My one year with Roehl - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Here it is, my review of our dear company and where I am at right now, after one year with Roehl Transport.
I do not claim that my experiences will match yours, that you make more or less money than I did, that is jut how I see the company I (still) work for.

Introduction to trucking 1.1

Trucking is a great way to see a country and make some money. At least it was like that years ago. Nowadays you don’t see much besides dirty truck stops, grumpy warehouse workers and substandard pay.

To make it as clear as I can, trucking is a very low paid, dangerous and dirty job, with absolutely no respect from fellow citizens and employers. If you have a chance to work more than minimum wage, do not think of going to trucking, if you have a demanding attention family, do not go to trucking, if you like your dog, wife and mother-in-law do not go to trucking. If however, you cannot get any job except in fast food industry, you are poor financially but in the good health, and you are somehow of decent driver, than you found your dream career.

Got your CDL? Skip this part.

Not yet? Well, before you can sit in a nice rig and cruise down highways, you got to get you CDL.

Thankfully, there are plenty of options. After a quick research I found out that all co-called “schools” are there in business to turn over students as soon as they can, and to their most profit.

I chose Roehl RDTC, though traveling to Marshfield, WI from Ohio was a bit of a strain. RDTC (Roehl Driver Training Center) is worth every dollar, especially considering that you don’t have to pay much in front except processing fee and lodging (not much and in the decent enough motel) .
Trainers are excellent, especially Brian and Jason. Dale and Joe can talk you to death, but at the end, they are alert at every moment , had been doing it for years and can successfully pass you some tips on safe driving. The whole concept of training with Roehl, from the time you talk to recruiter on the phone to the time you pass EVO 2 and get your truck is just very well thought and wonderfully pleasant for a new driver.
It does make a lot of sense to train with RDTC especially if you planning to stay with Roehl for at least your first 60.000 miles, (if you do that Roehl will pay the cost of training) . But even if you to work with different company, than training with Roehl does make a good sense. They are not as expensive as other schools, and they have an excellent reputation.

Sit in classes, drive, shift, do the back. Get your routine of vehicle check, and pass the test on CDL with flying colors. I had not heard of the driver you had failed to do so, since it is hardly possible if you had been listening for the past 2 weeks of Roehl training. Another words enroll - get your CDL.

On that day, you become an employee of Roehl Transport Inc. Please note, that there is no legal contract signed with you on that or a later date. The proof of your employment dates are your logs.

Now a very short break. And you are off with a trainer.
For EVO 1 and EVO 2.

It is hard for them, but they are getting paid nicely for the torture of having you, and you are happy with anticipation of all that ending soon. Trainers are very helpful, especially if they had been more than drivers in the past . There are natural born teachers such as Mr. Mark Stone, who is just beyond excellent as trainer.I don’t know how much my 3 trainers enjoyed my company, but I sure did enjoy theirs. For a short time that is not a very bad thing to be trained. You have your opportunity to ask and learn, use it.

After a brief test with maps, logs and some driving in Gary, I was assigned my truck. International with APU 342K and smelling like an ash tray.

Total time lost: 1,5 months. Experience gained - invaluable,and with almost no money down.

To be continued. …………

 

Money...$$$$
Admit it, the only reason except unlucky people who homeless or have a terrible wife, you would want to drive a truck is to make some money! Hopefully enough, and surely more than anyone else.

It is possible, moreover I had met people who make a good money driving trucks.
But consider this... good money is something very relative to your personal situation.
There are hardly any drivers who live in the cities, mostly country pumpkins who are out of job. That is for the reason. The money you will make driving will seem like a fortune for your cotton picking family, but for an average city dweller wont be enough to pay for rent.

So from 9/10 I was hired with Roehl. I got my own truck on 10/10.
Up till today 09.03 I had grossed about $28.000

I personally,being a greedy ####### think that is not adequate compensation for the time and hardship, but it is money.... and better than some of my other years.
I am yet to get my vacation money. I am # 0.33 a mile now.

Roehl pays you accurately and you can see your paycheck online every week as early as Tuesday. They did shortchange me couple of times on layover and detention.
Layover they finally paid after couple weeks and my logs scanned for 3 times, detention got lost in translation... oh well...

Questions about your financial future # Roehl?

To be continued................

 

Roehl Equipment - Power of Red turns to the Power of Green $$$

For many drivers their truck is not only a vessel by which they earn their meager livelihood, but also a home for many many lonely days and nights. It is important that the truck would not be comfortable, but safe and legal to drive.

Roehl has very well maintained equipment, in general. My International has 406K on it, had a few minor problems in the past year, cost me lost days in terminals and elsewhere, but all in all nothing to complain about. And no, you are not paid breakdown time if you are in the terminal waiting.

There is a well spread myth among the Roehl drivers, that repairs and PM's done in Gary, IN are less of the quality than of those done in Marshfield, WI.

Gary is pretty much a meat grinder when it comes to maintenance. I had great PM's done there and lousy repairs, but there had been successful fixes as well. I think that does depend mostly on the person who is doing repairs on your truck.

Shop manager Steve in Marshfield is very busy but extremely nice person, who will take his time to explain to you : when, how and what is going to be done to your truck. Gary teams always leaves me with impression like they could not care less. Atlanta is hit and miss, again depending on the person.

Maintenance phone support is pretty good. They are efficient, know the drill and walk with you each step and mostly will get you back on the road in no time. However.... Their goal is to save Uncle Roehl money and spend as less as they can, so they will try and try to tell you everything which is possibly not wrong with your truck, even if you told them the exact reason of a breakdown. Remember, that even if you are expert mechanic, it is pointless to argue with them.
Their phone calles can be monitored by management and they have to try everything in the book with you.

I had a engine problem and needed to get to International dealership, so for 2 days maintenance was trying to eliminate the problem by asking dealership to change oil and fuel filters, though they had been told the problem.

And for the part of keepings truck legal and having permits, that is a very important part as you will find out after your first DOT inspection. With great disappointment DOT officer will admit that seems like all of your paperwork is in order and present. Do not hope it will be updated when you get your truck. Check. Double check. If you are fined, you pay not Roehl.

Bottom line is Roehl equipment is better than average, most have APU's , under 600K, and in condition depending how clean was the previous owner. Some travel in companies with their pets, some with even more than a few. I personally think this is animal cruelty, and thankfully Roehl will not allow any pets on board.

Many drivers smoke, but I can tell you what a torture to get a truck after a smoker. It took me many months to get rid of tobacco smell and not choke at night. Next time I will just refuse such a truck, even if I have to quit. So if you are smoker, for the love of people, become an owner operator.

To Be continued.............

 

Roehl Tip of the Day

If you are trying to get to night or weekend dispatch, and there is no luck, try pushing option 5 (Safety) on you driver line, that normally gets someone immediately.

 

I could not agree more. The point I was trying to make is that trucking is not a good job, but desperate times call for desperate actions.

I dare to do some "racial profiling" on Roehl drivers. Mostly white males ages 40 to 60, who live primarily Wisconsin and Mid-west rural areas.

If someone has a chance to get a job near home, do not become a truck driver if you have a family.

If however as said before, you are lost hope to find a job, cannot pay the bills, miss half of your teeth and possum with apples is a good meal for you,than go ROEHL. If you will not be sorry....

 

Gypsum Express only hires flatbed drivers for that terminal. Fraley & Schilling do not have any miles. And while Roehl lets me to take truck home, i will have to get a ride to Brilliant, OH every week. But they are an option if I do have to change jobs, or stay in trucking.

I do not want to complain about Roehl too much, I am just trying to paint a picture I see so that everyone who is thinking about going there would know what it is like after 1 year.