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My husband and I weren't even making ends-meet when he decided to go into the trucking industry. He stumbled upon the driver solutions website and we both thought it would be a good idea since he wasn't having good luck with getting a job our here. Well, he applied and was contacted by a man named Brian Kelly I believe. We went through a process of application as normal and they checked out his dvr record and all was fine and ready to go. He went to C1 Trucking School in Springfield, MO for a 3 week training course to get his CDL. Everything went fine and dandy for a while and he passed and received his CDL. He was hired on to P.A.M. by the time he was done with the school and this is where it starts to go bad.
He was scheduled to start the following Tuesday with them. Now grant it, I was working but barely making it with the house payment and babysitting costs on my own. So by this time we were pretty broke with supporting him while being gone. So we were more than ready to get him on the road to start making some money. Well, he was supposed to be on the road for 4 weeks with a trainer getting only $300 a week (minus taxes and a portion to pay for part of the tuition). That was fine, any money was good money at this point.
Well, he calls the contact at P.A.M. to start his loads and training, no answer, leaves a message. Well, we don't get a call back all day, he calls again, no answer, leaves a message. So we suffer for two weeks of no answers and leaving messages and asking a rude receptionist to page her to her desk for our call and her refusing to do so. Finally, the lady calls back. Well, she claimed that she couldn't get through the phone. That's funny, because he left messages with two phones to contact, both in working order and even C1 was frustrated this so called coordinator lady from P.A.M. because a ton of other new employees were having the same problem.
But whatever, he gets started with a trainer two weeks later after C1. So we're finally making money. However the "training" mind you lasted 6 weeks before dispatch finally decided to get my husband to the orientation in Tontitown where they were supposed to get him his own truck. The other thing was that his trainer was rude and unsafe with his driving, and took random pictures of women everywhere he went. My husband remembers finding piles and piles of pictures of random women in the trainers glove compartment. Interesting...what kind of people are they employing.
But nevermind that, he goes through orientation and gets a truck and makes one run and gets to be home finally. He has a couple days off at home and then got to head out again and start making regular (better) pay. His dispatcher calls him for a run and tells him to go back up to Effingham to get the truck inspected (since it was run down in the first place when he got it) and then start his load. Well my husband got to the shop and told the mechanics the truck was there for it's inspection. The mechanics looked at him funny and told him he was only there to drop off the truck. So he called his dispatcher and his dispatcher immediately transfered him to the safety guy. The safety told him he was fired for a speeding ticket back in 2006 and he was on his own for getting back home. He asked why all the sudden that supposed ticket came up when it should have been caught in the beginning when they said he was good on his dvr report.
So I had to get my infant son and drive for 7 hours to pick him up and get him back home. No compensation, nothing. They didn't even pay him for his first run, his layover or anything. P.A.M. Transport is a rip off! 3 months of "training" to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, no money, no nothing, sucked dry of money spent on essentials for that crappy truck. He has left messages in almost every department there demanding to see that so called report and to be compensated and actually get his payment for the runs that he did for them. Several messages, no answers, no returned calls or emails. We are looking for a lawyer or a class action lawsuit to join. They left us with tuition (promised to pay, yeah right!) and even more broke then we were before. Those life sucking idiots should never be trusted! Don't go with P.A.M. Transport ever!
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My husband has been with PAM for 3 years, no major problems. They even paid for his trainning! They paid him damn good money! Home every weekend.
AS for your husband...first rule of trucking. Keep a clean driving record. Know all the tickets you have or have ever gotten! Request copies of your MVR after every ticket! And finally be honest. He should have told them from the beginning that he had gotten a ticket in 2006. But then again, PAM wouldn't fire you because of ONE ticket! Im sure they is more to the story, you just wanted your husband to look good and PAM be the bad guys! I hate to tell you this sister, but truckers and their wives are mean people when you try to ### with the company that puts food on their table!
I am looking at going to C1 school in little rock and I want to get on with pam since i have heard 99 percent that they are a decent company and I have a perfect driving record and background so I should be good to go and I also know how to manage a buck so no problems there. I can see how the first year and a half can be hell but after all they are there to make a living not someone wanting to play truckstop cowboy or a wheel jockey and that first year is mostly to build the drivers skills and stuff. most of my family has been in trucking for 50 years. I look forward to joining a good company like PAM.
my name is john Casey I went to C1 school in st. louis mo... I also been scamed...MO state took St. louis C1 license away as well as the school in silkton Mo too... I think its time to do a law suit... please any one please email me at legendarydawg@yahoo.com... I had enought... I have been send a summins to go to court in Indy in augest...
