Well,
I leave for Ellenwood, GA on Tuesday evening to start orientation for Roehl on Wednesday morning. They were going to have me ride a bus down, but I asked if they would just pay me the bus fair and I get my own flight. Carrie, my recruiter said that they would pay me $59 (cost of bus ticket). I got a flight with Airtran for $67. Well worth the money in my opinion. I get there in a little over an hour, and I get another night at home vice 21 hours on the bus.

I am really excited to get started. I plan to take my book to study for the HAZMAT test that I read about on the forum. I took the test and passed it for my endorsement, but want to do good at orientation.

Any advice is welcome. I have to call Carrie tomorrow to get the hotel info and how to get from the airport to the hotel. Does anyone know if they use the same hotel all the time, and if so is there anything around it, and it is in an ok part of town or in crackville. I plan to take my laptop, but not sure if I will be able to use it, as I have not gotten a broadband card yet.

I will keep you all informed as time goes on. Thanks to all of you for all the info over the last few months. I had never even heard of Roehl until I started reading this forum. Now I see them on the road all the time.

Thanks again,

__________________
Husband,
Father,
Retired Navy Chief

Pedy,

Congratulations on starting your Roehl orientation!

I'm finishing tech school for CDL and I take my State CDL test this Wednesday. I have a pre-hire from Roehl, too, and like you - I did a lot of looking!

This is the hotel I have listed in my info and from the other Roehl candidates I've heard from, I believe Roehl uses this Best Western for all Ellenwood orientations:

Best Western Atlanta South (Stockbridge, GA)
619 Highway 138 W, Stockbridge, Georgia, 30281-4250 Phone: 770-474-8771 Fax: 770-474-2440

If it's the BW I think it is, I just about pass by there on my way home from my current job - there's a Lowe's warehouse and an O'Charley's restaurant near there if I remember correctly. I'll drive that way this afternoon & double check the area & let you know later tonight. Stockbridge is about 15-20 miles south of the airport (and the airport is on the south perimeter of ATL proper) so the area is not like downtown.

That Best Western doesn't have an airport shuttle - figure about $25-40 taxi fare from the airport. If you're driving from ATL (Hartsfield-Jackson) you'll want 75 South - like you're going to Macon. Stay to the right because there are a lot of exits/splits/etc., coming right out of the airport. Just remember 75 South - Macon. I'll post more later.

__________________
All good things come to those who wait;
The Secret of Happiness is to wait Successfully.

duplicate post removed

__________________
All good things come to those who wait;
The Secret of Happiness is to wait Successfully.

Okay, back from my recon. This is the Best Western I thought it was. If you like Chinese food, you're in for a treat. The hotel is right up the street from the ChinChin - a great Chinese/Japanese restaurant. And great iced tea - but remember - you'll be in GA and SUPER-sweet tea is the default here. If you want unsweetened, you'll have to ask for it!

Traveling south from ATL Int'l on I-75, exit 228. At the bottom of the exit ramp turn left (going back under the interstate). The street to the BW is on your right just past a Raceway gas station (lotsa blue on their signs!). There's a sign for the BW, street is very small. Mileage-wise, it's only 15 miles S of the airport, but depending on what time your plane lands, it will take 30-60 mins to get to Stockbridge. (You're landing at the busiest airport in the US and driving in the worst traffic in the US (according to USA Today, we even beat LA last year). The area around the hotel is fine; ten years ago it was prolly a few houses and mostly open land and trees. There are plenty of restaurants and shops w/in 1/2 mile. Your longest walk would be going down the driveway from the hotel. There's a lot of road construction in the area because most people work in ATL but don't want or can't afford to live in the city, so they're moving to the subdivisions that are sprouting up all over. There's a shopping center on the same side of Hwy 138 as the BW with a Kroger (grocery), nail salon, Chinese buffet (in addition to the ChinChin), sports bar, a little store that buys/sells used DVD's & CD's (that's how we know this area!), dentist's office, etc. There's a Waffle House at the end of the BW driveway (if you pass the WH on the right on your way in, you missed the hotel), and there's an IHOP down a bit on the other side of the street in another shopping center. It's a retail area with a few new chain hotels, about what one might expect to see supporting new surburban housing.

Hope this helps; if you have any more questions, please let me know. We're in class tomorrow night - last one hopefully! or we'd give you guys a lift. If I pass my CDL test Wednesday, I'll be going to Roehl in a few weeks. If you have time, please keep us posted on your experiences in orientation - let us know how it goes.
Best of Luck!

__________________
All good things come to those who wait;
The Secret of Happiness is to wait Successfully.

Good luck! Keep us posted on how things are going!
Do you have a computer set up for the truck to #### chat with us while you are on the road?

__________________
"Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then."

Thanks allot LKat,
Carrie, my recruiter sent me some paper work that says Roehl will pick up the tab on a cab. I have to go to the Thrifty rental car place at the airport to get the cab. I have to call her tomorrow to get the details. I really appreciate all the info on the area. Good luck on your test. I’m sure you will do ok. Watch those curbs, stop signs and stop lights. My class had someone fail their first time for each of those.

As I said before, I am not sure if I will have internet down there, but I will try to keep you all updated.

Thanks again.

__________________
Husband,
Father,
Retired Navy Chief

I do have a laptop, but do not have broadband or anything. I will just have to look for WIFI. I have never done that either, so this trip will be full of new adventures. Lol I have only used it in and around the house.

__________________
Husband,
Father,
Retired Navy Chief

That's probably a good thing really. If you have the internet on the truck instead of sleeping you will probably be here talking to us (it is addicting) and not getting your required 8 & 2 break or 10 hour break.

But if you have it there is a log program that you can do on the computer and really you don't need the internet except one time to download it. Let me know if you would rather type your logs out instead of writing them out. It also does the math for you.

I swore I would not tell another driver about it, since they won't even send me a certificate for me to take the family out for steak dinner, but I do it to help you all. I am being serious, not even a thank you from them!

__________________
"Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then."

Hey Rob, Good luck and have fun. My work history has been verified and all I have to do is fax an affidavit of unemployment for the few times I was between jobs. Then Carrie will let me know when and where I go for school. I will be going to Marshfield, Ws that much I know. John has been to Ellenwood but I don't know anything about it. He hasn't said anything bad about them. See ya on the road soon.

Definately keep us posted. I'd like to hear how their program is.