Roehl Now Requires a Contract Even If You Independently Obtain CDL

I want to make clear that this IS NOT intended to be a negative post regarding Roehl. This is simply to provide information to those who may be uninformed or misinformed.

Roehl DOES have a program that trains new students in preparation for obtaining a CDL, and you can read about that here: http://www.roehl.jobs/cdl-truck-driving-schools.
In the FAQ portion of that page the following is stated:

Q. What's the catch?
A. Because we spend a lot of money and invest heavily in you, we ask for your commitment in exchange for the value of our program. The value of the training is in effect a loan to you – a loan you’ll never have to pay back as long as you simply complete the training and work as a heavy duty truck driver for us for the 15 months after your training. We ask for your formalized agreement and you can be sure we’re promising to hold up our end of the deal as well.​

However, a separate page on their website (http://www.roehl.jobs/drivers/inexperienced-truck-driving-jobs), which is directed toward Inexperienced Drivers, states the following (added emphasis is mine):

Welcome to the Safety and Job Skills Training Program (SJSTP)
We take your career and our training seriously. As a result, Roehl’s is one of the safest trucking companies in the nation. That’s why we’ll enter into an agreement with you. We'll provide you the best training and support, monthly tuition reimbursement payments, and a $1,500 longevity bonus all while you’re also earning one of the highest student driver pay rates. For your part, you'll agree to be a professional driver with Roehl for 75,000 miles. ​

I am posting this thread simply to make folks aware. Here was my personal experience.

As a CDL student attending an independent school in my area, I have explored Roehl as one of my alternatives. As part of my research I read that they require a contract, regardless of where you obtained your CDL. The Roehl recruiter told me that as well. However, there were several conflicting opinions being shared in various discussions I read, which created confusion.

To make this point even more strongly, the people at the local truck driving school spoke very highly of Roehl. When I mentioned what I had been told by a Roehl recruiter, they immediately and strongly refuted my position. They felt that I was misinformed and that only the Roehl CDL training required a contract commitment. They were so certain of their position, that they put the phone on speaker and called their Roehl recruiting contact in my presence. They were extremely surprised when the recruiter confirmed exactly what I had told them. Although it isn't defined (that I could find) on their website, the commitment amount is $3,130 and it begins when you accept your FIRST SOLO LOAD. If they cut you loose during training, according to the recruiter, you are not liable for the amount.

Another member @Nate_K posted some information about his experience in the following thread.
(See post #86) http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/you-guys-are-killing-me.301710/page-9

Again, this is not intended to be negative. As you will see in Nate's post linked above, he felt it was a great company and the perfect fit for him. You may as well. I just wanted to share this info to help with any confusion.

@Chinatown, FYI