Life After Roehl

Not if they're fired, they're usually upset then.

 

Excellent point and well taken. Count me in the "still happy" category.

I read a stat recently that said there's a certain percentage of drivers who change carriers every 60 days. The way the stat read was; "of the drivers who will quit their carrier this year 25% of them will change jobs every 60 days!" If that stat is true then that means they are working for six different carriers in a year! That just amazes me! I think it makes the point that some drivers will be totally unhappy no matter how good their situation.

 

Touché!!!!!

 

Roehl was a good place for me to start, and I have no regrets. That being said, almost 2 years after leaving I am glad for having done so. I went to a small local company, home every weekend, better pay, and they actually care about the drivers. I am in the process of moving again to a carrier that hauls their own products with very few broker loads, increase in pay, nicer equipment, and home every week. Yup I'm happy.

 

I left at the end of April after 15 months mainly to try local, now that we are back in the Dallas area, not due to any huge dis-satisfaction with Roehl. I have been with Ace Hardware since then in their company fleet. The plus side is more money and only away from home one or, at most, two nights a week. The minus side is more physical labor. It is driver unload, at least to the tailgate, with a pallet jack (some are electric). I won't lie to you; the work is hard, but usually for only an hour or two at a time, then, you drive to the next store drop. You plan your own route, re-fuel wherever Comdata is accepted and are paid by the hub mile. All trucks are slip seat, but are late models and well maintained, governed at 65 mph. Weekly miles average 1850. Starting pay is a combination of mileage (.40) cpm; per dispatch ($15); per stop ($11) and hourly ($12) while stopped starting immediately. Driver pay averages $1,000 a week. So far, my weekly checks have ranged from about $800 to as high as $1640 (this one was for a six day work week). Qualcomm is in all company trucks (some rental trucks are used which are paper logs). It is not a trucking company culture. Ace is a co-op focused upon serving the needs of its member stores (who actually own the company). The people are nice to work with, but they have their own set of challenges. I do like it here but, to be honest, the jury is still out as to whether or not I will be able to handle the physical labor necessary for this job.

 

That or they're so obsessed with thinking the grass is greener at other companies they just keep changing hoping to find that "perfect" trucking job that doesn't exist.

 

scott it exists, but it does not actually involve the trucking industry... lol
I almost went back to Roehl at one point around 7 months after leaving. Thankfully I did not.

 

Monday night is my last day turn in truck tuesday morning. Cant wait. Have my truck cleaned out. Just gonna bring a bag with two changes of cloths when I leave in a few hours.

 

I guess to expand a little about the "perfect" position existing. I'd say it exists for everyone, but may not be the same for us all. we all like diffent things. I may not feel as abused at Roehl versus running for a smaller outfit. It really does seem to just depend on individual people and their ability to handle life in the truck.
I find I miss it occasionally, but missed the family a whole lot more.

 

This is my last trip with Roehl, I'm goin home cleaning out the truck and turning it in at Ellenwood, not nearly enough miles the past month and before then. Paychecks have been terrible and fm has a careless attitude. I'm not doing OTR to only be making 400 wkly. I start orientation with 50 truck fleet on the 17th, drivers get 2014 Volvo, start pay is 38cpm trucks are not governed, and I chose where I fuel and what route to take. I'm not looking to be a "job hopper" I attended to stay with Roehl until my paychecks have gotten so low that they pretty much forced me to say goodbye.