My training at Roehl

This is nothing new and/or exclusive to Roehl. A LOT of companies fight hard for customers and contracts, and would like to keep them once they incur them.
The clause is simply saying that they (Roehl) do not want you talking about their customers, their freight, and/or any operational secrets or tricks of the trade with drivers at other companies, or the companies them selves during and/or after employment with them.
Some companies will even can you if you are caught talking about what you have on the trailer. You never know when a "snitch" is listening in....so to cover my own can, when asked on the C.B. or sitting in a truck stop restaurant (or whatever) "What You Haul'n", I would always say "freight". May sound like a smart arse answer, but, I covered my can, and it really is nobodies business.

 

Did you flatbed or van?

 

I left Roehl a year ago after being with them for 6 years, the last 4 as a leased driver. Unlike some companies they pay their trainers a set pay, not as a team operation. Many of their lease drivers train as a way to help make the truck payment. Let's face it, not everyone is the most hygienic, and not everyone is cut out to teach. As far as more time backing, or any other driving skill, there is enough downtime out here that you can challenge yourself and get it done.

As far as the non-compete, non-disclosure statement, it's pretty much a boiler plate clause. I'm still trying to figure out what is so secretive, since almost every company out here operates about the same way, hauls the same stuff and has the same customers. What I have found since switching to Landstar is that I'm going into a lot of small shippers with ancient docks. You had better have really good backing skills before getting here.

 

Did you finish out your lease?

 

Finished the lease, did a promissory note for the balance and when Marj decided to cut my miles down to about 1000 a week I left along with my truck. Within a month I received a letter from Roehl asking me to please come back. We kept the letter for the fun of it.

 

just about ALL companies make you sign on with them for a year and pay off schooling/etc. Is it me, or does that mean ROEHL wants you to only do 75K in a whole year? That's ALOT of sitting!

 

I think it's strictly mileage, whether you do it in 6 months, 8 months or a year. If a Roehl employee who has been through this program could clarify this, it would be helpful.

 

Strictly mileage. Actual time it takes varies by fleet and home option.

 

The biggest reason to not talk about your load is because of cargo theft. Schneider likes their drivers to try to drive at least 200 miles after they pickup their load. It can be a nasty surprise to come back to an empty parking space where your truck sat before you went in to get dinner. That is also why Roehl wants you to always lock your trailer whether you are loaded, or empty. You will find that quite often 2 or 3 of you will be sitting in the dock at the shipper and all headed for the same destination. The kicker is that you will all be from different companies.

 

ok...that makes sense! Even though I haven't been driving THAT long.....4 years now. I know, and still talk to CDL school classmates.....we all had to do the 'year' thing with whatever company he went to. I know nobody started with ROEHL.....but dunno if they did their year and then went on to them.