My name is Eric and I went thru the Drivers Solution program. When I had completed the program they told me to go home and wait for P.A.M. Trucking to call me for training. I sat wiating for a phone call for 3 weeks. I called Drivers Solutions asking what is going on. They told me that I had to contact PAM Trucking. I called and left several messages over the next week with no return calls. On the forth week I received a letter in the mail stating that my employment was never terminated. Now driver solutions is harrassing me about payment. I asked for the reason why I was let go and Driver solutions keeps telling me to call PAM. Now I stuck with a 6000 bill for nothing. Driver solutions is a BIG SCAM! If there is anyone out there starting a class action suit I WANT IN! Thanks Eric BigEKP@aol.com
Driver Solutions is a rip off, after 4 1/2 weeks of so called CDL training at C1 Indy where I had the worst of all trainers Dion. He was lousy always yelling and cussing he had no respect for you as a grown man. The reason it took so long is because I was held back while others were trained. Then I'm off to USA Truck in Van Buren AR. Training there was also terrible, and I still had problems backing, they send you to the worst pickups, places where there is no way to back a 53 ft trailor. My fleet manager Teresa was a total ###. Once just off of some home time my first day back it was around 4 in the evening so I get to my truck ready to roll out the next morning then I get a load assignment that would require me to drive all night with no rest at all. Even though I had the hours to do so fatigue was a major factor I was swerving off the road dozing off, so I had enough I pulled over and went to sleep so the evil ### was mad telling me I should have been well rested and ready to go after I told her I had my son all day.USA also cares nothing about any family issues you may have. I was written up I really dont care about that. What was i supposed to do fall asleep behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler killing myself maybe even others. Then all the times I was lost because of all the wrong directions I was given. I just feel like this was all a rip off then when I got that paycheck for $10.86 I had enough, thats well below the 35 to 40K they say you will make your first year. I would talk to other drivers at truck stops who worked for USA, and all they would say is they're not making any money getting no miles and paychecks for less than $10. But they have the nerve to want their tuition paid in full they must be crazy. I told her that USA was a bad company to work for and how we are trying to keep our house from foreclosure and my car being repossesed, thanks to 3 months of this mess. If there is a class action suit I want in contact me at burn726@yahoo.com
GIVE ME A BREAK YOU CRY BABY!
I don't work for any of the companies you mentioned; but you should thank God they put you through the training without paying up front and they got your Husband the CDL. Other school will charg about $2, 250 upfront for the classes.
If you were smart instead of ignorant, your husband would take that CDL and work for another trucking company since there is about a 50, 000 driver shortage and growing.
Your husband should add a TWIC and SeaLink card to his credentials and Hazmat endorsement to make him more attractive to trucking companies. If your husband is anything like you, I woul fire him too.
STOP YOUR LITTLE COMPLAINING AND LOOK AT THE BRIGHT SIDE.
I went to driver solutions in indy. Halfway through classes they told us 50 percent of us wouldnt make it as truck drivers. This is after i had quit my previous job and signed the paperwork. They wont tell you that part before you sign, only after. I think its acually more beneficial for the school if you DONT end up driving for the company they are in cahoots with. They just sue you for the outrageous full tuition. I honestly think c1 makes more money from suing drivers that didnt make it than by actually training them.This means they actually sue fifty percent of the people sitting at the desks next to you. Explain to me how this is NOT a scam.While not in these exact words they say after the classes are complete we are going to sue half of you in the room for 7000.00$ each.Like I said before, they make sure you have quit your job, signed the paperwork, and are halfway through the course before they tell you this. What kind of school is this where only fifty percent of the students end up as drivers?And The other half get sued? I think it should be a law if you cant get 70 to 80 percent of the students to pass you are obviously a horrible teacher and SHOULDNT BE ALLOWED TO TEACH.WHERE IS THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU?Well, I passed and went to USA TRUCK where i would make "40 to 50k A year". What a lie. You would do well to make half that. They wont tell you that either. The facilitys were basically a huge garbage dump . The most disgusting things i have seen were at the headquarters of this "wonderful company where I would make 40 to 50k a year.Every desk had a spitoon full of tobacco spit on it. Showers and beds? Dont even think about it.I wouldnt wash my dog in those facilitys. Got with a trainer and off we went. Down the side of a mountain at 90 in a blizzard while talking constantly on a cell phone at 2am. No rest ever. I honestly dont know how this guy has lived this long and i just cant believe USA didnt know how illegal this guy was really was. They obviously didnt care what he did as long as the loads were shipped.They made sure to use paper logs so the drivers could cheat like crazy. It was embarrassing to see the name USA on the truck after a while. What kind of company would steal the US AIR FORCE symbol from the goverment and then bar them from using it anymore. Must be a slap in the face to a lot of vets. Like my brother who retired from the Air Force after 20 yrs. Somehow I gritted my teeth and made it through the training. My trainer was a habitual liar who had dinner with president Reagan not once but 2 times, and was an ex navy seal. "I was with the teams" he used to say. More than once he had the crosshairs on a south american drug lord only to be stood down at the last minute by order of the president . Must be strange to go from having dinner with the pres to driving for one of the worst companies in the country. Did more research on USA TRUCK while at home waiting for my first assignment and a truck. Come to find out its one the most dangerous haulers out there. That really shows the quality of both the school and the company. Then I was off to pick up my new truck. What a dangerous pile of crap it was. Too much wrong with it to list. I'd be here all day. First assignment. Drive crap halfway across country with no load to a different repair facility. After all, crap is unsafe to drive and needs repair. Did I mention that i picked up crap at a huge repair facility to begin with?Since I had no load I drove dangerous crap for free for the "wonderful company i would make 40 to 50k a year with". Finally I catch a bad case of pneumonia and off to the hospital i go. Right lung collapsed and filled with blood. Called dispatch. They said drive or your fired. Laying in a hospital bed filled with drugs and tubes and a collapsed lung and i get "drive or your fired". Nothing like showing how classy they really are. Doctor says its illegal for me to drive while on the drugs they have given me. I tell this to dispatch. Dispatch instantly fires me while i lay in hospital. School instantly wants 7000.00$ tuition. Since i had quit my previous job and not been at USA long enough to get coverage i had no insurance. 10, 000.00$ bill. I emptied my retirement savings to live on while i recovered and looked for another job. Another 10, 000.00$ Got a job as a temp at a local factory near home. 9 bucks an hour. Try raising 4 kids and making the mortgage payment during all of this. After more years of constant harrassment by the school for their tuition they finally sued me. I couldnt afford the 2 or 3 hundred in fuel it would have cost to drive to the courthouse to defend myself. I live in new york, school is in indiana. I have since recieved papers from court saying that 25% of my after tax pay will be taken from EACH WEEKLY PAYCHECK untill tuition is paid. Its probably bancruptcy time for me. I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN ANY KIND OF ACTION AGAINST THIS SCHOOL AND THE COMPANIES THEY ARE IN CAHOOTS WITH. This has cost me 30 to 40 grand and two yrs of constant harrassment and the payments havnt even started yet. Tlennon@redsuspenders.com
I also went to C-1 in St Louis a few months before they closed down.
