Another question you might want to ask is how often you can get to TX. I know in the past it was kind of soft on the flatbed side. Things change and I never did pay all that much attention, but it's something you'll want to know.
Adventures of a Flatbedder at Roehl
Discussion in 'Roehl' started by TheTank, Sep 11, 2011.
Page 5 of 52
-
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
-
I would not be surprised if flatbed freight into or out of Texas is marginal with Roehl and that would not be a deal-breaker for me. I have a TWIC and understand that is a requirement for flatbedding there ... that's kind of disconcerting ... I hate going into busy ocean ports with a flatbed, anywhere.
-
As I sit here in Marshfield, AGAIN, I ponder on how my first "trip" has been. Here is my history to date.
Marshfield to Golden Valley, MN (my maiden get me home voyage) 180 miles
Minneapolis to Mt Horeb, WI 306 miles
Janesville, WI to Cottage Grove Yard (Relay drop) 110 Miles (sorry for whoever got it)
Marshfield to Monroe, NC 1234 Miles
Charlotte, NC to Dodge Center, MN 1167 Miles
Eau Claire, WI to Manitowac, WI 348 Miles
So for my 12 Days out that's a whopping 3165 Miles!
Now, I did have a lost day because of the relay issue and load shifting. I also lost out on the weekend taking a reset in NC. Either way I need to get more miles, Flatbed rookie or not.
On a side note, if anyone ever has to pick up from an unnamed DC in Eau Claire, WI.... RUN RUN RUNI spent 6, yes S I X hours getting loaded their. Did I mention I ran out of hours WAITING around. And to top it off, one of their yard dogs, I use the term dog nicely, b!tched at me for following the path that the guard at the entrance told me to do. Then had the nerve to tell me that is not what he said even though I had the route he told me to take in writing. That really pi$$ed me off right from the start. Just got worse from there.
Now, I will say everyone else I ran into was really nice, but 6 hours running from building or area to another to load a trailer is NUTZ! Worse, the lady at the end asked how long I had been there. I said 6 hours and she said.... now this is funny..... WOW, that's pretty quick.
Anyway, I have enjoyed everything so far, just need to get the miles up to match my will to run. On that note, I am dead tired and need to eat and head to sleep. Got a load heading past home for the weekend and delivers on Monday in South Dakota. -
I've been running flatbed to and from Texas for 2 and a half weeks now. The roads are packed with flatbeds going in both directions. Most of the freight going outbound seems to be coming out of Houston and only Houston, though. Haven't seen any Roehl trucks anywhere but I haven't been looking for them.
No idea why you would need a TWIC card for it. -
Sometimes (all too often) one hiccup can mess up the rhythm for the next 2 to 5 days. One missed load or 6 hour break-down can mess up a whole week in some cases. Messes with your pre-plans, makes the load planners job more difficult, messes with your logging, messes with your plans, messes with your home-plans, sleep plans, etc.
Wish I had $50 for every dropped trailer I had to get under that had a flat, missing flap, bad tire, etc, and cost me 2 to 4 valuable hours that often flowed through the remainder of the whole week. That's trucking, I guess. -
Sorry all, I haven't been keeping up. Things are still going great! Talked to my orientation roomie yesterday and he finalized his career with Roehl. Got p!$$ed about what had happened to him and went and got a local job. (He had to do the full 14 days of phase training and was the only one who did from our group. He then had to sit for 3 days, came in on Friday, in Gary to get tested out. Then sat for another day while in his truck waiting for a load. Gets his load home and FM asks him to go another 150 miles past his home to pick up another load..... He had enough. And when I say "day" I mean 24 hours min.) Funny thing with trucking, he tried to get local before heading to Roehl and everyone told him he needed experience. He goes through orientation with Roehl and now they will talk to him. Still no experience, but was at a big company so now they will hire him. Oh the trucking industry just doesn't make any sense sometimes.
So what have I been doing?
After Manitowac, WI I got a relay from Appleton, WI (actually Neenah, WI)
Neenah, WI to Elkton, SD 535 miles and spent 48 hours at home.
Sit for a day, nothing in South Dakota so they have me move from Elkton to Mankato, MN.... then finally get dispatched the next day.
St. Paul to Lansing, MI 635 miles total... Maybe more, but I am not sure where the miles from Elkton to Mankato are???? May need to check into that.
So I deliver in Lansing and sit for an hour. FM says head to nearest truck stop while they work on another load. Get to truck stop, grab a pizza, get back to truck and sit down on bunk... Messages start ringing.
Pick up in Grand Rapids, MI and take to Sheboygan Falls, WI 398 Miles... Did I say I was 68 miles from Grand Rapids, but pick up was in 45 minutes? Oh and needed to be delivered next day. Ran like he!!, including getting to Oak Creek Pilot with 7 minutes on my 14 left. Deliver 15 minutes after original schedule time. (FM had changed due time, but still I had to push this load, HARD.)
Now I am sitting on a load from Jackson, WI to Virginia Beach, VA 1070 miles!!
So total for this weeks dispatches.... 2638 Miles and I can't remember how many times I tarped.
So the question to all Roehl Flat bedders? Anyone have any Steel Tarps that are worth a ####?? I have three that have more holes in them than swiss cheese.Thinking about switching them out, but then again do I mess with the devil that I know or the devil that I don't know... Like politicians.
-
On a side note, anyone know how to get these #### Freightliners to idle? I've tried every trick I have heard of. My bunk heater keeps killing my battery and shutting off. Not going thru winter having to restart the truck every 10 minutes at night to keep warm.
-
Tank you have an APU? If so turn it on when you run bunk heater, that should solve your issue. Just set it to Heat setting and make the fan side off. I assume you have one since your truck won't idle.
-
No APU.. I got screwed with an 05 and no APU.
-
Well, your truck should be able to idle whenever if you don't have an apu? Might need new batteries too, mine wouldn't hold a charge for more than six hours just running my 12v cooler. I ended up with 4 brand new batteries in Marshfield. See about getting them checked.
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
Page 5 of 52