Roehl Driver Check In

How about a compromise, Flatbedders get paid van rate, but have the right to turn it down, which will result in much sitting, mainly as punishment.

 

I agree Tank, Roehl has been going downhill as far as for experienced guys. I still feel its a good place for people to start but I will be going with a much higher paying company when my year is completed with roehl. They've been good to me but it seems as if their planners have been drinking before they get to work or something.

Its sad that the DRIVER knows of loads going somewhere when the planners are running around with their heads up their..... funny how Landstar o/o's or even some other companies can plan their loads out for a week, but we have to wait to get a preplan when we get to the customer rather than before. I trust my dispatcher is doing what he can but the problem seems more with the planners

I agree 110%. If Roehl needs a van load moved, then I see that as me doing a FAVOR for them, not the other way around. I told my dispatcher I was not okay with being FORCED to take lower pay when I signed up for flatbeds. I rely on tarp pay to help with my bills. I told him the next time they try to throw a van load on me, if I'm not compensated at my flatbed rate of pay, I will refuse it. If they tell me I can't then I'll park the truck at a terminal and find a way home. I will not stand for being paid less than I signed on for. He told me he agrees with me and that he will not put a van on me, he was pissed at weekend dispatch for even sensing me that van going to Florida when there were two flat loads going to fl. I HATE when my dispatcher isn't working and someone is covering him. On the weekends I make my own choices if I run into a problem.

Easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.



Ethan

 

Hey dude looking to flatbed in MN. I h ad a guy leave once upon a time and went with Brenny in St. Cloud, MN. He loves it,but then again he was strange.

 

I don't care what I haul, but truthfully if I signed on as flatbed then my pay should not change if I have to pull a dry box.

Let's just put it this way, you are near a terminal and oh wait no loads in the area other then flatbed loads. But wait! They have a loaner truck you can borrow (roll with it) and take that empty flat to pick up a load to go 1200 miles. Tarp required, oh but wait since your a van driver you can't take the extra pay increase. Wrong division.

So I don't know how much you make but we will base it off .32 a mile.

.32 x 1200 = $384

Flatbed, say what I make now
.36 x 1200 = $432
Plus tarp / untarp pay (lumber)
$432 + $22 + $22 = $476

So your losing close to $100 bucks pulling a flatbed. Now I'm not sure about you but not many drivers like losing money. So now flip flop back to flat bedder pulling dry boxes.. We are FORCED less pay, don't get tarp pay, and not guarunteed that the next load is going to be a flatbed.

I'm ok pulling a curtain for less pay, but not a dry box. If you worked as hard as flat bedders do, then you would understand. But it seems your mind is made up on what you THINK it should be.

Not to point you out or say anything mean, I just want you to think how we think when we get loads. Oh and if you look on the side of our nice shiny silver prostars or new flatbed trucks at that, it says FLATBED AND SPECIALIZED. Specialized is oversize stuff or what ever. Not dry box. Oh it even says division to.

So. Yeah. 700 flat bedders, 30374738374 van drivers. (warning: actual number may differ)

 

Yeah I left with 34 minutes to get to that TA. Needless to say I was 3 minutes over but I made it. I get OD layover? I didn't really look at the DRG so idk if your messin with me or not. I will check now though hahaha.

I started at sunrise like my FM said, he wanted me in IL but to the State line of IL on 76 was a 5hr 16 min drive not including load checks. I made it to the TA at exit 171C in WI though, 20 miles short of IL.

 

I knew it would ruffle feathers. I dont mean to disrespect but thats how I feel. I doesnt bother me none to say whats on my mind. The trainers Ive met and dealt with did good for themselves. If you were a trainer and it didnt work out for you then thats your own opinion Im stating mine. If Roehl is short on trainers maybe they deserve more respect and pay for the job they do. I was mainly stating they were well paid the ones I met even after some of the pay cuts. I hate the planners and dont really agree with alot of what they do. Alot of the last couple months Ive been getting low miles as well. 1800-2000 range consistantly. But last couple weeks have picked up and been getting good to decent miles over 2000. Was it because i kept my mouth shut and was humble to waste my time? NO, with the low mile weeks consistantly did I just go with the flow and let it happen too? NO. I do let them know when Im unhappy or sense a change. Have i asked other drivers if they got low miles as well in van division they said yes, was my buddy getting low miles too he said yes. Your not the only one it happens. And flatbed guys I respect the job you do dont get me wrong and deserve the pay for the job you do. But not while pulling a van sorry agree to disagree. Either refuse the load and they can deadhead you somewhere or sit and wait for a flatbed load. Roehl has different divisions and being a company driver you might have to pull other freight sorry. Thats why I said go to a flatbed only operation to where you wouldnt have to pull those god awful van trls.

 

Nah I respect what you have to say. I have been getting good on and off miles. But I can promise you when I left the van division i was getting crappy god awful miles, I'm glad to be gone from van.

Haha and yes, as soon as I read your post I was like I bet couple others already replied. Good thing is no one blew what you said out of portion. We all know how Roehl works and it just seems to be getting more and more crazy on how they are handling things. Idk if it's one planners for 100 drivers or one planner for 5, but I should never be sitting without a load.

Oh and for refusing a van load, it is impossible. They will just assign it to you anyways. Maybe if they come in the next day and your truck hasn't moved they'd get the picture. Lol.

 

And really I could care less about the pay, to me it's not worth it and take my messily pennies pulling a box. Even if I had the choice to do so I wouldn't, or had the training I wouldn't. One or two loads of pulling a van wont kill your ego to get back to doing what you want to do. And even if the actual number may differ then if we have more van drivers and you wanted flatbed only then you made the poor decision coming to a company dominated by van freight. Hard working I never said who works harder and always gave respect to flatbed drivers in general in most of my posts. Your not better than me bc of what you do and I dont claim to be better than anyone else. Please refuse van loads itll make me happier too.

 

Never meant I'm better then any one. Never said it hurt my ego either.


Your misunderstanding what I'm saying, Roehl is preaching and preaching about pushing to become the second largest flatbed fleet. So it's not like our fleet is that small. Flatbed freight is extremely heavy right now, in no way a flatbedder should be pulling a van at this time, maybe when it slows down sure.

I'm just going to stop while I'm at it. I don't want this to go any further because every driver is entitled to their opinion. (also, my example it was almost 100 dollar difference. Couple pennies add up)

 

I'm posting this because this is what I've been working for, I'm happy doing flatbed, not van. I pulled van for roehl for 6 months then switched and have never been happier. The reason I haven't left yet is because im so close to my year. I'm not saying I'm better than anyone else either but I look at it this way.

One of my previous jobs I had a promotion and got a raise to $9/hour. I was then once asked to do my old job for a week because we were short staffed. I told them I wanted to be paid my normal wage of $9/hour. I was paid $9/hour for the job I used to do for $7.50/hour.


That's what this is about for me, its the PRINCIPAL. I now work in a higher paying division and I expect to be paid for what division I'm I'm no matter if I pull a van every now and then.

Ethan