It was the middle of winter, they had no working bathrooms and sewage all over their basement where we were to have our lunches and breaks.
They also would not allow you into their offices to warm up or use their bathroom. They had porta potties and propane heaters set up in trailers outside.
They would demand we gather wood to burn in large trash cans to stay warm.
The trainers would cuss us out and they would hit on me because I was the only girl.
I passed the first two tests but a pin in my ankle was hurting me (from an ankle surgery a year before). I asked John Triplette if I could resume my last class after I had surgery to remove the pin and healed. He said that was fine.
Then the collections calls came. I told them I was given permission from the school's director to leave until my ankle was repaired.
When I was better I faxed Drivers Solutions and PAM my release to go back to school. The St Louis crapshack was already closed and I was told I could attend school in another part of the state.
Well, Pam called me and said they were dropping me after that. I asked them why and she said my medical records (the records she saw before) said I had a sleep disorder?
I checked the records she was talking about and it was a record from my initial ankle break. It said I had trouble sleeping and was related to having a broken ankle.
This was a whole year before I even tried to get into that crappy school.
I just had to pay Drivers Solutions 6 grand out of a settlement I received for my ankle.
I also found out that there was a certified letter sent to my old house in St Louis and that there was a court date in Indiana that I had no idea about.
If I were not able to pay the 6 grand. There would have been no way of knowing about this lawsuit or the warrant I would have had in another state.
Now that I have paid them, I am wrestling with walking away from this horrible experience or joining some kind of class action suit.
I ###ing hate C-1 and PAM.
c1 trucking school ... wow ok where to start! I went to class with a completely clean record. NO REASON TO BE DISMISSED FROM THERE COURSE! I show up on Friday of my first week and get a call from pam saying that the physical that i took was not good enough for them because the first blood pressure reading they took from me was a little high and then the doctor that they bring to the school took it again manually this time instead of using there dumb little bp machine and it was well within range and was ok for me to get a DOT physical card. But in any case they now want me to go to my physician and get put on bp medication. So i jump through there hoops and get a appointment with my doctor for the following monday first thing in the morning. Well i get to my doctor and get my blood pressure taken and it is 138/86 and the standard for the job is 140/90 so i figure that this should be the end of it ... situation taken care of. Well no it cant be that ###ing easy ... they tell me that if i dont get put on bp medication that i am ### out of luck. That my sponsoring company will no longer sponsor me until i am being treated for my bp issue ... the bp issue i dont have! so i spent the next two days talking to my doctor along with several others that all told me the same thing... no bp issue ... nothing to treat ... so i got dismissed from class ... sure hope that they do not expect me to pay ... i will be getting lawyers involved
### C1 AND PAM
I was thinking of taking this course to get my CDL so I can work for PAM.. in North Florida...
Now i'm scared to do it.. I have a perfect driving record and perfect health. Army vet.
Does anyone have anything good to day about Drivers Solutions and P.A.M.?
I cannot afford to get CDL training any other way.
email me and let me know plz. I am interviewing Monday Feb 15, 2010.
joshuab888@yahoo.com
SPELL CHECK...
"anything good to SAY"
I filled out P.A.M.s online application. I got to the point where it asked about my drivers license and I filled out that I had a CDL class A from Missouri. Soon after I finished the application and sent it off I received an immediate response that they had no positions in the Kansas City area. Smelled bad at that point. Got on line to check out P.A.M. They have a nationwide network of locations that need drivers and they want to train new drivers. Starting to smell like ### now! Then I Google P.A.M. and find this site about all the complaints. All stating the same thing. We train drivers to get a CDL. Training? Well according to all that I have read here is that it is highly suspect in nature. But they offer training to get CDL. Then by circumstanses beyond the control of P.A.M. the drivers are released/terminated/canned/left out to dry/###ed out of a "job". Now comes the good part. The drivers are sued for 3 weeks of education at a tune of $6k to $7.5K. I think these dudes are part of the Russian or Nigerian scammers on the internet. Only you get to send your hard earned $$$ to a lawyer that represents the "company" that trained you. Guys Gals a big T H A N K Y O U! FOR POSTING THIS ON THE INTERNET! Maybe, just maybe the Attorney Generals of the different states will put their collectived heads together (as soon as they get them out of their ###) and put a final stay against this practice. Fight for justice!
