Reohl Refrigerated is a mess

To start off,I have been driving 15 years and have 1.75 million safe miles,never been late on a load,and can run with the big dogs. After working for companies that insisted you run illegal "Do the best you can to get it there legal but don't run late".I decided to find a safer reefer company so I decided to pick Roehl Refrigerated,I was prepared to take a cut in miles but the mileage pay of .40 cpm would make up for that right? Wrong. i cite this example:
Old company 3300 miles #.35 cpm= 1155.00(based on 165,000 last year)
Roehl 2300 miles #.40 cpm= 920.00
Anyway,so I researched and took the plunge,now Roehl has been in the reefer business for 1 year,after buying out Blume Frams,(btw Blume never fixied anything and Roehl got a lemon when they bought them)You would rthink with their massive corporate structure they would have a better freight base already for the reefer fleet,Wrong 3 accounts,and 50% broker freight.They love to haul chicken,cheap and heavy. So while i was in orientation I started to feel uneasy about somethings,first I was the only driver in there with over one year experience,scary.But I decidec to plug on.I get my truck its in okay shape except for the 3 years of nicotine on everything,this guy smoked unfiltered Chesterfield's or something,nothing 3 bottles of WalMart Cleaner with bleach can't cure.

I get my first fleet manager,23 y/o just graduated college with a degree in German and International Studies,real helpful in the trucking industry.He actually wasn't that bad except he didn't have a clue. He kept me busy( as most know DSR's are just babysitters,so he really has no control over that).He always got me home when requested about every 2-3 weeks.
Well I come back from hometime one Monday and found out he quit when I called in and someone else answered his phone.Hi my name is---- and I am your new DSR,well she did not have a good relationship with planners or something,because this is when the sitting began.Put up weith that for a couple of weeks,and then I got fed up and called her supervisor,He blew smoke up my rear and made me feel better,Come to find out I was never on the reefer board I was an overflow to the van board.Van dispatchers know nothing aobut the reefer business.Well miles never picked up aso I call v/p of Reefers,He switches me to a dedicated reefer DSR,she has been good,She is on top of things,however miles still have not picked up.I have veraging sitting in between loads at least 10-15 hours,(waiting for the perfect broker load I guess),I know I should be making more money,but everything I have tried has not worked here. SO I am going to list pro's and con's and maybe your input will be taken into advisement:

Pro's:
1. They run anal retentively legal
2.They have decent d/h freight out of Wisconsin,good luck once you get out in the system
3.They pay a good rate for experienced drivers
4.They are buying 100 brand new reefers bacause the customers refused to load Blume's old crap
5.Their DSR's are easy to get a hold of on the phone because they are just baysitters.
6.For the most part they are friendly people and have decent terminals.

Cons:
1. It takes 4 vice presidents and a comittee meeting to get a decision on any problem that may arise

2. If you like sitting aorund truckstops and runing 1-2 loads from Mon.-Fri. then have at it.Average week is 1500-2300 miles,with no time off for 3 weeks,

3.If you like talking to lieing retarded brokers,and sitting 3-24 hours waiting to load chicken,come on down

4.No freight except for Kraft Pizzas,cheese,and Abbyland Meats.

5. Planners treat you like a dog,you don't know anything,even though you have been in the reefer business for 15 years."I have been a van planner since 1989,And I konw everything about the reefer business because I have been around it for a year",and " I am married into the Roehl family so I can do what I want to anyone I want and never get fired"

6.If you get an old Blume trailer be afraid,be very afraid

7. Be perpared to fight with customers who will not load you because your reefer will not stay running while in the dock becasue Roehl wants to save a few pennies by putting sensors on the new units that will not allow them to run when doors are open.

So in conclusion if all this sounds appealing call them up because they will be having at least one opening that I know in the near future.

 

I know I should have listened,anyone that has been in this industry for more than 2 weeks,knows that you never know who to believe.I am not posting on here just to bash Roehl,I am posting here to give my opinion of them,what doesn't work for me works for someone else maybe.It seems like Roehl is a great place to start for rookies and retired Military who do not have to rely on Roehl money to make a mortgage payment,or semi retired driver who work 7 on 7 off,Please lets not getting into a pissing contest here It belittles us both.

 

Of course your busy,you're a team,not as many of you guys to keep busy.I am starting as a trainer next week,maybe things will get better

 

btw midnight,i have been driving long enugh to know when to wash out a trailer,and I was told by transportation mgr at kraft that they will not load anymore old trailers with half assed functioning reefer units