Impression of Roehl so far

I have found that it's safer for them to first deny knowledge so they can get a feel for what you'll say and how they should best respond.

I mentioned another trucking forum to a recruiter from another company and he said he never heard of it. As I was relating a story from the forum he started quoting directly from the post I was referring to. He even mentioned the players that were being discussed. He knew exactly what I was talking about even though he denied knowledge of the website.

A lot of trucking company employees, especially recruiters, monitor many of these sites. In fact, Schneider had to issue a company directive telling employees to stop visiting trucking forums on company time.

 

Yessir, I went to school in Jonesville. Class of 2004.

dcodd, I take pretty much everything on here with a grain of salt. I see an overall trend of people just coming here to complain about the entire trucking industry because they were screwed over a few times and/or didn't take the time to do the research before starting out. I mean, I almost went with CRST, then found the huge thread here about CRST (which is probably the only reason I still post here). When I'm driving a 40-ton rig, I won't be leaving anything to luck. That orientation really made sense to me, and "protective" driving should be something every company teaches.

jbc, I really don't think the guys that denied it would be the ones that lurk here. They weren't recruiters of any kind, just the safety guy and some of my teachers. I won't pretend there's no chance somebody in the company reads it, such as recruiters, but considering they don't even push you to sign up and only accept 1/9 drivers that apply, I won't say for certain that the recruiters come here. I was talking to a woman and her husband at the orientation and she was banned from here for apparently being a recruiter, but it was pretty obvious to me that she wasn't, seeing as her husband already drove for Roehl and she was at orientation to go out training with her husband.

 

Looks like I ruffled some feather but the facts are the facts. OTR trucking company's talk a lot about safety but do not operate in a way that would promote the most safe operation of a big rig.

Maybe one of the students in Roels training should ask them how they can preach safety and then send you out on the road to work 70-100 hrs a week? Maybe you should ask them why paying a piece rate and not a hourly rate is more conducive to safety? Maybe you can ask them why they put drivers on the back burner or leave a Astrix next to their name when they refuse that hot load that absolutely has to be their overnight?

Unlike dcodd I am not a former trucker, so who is the disgruntled one who could not hack trucking? And if this so called 12 year x vet thinks there is no luck involved in driving a truck when it relates to staying out of wrecks. Then I would like to know were he was able to drive were he had complete control over everything that happened around him?

Really? So you log every hour you are in or on the truck and not in the sleeper? and it never goes over 70hrs in 8 days? No wonder they made you a ex trucker. Do you think you are going to log everything as it happens and make it on the plack in the hallway at Roels Headquarters?

You got acquainted with Ice and Snow in a training class?

Well good for you that you think some guy in Marshfield WI can tell you how to drive on Santiam Pass on Ice and snow, and your right it is the drivers call when to get off the road and the company's call to make you pay for it for giving them extra work.

All you people that think Roel is different then the rest should ask them why a company that trains it's drivers so well and is such a great place to work, yada, yada, has to flood the nation with glossy advertisements trying to get people to work there?

dcodd has 12 years experience yet had to sign up as a trainee at Roel? And I'm the stupid one?

Come talk to me in a couple years after driving OTR people and we will see how many of you are still at the great Roel. Peace!

 

As far as I'm concerned, unless you've actually worked at Roehl you're just another disgruntled trucker who gets pushed around by his company and thinks every company has to be the same--that, or you were in the 8/9 that Roehl turns down. And please note: It's Roehl. Now, please, go hijack another thread with your amazing insight to every company out there. And let me know where all these Roehl ads are--the only ones I've ever seen are the ones on their trucks.

 

Just a word of advice. Take all of the training you can get. Things change day to day in the trucking industry. I drove steady from 1992 til 1998,first year as a co. driver then I bought my own truck and was an owner operator. Complete with qual com.etc. Went back out in 2006 and I could not believe the logbook changes,differences in qual coms,etc.It aint just driving a truck from point A to point B ,there are a lot of things to learn and update. If you go out there thinking you know it all,you are in for big trouble.

 

Alright! Please dont attack each other on this board!

This will not help our new drivers trying to get help!

Please refrain from causing more issues and stick to the discussions.

 

So thats what happened to Whispers. She used to be on here day and night posting and then just disappeared. I had a student that was in CDL class with her. She was not a recruiter. I thought maybe Roehl told her to stop posting on here. Guess not, someone here in their infinite wisdom decided to ban her.

The only thing Bigblue is right about is being paid by the hour not the mile. This would take away the incentive to fudge log books and push thru bad weather. I would love to see them step up to the plate and do this. I do not know of any major OTR company that pays by the hour. There are way too many lazy people that would take advantage of it and ruin it.

 

bucksandducks, I really have to agree with you on the hourly pay subject. So many drivers preach about Company X trying to get the most out of their employees yet, if the tables were turned, drivers would milk every dime out of a company on an hourly basis. Honesty is a two-way street but too many people only want to see that coming from the boss.

CMoore, you may be absolutely correct about these guys not being aware of this website. But consider that they've been around this industry for a while and may be fully aware of the discussion boards that exist. Just a thought.

I don't think any company falls into the "Best" catagory because no company can be all things to all people. No company can meet everyone's expectations. However, Roehl is by no means a bad company. Probably better than most. But they will have their faults. So what. Deal with it if they make you happy most of the time.