I went to C-1 Indy. It's not easy or fun but u can pass no problem and have a CDL A after you're done. I then went to work for P.A.M. and had a minnor accedent while still with my trainer. P.A.M. gave me my own truck and I worked with them for 11 months before they let me go for the stuff that happened with my trainer; leaving me holding the bag for C-1 $$$$. Jokes on me I guess?
OMG and just think i was about to go to this place and start the training.
i have spent about 4 hours reading NOTHING but BAD reviews of the driver solutions network.
i was wondering why the guy wanted me to sign up asap... a few hundred people in debt for at least 6, 000.00 or more is a slick way to make a living if your have no concience. just imagine how many people are already paying into this and the money they are making ...
I also was checking into CR England they sound like a similar scam to get you into debt to they so that you can be garnished on anything you make in the future from the non-truck driving job you are forced to get. maybe i should find a hotel job like i have had for the last 20 years.
i can't afford to get into debt only to get fired for some stupid crap and not have a job.
i want to drive a truck. but not at this cost!
Ok, i was planning on doing this and i am glad that i found this site before i signed up. my only concern is that I gave my social so that they can run a background check. Now i am freaking out. I mean i am broke as it is so they really can't screw me more than i am, i haven't signed anything or gave any other personal information. anyone know what can happen?
I really appreciate everyone taking their time to comment on this "scam" topic. I was considering going to a trucking school as well. Though I liked the idea before, I now realize that there are a lot of loop holes. It's hard to believe that a company can get away with such horrible things, but now that I think about it, it's not that hard to believe. If Driver Solutions and Pam are really doing these things, which it appears they are, than thank God I saw this thread. Though those complaints against these companies seem to complex to be fake, it would be even more convincing if there was some hard evidence to see. But if I got ripped off and went through all this crap I probably wouldn't want to take the time/money to go about displaying and explaining the situation. Maybe a video recording of a day in court battling these companies could be displayed on youtube or something? I don't know if that's possible, but you catch my drift. Anyways, I don't want to take a chance on these companies either. If they were really upfront I imagine they would probably offer online video training which is GOOD plus inexpensive. (by the way, I have tried an online cdl training course before and believe me, they are totally "mickey mouse" as well.) Yeah, if there was an "accredited" online training course that was made by someone with a brain larger than a "lug nut", than that could be some good shi*. If it went through everything that these supposedly stupid as* training schools do. You could make money off of advertisements? plus a small fee. If anyone is interested in funding that idea let me know, I would like to help as long as I don't have to pay out any $$! ;) If someone wants a cdl, I would suggest finding the DMV test scores from someone. I can't find them myself, but lots of people have them, and if you have all of them which is like 7-8 versions, than you can easily pass the Drivers test for that year until the DMV makes new tests. All you have to pay for after that is the driver training which I don't believe should be to costly. ( Hey if someone calls pam looking for a job and they say they are hiring all over the place, and then you have someone with a different voice call with a class a cdl asking fro work and they say they arn't hiring, or that they are. Then you send tour app or whatever, and if they don't get back with you or nver return your calls, or whatever, that says something. "you can record all of this a put it on youtube? Maybe, idon't know if you can record any one without their permission legally, but whatever. Anyways, lets bring these mothers down! if they are Mother f*****s.
I went to C-1 in Ft. Worth and got on with PAM. I worked for them for a year and moved on. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have stayed. With one exception, PAM was the most well organised company I've ever worked for.
I'd say the school and the company have the same business philosophy. My trainers weren't the nicest people, but they knew what they were doing. I had to ask questions, over and over, but I learned and kept learning. The trucking industry as a whole operates on one simple idea... It is up to the driver to stay informed, aware and legal.
In all the negative reports, I have no doubt there is more to the story, on both sides.
If a driver is easily pressured, he is going to fail in trucking.
A driver who makes it clear that there is a limit he won't cross, will succeed.
