PAM Transport reviews

So, if you're thinking about signing on with PAM transport... DON'T DO IT! For one.. They will run you like a dog and not pay you for it. When they do pay you, they will find every way they can to make sure you have to take one of their advances to make it through the week. I've had multiple checks that were a total of $0.00. I ran over 2,000 miles one week and was not paid for it. A couple weeks later I had a run of 1,500 miles or so and yet again was not paid for it. I've even had to put my own money in the truck for fuel!!! Only to be reimbursed for it weeks after the fact. And when I was reimbursed, they managed to take almost half of it back in deductions. For the last 10,000 miles I've driven I've made less than $1,000. I could go on and on and on about what a horrible company it is.

Oh and to top it all off today I was asked to violate HOS regulations.

Need less to say. I'm feed up with PAM transport and I've already found another job @ a different company. I'll be putting my notice in tomorrow that I'll be quiting this awful company.

Maybe someone has had better luck with PAM transport but, I highly doubt that. If you're happy running auto parts from Laredo to Detroit and don't mind making less than $300 a week. Then PAM is the company for you. But if you're like 99% of the other people on this site that like to be paid for there work and you have bills to pay. Stay away from PAM.

If you're looking for a trucking company that will train, use either Swift or Warner. Pam is the worst one to go to. You will not bring home more then $300. per week. I read this before I started with them and thought it was just a disgruntled employee. Nope, it was the truth. I really wish I would have listened. Also, I gave them a two week notice and they kept my final paycheck to reimburse their :"so-called" training school. That was a joke. You won't be trained. I learned when I was on the road solo. There is not a single classmate that I went through their school with that is still currently working for them. That was 3 months ago. Luckily, I did not have any incidents or accidents but it was purely by the grace of God. Not because they trained me well.

This is my honest, no BS, opinion of P.A.M.

There are a lot of pros and cons with any company, then with the bigger companies, there are usually more cons.

I've been here for 1.5 years and am comfortable with this company.... The pay is low, but the miles are decent enough to compensate. You average about 2500 miles and when your consistently on time, the load planners start to remember your truck number and start giving you better runs... But, if you cry and whine all day long, you will just do average....

Home time kinda sucks, out 3-4 weeks with 1 day off for every 7... If you get on a dedicated run, depending on how many miles it is, you could be home every other day and every weekend.

P.A.M., unlike many other big companies, doesn't care about idle time or fuel milage. You will NOT earn a fuel bonus. They just flat out don't do it... However, we do have FL's and International 9400i's that have optimized idle.... Sucks, but your not completely uncomfortable in extreme weather. Just takes some getting used to the truck shutting down and starting up...

We run FL Century mid roofs and condos, International 9400i, Prostars. We still have some Volvos that are being fazed out. Our trucks are base price trucks. No frills. Our FL's don't even have arm rest. We are allowed any inverter that plugs into a cig lighter. No pets. No add-on electronics. You can run any CB you want and antenna system, but no linears (boots, foot warmers, etc.). The trucks and trailers are very well maintained. 

They provide EZ-Pass / Pre-pass. If you are on a dedicated, they will also provide Indiana, Ohio, and Oklahoma toll passes if your run proves to be shorter using the toll roads.

They reimburse only CAT scales. Also any tolls, truck parts, or anything that the company would pay for. They will also NOT hesitate to get your truck fixed when something happens to it. You will get sent to either a TA, Petro, dealer, or company shop. They do not pay for washes unless you are on a dedicated run.

They are strict on their logs. You can be creative, but there are a couple things that need to match up (Fuel stops, when you send a qualcomm message while stopped, that kinda thing).

Our insurance is decent. 25.00 a week for single or 50.00 for family. Good BC/BS with 250.00 per year deductible. Dental. Vision discount (sucks). You start paying for it at 60 days, but can't use it until 90 days.

We also get a 1000.00 sign on bonus (500.00 at sign on, and 500.00 at 90 days solo). We also get a safety bonus of 500.00 every 6 months after 1 year. For safety bennies on top of the money, you get a hat at 3 months, a nice jacket at 6 months, and a ring (class ring style) at 1 year. Then for every one year after, up to 5 years, you get a diamond put in that ring. Plus the money.

So.....

