Roehl Driver Check In Continued

If safety is still a value or a priority at Roehl they have a funny way of showing it. All major decisions effecting drivers in the last 3 years have been negative. This has driven veteran drivers like myself out of the company leaving them with a high percent of drivers new to the company and often trucking itself. Veteran drivers with half decent records have lots of options and don't have to remain with a bottom feeder or a company headed in that direction.

I'd be fascinated to know how the average years of experience at Roehl has fallen in that window of time. They want to run the company with new drivers and go the way of Covenant and C. R. England!

So be it!

With it they get the safety record of the bottom feeding companies.

It took Roehl decades to build up the positive record they once held in the driving community and two years to tear it down. Now they're a bottom feeder and it will take years to change that perception if they ever care to.

 

Mitt by in free big

 

Safety is the cornerstone value.............unless it messes with their bank account

 

The common denominator (OWNER) Everett was a TRUCK DRIVER who spent years build the reputation....Then the company is given to offspring (I don't care what anyone says about it being earned and he is a truck driver to blah blah blah...) who is interested in daddy's money and the changes begin. The company is no longer a "drivers" company. They focus on getting students (sheep) shoved through their school and into trucks. Most (Keep your panties in place I didn't say all) don't have what it takes to be behind the wheel yet.

 

OBTW what would you say the percentage is of Roehl office personnel or maintenance employees anywhere around the country who actually like working here? Do any of them seem happy or are they working under the culture of fear that infects all of Roehl?

Roehl tries to rule with the culture of fear over the drivers but it doesn't work so well when employees have options.

Good drivers have options.

Maintenance and office situations don't have so many options. Said employees at Marshfield have almost no options to work elsewhere. Tragically upper Roehl management knows this and uses it to their advantage.

The misery index amongst those sectors at Roehl is through the roof.

Some office personnel won't speak about sensitive issues or be "honest and frank" with you in the building. I had one fm who laid it all out about how things really was in the office but not before walking me out to the parking lot. They said Roehl goes to great lengths to listen to conversations and read messages. Dog eat dog amongst office people is rife and encouraged by upper management. They told me to request a meeting in the parking lot if I needed to speak freely.

That speaks volumes about who Roehl is and what they are all about!

 

parking lot meeting are the best, I'd always have one of those with my drivers if A.) there was discipline I had to do that I didn't agree with, or B.) my driver was going to be disciplined and the level of discipline was to be determined by his reaction.

 

In all fairness this Winter has been horrendous. Drivers can't shut it down every time a snowflake flies. The way this Winter is going nobody would be making any money out here.

 

I don't get all the anger here. Granted I haven't been here a year yet. the only issue I have with them is the detention time, otherwise I've been treated with respect, I'm growing in the company, and I make solid money. I know there are a lot of drivers that leave this company only to come crawling back. There is no perfect company out there. Roehl still has a fantastic reputation from people outside the company I talk to. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but usually the disgruntled are the ones that post negative stuff, and you don't hear from the hundreds and hundreds that love it here. Will I stay here long term? I don't know, but I don't have immediate plans to bail after my contract is up at the moment.

 

My views are from what it was 9 years ago when I started to 4 years ago when I left. In my opinion Safety started to slide from a Value, something without compromise, to a Priority, something that can change based upon the situation.

 

I have to agree with Scott. I have operated under the `honest days work' principle from day one. I too have been treated with respect in my opinion. at the end of the day I have to do my best to determine safety issues. I think Roehl now has a good idea of what to expect out of me. I ALWAYS, let them know what is happening with load. I have moved out of the weather a few times for safety and I had no objections. I run my loads and in general I'm left alone, I just keep in touch, primarily with freeform.