well like most of you i was scammed by those losers c1 as well, went to "school" yeah right what a joke, in st louis where they dont train anyone to do anything you were lucky if u got behind the wheel for more then 2 minutes a day backin through some cones. the instructors were rude but oh well i can deal with that. they farm people through there that dont have any buisiness being behind the wheel then they tell you to sign the paperwork or they wouldnt take you for your licence and you would owe full tuition at that point without any paperwork saying you passed the course. well as you can imagine at that point i had already suffered the joke of a course and signed. big mistake! they sent me on the road with p.a.m and a nasty trainer then after that was done with thank god put me in a complete piece of ### truck. well meantime the pay was really fkn pathetic they say one thing and give you another if you like to starve and not be at home and be forced to drive over legal hours then this is the job for you! so i put up with this for about 3 months untill they kept me out for over 8 weeks with not sending me home. so on my last run to indy of all places the transmission went down on the truck, they told me where to limp it to so i did and was told over a week to get fixed...well great so i called my rep at pam and they wouldnt put me up was told had to find a way home till it was done.. ARE YOU ###ING KIDDING ME? so i called my now x to drive almost 7 hours to come and get me over a week later at home they still made excuses about it so id been outta work for 3 weeks when finnally i said to hell with this place. thats just some of the ### with pam that i dealt with now to c1 driver solutions.. not only did i nor anybody else that went there receive proper training by any form of the word but also have been harrassed by them foul mouthed calls to me and my familly for their money, uh uh im not payin for that especially when i received a letter from my state saying that there training facility was not recognised as a legal training or testing facility so my licence is not valid! yeah and they want my money... are they ###ing high? i got a lawer who warned them to back off the collections and to drop this or we would sue them well they snuck a court date in and got a judgement against me wich i was not informed of till afterwards. ok i see how they are they do this in indiana where they know most people cant get to for court and get it done like a sneaky dog well now they froze my bank acct wich again no notice but i have kept the threatining letters from them wich lol are actually just really sad and the letter from my state saying that they were basically a scam so as of now im lookin through these complaints and lookin to start a class action suit against them i have some of your email add, mine is kstern_207@hotmail.com... oh and if any of you from driver solutions or c1 or whatever youre called now are reading this dont bother responding because you can be sued you are not immune as you like to think, and further more am planning on goin public with your practices and how youve scammed so many of us have a nice day.
i was lied to by recruiter, who said I'd have to have 1 yr OTR before i could go to work at p.a.m.Sure glad i found this website and found out they are just as bad as Swift! thanks!
I am a 45 yr old woman who attended C1 in Indianapolis, IN. Had Jacky as my driving instructor. Nice guy. It was obvious that the instructors had less patience with those who struggled. There was not a problem learning and passing the school. The only problem I ran in to was trying to pass the state test with the horrible truck that the school supplied. At one point, I could not get it into 4th gear, the truck bucked, my seat came unlatched, I went flying forward into the steering wheel, ripped my shoulder that was still holding on to the stick shift. Unbelievable!
Also, the learning material and the test did not match. I made such a stink about it that they changed it to match while I was there. Should make more sense for future classes.
The Hotel they provide was great! Very nice staying there.
Supposed to go to work for PAM. If the continue to contract with more students than they have trainers available, this problem is going to continue! I have been waiting for 2 weeks to get sent out. I offered to take a bus to a trainer, stay in a more local area so that I might be more accessible. They wont even call me back! I do not have the expenses that some of these other people do. How awful it must be for them.
I have other companies wanting to hire me. At this point I would rather forget PAM, pay the school myself and work for a more organized company.
Good luck to you all.
I want to thank each and every one of you that took the time and concern to reach out to others such as myself . I had contacted Driver Solutions and until reading allllll of these post, I WAS going to pursue this as a new career . My best friend etc. :) is a truck driver has been for over 6years and he advised me not to pursue this school or career period. Needless to say, he is TOTALLY RIGHT. Instead of pursuing this school or career. I will go ahead and pursue other career choices and opportunities. Trust and believe after reading alllll of this a 9.00/hr. -10/hr. job is an actual blessing, compared to the agony that all of you have suffered. I will be contacting the Agent at the Driver Solutions School in Indiana TODAY and letting her know to just take my name of the list that I have changed my mind period. Once again I'd like to THANK U ALL for taking the time and concern to warn others like myself. God Bless You All.
I was a PAM Trainer (Went to C1 in Indy). The only real problem I had as a trainer was that I was supposed to be training the new drivers, and my dispatcher (Kevin) had us doing 6, 000+ miles a week That isn't enough time to correctly train any one. The amount of time C1 has to teach the basics isn't enough either. I agree that the equipment at C1 was crappy. Let's face it, when a new driver can't even read a map when he is placed in a truck with a trainer, he doesn't know enough.
Most of my students - excuse me, I mean co-drivers - didn't know how to read a map or how to follow a written routing even after three weeks on the truck.
When I was a trainer in 2001 thru 2002, the program was supposed to be stepped - 1 week getting the student familiar with the equipment and paperwork procedures on the Qualcomm, and letting them drive about a half shift while trying to get into situations that would have them using the shifter quite a bit (this was about the time the equipment was being phased to automatics). 2nd week stepping up the hours they drove and letting the use the Qualcomm more. 3rd week was supposed to be a team effort with the student planning the trips and the 4th week having the student do all except drive 2 shifts - the trainer still did his/her share of driving ONLY.
Mind you - that was how it was supposed to be.
Amount of time the student stayed with the trainer is up to the trainer. I kept 2 of my 13 students 2 extra weeks, and I had 1 that was ready to be solo after five days.
Now, most people don't understand this - PAM hires new drivers because they are an entry-level company. You work your contract of one year and move on to other companies. There are other entry companies out there. I enjoyed working for PAM, and am about to reapply. I also drove for CRETE and JB HUNT, and of the three, I liked PAM the best.
The reason I added that last is that for the first year, they are going to test you to see what you will put up with. After the first year it gets better to work for them.