Pros:

- They leave you alone as long as you do your job

- Assigned trucks (can keep your truck up to 500,000 miles)

- good miles

- plenty of dedicated runs

- well maintained trucks

- 1,000.00 sign-on bonus

- Safety bonus 500.00 every 6 months after 1 year + other bennies

Cons:

- low pay

- base priced trucks

- picky about logs

- crap vision insurance

If you have any questions, PM me.... I'm a driver, not a recruiter.... You can also visit *************** (can't make links yet, moderator, you can make that a link if you want). That site is driver owned and operated and you can talk to other drivers to get the low down along with a couple of night dispatchers and break down crew...

I had to post my experience with Driver Solutions and PAM Transport. It 

irritated me so much I have contacted media, the Arkansas Governor's Office, the Attorney General, and even the White House. I look forward to messages with stories similar to mine so we can attempt to make a change in a limited area of the trucking industry. Driver Solutions in conjunction with a few trucking companies is a fraud that does not assist in giving the proper training to needy individuals and once a CDL is tarnished, the student still bears financial responsibility. This is not the way it should be and some of the methods need changing.

To whom it may concern:

In Aug. of this year, I enrolled at the C1 Truck Driver Training School in 

North Little Rock, AR. It was a new venture for me and I had never been in a semi-tractor trailer before.

After four (4) weeks of training, I received my Class A CDL with the 

understanding that I would be gainfully employed at PAM Transport for the fulfillment of the terms of my one year contract.

Shortly after receiving my CDL, a number of now disturbing things began to happen. First, I was scheduled to go over the road for at least four weeks to get the first round of training needed to begin my career at PAM. Further, at the end of this period, I understood that I would be teamed with a more experienced driver to get additional experience. I even requested to have a team driver.

During the initial training, a number of irregularities that I am not afraid 

to mention occurred. One, my trainer was always yelling at me that I was not doing the job perfectly as he wanted. Additionally, while sufficient hours of actual road driving occurred, he was always doctoring his logs to provide me with the hours needed to upgrade within the alotted three week period. He even used his cell phone to text and talk while driving. Another issue was that there were damage caused to the vehicle on two occasions that he reported to Road Rescue and he lied about the cause of the damage. At times, he and the company could only see dollar signs by getting drivers through with rapidity. While I did not complain because I was eager to upgrade and get further training, I realized the safety issue and the impropriety of this conduct. Further, insufficient time was spent on subjects such as backing and practical items that would eventually come back to haunt me when I was thrust out on the truck on my own.

After a short stint at Tontitown (corp. headquarters), I succeeded in getting upgraded but was put in my own tractor. While I was humbled with the responsibility and felt I could handle it, I still believe it was more prudent to allow further training and team me with a more experienced driver.

While taking my first load to Florida, I was not privy to truck stops in the area, and while attempting to turn around in a gas station, I managed to clip a fuel pump dislodging it from its mounts. Additionally, a week later, I was attempting to pick up a load in PA. While en route and following inadequate driver instructions on the Qualcomm, I made a wrong turn and continued heading into a mountainous area. I tried to call the shipper but they were not available at the early hour in the morning. When faced with the dilemma of either continuing on or making a U-turn, I attempted to turn around at which time my steer tires got stuck in soft soil necessitating a tow.

A final incident occurred once I arrived at the shipper. There were two docks located in a garage like enclosure necessitating pinpoint accuracy in backing in and moving out. While I managed to back in with little problem, when I attempted to exit, my driver side trailer door clipped part of the building breaking it from its hinges.

It was this incident and lack of compassion that led to my ultimate discharge from PAM Transport. Yes, I am a bit bitter about the manner my employment situation was handled. They never gave me an opportunity to make right what was wrong and show them really what to do with this company with further training. 

I have always been a hard and determined and ambitious man. This is 

illustrated by the two law licenses I have achieved (in both Ohio and Arkansas). However, I want to speak out for the people that either are too afraid because they need their jobs, and for the safety issues that, if unresolved, may result in serious injury or death if the improper training is allowed to continue.

I would hope that anyone who has been victimized by this situation would attempted to contact me so we can start a movement to reform this industry which is so vital to our economic livelihood. Please contact me by private message at this site. I am anxious to hear other stories like mine. A very good friend of mine lost his job as a trucker at PAM under similar but not as significant as mine.

Finally, I would challenge Driver Solutions to contact me, help me retain 

gainful employment, and help me realize my full potential. Or the worth as to what they have paid will be worthless and I will make no further effort to pay for something that was not of any value since I can not use the CDL because I was not trained adequately.

I am grateful for my CDL. Now I will be even more grateful if training assists me in maintaining a job that I can utilize same.

To all who read this, thank you, God bless, and Merry Christmas.

