TransAm Trucking Reviews: SAFER, Lease-Purchase, Pay

A recruiter says TransAm: Olathe, Kansas, refrigerated freight, company seat or a lease through ONE Leasing. The question people actually type is whether TransAm Trucking is a good company to work for. The honest answer is: it depends which seat, which pay scale, and whether you can live with a reefer clock. The federal file and the lease math are two different documents.

Pay, home time, and online ratings move. Verify current figures with recruiting, on Indeed, and on the FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot. Rules change. Verify current requirements at fmcsa.dot.gov before you act on anything in this guide.

TransAm Trucking safety record: what FMCSA data shows

Start with the federal file. People searching “TransAm SAFER” get a long list of lookalikes. On the Company Snapshot pulled for this article, USDOT 315503 is TransAm Trucking Inc, DBA TransAm, at 15910 South 169 Highway, Olathe, KS 66062, phone (913) 782-5300. Entity type: carrier / broker. USDOT status: ACTIVE. Out-of-service date: none. Authority: authorized for motor carrier of property (except household goods) under MC-197897. Authorized for-hire and private property, interstate. If a recruiter hands you a different number, stop.

The same snapshot — FMCSA systems dated 09/07/2026 — lists 890 power units and 481 drivers. MCS-150 mileage is 43,198,516 for 2025, form date 02/26/2026. Cargo checkboxes include general freight, fresh produce, refrigerated food, dry bulk, and paper products. That is a temperature-controlled truckload shop, not a dry-van mega.

U.S. roadside inspections, 24 months before 09/07/2026: 1,142 total. Vehicle 573 inspections, 102 out of service (17.8%). Driver 1,142 inspections, 19 out of service (1.7%). Hazmat 2 inspections, 0 out of service (0%). National averages printed on that snapshot (table dated 08/28/2026) are 22.26% vehicle, 6.67% driver, 4.44% hazmat. Both vehicle and driver OOS sit under the printed averages. That is a rate comparison, not a claim the fleet never fails a Level I.

U.S. crashes, same window: 2 fatal, 17 injury, 44 tow, 63 total. FMCSA counts involvement in reportable crashes without a determination of responsibility. A fleet this size will show volume. Read the current file yourself.

Canada on the same snapshot: 0 inspections and 0 crashes in 24 months. Do not invent a Canadian average.

Safety rating: Satisfactory, rating date 05/07/2024, review date 05/06/2024, type Compliance Review. A 2024 Satisfactory line is newer than most mega-carrier cards, and it is still not a weekly grade. Walk the fields with our SAFER score company lookup.

Do not mix in lookalikes. The same name search also returns TransAm Trucking in Riverdale, Maryland (USDOT 4088942) and TransAm Logistics Inc in Olathe (USDOT 2227659). Open SAFER by USDOT 315503 and confirm TransAm Trucking Inc on South 169 Highway.

Who TransAm is — and why the lease sits next to the company seat

TransAm Trucking is a privately held, Olathe refrigerated carrier founded in 1987 (about page). Company copy still sells temperature-controlled freight, late-model Kenworth T680s with condo cabs and APUs, and seats labeled OTR, regional, dedicated, and local. Driver recruiting lives on transamtruck.com, with applications through IntelliApp and a driver line at (913) 324-7110.

The growth product drivers argue about is not a second brand. It is the contractor path. TransAm’s independent-contractor pages post 70% of linehaul revenue (less authorized deductions and pass-through charges), 100% of fuel surcharges paid to TransAm on the loads you haul, no forced dispatch, and plates/permits covered. They also post average gross revenue of $4,000–$6,000 per week. That is a recruiting range for gross, not a promise of what hits your account after fuel, insurance, and a truck note.

TransAm’s own FAQ says it does not operate a traditional in-house lease-purchase. Equipment can come from you or from ONE Leasing, which the carrier calls a separate company. ONE Leasing’s lease-program page sells short-term options, a performance escrow, a breakdown program, and a three-cents-per-mile lease-completion incentive on odometer miles (their example: 700,000 miles over five years equals $21,000). TransAm also advertises a three-month ONE Leasing option. Ask who holds the paper, what the weekly note is, what happens if you sit, and whether leaving TransAm kills the lease. For how lease-purchase math works in general — not this carrier — see Cloud truck leasing.

Pay: posted bands, contractor gross, and “verify current”

Company recruiting does not post one cents-per-mile ladder for every seat. The driver page says starting pay depends on verified safe driving history, with safety raises after 30 days and bi-annual reviews. Lane pages are more specific.

The Company Denali posting listed $0.45–$0.65 per mile, loaded and empty, including per diem, with a weekly guarantee after 30 days if you work a full schedule, avoid service failures, and stay accident-free. Experience bar: three months OTR. The Schwan’s Kansas dedicated posting listed $0.60–$0.65 per mile, loaded and empty, one year OTR, same style of weekly guarantee. The team Phoenix posting listed $0.65 per mile split between two drivers, 5,000–6,000 miles a week, 24 days out / 5 days home. Kansas City local listed $20.50–$23 an hour and daily home time.

Independent-contractor copy is a different product: 70% of linehaul, a $2,000 sign-on in four $500 pieces after 30/60/90/120 days, and that $4,000–$6,000 gross weekly range. Fuel discounts and optional third-party benefits are extra, not a W-2 package. Rates change. Verify current pay for your role — company CPM vs contractor percent, paid miles, detention, guarantee rules, and the truck note — in writing.

TheTruckersReport’s TransAm page shows user-submitted weekly checks that swing hard between company and contractor seats (verify current). Recurring driver talk is “busy if you keep it moving” against “home time costs you the week.” Indeed’s pay-and-benefits score sat at 2.2 out of 5 on the 08/24/2026 recap (verify current).

