RDTC Student Finishing EVO2, Thumbs Up!

I went to RDTC school in Marshfield this past January and I spent the last four weeks completing my EVO1 and EVO2 training. Next week I'll have my test and will be moving into EVO3. I'm creating this post to say that I'm very impressed with Roehl and their RDTC program and I recommend it to anyone considering starting a career in trucking. The last seven weeks has not been easy and their have been a lot of challenges that felt impossible to overcome. I feel like I'm at the point were I can take a deep breathe and say I've finally made achieved all of those challenges.

Roehl is a great company to work for; they're a family run company with less than 2,000 rigs, and they've given me every opportunity in succeeding to become a driver for their company. Roehl is a professional company and I'm glad I accepted employment with them, I look forward to continuing my career with Roehl as a driver. With Roehl only accepting approximately 1 out of 100 applicants I feel privileged to be a driver for them; Roehl is not a CDL mill and will only hire a driver under the right circumstances. Roehl is a great beginning company to work for and I consider them to be the Honor Program of beginning companies. Roehl takes pride being ranked number one in safety by the ATA.

The RDTC school is incredibly amazing, in three weeks Roehl will have you prepared for your CDL examination by the state of WI. The RDTCSchool reminded me of the AP courses in high school and college, the program is highly accelerated and extremely fast paced. The biggest hurdle is learning to double clutch. Knowing how to drive a manual will not help you any more than not knowing how when learning to double clutch. Double clutching is an entirely different method of clutching that takes times to learn. You will be grinding gears for at least the first week. I'll say it again, you do not shift a tractor the same way you shift a personal vehicle with a syncro transmission. A lot of students mistakenly think they can shift a tractor because they know how to shift a syncro transmission. Double clutching is entirely different. But statistics say an experienced driver will have 100 thoughts per mile, a new student will have several times as many thoughts per mile, typically more than you can concentrate, you will feel overwhelmed driving at first until a lot of those thoughts will become second nature. You will mulit-task like you never have before. Driving at first is like juggling dozen objects at once. You'll be driving an 8' wide; 70' long articulated 6 axle vehicle in areas that were never designed to accommodate a vehicle of that size while learning to double clutch a 10 speed non-syncro transmission! And because the program is an accelerated pace many RDTC students do not complete the program by the third week. But for $2800 the program is in my opinion one of the best trucking schools available and after 120,000 miles the tuition is paid by Roehl. While your in school Marshfield, WI, is a very nice rural town known for their clinic that hires 5,000 medical employees. Marshfield has a historic district and a business district with a Target and Walmarts. There are a lot of great local restaurants; my favorite was the Blue Heron Pub. You're stay will be at a Best Western with all of the amenities of a 4 star hotel.

EVO1 and EVO2 are two great programs that will have you with a trainer for 10-12 days for each evolution. Roehl suggests you take a break between each EVO and I highly recommend it. I did both of my EVO1 and EVO2 back to back, I spent 4 weeks in the same truck with two seven on seven off trainers and it was a challenge keeping from getting burned out. I'm in Gary at the moment and I'll be enjoying this mattress in the bunk room tonight after sleeping in a sleeping bag of the upper bunk of a condo for the last four weeks! But what the EVO has done is made me much more conformable and relaxed driving, after four weeks and 5,500 miles of driving time the truck feels a lot smaller and more nimble for me. The size of the rig isn't overwhelming anymore. When I'm wheel jocking on the interstate it feels just like handling my car. Also the muli-tasking and thoughts per miles I was referencing above becomes exponentially less. Less concentration on shifting and more concentration on what's around the rig. One of the trainer's jobs is to be your second pair of eyes helping you mulit-task until you start developing a second nature for a lot of the tasks that have you overwhelmed at first. Give it time and you'll be juggling a lot less, that's the best advice I can give. Driving an 18 wheel rig is not easy! But both of my trainers were incredibly awesome. I had a great time with both them. Both of my trainers really cared and devoted their time in training me the professional way. Roehl wants a professional driver behind the wheel, not a CDL holder, and the trainers really work on that.