Like any other company, PAM has their ups and downs.
It gets better? After the first year? I hope so. I've been driving for Pam for 2 months, got through training with no problems. First month as a solo driver, have struggled with bad directions and mechanical issues. Of the 4 weeks I've been driving, either truck or attached trailer has been in the shop for 14 of those 30 days. Two of the three trucks I was issued didn't have working air conditioners. The "working" truck is a 2006 Freightliner with a lot of electrical issues. Waited 4 days in Irving to drive to Kentucky to pick up this truck, and immediately had to put the trailer in the shop because the turn signal lights didn't work. Half of the time the air doesn't come on, the other half the radio, especially when the optimised idle runs at night. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night after driving for 10 hours drenched in sweat because it's 95 degrees inside the cab.
Money is a different issue. Because of being in the shop half the time, I ran a grand total of 6000 miles for the month. That's less than 375 a week BEFORE they take out for the escrow and school fee. My paychecks have been $45.00, $120.00, -$3.50, and $25.00. And, no, that's not a typo, I did get a paycheck for Negative $3.50. How can anyone live on this paltry amount of money? I have a car payment and a mortgage, this isn't acceptable.
I have not once been home. I was dispatched to go home, and the transmission in the truck went out - so I sat in Tonitown for 8 days. @$25.00 a day too. So far, this experience has been hell. Absolute, unadulterated, unprofessional, hell. My advice, avoid C1 and Pam entirely.
Whoever is making positive comments about Driver Solutions is either an idiot who will never be nothing more than a nasty old trucker, or I would'nt put it past these theives to post their own comments. . They have one of the most filthy facilities I have ever been exposed too, and I was in the military for 6 yrs and lived in tents that were more accomadating, they don't care if you want to learn a trade, all they want is numbers, which translates to money. IF CONSIDERING TO LEARN ANYTHING HERE DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY!
THEY SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN AND I PREDICT BEFORE LONG THEY WILL BE.
DRIVERS SOLUTIONS IS CONCERNED ABOUT NOTHING BUT YOUR MONEY, IF THE HEALTH DEPT. INSPECTED ANY OF THEIR FACILITIES THEY WOULD BE SHUT DOWN. I HAVE LIVED OUTSIDE IN TENTS IN SOUTH KOREA THAT HAVE BEEN MORE ACCOMADATING IN 0 DEGREE WEATHER. PLEASE DON'T LET THIS COMPANY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE DOWN AND OUT YOU CAN DO BETTER.
Avoid C1 like the plague! Driver solutions is the recruiting arm for C1. They are the same company, and they take kickbacks from crap companies like Star, PAM and USA. How do I know this? Because I was an instructor at the St. Louis school in 2005, and I quit when I just couldn't deal with their lying piece of crap deception anymore!. These crooks should have all their crap schools shut down!
Ok Ds is bad and CR-England is bad are there any good schools. I need work and CR-England offered a deal but could not find one good thing about there only bad and then worse thing. I don't want to make things worse than they are now by jumping into something that is bad or will hurt me more. Any thoughts on CR-England or USA truck
It amazes me that of those complaining, it was such a horrible experience... REALLY? You had nothing but bad during your time with them? Every company out there will have both good and bad things that can legitimately be said about them. Driver Solutions/C1/PAM are all NO EXCEPTION.
If PAM is such a bad company, how is it that there are many drivers on their staff that have been there longer than the required 1 year contracted period? In the last week alone, I've met over a dozen PAM drivers, with a range of 3-1/2 years to more than 15 years with the company. I'm very sure that these people weren't all mindless zombie idiots that just love to be tortured constantly.
For those who are considering going into trucking, especially those considering Driver Solutions/C1/PAM (and USA Trucking as they are also affiliated with DS/C1). DON'T believe everything you read on the internet about them, especially on a board where posters are obviously just bashing them. Get out into the world of trucking and visit some truckstops. Find some PAM drivers and actually speak with them. You will find that there are some problems with the company, but overall they are alright. Some drivers will complain about being run ragged, others will complain about being slow. This CAN be because of any number of reasons, which include a natural fluctuation in freight movement (just the nature of the beast with transportation, and MUST be properly planned for, ie: BUDGET your $). The other main reason for this, some drivers get lots of loads because they are reliable and do their job well while others are totally unreliable and dispatch doesn't want to give them loads. It could also have to do with how they deal with their dispatcher, treat them with respect and professionally and you will be treated in kind. Treat them badly, curse and yell at them and such, and they will return the favor.
Let's face it. Trucking isn't a job, it's a lifestyle, AND it's not for everyone. Many who enter will not last the first year. You WILL be away from your family for extended periods of time. You WILL be eating out daily (multiple meals a day) and with little variety, as it will be rather hard to park your rig in a good ol' Ma & Pa run restaurant. You WILL get tired of eating out so much. You WILL be living out of a gym bag/suitcase. You WILL have bad days, where others on the road annoy you, customers complain to/about you and there WILL be little you can do about it (other than grin and bear it until you can complain to a friend/family member). BUT in the end, it CAN be an adventure. Every load is different, every trip is different. Even those who run dedicated lanes will tell you that they never feel like they are stuck in "Groundhog Day".
