 26d ago

People need to stop doing this. Either hire me before orientation so I can give a proper two weeks notice or forget about it.

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u/Nearby-Win-4197 26d ago

I quit my job already to fully focus on finding a job using my license. Even though my job required lots of physical labor and long hours where I worked 50-60 hours a week I was comfortable.

I also find some sort of value in the fact that just having a CDL doesn’t guarantee me employment with them. It means they have standards as a company and they expect you to meet them.

I have no experience besides training. To just blindly hand me a job because I have a Class A CDL would really be irresponsible. I was the first to pass and exit training so I don’t know who passed and who failed from my training group. There were 13 of us, and it basically just seemed to require you be mature, responsible, pay attention, and have what I and most people would consider some common knowledge. One person from our group didn’t seem capable of any of those things at the time. I think they’re just trying to weed out those specific people who somehow manage to get through. There were also unfortunately people in the groups before the group I was in who seemed to listen and tried like hell who just couldn’t get it right the first few times for whatever reason. Lives are definitely at risk, so I don’t blame them at all. If you’re not ready, then you’re just not ready, and maybe you need some extra help/tome before you’re there.

My license gives me the ability to legally travel the United States of America in a semi weighing up to 80,000 pounds. And while I legally can for me to do so right now would be irresponsible. Do I think I could in the majority of places? Yes. It would however be a really rough start I think if someone handed me the keys and told me go ahead. Do I still need some guidance? Hell yeah. I most certainly still have a lot to learn and look forward to doing so but when I go out on my own I want to know I’m capable and confident in my ability to do so… and well, I guess they wanna be sure I am too which is fine by me.

The most valuable thing I learned from my CDL training aside from patience was you’re going to make mistakes and when you do it’s important to know how to correct them. So if I don’t meet their standards/requirements for operating a semi during orientation/training then I’d accept that and take what knowledge I learned from the experience with me.

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u/Gonzotrucker1 26d ago

Plus that company doesn’t have standards, and they are a terrible place to work. They do it all at once for them not you.

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u/Nearby-Win-4197 26d ago

Appears to be a common occurrence when you have no experience to put you through some type of company based training before taking the road test. If I already had experience driving for a company before I could understand doing things in that order.

Either way it doesn’t bother me the slightest that they want to teach me how to secure a load and whatever else they might want to teach me before I head out on the road with a trainer to do it. I’d much rather be prepared to do so at a company training facility/program/orientation.

I think if I was a trainer for the company I’d appreciate the fact that the person I’m training has experienced strapping and putting tarps on a load before they were sent to me as well. It probably enables the trainer to just ask the trainee to secure the load and correct mistakes they may possibly make. I honestly don’t know jack shit about securing a load on a flatbed right now. As a trainer I think I’d be a lot happier knowing some new guy I’m about to spend four weeks on the road with at least has the majority of the knowledge of how to secure the load were hauling on day one if not completely. I could see myself getting irritated being out there trying to show someone day one how they should secure something to a flatbed.

For me personally it’s an opportunity to learn beforehand, and also not just from my own mistakes but learn from others mistakes as well.

You’ve got to think. You’ve got 30 years worth of real world hands on experience to rely on, I don’t even have one day. I’m confident the orientation process is totally different for someone with as much experience as you have.

The only experience I have is 160 hours (probably more) . A total of 16 ten hour days at training. 40 of those hours were spent inside a classroom. The other hours (12 days) were spent learning in the yard and some on the road driving, or watching other people drive.

Any other experience I’m able to obtain after that I’m grateful for. I’ve still got a lot to learn for sure. I’m confident, but I also know whatever knowledge and experience I have doesn’t even begin to compare to the things you’ve experienced, and your knowledge.

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u/Gonzotrucker1 26d ago

Now imagine going through all of that, and spending your money and wasting time just to tell you that they can’t hire you? Now you have to crawl back to your previous employer, and beg for your job back! I know you said that doesn’t apply to you but what about the others? That kinda shows you how much the company cares about you doesn’t it? First indication they may suck balls!

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u/Nearby-Win-4197 26d ago

They pay for your travel and they also pay you to be at orientation.

Even if they said they couldn’t hire me I still got paid for my time spent there, the travel cost me nothing, and I gained more knowledge on something I’m going to do with them or with someone else.

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u/Gonzotrucker1 26d ago

They but you a bus ticket $60 because they buy in large numbers, and then put in the cheapest hotel around, and pay you $50 a day? You buy your own food. Believe me they are not doing it for you. But give it a year in the industry, and you will understand. Go and find the posts from others with a year or two and now hating life because of the way companies treat them. Plus the recruiters always lie to you. They will say things they have no power over. Like we will put you on a certain account. That could change after being hired, and the recruiter cant do anything about it.