The Good, The Bad, The Honest Truth of a New Roehl Lease Operator

I love how that sounds. Too bad all they have in my area are 14/7 fleet slip seat slots based in Gary, a 3 hour drive from home.

 

Lucky you... Told my FM last week that ROEHL had until the end of Sept to start running me west again or I won't put my chains in the truck this winter. The first time in 6 years I won't carry them.

They're saying there is no western freight and I know for a fact that's bogus.. I've run west too regularly for to many years with this company to believe that.

 

I think at least some of those loads that are going west are going by train... It is pretty convenient now with a terminal out west... I figure the north/south stuff will start going that way too...

 

Lol well idk how lucky I am! Id rather not spend 4 months staring at a weather radar and running on black ice. U guys can have that stuff I've got my cables but I'm gonna stay east of slc this winter.

 

Well if ya lease u pretty much gotta run national at least 3 weeks out

 

I run 15-17 days out. Forget about seven at home though on that schedule, I'm usually home four to four and a half. I tell them I want home on Wednesday, plan on Thursday a.m., then leave on Tuesday.

 

I did ask the recruiter about that - I think her name was Kathleen or Katherine - because I really want my own truck and not be limited to slip seating up and down a limited route and I don't need that much hometime. She said I had to start where they wanted me to start. The lease option would come to me later.

 

They're making you join the 7/7 - 14/7 fleet?

 

Yes. If I want to work for Roehl, I must start in the 14/7 fleet in Gary. Those are the only openings for my area.

 

I know it was getting less and less western. There was talk at one of those quarterly ops meeting that they'd like to focus on running a more regional model. I couldn't give you details because it was like a year ago and to be honest I never paid attention at those things.