THIS IS [censored] I WAS THINKING TO SING UP WIT THEM HELL NO [censor] BRIAN I NOT GONE SING [censor]
I read this before I signed up with DS/C1/PAM and was very skeptical as to whether or not it would work out. But I am now 6 months into the contract and I can safely say that this complaint is illegitimate. I have made it through 2 weeks at C1 (out of the standard 3 week length) and was 1st to get my Class A CDL in my class. Then I went and did 109 hours of training in 3 1/2 weeks with a PAM trainer (the required was 120 hours in a 4 week minimum time period). Been driving for 6 months accident free. Been DOT inspected twice in that 6 months with no violations. Out of that 6 months I have spent only a total of 3 days of broke-down time. Driven 80, 000+ miles. Have gotten hometime whenever I had requested for it. Average between [protected] miles a week. Never have a problem with any of the Staff at this company. Now don't get me wrong, this is not the dream job. You are working day or night. You will get impatient with traffic. You will get impatient waiting around for a load. You will miss your family and friends. You will have to cover your own [censor] a lot. You will have to work hard lots of days. But that is all the nature of this job. The biggest reward of this job is: As long as you follow company policy/procedure and get the load from point A to point B safely, essentially YOU ARE YOUR OWN BOSS. Get that? Yeah, you have people over you, but you don't have them breathing down your neck like at other jobs... and that's something you can really appreciate.
If you have determination to get the job done, and you can handle taking constructive criticism then you should give this career a try. As for the pay: you get payed as good as you work.
i dont care what yall say are do c1 is the best school that i ever been at i did not no anything about tractors and trailers i went in for 3weeks of training i got my cdl in 1week yes they are hard on people but i dont blame them i would be to there are some [censored] ppl that go to the school they get pissed cuz they dnt pass but o well nt my problem happy where i am .
Thanks to everyone who posted about the driver training that P.A.M. offers. I am one of the many struggling to find a decent paying job in these tough times. I filled out an online application today then decided to do a little research online. Found this website and started reading all of the horror stories. Again, thanks to all who shared their experiences with this company. I will definately be avoiding this scam.
I live in Indianapolis and was excited about this school and Pam, thats until I read this post.. There is a Government web site here in Indiana where you can look at a company by name, and see every court case in detail that they have been involved in. This is the 1st result I got when I entered Driver Solutions
" The search resulted in too many matches to display. Narrow the search by entering more precise criteria. ---" SO, I did . Between 1-20-09, and 4-28-09 Driver solutions sued 202 people for their tuition.. From 1-1-10 and 6-16-10 they sued 556 people WOW.. Im Bummed...
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. Additionally, he also texted while driving on a number of occasions presenting substantial safety issues. 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. It is a small segment that needs this attention (Driver Solutions and other trucking companies). My email is franktigue@yahoo.com.
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.
I trained through Driver Solutions and drove almost 3 years for P.A.M. First of all, you will not earn anywhere near what is promised in the recruitment ads. I was away from home 26 days per month on average and still could make no more than $34K. I started at 28 cents per mile and ended at 33, but as the mileage pay increased I was given fewer and fewer paid miles. The equipment was not well-maintained and it was not uncommon to spend 4 or 5 days at a shop awaiting repairs. Most of the lounges and shower facilities were undesirable. At the Irving, Texas shop there was no separate restroom or shower for women drivers. Some dispatchers and planners were friendly and supportive but all too many were coercive and vindictive. If you doubt anything I'm saying, go to a truck stop and talk with a few P.A.M. drivers.
I was going to work for USA truck through drivers solutions. Then 1 day before I was going to go out on the truck USA said they were dropping me and would not give me a reason. Said they could not because of privacy policies, so I can not know info about myself... So I call up swift and get on with them on my own. Now Drivers Solutions is calling me wanting payment for [censor]ing me over. I told them to go after USA for the 4k they owe for the contract they signed to give me employment. They say they cant do that. Funny how they deny any affiliation with USA, PAM, and CRST. When I was at USA for orientation the drivers recruiters offices for Drivers Solutions was right next door... But now when Drivers Solutions calls they try to deny they are owned by USA such [censor]ing liars. DO NOT USE DRIVERS SOLUTIONS! Even trucking companies said they would like to help me cause DS is [censor]ing people over. There needs to be a CLASS ACTION SUIT and it needs to be NOW. This needs to stop before they can [censor] over anymore people.
To aetsen and others adversely affected by Driver Solutions, PAM, and/or other trucking companies:
If you review my comment to the complaint here and at TheTruckersReport.com, I was really burned by PAM Transport and Driver Solutions. Please review these comments and if you have problems accessing them, please contact me directly at franktigue@yahoo.com.
Apparently, they have some "Lifetime Employment Assistance" program for those that couldn't "handle" the OTR trucking job. My argument all along is that Driver Solutions (as a broker and as a party to the contract) has an absolute obligation to see that we are trained to get our CDL. However, it is much more than that. They are under an absolute obligation to see that the training is adequate by the trucking companies because it is through our employment that they are going to receive the monies supposedly due them. Still, a woman in a placement position there has been trying to help but has only given me a few places to apply. I believe it is up to them to be more diligent in helping people like me or their contract should be rendered impossible to perform.
