My one year with Roehl - the good, the bad and the ugly.

I live in the truck. Sometimes I visit the place where my family lives, and that is near Wheeling, WV and that is fort post of civilization where I used to live. I park my truck at the nearest truck stop and still have to drive home for 20 minutes, cause no truck will make those roads.

Do not get me wrong, I love real American small towns and lovely people.
I am a college graduate, I had a decent job, but recent economical melt down left me looking for a job last year. Trucking was a last possible resort, but I had to take to it. I am sure that there are people who do it cause they love it, there are drivers for whom it is a family tradition but I think mostly it is people like me who cannot get a local decently paid job and selling our life and time for cents.

There are many benefits in truck driving, and that is why I am doing it at the end. But for those out there who think it will be easy, make them rich or give a career, I ask them to think twice and weight other options before they jump. And after they do, they can write their own review.

Stay tuned........

 

As I remember you can chose it while you are still working with recruiter, then in RDTC you will have some paperwork to fill and that would specify which fleet you are on.

Depends where you live some home time options might not be available to you. I really would like to do 7/3-7/4 but the closest drop yard of Mogadore, OH is 2 hour drive for me. And thus I am 11/3 which works somehow.

Flatbeds # Roehl enjoy great miles and hardly stop, and once you advanced more you can get a curtain side, which is a bit better.

The reason I did not go flatbed, is that 100lbs tarps in cold and rain in WI or MI winter is not really something I want to do. Pay is better and miles are great. So if you are fit, hungry go flatbed. After a general RDTC training you will go to Gary,IN to get a load securement training.

About van I will write later.

Refer in Roehl is growing now, though they prefer if you live in WI.I see a potential at refer division, but there are some negative sides to it. I am sure on forums was said enough about it.

Hope that helps.

 

Roehl tip of the day

If you are driving 11/3 and want an a extra day home, try to get home Thursday.That way you will be due back on Saturday. There is a general shortage of loads on Saturday, so there is a good chance you won't leave till Sunday or even Monday morning when your DSR (known to some as FM) will be back to work.

 

Tip of the day II

Do not hope that Roehl will get you home when you need it. There is no perfection in the world of freight movement. So unless you live near major Roehl hub, and have an event you have to be home for, give it a day extra.

Also Roehl is very accurate with hometime for the most part. I had missed my days home only twice in the past year. It was a fault of DSR and poor planning.
On one ocassion I missed a doctors appoitment on another my child was born.

 

They will make you laugh, they will make you cry.....

Yes, you know who they are. Dispatchers or DSR's also known as Fleet Managers.

Here at Roehl Transport the finest provide 24 hours support to the lost drivers with compassionate support and absolutely correct information.

Not so fast. Maybe there are companies where dispatcher is more than a talking switch board, but not at Roehl. They are bottom feeders, perhaps people who dreamed once of becoming truck drivers but alas cruel faith send them to the office jobs instead.

As a result for the most part they have very little idea of challenges and real life situations you are (will be) facing.

Nothing depends on your DSR, though he is always at right. For loads, there is a great and mysterious " Planner" , for any other questions "Customer Service" and for the desert their manager. Seems like DSR's have really no independence or say at anything, yet they will keep on telling you how and when to do stuff, even if they have absolutely no clue if that is correct.

Do not trust your DSR. Double check with customer, DRG Guide book, GPS, Road atlas, other driver.....

DSR's can and will monitor you, especially if you guilty of high MPG usage, out or route miles and recently toll roads. They will call you and they will preach to you how we should be good and follow the advice of Operations.

DSR's will mislead you to locations where customer is closed for a day, does not expect your load or load you only "tomorrow after lunch" . You will not be paid for mistakes of your DSR, customer service and someone else's goof up.

There is an urban legend about a driver, who being frustrated with his dispatcher, took out 45 caliber and made a few more holes in dispatchers head. He was found not guilty, as a ####### dispatcher would not give him any miles to run (read no money to feed your family) . That is a legend.

Just a legend. In reality the only thing your DSR can do is to preplan you to be available. And that is really up to him. As was noted by some very wise observer before, biggest frustration Roehl drives can have is a very poor planning strategies for loads.

In some companies weekend dispatch considered to be inferior of service. At Roehl I find to be quite opposite. Weekend dispatch will almost always call me if I am at home and ask " if you will be able to take this load?" whereas my regular guy will tell me " I have a load for you"
Just one word difference but what a gain in communication.

Your DSR's are overworked, have to attend management meetings, share a cubical office and be under supervision of manager. Yes, they can go home in the evening and spend most of the weekends with family, instead of being at urine smelling truck stops with bearded strangers in unwashed garments.... But they are the buffer or a link between that talking monkey behind the wheel and great company, so do not envy them. What hits you once, will bounce to them many times.

They do not respect your time, as are not an hourly wage worker. You will sit and wait, and wait again and will be in layover and wait some more,,,,, just because they are taking their time.
For them 7-17 of paid work, for you hours from your lifetime lost with no pay.

Be nice to your DSR, but don't let them ride you. If they tell you something is "impossible" ask for their Terminal Manager number, and go higher on the chain of command. If you feel you are at your right and reasonable, Roehl has enough people with brain working for them to understand you.

Their job is to facilitate you doing your job. Only with a mutual respect and understanding you can succeed.


To Be continued.............

 

Roehl tip of day.
If there something you do not want to do, like taking a load into Bronx,NY or driving at night to make an early morning appt, you can tell your DSR magic words " I do not feel safe doing it" that is it. you are off the hook.
If not your DSR looking for some spanking from safety.