Any info on Trans Am?

wife34 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-04-2009, 12:39 PM

My hubby just got his CDL and Trans Am is looking to send him to Orientation on the 21st of this month. Everything we have read on several boards online has not been good. He was in Automotive manufacturing as a Supervisor/Process Engineer making 60,000.00 until the ecomomy hit hard and like many he lost his job.The unemployment office reccomended the WIA program for getting his CDL and so he did it. He's not afraid of hard work by any means. He just wants to keep his families head above water and keep our home. We don't have any expectations of making the kind of money he was prior to the economy crisis but would like to be able to survive. We have found no good comments on Trans Am anywhere. He realizes he will have to pay dues for at least the first year realistically. My question is this. He has an interview and is in the top 2 canadates for another automotive job about 4-5 hours from home for at least 60,000.00 but that would mean another move. Any seasoned drivers out there got any advice. Anyone been with Trans Am? His goal was to pay his dues and try to find a driving job where he was home regular.
Thanks and good luck to all you drivers. We appreciate what you do to get what we need where it has to go. With out you guys ther would be no jobs especially factory.

wife34 · #2 (**permalink**) 04-04-2009, 12:49 PM

I should mention regarding this possible factory job. We have had to move 4 times including out of state and leave our families behind. At this stage we could not get another mortgage and would lose our ### if we tried tof sell our home in this economy realistically, if it sold at all as our home although very updated is well over 100 yrs old. So should my husband move out of state for another factory job my daughter who is 19 and settled and refuses to leave the state we live in as she has lost many freinds with our 4 moves, my hubby would literally be supporting two homes his in the other state ans this one and would not live with us at all. He would have only visits until either a job came around locally here which we live in a VERY SMALL country town and 90 mins from anything. Or eventually I would have to move there leaving our daughter in a state where she has only freinds and no adult family to help her should she need it. We looked at truck driving as a way to keep bills paid and food on the table and allow us to stay where we are.

ls57racer · #3 (**permalink**) 04-04-2009, 02:35 PM

Welcome to Truckingboards wife34......

I am sorry to hear of your situation.....Hopefully someone can chime in on Trans Am for ya...

I only have a opinion to offer....... The trucking industry is very tough right now.. There are many ,many veteran driver out of work with nothing on the horizon for them...Most the good driving jobs will be filled by them if the company is worth working for... Any company hiring or training new drivers at this time would make you wonder why with all the exp. drivers that are available...... He will probably be gone a lot in the truck and be lucky to make 45k a year...... Can he rent a second residence for 15 k a year..... He may be better off to stay in his field and tough it out until something closer to home comes available.... As I said this is just my humble opinion....

Good Luck in whatever you decide...

thebeerboy · #4 (**permalink**) 04-04-2009, 03:13 PM

i think trans am is ok. ok money try knight transportation. if not got with trans am. . it all mind over matter. --- if ya don't mind, it don't matter

wife34 · #5 (**permalink**) 04-04-2009, 07:44 PM

Thanks for the input. He is leaning towards taking factory work in his field since he would be gone with either and make more with the factory as he is upper management level with 20 yrs exp. Another reason for the decision is he knows how he feels losing his job with all that exp. and how he would feel if there were a ton of newbies coming in and taking up the jobs while the seasoned workers in his field tough it out. We had hoped to be a team one day but I think it best out ride out the economy issues first.

CDL holder · #6 (**permalink**) 04-05-2009, 12:12 AM

I'd go with the factory work. Any entry level trucking job would have him home very little, just like the factory. The factory will pay much more and keep continuity on his established career.

Maybe he can find a roommate or other cheap housing and drive home on the weekends. That would be better home time than trucking.