Question:
http://messages.yahoo.com/yahoo/Business_and_Finance/Stocks/Transportation/Trucking/index.html
Profile
Business Summary
Expanded Business Description
P.A.M. Transportation Services, Inc. is a truckload dry-van carrier transporting general commodities throughout the continental United States, as well as in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The Company also provides transportation services in Mexico under agreements with Mexican carriers. P.A.M.'s services include dedicated fleet services, just-in-time delivery, two-man driving teams, cross-docking and consolidation programs, specialized trailers and Internet-based customer access to delivery status. The Company's freight consists primarily of automotive parts, consumer goods (such as general retail store merchandise) and manufactured goods (such as heating and air conditioning units). In April 2003, P.A.M. acquired McNeill Trucking, Inc. of Little Rock, Arkansas. A subsidiary of the Company acquired assets of McNeill Trucking, Inc. and will operate the new business as McNeill Express, Inc.
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Does a companies business desciption fit what your looking for??
Look at the above and notice heating and A/C units and take a minute to think about it,construction job site's,downtown office buildings or mud holes half built,your not pulling into some place,popping open the doors and backing up to a dock to watch dock boy pull a few pallets off your trailer,your going to deal with some people that are all set up for delivery of the units and others that are like oh crap,that stuffs here already and by mid afternoon sometime they have figuired out how to get it off and what to do with it,a day waisted.
No company has 100% easy freight,take the time to think about what whoever your thinking about working for does lean towards hauling.
Read actual information,not somebodies opinion or listening to somebody pump something up,so they look like they are smart and forgeting to tell you a few things.
Most drivers will gladly point out all the positives of their jobs,getting the negitives out of them is another story,than don't want somebody saying"your stupid for putting up with that"
I told people right away that asked about Crete,they don't pay the OH/IN turnpike toll roads,most didn't want to hear no more.You won't find many drivers that will do that,they will pump the good points.
Do your own investigation and spend some time reading all the fianacial B/S at yahoo and look for things you might prefer to avoid.
Don't forget about teams when you see things like their fleet averages so many miles per truck,that includes teams and o/o's that can run a lot faster than you most likely will be able to run,they can knock off some miles.
A recruiter was posting from company (edited) a few weeks ago and trying to mislead people about the job,when presented with the company profile,wasn't much he could say,there it was in print what they really did.It was right there 400 miles average lenght of haul,so 200 to 600 mile runs where just about it,waiting for the next load to be ready,waiting to deliver them,waiting to get them unloaded,ect would limit your weekly mileage.Ain't no way your going to run 3000 miles a week with them on a steady basis,if you ever saw a 3000 mile week, it would be amazing.
Finding PAM's average lenght of haul might make it worth while,picking up and running 2000 miles before unloading and than loosing a day getting unloaded is no big deal if you get another 2000 mile load the next day.
Do the research before marching off to the big sweat shop company and saying your just going to get 1 year experiance and than find a better job,go for the better job from the start.
Alexandria, VA, June 8, 2003 - Robert Hirsch, president of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) today expressed disappointment that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rejected a pilot program aimed at the trucking industry's critical and growing driver shortage.
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Answer:
Look at the above and notice heating and A/C units and take a minute to think about it,construction job site's,downtown office buildings or mud holes half built,your not pulling into some place,popping open the doors and backing up to a dock to watch dock boy pull a few pallets off your trailer,your going to deal with some people that are all set up for delivery of the units and others that are like oh crap,that stuffs here already and by mid afternoon sometime they have figuired out how to get it off and what to do with it,a day waisted.
Not necessarily true zig-zag.
I hauled a lot of friges, stoves, washers and dryers when I was with RFK, and never saw an apartment complex under construction and/or simalar sites...I always went to a warehouse or appliance center.
Heating and air conditioning units are'nt any different, people go to stores to buy them or order them; and it is up to the store to deliver them to the customer (not the manufacturer).
But your post will get newbies thinking of something they may have never thought about.
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Cover Your Cans People!!!It's apparent this place is never going to change....then again; why should it? It gets the clientel it deserves.
Bette Midler