Been with PAM 2+ years. Was an otr for a yr. then went

to a dedicated run, and I'm home every night, weekends

off. It was a big pay cut to come off the otr. When I ran

otr, good miles, check accurate every week, no complaints!

Now doing dedicated is a different story. We have to call

in every day to see if we have a load, which is crap! I've been

Running 3 days a week, because of no loads! Now I'm looking

for a new job. By the way, been on this dedicated run for

a year and a half, no pay raise!! And like a poster earlier,

Im on medical hold as well. They want to know why you

went to the dr. Every time, and what was prescribed! I feel

it Is an evassion Of privacy! Dr. Patient privledge.! If your

just starting out, and go otr, not a bad company to work 

for.

You may be fooled when you hear from your trainer that "they'll send you to Tontitown or Irving (or wherever it is that's closest to your last delivery location while training) and you'll take your upgrade test. After you'll get your own truck!!!!!!"

Those are the words my friends you should never feed into and believe. You will never just get a truck out of millions of trucks waiting to be driven, customized or characterized in whatsoever fashion. You will merely become an operator of a truck which has to be just as passable to the next driver as you received it. In short, do not take any chances jacknifing the vehicle if you don't have to and sometimes backing up to your blind side can be better than u-turn jacknifing.

You don't always need to drive a company vehicle as if it were your own truck. The truth is handling a company truck that way can get you fired as it did myself. I believed I had every right to privacy while driving the company truck, and also believed I had made good efforts to report faults I had with the truck, but it says so in the guidelines to expect no privacy and to report all accidents(any kind of damage to the truck) immediately to the casualty claims/accident dept. So if you get a rock chip in your window, or you scrape a panel against an edge while backing guess who you call before road rescue, correct, casualty claims/accident 24hr line.

My friends, signing with PAM is not a joke. Pray everyday, and take deep breaths. I don't know about you, but I come from a decent suburbia where I've shared many laughs and had merry times. PAM can put a frown on your face if you're not careful and right now I'm beginning to think they're targetting innocent happy suburban kids. My friends, if and when you sign with PAM, make sure you get back home every 3 weeks, and don't let them ######## you like they did me and tell you that home time is not guaranteed except for on Christmas and New Years. You do not need to keep proving that you are a competent driver and can find new places you've never been to back to back without going home for some rest. Request hometime no matter what and don't worry about your income (a little is better than none & you are probably in the driver's soltion program trying to get to 1yr so no income turns into 1 day closer).

I speak this way because I was discharged in my 9th month working with PAM so never reached the end of the 1 yr contract with driver's solution. I have so much muscle so didnt even flinch when I was told to clean out my truck and was given a bus ticket from OH back to TX. You might not be so lucky. I travelled all throughout the Midwest and South with the exception of FL and Northeast below Vermont and Maine. Had 2 steady relationships while on the road in two different states and banged a chick in Mexico across the border. I'd say my relationship with 

my Driver manager was smooth after a rocky start, but what I was unprepared for, but could sense was imminent danger, was the day I met with a safety director at one of the terminals. I had just spoke with a casualty claims/accident dept representative about truck damage to the first truck I was issued and soon after that I was being ordered to drop the trailer I had, switch trailers with another driver, t-call a new loaded trailer before delivery and wait til mon. morn to meet with safety, and then my experience blew out the window.

I must be color blind because I am a black who thought I could get out of a meeting with safety. It was all over. It was all over when the red necks in casualty claims reported my incidents and asked me "is there anything else?" and I excerbated any chances I had left of keeping the job by reporting a jacknife on myself. You have to be honest, but just make sure you report yourself to the reds in casualty claims. was talking bout "would you be alright if I put a dent in your car and brought it back to you" and a whole bunch of other *#% you don't want to know about. It's not easy, so go home and take a loss. Don't gamble with your future. I may not be able to drive a truck for a whole year minimum or my life if I find something better and it's a real shame. Plus I'll have to pay $4700 of the $6000 financed after 9mths. Do you want to get that close?

I've given you the heads up on how to succeed with PAM so take my two cents of advice. If you have actually stumbled upon this thread because you are wondering what it would feel like to not be able to get your one year in, you have found living proof. Not everybody makes it and sometimes you get fired for not knowing all the reasons you can get fired.

Good Luck.