The last seven weeks has been very challenging. I'm an assigned flatbedder and don't let the horror stories of tarping scare you away from flatbedding. If you flatbed you'll never have to worry about having a trucker's gut! The 170 lb lumber tarps will give you a work out when you're untarping at 6:am in the morning! Be nice to the forklift guy when loading at the consignor or else you'll be reponsible for putting those two 170# lumber tarps at the top of your 8' load that's on your trailer! Good luck! But I’m 30 years old, I hold a college masters in structural engineer, a professional engineering certification from my state with several years of experience in the field, and I will reiterate, the last seven weeks has been very challenging and demanding. This was no easy street to where I am at now and thanks to Roehl's they've been with me all the way in helping me succeed. I look forward to the many more miles to come. If you’re serious about becoming a professional driver then I encourage you to consider Roehl’s RDTC. With all of the positive comments the only negative comments I have about Roehl is their rider policy, pet policy, and the governed speed. Hopefully Roehl may change these policies sooner than later. Any questions, post and I'll respond in the next couple of days before I return to Marshfield to test out for Evo 3.

David

 

Hey Becker, you're welcome.

 

Greg, I'm not certain but Roehl will most likely expect you to double clutch. Roehl also want you to progressive shift, they don't want you shifting over 1500 rpms. Roehl is very consciencious of MPG and their goal is 6.xx, can't remember the exact decimal.

 

Don't let what I'm about to say discourage you from choosing Roehl, they're still a great company, just very demanding with their cornerstone value and that's safety. I was terminated yesterday because my road test was unsatisfactory. I had approximately 5,500 miles of driving in Evo1 and 2, both of my trainers were very pleased with my driving skills and numerous times complimenting my driving skills. However during the 15 minute, 5 mile road test through Marshfield my evaluator, an RDTC instructor, gave me an unsatisfactory on the road course. A lot of little mistakes were enough to terminate me from Roehl. I did not use the 3 point method getting out of the truck numerous times which is considered unsafe by Roehl, my shifting was sloppy (the gear shift on the training trucks are like a rubberband; however the instructor found that not to be an excuse; those trainer trucks are as worn out a $5 hooker, literally); overspeeding in a 35 mph by 1 mph in two areas because I was in top gear; these trucks are dogs hence why Roehl stands for Roll Over Every Hill Last and I was use to speeding up before making a grade so my Evo truck could make the grade and I made that mistake during my road test by speeding up to 40 in a 35 at the bottom of a hill, I shouldn't have done it; not having both hands on the wheel at ALL times; having a 4-wheeler back up while making a tight turn and in my opinion I took every inch of realestate I had and I had the right of way (and don't use the term 4-wheeler with Roehl, that's a degratory term!); and I was such a nervous wreck after my PTI, and having to wait 3 days at the yard for this test; I was to anxious to do the road test I forgot the button-button-hand-foot test , that I'll take blame for. My evaulator was a old hard-a ss son-of-a-b!tch, there are a few of them in RDTC, I won't say names; that need to either retire or take development classes, especially one that needs anger management classes, they don't belong in teaching new students, it makes learning very stressful; but not all of them are like that, there are a lot of trainers that are the opposite, you just take the pick of the straws and I happen to have my road test the day he was the evaluator. But I drove the truck during my test the same way I had been driving for the 24 days of my Evo 1 and 2, it was the only way I'd be relaxed and not make any mistakes, I thought I did very well on the road test but my evaulator thought differently. And with Roehl there's no revolving door, in other words a 2nd chance. I was a flat bedder during my training so I have options for other companies. Don't let what I said discourage you from Roehl. Roehl paid for my taxi cab to the airport and gave me $162 in cash torwards a bus or rental car. Even though I was told there was no revolving door, there has to be a very fast revolving door at Roehl. Talking to the taxi cab driver he frequently visits Roehl almost daily picking up terminated students and expereienced drivers. Roehl considers you expendible, if you're not fit for them there are new drivers walking in daily looking for a job. They're like every other trucking company with a daily turn over rate. GL!

 

My evaluator for the road test wanted me to drive the way they teach the RDTC program, so yes you must double clutch. Once you get out on your own then you can float your gears, ssshhhhh!