What drivers actually say

Public review pages are not a verdict. Indeed’s TransAm Trucking reviews, updated 08/24/2026, sat at 2.4 out of 5 across about 804 write-ups (verify current). Work-life and pay both scored about 2.2; management, culture, and advancement about 2.3. Recent titles in the mix include “Horrible place to work.” An August 2026 driver post warned against the lease path — sitting with a truck payment — and said company seats were merely “okay.” The company left a short reply on 08/24/2026. That is a pattern, not a single rant.

TheTruckersReport sat at 1.5 out of 5 on a smaller, driver-heavy sample of 68 (verify current). Recent posts there hammer pay, missed home-time dates, a 62 mph governor, and thin weeks. A June 2026 current-employee post still called pay and trucks decent after three years out a month at a time. Weigh recent driver titles, not a blended star from 2016.

Home time, equipment, and which seat you would actually run

Recruiting copy repeats daily home for local, a 24/5 clock for teams, and nationwide runs for Denali. Dedicated and contractor weeks are freight-shaped. Indeed’s work-life score is the loudest public signal that the slogan and the board do not always match. Ask how home time is counted for your ZIP, what happens if you are out of position, and whether a lease note still hits when you are sitting.

Equipment is a selling point: late-model Kenworth T680s, automatic, condo, APU, inverter. Independent contractors who lease through ONE Leasing are told they can get the same spec. Ask what you would actually be assigned after orientation, the governor speed, and what cameras are in the cab.

The TransAm seat fits someone who wants refrigerated freight out of Olathe, will live with a safety-score pay ladder, and will confirm USDOT 315503. It is a poor fit if you need a posted high CPM before orientation, or if you were sold “lease-purchase to own” without reading the ONE Leasing contract.

Who TransAm fits — and who should look elsewhere

TransAm tends to fit a reefer driver who wants a mid-size Kansas fleet, late-model equipment, and a written lane — local, dedicated, team, or Denali — rather than a dry-van mega. It can also fit a contractor who already understands 70% of linehaul is not take-home.

Look elsewhere if you will not run temperature-controlled freight, you need weekly home as a company solo without a local/dedicated bid, or you cannot float a lease week when freight dies. Compare best OTR trucking companies and best trucking companies for new drivers. The public company bar is three months OTR on several postings, not a no-experience school seat.

How to vet TransAm before you sign

1. Confirm the legal name and USDOT. TransAm Trucking Inc, Olathe, 315503. Do not sign against a Maryland or logistics lookalike.
2. Re-open the SAFER snapshot the week you would start. Authority, inspections, crashes, rating. Use the SAFER lookup walkthrough.
3. Name the product on the offer. Company Denali, dedicated, local, team, or independent contractor. ONE Leasing is a third contract.
4. Get current pay in writing for the seat you would run. CPM vs 70% of linehaul, paid miles, guarantee rules, detention, and the weekly truck note.
5. Define home time for your zip code. Daily, 24/5, or “when freight allows.”
6. Cross-check people, not just the Kenworth photo. Indeed, TheTruckersReport, and a carrier search on cdlscan. cdlscan is two-sided — carriers review drivers, and you can research the house — and search does not require buying a full report. It will not replace SAFER or the offer letter.

If you have already run for TransAm or ONE Leasing, add a review on cdlscan so the next driver is not guessing from a recruiting card. Search is free; a full report is paid. Neither one replaces looking up USDOT 315503.

Frequently asked questions

Is TransAm Trucking a good company to work for?

It depends whether you want refrigerated freight, a mid-size Olathe fleet, and a written lane you will actually get. USDOT 315503 shows active authority, a Satisfactory rating from May 2024, and U.S. OOS rates under the national averages printed on that snapshot. Indeed sat at 2.4 out of 5 on the 08/24/2026 recap (verify current), with pay and work-life scoring lower than the overall. Verify current pay and which seat you would run.

What is TransAm Trucking’s USDOT number?

On the snapshot used here, TransAm Trucking Inc is USDOT 315503, MC-197897, Olathe, Kansas. A SAFER name search also returns other TransAm names. Confirm the number on the truck matches the South 169 Highway carrier.

Does TransAm have a lease-purchase program?

TransAm says it does not run a traditional in-house lease-purchase. Independent contractors may lease through ONE Leasing, which TransAm calls a separate company, or bring their own truck. Ask who holds the paper, the weekly note, the buyout, and what happens if you sit or leave.

How does TransAm Trucking pay work?

Company jobs post lane-specific CPM or hourly bands and extras such as a weekly guarantee after 30 days on some seats. Contractors are advertised at 70% of linehaul plus fuel surcharge. Driver boards describe mixed weekly checks. Rates change. Verify current pay for your role before you resign anywhere else.

Does TransAm get drivers home weekly?

Local copy says daily home time. Team Phoenix listed 24 days out and 5 days home. Denali and contractor weeks follow freight. Ask how home time is defined after orientation, not during the phone screen.

Does TransAm hire drivers with no experience?

Public company and contractor pages ask for at least three months of verified OTR tractor-trailer time on several seats; dedicated Schwan’s listed one year; Kansas City local listed six months. Age, license history, and training terms change. Verify current hiring bars with the company.

How do I look up TransAm on SAFER?

Open FMCSA’s Company Snapshot for USDOT 315503 and confirm TransAm Trucking Inc in Olathe. Read authority, U.S. inspections, crashes, and the safety rating. Ignore Maryland and logistics lookalikes unless that is the truck you were shown.

Company driver or ONE Leasing contractor?

Those are different products. Company is a W-2 CPM or hourly lane. Contractor is 70% of linehaul minus a truck note if you lease. Run a bad week on paper before you sign the lease.