I would encourage people to contact media, local state and national politicians, their Governor's office, the state Attorney General's office, as well as their Better Business Bureau to lodge the appropriate complaint. That is what I felt compelled to do.
Please contact me if you need to. I am hoping to start an intense movement supported by a multitude of people who have been wronged, in order to change the way this brokering, training, and employment is undertaken. We worked hard for our CDLs and we should enjoy the immediate lasting benefits as a result of pursuing this license. Let me hear your story (franktigue@yahoo.com).
I likewise was taken by C1 and Driver Solutions about 10 years ago. I had such a bad experience that I left the industry for a few years. Since then, I contacted Roadmaster and had a much more enjoyable experience. I was offered quite a few a companies to pick from, CR England, FFE, CRST, and U.S. Xpress to name a few. I worked for U.S. Xpress for about two years, and made more money then the recruiter said I could make. I ran a dedicated route, home every night, and worked with reasonable equipment. If you find the right company, driving can be a great career. Unfortunately, most people fall into these traps with PAM or Star and leave the industry thinking that this is how all companies are.
I will say this to a few that have posted here. I agree, when I have a turn signal out on my car, I get it fixed ASAP, because I don't want a ticket. On a truck, not so much, I get it fixed as time allows. If I stop at a truckstop for a break, and I remember its out, I'll run in, pick one up and fix it. Turn in my receipts to the company and its done, 15 mins to fix a problem that I see many take hours at the shop to handle. Same with the AC units or other electrical issues, check the fuses, don't be such a girl about fixing stuff if you can. Buy a small tool box with tools and repair minor things if you can. Be sure to check the things that could lead to a long wait at the shop later like oil, tires, belts, hoses and get those fixed quick. The less time your in the shop, the more time you can be moving and making money.
If you happen to get pulled over for a turn signal or a light being out, play dumb and explain it just went out, because it was fine when you did you pretrip. Save yourself unwanted tickets.
I spoke to Driver Soloutions in Ft. Wayne Indiana, after serving 6 years in the U.S. Army. I recieved a General Discharge with full Honorable Conditions. Three days before starting school, they call to tell me that I will not be attending school because I didn't have an Honorable Discharge. I am an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran, having served 15 months in Baghdad, and I got this [censor] telling me that my service wasn't good enough to drive a damn semi for their company. I was so pissed off, I called the Better Business Bureau, and reported them for discrimination among prior service men and women. I also had a nice lengthy chat with my Congressman about the matter.
Seven days after meeting with my Congressman, C1 called me inviting me to join their next class...I made a bold decision, by telling them to shove their school up their [censor]...Driver Soloutions is a joke, and so is anyone who works for them...nothing but crooks, and non supporters of the U.S. Military Veterans...to hell with them!
Well, i was considering going on with PAM transport thru driver solutions, but im reading more bad reports than good ones. so im not sure its a good idea, know dis much i drove for swift bout 4 yrs ago and it was one problem after another for. went to orientation in Lancaster, tx passed road test, no problem and immediately got in a trk with trainer. everything was allright during my training. my trainer was nice. did my 6 wks, took 3 days of home time then got assigned my own trk. it was junk, the idle control did not work. my 2nd time out as solo i was sent to new york and while at customer a schieder driver walks up to me and accuses me of hitting his trk and then called my company (which i didnt) expecting me to pay for his trk, i dont think so. then my 2nd load i picked it up in syracuse to go into canada, hers the fun, besides getting caught in a blizzard, after i dropped my load going in and picked up another to go to california. one sat nite i stopped at a crappy [censor] truckstop, sub zero temps. i had to sleep in the lobby because my inter idle wasent working and i freeze in that trk, well i got sunday morning at 1 to head out and get back to the states, well the trk wouldnt start. later i called on road no answer and kept calling all day. monday my phone was dead(had no way to charge) had to use their phone to call my wife collect and have her call my drvr mngr to notify him. he called the truck stop and finally they got my trk hauled to freightliner and set me a hotel rm. and they got the trk fixed finally. i headed out again all was fine til i got to the border, here we go again. this time swift had not gave all papers to come back into us. so i layed over again. next day bout 3pm a guy named mark at detroit terminal got it all straigthend out and that nite i was back in the usa. took my load onto california everything went smooth dropped load and got a beer load to t call in larado, tx, got to fuel stop and myt fuel card was not activated, another 3 hr delay. got that fixed and went on to laredo. after all that things went ok for a couple of months. i got to new mexico and swift routed me on a unsafe highway. i got pulled over and got ticket for overlenght of vehicle. one in virginia for overweight of axles, which they would not slide and then had to get that fixed (the trlr was junk) . smoothed out again until this idiot smartass that accused me of hitting his trk in new york caused me to roll my trk over in colorado and i was fired while in the damn hospital and a cop comes in the hospital and hands me a ticket for careless driving while im in deep pain and strapped to a board. this driver is an unsafe driver(schieder boy) accused me of hitting his trk and then causes me to wreck could have killed me. he needs to get off the road before he kills somebody. i tried to get unemployment and swift fought me every step of the way and i didnt get [censor].