Flatbed Division Questions

Discussion in 'Roehl' started by Ford L8000, Dec 19, 2014.

  1. Ford L8000

    Ford L8000 Medium Load Member

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    Oct 9, 2013
    Blacksburg, VA
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    Hello, about to complete truck driving school, and am leaning towards going to work in Roehl's Flatbed Division. How are the miles for the division? I was told 2200-2600 average, is this about right? How quick are they to fix issues with the trucks/trailers? Is there much of a chance in getting a gooseneck/stepdeck load versus a regular flatbed load?
     
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  3. metallifreak10

    metallifreak10 Light Load Member

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    Aug 20, 2010
    Wishing I was in Alaska
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    When I was there four years ago, most of the standard OTR guys were around 2,400 Miles a week. However, I remember most flatbed drivers saying that they would struggle to average 2,000 Miles a week. After reading some of these threads, it seems as though Roehl struggles to get their drivers miles these days.. Flatbed pay for new drivers started at 33cpm when I was there, but I was told that they did raise the 2cpm, so you should get 35cpm starting. After one year you should be making about 41cpm. They do pay you for tarping and what not, but I highly doubt you will be getting the miles that they claim you will be getting.

    Either way, if you stick with them for one year, you will be able to go almost anywhere you want. You can then move on to bigger and better things, hopefully a local job. They pay better too. I've been local for four years now, I wouldn't trade it for the world.
     
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  4. technoroom

    technoroom Heavy Load Member

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    Nov 8, 2012
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    ^ ^ This was my experience with them about a year ago. As I approached my one-year anniversary, my miles were getting lower and lower -- it was about 2,000 miles a week at the end. And a fair portion of those miles were starting to be curtainside loads, which (at the time, likely still do) pay $0.02 less per mile than flatbed loads. (In fairness to Roehl, they were trying to keep me running, even if it meant curtainside, but it did illustrate that they were having trouble booking enough flatbed volume at the time.)

    Trying to slide the tandems on their older curtainside trailers during the winter is a whole lotta fun -- the slider mechanisms are usually rusty and worn-out and don't slide well even in the best conditions on dry, clear pavement. Trying to slide them on a parking lot covered in packed snow and ice was an exercise in frustration, as the wheels would just slide on the snow/ice rather than the tandem sliding under the trailer. I recall spending an entire afternoon one day last January burning up my 14-hour clock messing around with that, trying to get the load legal. Eventually had to pile some of my load chains in front of and behind the tires on the rear wheels, and even then the tires would try and skate up and over the piles of chains. Fun times.

    I did not have the opportunity to pull a gooseneck (RGN) load during the year I was there. I got the impression that you don't get to do those unless you've more experience. I did pull a couple oversize loads though, and a good number of stepdeck loads. (An ordinary non-oversize stepdeck load pays the same per mile as a traditional flatbed load.)
     
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  5. Ford L8000

    Ford L8000 Medium Load Member

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    Oct 9, 2013
    Blacksburg, VA
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    If you had it to do over again, technoroom, would you have went to work for a different flatbed company, like TMC?
     
  6. technoroom

    technoroom Heavy Load Member

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    I'm still glad that I started at Roehl; it taught me a lot of good habits. TMC seems like a good company also, but I don't know how it is to be starting there right out of school. They (to my knowledge) don't have the 7-7 or similar hometime options that Roehl does, which were important to me. I've talked to some of their drivers on occasion, and one of the differences at TMC is that they not only allow you to plan your own route, they expect you to, and you're rewarded for finding the most efficient route possible. (Roehl, of course, insists that you exactly follow the route you are issued, which I didn't usually mind except in the cases where their route made me drive a couple hundred actual miles more than the trip miles I was paid for, which happened a couple times. In other words, they paid me for the miles in the ideal, most-efficient route, but had me drive a route that wasn't the most-efficient one.)

    I've been told that TMC can be pretty strict in other areas though; there's a reason some say that the company's initials stand for The Marine Corps.
     
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  7. DrFlush

    DrFlush Road Train Member

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    Mar 22, 2011
    Upstate NY
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    I left roehl 2 years ago and my experience was the same as techno had. I was at 42 a mile but was averaging just under 2000 miles a week, but if I had to do it over I would still start with roehl
     
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  8. HauntedSchizo19

    HauntedSchizo19 Medium Load Member

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    Dec 19, 2013
    Southern Tier, New York
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    I get plenty of miles, and always have preplans. I mean not to start an argument, but you said yourself you haven't been with Roehl in a few years. I guarantee most of those guys who complain about miles do NOT update ETA's, Billy Big Rig it and stick to their assigned ETA's and not call to see if they can get unloaded. Basically, they probably will sit down the road from the shipper or cons and screw around until the exact time they're supposed to be there, and not park over night when there is overnight parking. I've seen it too many times and people don't understand how I get 3,000 miles or more a week.

    As for truck and trailer repair, yes, they do that quickly...well, getting you to a terminal so that can be done. I'm at Gary right now, awaiting my truck to be looked at. So, I'll be here for a few unnecessary days. Hopefully will get a loaner truck. Anyway, have any more questions, don't hesitate to PM.
     
  9. technoroom

    technoroom Heavy Load Member

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    Your profile says 0-1 year, so you just may not have reached the "one year curse" yet. I was as efficient as anyone could (legally) be, usually early on ETAs and my fleet manager complimented me frequently on that. I would see people post that their miles were going down and remember thinking how could that possibly be...until it started happening to me. I suspect it was seasonal, but best of luck to you.
     
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