Answer:
look whats on the top of the roof of a big building,thats what I though of,huge heating and cooling units,not household applicances like a window unit or a little heater you put under your desk to keep your toes warm.
I see crane involved,you see handtruck
Alexandria, VA, June 8, 2003 - Robert Hirsch, president of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) today expressed disappointment that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rejected a pilot program aimed at the trucking industry's critical and growing driver shortage.
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Answer:
Those units on top of buildings are huge, and are brought by flatbeds by the most part...and your right about them usually saying "crap!, your here already!? we're still waiting on the crane".
P.A.M. is a "van" only company, are probably talking about 'central air' units and 'window units' and furnaces that are no bigger than a water heater. All dock related.
There were two times in my life time that I delivered to a job site with a van trailer. Once with insulation, and once with doors.
I'm not saying it don't happen and/or may never happen to a newbie; just pointing out my experience with this subject.
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Cover Your Cans People!!!It's apparent this place is never going to change....then again; why should it? It gets the clientel it deserves.
Bette Midler

Answer:
both in multi-family(apartments) and single family(Centex Homes)I can assure you that nobody in there right mind would ever order a truckload of A/C units to be delivered to a jobsite at one time.In apartment construction a site manager first of all would defer that decision to the HVAC subcontractor and those units are usually delivered for one building at a time(12-16 units) and a good construction manager would insist that all be installed on the same day seeing as how these are high theft items and if left sitting around they WILL grow legs and walk off.Most theft's that occur are perpetrated by the same people that are installing these units so if you put them in a storage trailer they will return during the night cut locks and steal them.I have had them stolen even after they have been installed.I once worked a job in Houston,Tx where I had all of the copper pipe that was roughed in the day before stolen out of a building.And while I am on the subject of delivering to construction sites----a knowledgeable superintendent will put a high priority of getting the streets and paving put in first so trucks making deliveries have access to the site rain or shine,not to mention that most municipalities require this so the local fire department can also have access in case of a fire.....ok I'm babbiling!!

Answer:
You make a good point about looking into the job a bit. I do feel you may not be reading this right. While the huge A/Cs and heaters on top of buildings to have to get their, that is normally via flat bed. I have hauled many loads of A/C'S and heaters. We take 30+ loads a day out of Lennox. These go to distrabution centers all over the country. Also, places like Home depot and Lowe's get a semi load at a time. I would rather have these A/C loads they are very light and can normally come off in 2 hours or less. Most of my experiance with them has been great. Just Open the doors and back her in. We also take a lot of Heaters, A/C's to Florida to be exported. Many countrys are just now adding A/C's to there homes and businesses. We take a load there to the re packing center(which is full of P.A.M, and Chochtow trailers) and bring a load of compressors back to the factory in Iowa. All I am saying is because it says A/C's and Heating Equipment dosn't mean it is all that tough.202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!

Answer:
PAM hauls SOME air conditioners/furnaces for Trane. I know, I used to haul the same freight for a different co. They aren't real big out of Trenton,NJ, Tyler, TX or Ft Smith, AR. My suggestion is to actually talk to some of their drivers and look at the records they keep. A lot of drivers keep a book with all the loads they haul recorded in it. Some companies actually furnish the book. If you decide to go with a company, find out how much that driver get's for a recruiting bonus. That might change your mind.

Answer:
I think the point Ziggy is trying to make may have beenmised a little. It's simple know what your getting into. Learn the company inside and out. As for talking with drivers. I've never found them misleading. The majority will give you the straight scoop if asked politely. But, you ned to know what to ask. Preparing a list of questions and memorizing them is a good way to find out the answers you need most.
A recruiter was posting from company (edited) a few weeks ago and trying to mislead people about the job,when presented with the company profile,wasn't much he could say,there it was in print what they really did.It was right there 400 miles average lenght of haul,so 200 to 600 mile runs where just about it,waiting for the next load to be ready,waiting to deliver them,waiting to get them unloaded,ect would limit your weekly mileage.Ain't no way your going to run 3000 miles a week with them on a steady basis,if you ever saw a 3000 mile week, it would be amazing.
As far as that paragraph goes Ziggy is way off base and hasn't a clue what he's talking about. First off that company does not hire newbies. One year experience not including school is required. Still that isn't alot of experience. They by no means ever promise anyone 3000 miles a week. The recruiter never said that. All they ever promise is 1800 to 2200 miles a week nothing more. For the most part that particular company has alot of drop and hooks and most other deliveries aren't all that time consuming. But they like all do have some that can take a while. As far as the recruiter trying to mislead. That would be a lie. Having his words twisted would be more correct. I'm though not in much of a mood to defend said company because they do have their problems.
"Caution: Door May Open"
[This message was edited by Stuffs on September 06, 2003 at 2:55.]