New Roehl O/O

Hadn't posted in a while but I have just become an O/O with Roehl after being a company driver from FEB-SEP. Still doing Reefer National.

I bought a truck outside of Roehl's Lease-Purchase because the plan I saw had my payments just going to cover the depreciation and then having to decide if I wanted to buy it for the residual value. It was a 2016 automatic so I wouldn't have wanted to try buying it straight up anyway.

It has been fine for me so far but it pays like all of the other roughly $1/mile plus FSC carriers. Flatbed has percentage pay choice. Rumors are that other divisions might get that. The company is also doing a Beta test of an O/O load board (like Schneider).

Not saying good or bad overall. I went this route b/c i wanted to move to O/O and they still count the miles I run as an O/O to meet the mileage requirements to repay my school with them. I could see my future switching companies to one that has more runs by my house for home time or getting my own authority, but I have been treated well.

I have believed since I started doing research before I went to CDL school in JAN that you need to research where the company runs first (ask and they'll tell you) because that decides if you get good runs, can get home when you want/need, etc. People come to Roehl every day and leave Roehl every day. Same as every other larger carrier. You have to find what works for your needs and keep an eye because sometimes what the company has can change.

I have had a pretty good experience with Roehl but have seen a lot of people leave as well. I hope anyone considering companies does your research first. Don't trust everything that recruiters say but companies don't want to hire and train you if your needs/location and their lanes don't work out. You'll be the pebble in the shoe that wastes time.

 

I heard it on the Real Roehl driver's club on FB. It is only for van. I wanted to get in on it but can't since I am in Reefer.

Answer to the west question: I know we have a lot more yards and drivers east. If you live west, call Roehl and ask. Roehl jobs site has a good way you can check by zip code or state.

New O/O Update:

Just completing my 3rd full month as an O/O. I pay myself $1205 every week before taxes regardless of how much I run. I will have been out 57 days in the 3 months and 5 partial days where I ran at least 150 miles (had 2 5 day Guard drills and one 2 day drill that cut into my time). My other partials are because I live a few hours away from the drop yard where I park my truck and I go down the night before so I have my trailer and rest when I actually start.

I have paid for a full PM at TA (was away from my terminal on my truck when it came up), a PM on my APU, $150 for parts and service on air hoses, $70 for a fix on my APU before the service, and still put $1300 in my maintenance escrow and $975 in my escrow in case of cargo damage. Roehl requires the latter to build up to $1500 at $75/week. The former I do at $.06/mile but I have paid for the PM and APU services out of my account instead of using my escrow.

Not a ton of profit after paying myself but I have been profitable in my first few months despite having to pay the $150/month the first two for not getting enough miles (hard to do when you have 5 day drills plus home time and Thanksgiving). I have made my payments, set aside enough to pay my quarter taxes (self-employment, federal, and state estimates), and should do even better in 2016.

In 7 more weeks, my cargo damage deductible escrow will be fully funded so that is an extra $380/month I can use for other escrows. (4.3 weeks/month x $75/week). My MPG's are closer to 7 because I have been able to drive slower to meet my appointment times. Earlier I was at 6.3-6.5 in my first two months.

Final tip: When I know I won't be out, I pick my trips from the week with the least amount spent on fuel and have them paid during my down week so I have my fixed payments covered (insurance, PrePass, Qualcomm, etc.) and money coming into it.

 

I bough my truck outside of Roehl. If you buy a brand new (newer truck) you're going to pay for it for a long time. I am looking into getting my own authority later this year but I continue to make money as an O/O with Roehl.

I would try to avoid PA and other North East states while on this plan if you can because the IFTA tax is around 5-6 cpm more than it is in WI, IN, or OH. I still run them but would avoid them if an equal or close to it option emerged purely from a profit standpoint--not a hatred of the NorthEast.

 

Has been a while but figured I would post a final update. I am taking my truck and getting my own Motor Carrier authority at the end of the month. Roehl has been a great company to me overall (not saying it is better than Wal-Mart for drivers but I only have 17 months in the biz) but I am working with a brokerage that is near where I live.

If I were sticking with Roehl I would have switched to flatbed for a crack at percentage pay. If my new plan doesn't work out, I would look at Landstar or going back to Roehl. I can't say they work for everyone since they have turnover like every other larger carrier, or that they don't have slow periods (May has sucked for me last year and this year), but if you are new to the industry you can be successful as long as you do your job and communicate.

I had 3 dispatchers (always two at the same time since they did 7 on, 7 off) and had a positive relationship with all three and didn't have to play the suck up or 'buddy' game. I always figured that they have too many drivers on their boards to waste time on BS and if I needed them enough to call, I didn't want them talking to another driver about Fantasy FB, NASCAR, or other stuff.

I won't trash other companies because Roehl has been my only employer in trucking. I went to their school, got to drive for 10 days with a million mile safe driver, and spent a couple of days with a local driver since my backing was weak. After that, had my own truck and was rolling. No 'train with another student' BS.

Roehl does NOT have much for team drivers so if you want to team there are a lot of better places to look. Roehl told me the average in my division would be around 2500 miles per week and mine was over that--even factoring in 2 crappy Mays. You run a lot of the Midwest, #### near no west unless you do Flatbed, and a lot of PA if you haul reefer. As an example, I had one month where I only had 7k miles because of my Guard drill and time off for Thanksgiving, and 4k of those were just in Wisconsin.

Final note about trucking: There were 3 in my class and 2 in the class before. One never passed his CDL, and I am the only one of the other 4 who finished the contract. 1 left Roehl and quit Swift while with trainers (early 20's and not mature--good kid but wasn't ready for the grind), 1 left to work with a local tanker company at the 5 month mark, and the other one wrecked her truck and quit the industry. Might start a new entry in late June or early July after I get rolling. I have a month long Annual Training with my Guard unit so getting my Authority waiting period covered while I am playing Army.