Well the one year contract is over. If you are just starting with PAM let me offer you some hints and tips to make some better money and maybe avoid a few of the land mines that I stepped on. Number one, you are going to be a servant for a year. take that into consideration. You traded a year of your life to get a skill and if you went through C-1 school to get to PAM you have paid a premium price to do that. Use your time wisely. When you leave your trainer, start assessing where he/she left you high and dry and LEARN those skills from other drivers. What I DIDN"T learn from my "trainer" were these things:

1. Learn how to adjust weight on your tractor and trailer. A few good fellows out there and a "coincidence" taught me about a sweet spot for all weights, but again there is a weight limit. You must remember there are truckers out there who DON"T know what they are talking about, find those white haired fella's who have been driving for twenty years, they know what they are talking about.

2. Always figure in another four hours with your trip time. Construction, accidents, your 10 minute stops all add up and remember the EOBR does not care what a nice person you are, it keeps ticking after four hours of on duty. 

3. Never be afraid to tell your DM "No", there will be times when they want you to use the last two hours at night to pick up a load. Remember, you have to find a place to get your resets/rests and that usually means scouring a parking lot waiting for an open slot, or driving to another place. If you are solo, wake up early and get your spot between four and 6 p.m. at night. Don't wait until the last minute, you will regret it and that safe haven stuff does not work well. 

4. Never be afraid to tell a Dm that you need to bobtail as a solo to get to a place with a bath room and food and water. You can always travel back five miles to get an empty, a violation for being out of service is not worth it. 

5. If you are the active driver YOU FUEL the truck. Letting a team member fuel will be a F/M violation. I served five days of suspension (to harsh) for my team mate and I not knowing this was a violation. 

6. PRE PLAN YOURSELF: Look over your plans, the times, the distances and make decisions about when to leave, when you will be traveling through bigger cities. Make sure you DOCUMENT everything in your little notebooks. When problems arrive and you dont have a record of the evidences and times, you will be left holding the bag. When you start quoting times, dates and conversations, someone else is going to be in trouble. NOT YOU. This has saved my bacon (after that stupid fuel thing) about six times. My dispatcher knew from the first time that he could not get away with telling lies about phone calls he made to me, messages he sent that mysteriously disappeared, ect.

7. Write down your miles. Make sure you are being paid what you drive. Check your payroll everytime you are paid and match it up with your books (I have caught two mistakes so far). 

8. Treat your company nicely. If you have people who are difficult, use the rules they impose on you to catch them on their "bends". Once they see you applying their own negative dynamics on them, they change and comply. 

9. You have a wonderful friend in David Finley, your driver advocate. Don't take your childish whining to him, take LEGITIMATE problems to him. As a team we had a truck that cost us 6 half paychecks because of maintenence issues, He called our nemesis, told him to drop his sword and start fresh and get us a new truck. It happened. David is not your Dr. Phil, he is your FRIEND. Take logical issues to him and he will solve it on the other side for you. Call him and tell him thanks when he helps you too. He also keeps your conversations CONFIDENTIAL when you need it. 

10. If you have anger issues, you had better learn to cope fast. You are going to be stretched, tried, lied to, changed on and you will be swimming in many directions. Pam is a company trying to rearrange itself. In two years you will be driving a pretty nice truck and your pay may be better, but right now they have trimmed staff to the bone and your resources will be thin. Getting a hold of Road Rescue is a long wait. Remember, you do not have to stay in a truck with no AC or heat. Get a hotel room and get paid. Learn what you get when you are not running. 

11. You WILL serve six months as a team member. You do not have to drive/live with a PIG a THUG or an IGNORAMUS, call your DM, explain the conditions and you will be pulled away and given another team member. The first team guy I had was a slob/pig. I explained my plight and was given a good and decent partner. We didnt' make great money, but it was more than solo pay. 

12. Get your HazMat endorsement. PAM will give you priority loads. I have personal reasons for not doing it, but you will make more money. 

13. YOU MUST be watchful for all other drivers around you. Yes, you are now a protector of yourself and a babysitter for men and women and teens texting, talking on the phone, reading, putting on makeup, disciplining kids, watching TV and video's while driving. One night going through TN, we were starting to pass a flat bed Ford work truck. It had a swing stage on it and other equipment. it broke loose on a few jumps in the pavement and that 800 pound swing stage jumped off the truck and on to the highway with other equipment. Someone behind us was coming and there was no fair warning. BE ALERT and you will avoid accidents and tickets. 

14. GO SLOW..........Accuracy FIRST, Speed second. It took me a year to learn how to back up well. Others are naturals, but they get a false sense of competence and then mess up and sometimes badly. BE paranoid and safety minded ALWAYS and you will succeed well. 

15. Your biggest friend out in traffic is CUSHION. You staying back the proper amount of space will save you from impact, rollovers and other tragedies truckers suffer. At night, a big cushion gives you more time to react/brake. 

