Roehl Transport, Inc. - Marshfield, Wi.

Hey everyone,

I'm pushing down my coffee before I drive out to Dallas to hook up with my Evo 1 trainer as I'm typing this message. Just wanted to respond to your questions before I go.

As to the difference between Marshfield and Gary let me just say that you would have to see it yourself. I don't think Gary is bad it's just that Marshfield is SO NICE. And what I'm referring to is the aesthetics. The Gary facility is much older and less kept up. However the people at Gary were the same nice, pleasant, professionals as in Marshfield.

As to the time I've had to wait for an Evo 1 trainer following Orientation...I know that everyone involved did everything possible to get me with a trainer as soon as possible. It's just that all I kept being told was, "We don't have a trainer available right now". Finances are tough on a person starting out in this business. You have to go awhile without making enough money to pay bills. I know I cannot afford even one extra day out of training.

My advice to anyone who may get sent home after orientation is to be persistant in letting them know you need to get out ASAP. Let them know you are willing to travel to meet with a trainer as I did. I have to drive to Dallas from Austin to make a connect, but I got a trainer. And Roehl has provided a rental car for my journey.

I hope this small bit of information helps. I'll be out of pocket for a couple weeks, but will check back in when I get back from Evo 1.

 

Well based on where I live, I only qualify for the National Van Division and was just wanting to know some basic info such as: are there any differences between them and the flatbed division as far as miles, how they treat the drivers, etc.....All my searches about Roehl on various message boards always turns up their Flatbed Division so I welcome any info you can give me.

 

Ok well, as far as miles goes my husband has been avg. around 2700 a week. Around Dec to about March the freight slows down as in all companies but starts to pick up around the end of March. When he got his first w-2 with them he made a little over $32,000.00 in 7 months. He gets quarterly safety bonuses. In addition he gets an yearly bonus around Christmas based on the yearly miles he ran. It's around .01 a mile which doesn't sound like much but it adds up. He tells me that its about 80% drop and hook and about 99% no touch. I think he had to use a lumper 2 times this year so far. He doesn't go into NYC but has been to the Northeast and into Canada a few times. Going in is ok but coming back to the states he says it's a pain. He has never gone into Mexico. The furthest west he has been is Utah. His DM's have been great. He was just assigned a new DM when he became a trainer. Also in payroll you are assigned to a person. When you have questions about payroll you ask for that person. This is great because they know whats going on and you don't have to deal with a hold department every time you call. I hope this helps if you have any specific questions just post them or message me and I will forward them on to my husband and get back to you.

 

Thanks for the info Norm that was what I wanted to know. I hope I don't have to wait for a trainer when I go but if I do I will just call them every day and bug them until they hook me up with one.

 

Ok my husband is set to pick up a trainee in Gary, Ind. this Saturday the 12th. Don't know who it is yet.

 

whispers,

thanks for the info, I appreciate it. When your hubby made the 32k in 7 months, how much experience did he have at the time? I am guess he must be at the top or close to the top of the pay scale. What about home time.....where abouts do you all live and how often is he getting through the house?

 

I am retired now for about the fourth time.I was on the 7 on 7 off program with Roehl pulling dry vans.On my 7 days out I averaged about 3100 miles.In 8 months I had 2 weeks below 3000 miles.By the time I got back home the truck was ready for a fresh horse,not too many hours left in the old log book.Roehl is very particular about running a legal log book.Not like the old days when I always could figure a way to come up with the hrs.to make a long run.I hired on with them as an experienced driver at $.38 a mile.Which means I had some pretty nice paychecks most of the time.I think inexperienced drivers start in at around $.30 a mile,but I am not sure of that.Pay attention to what your instuctors tell you about logging when you go thru orientation,and you wont have any problems.I found that by logging right to the T I could run 3500 miles in 7 days,with no problems.Like I said earlier they are real sticklers on log books.But from what I understand all companies are that way now.Good luck to all of you going with Roehl,I found them to be a good co.to drive for.And at 69 yrs. old I didnt do to bad.You young jockeys ought to have an easier time of things than I did.

 

The terminal is fine, but the city of Gary is the armpit of the country.

 

The miles are about the same for all divisions. You will make 2-3k more a year with a flat because of higher mileage pay and tarp pay. It also seems like a lot of van freight goes to the northeast. As far as how they treat the drivers I hear a lot more whining from van guys. Anybody can pull a tuna can, a flatbedder is a more valued employee. If a van guy doesn't like something there are plenty of knuckleheads fresh out of cdl school ready to replace him.

 

I think Roehl takes more students than trainers available because they don't know how many are going to make it through oreintation. There are plenty of students that fail the road test or drug test or just quit. This is also the time of the year where trainers are taking vacations or taking their kids or spouses on the road with them which worsens the shortage.

This is not directed to techwife but I love it when a person totally new to the industry comes in and expects a company to bend over backwards to accomodate them. I know everyone has a different situation, but it's not Roehl's fault that you let yourself become dirt poor and you can't wait a few days for a trainer. I had a student about a month ago who had the top of the line cell phone and laptop and a big old stack of porn. But, he had to stop every day to get his $15 advance to send home because he sat on his butt for a year before deciding to get his cdl.