Any Questions about Roehl??

yep the rand mcnally is the best one on the market... just DONT use only your GPS things change faster than they can kee up.... oops now its a no truck road with brand new shiny signs, I always bounced mine off the route given and rolled

 

Can any one give me some insight into Roehl's flatbed division? I am thinking about their national flatbed fleet. I got 5.5 years of driving a van, would like to get into the flatbed side of trucking. I would like to know this divisions operating area, what do they haul alot of, how long are they out for? Where do they hold orientation? Any info would be appreciated.

 

I drove flatbed for them for 1.8 years, you will pull alot of midwest and southeast. In national you really just run where they need you and were the freight is. I pulled alot of ceiling tiles out of L'anse MI, coils from and to Chicago, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Salt from Superior,WI, Poplar lumber from middle VA, Misc. freight out of Ohio, shingles out of Shakopee, MN, steel in middle TN. Aluminum Coils out of Russellville KY. Reels of cable out of Abbeville SC. When I left they were pulling some of military vehicle out of Oshkosh WI.

They would try to get me home every 11 days, it usually was like 13-15. It didn't help that I lived in a dead zone for freight. I got tired of fighting with them and decided to start staying out 30 days, which worked out better. Staying out that long you get the longer runs, load and drive for 2-2.5 days. normally on 30 day tours your trips will be 1100-1200 miles, i even had a few 1500's in there.



Orientation will probably be Gary terminal, that's were they do the securement training.

I would still be with them if i could have got home more. being in an area with hardly any flatbed freight made it hard for them to get me in and out of home. they always treated me well and payed me what i sent in.

If hometime is important, look into PGT. they are big in PA.

Anymore ?'s i'll try to answer,

 

Might also look at Maverick. From what I have read they seem to be a really good flat bed company and they pay better than Roehl per mile.

 

How is the reefer fleet doing on miles ? I used to pull reefer from 98-03 looking to get back on the road in military now, any info would be great

 

Kebo- thanks for the info. I've thought about PGT and I don't like them because they haul steel around 98% of the time. I would like to haul more than steel. I have an additional question roehls flatbed fleet. Did you end waiting long to get loaded or unloaded like van drivers seem to everywhere we go? I would like to get away from hauling van because I am tired or going somewhere and sitting for hours on end because the forklift driver is in no hurry. Is it any better with flatbed?

Majestyk- I thought about Maverick but again they (in my mind) seem to haul more steel than anything.

 

if you have a flatbed truck you could also haul van if needed.

 

the thing to remember is the things you haul on a flatbed are for people waiting for that shipment. the longest i waited for a load was 9 hours. steel plant in jackson tn. and 7 hours at AK steel in middletown oh. but thats not the norm.

the avg was 1-1.5 hrs. depends on were you are in line. now with roehl i hauled anything and everything, even crushed cars!

had many drop/hooks like Felker Bros. in Marshfield, Team in Kaukauna, Trane in Lacrosse, Greenheck in Schofield, Wausau tile in Wausau, Certainteed in L'anse.

your wait times will mostly be at steel mills and larger corps. i loved the flatbed life. once you get a system down on tarping, it's not bad at all.

you will get van loads, but the ones I got were pie loads. d/h's or quick deliveries.and it is good to have in the winter time when f/b freight falls off.

let me know if you need anything else.

 

I drive reefer for Roehl. So far the loads are very steady, often with loaded trailers sitting in Gary with no-one to haul reefer. Rarely do I sit unless out of hrs.

 

Ron- can you give me anymore insight on the reefer side? what type of freight you typically haul, what lanes you run, how much hometime do you have, will they put you on dry loads/pulling a dry van if you get in a bad area or if freight gets slow? i live in maryland any help from you or anyone is greatly appreciated i am strongly considering applying at roehl thanks