16. Take care of your health. You will be SITTING the majority of the time you are working. Stop every two hours, walk around a little, stretch. Drink water, eat a healthy diet. That is not always possible, but holding water in your legs, making your heart over work and being sedate are killers. Supplement, learn to eat well and eat less. Pilot roller grills and deep fried food are no way to eat everyday. Get to a T/A or a country pride and get salad in you. Not always the tasty alternative, but in a year when you are 60 pounds thinner (like me) your time with PAM will be a good memory and not a trip to the doctor to find out how to lose the 35 pounds you gained. Hard boiled eggs are cheap, salad is cheap at the fast food places and if you snack correctly, on beef jerky, water, nuts and have a cheat meal once a week, you can lose weight at this job. 

17. Its up to you. I had a bad attitude for a while. I thought I was being screwed and half of it was me fighting the system. Had I argued in a positive manner I would have had more miles, a better truck and less hassle. You are going to blow tires, you are going to be stuck in traffic, you are going to get shafted by your DM (My first DM turfed me for seven weekends straight and I caught him in four lies and confronted him on it. He was promoted and then really put the screws to me. He has however been fired now and karma came fast) and your efficiency in turning in paper work, checking your rig and your lights, ect. will cost time. Remember ACCURACY first, speed second. By the time a year has passed, you will do very well if you LEARN while you are driving. Many just want to sit and make forty dollars a day. That is a waste. 

18. Stay the whole year. I could have walked, but it would have made me look like a flake to the next job (which is in the process). I kept my word for a year and the new company knows that I will do what I say. You may have family emergencies and other things may come up, do your best to finish. A good truck driver is hard to find, when they are found a company will pay them well and work with them. 

19. TALK to a lot of other truckers. Find out which company knows the driver is the paycheck for the company. I found one and although I would like to go local, I will go with this company as ten of their drivers gave glowing reports, drove nice rigs and were happy with them. 

20. DO NOT GIVE UP. Giving up gets you nowhere but back at the beginning. yes, I should have went to a Junior college to learn to drive. Its cheaper than PAM, you get more individual instruction and you gather more skills and knowledge. You chose PAM, it wasn't a mistake, but it was not the best option. Hunker down, get it done and when three years have passed and you are making a steady 50-60K a year with weekends home, that first year will be an investment, not a regret. 

21. Learn how to fix small problems with a hammer, pliers, spray lube, a pry bar and electrical tape, duct tape, screwdrivers and crimping pliers for wiring. The easy stuff you can fix will keep you out of a BUSY shop. You are not a mechanic, but you are not helpless either. Keep your wheels turning to make money. You putting in a light bulb in ten minutes could mean you saving five hours waiting for the shop to get you in while your clock is ticking.

Thats it. You will have good insurance, you will have low paychecks and you will be frustrated. Let it slide, enjoy the ride and do the best you can. Good luck to you and may our country turn back to its Creator and cast its tyrants, liars and infidels out of office so that we can all be owner operators making 100K plus a year without all the beauracracy, red tape and hassles. We can have our American dream back, we just have to wake up and do something about it.

When I started with PAM last year training was 4 weeks. I had driven trucks before, but had been out of it a few years and had to start all over. My trainer was a good guy and we got along well. We're still friends and talk once in a while.

After training I took a while to get into a good truck. The first couple I was assigned to had some issues. But, once I got a decent one I was rolling. They sent me out solo at first and freight was not steady. Some weeks I'd do okay and others not so much.

After about 6 weeks I was offered a dedicated lane out of San Antonio with a co-driver. This was a pretty good gig. My co-driver was cool and we got home every weekend. Money was alright.

Once I'd been with the company for six months I became a trainer. Trainer money is GOOD. With a good student I was putting $1200 to $1500 in my pocket after taxes. But, most of the students weren't good and the home office wanted us to run like a team when most of these guys couldn't even keep a proper log. I had to be awake at every stop and watch the back in. I couldn't get enough sleep and ended up getting into a small accident. No more training for me.

Next I was offered a job making trips from the Irving yard down to the Buda yard just below Austin and back. Home every night and off on weekends. Pay is a little low, but it's consistent. The trouble is, sense the 4th of July holiday there hasn't been enough freight. I only worked two days last week and they just called and told me not to come in tonight.

I have to say PAM has done everything they said they'd do and if they can keep me busy, I'll stay with them. But, I'd really rather not go back out over the road. I may have to look around for another job