Roehl Equipment

I just turned in an '04 Freightliner with Mercede's engine and 782K miles on it drove it for 5 1/2 weeks and wish I had it back. Never had any mechanical problems with it. I now have an '07 Freightliner with a Detroit and 428K miles. Runs like crap and sticks in almost every gear. Only plus is it has an APU and air conditioning. This one spitters,sputters,backfires and spues out black exhaust. Need to change fuel filters every 3 or 4 days. Not the trucks fault but will have to see about getting the fuel system flushed out or just deal with it and carry 1/2 dozen or so fuel filters with me at all times. It is due for PM and shop time so we'll see if they can do anything to get it to run better.

 

had same prob with mine, drain water out of filter every time u fuel it helps, pm might help , iwas just happy with the apu, for the tv, microwave n all

 

Dish soap is cheaper than WD-40, and works just as well. Keep a bottle of cheap stuff around for sliding tandems is rocking does not pop the pin loose.

I like reading in company forums about "old" trucks with 500k miles on them. I see this allot with training company's. And looking at how often the maintenance is done helps me allot in my search for a good used truck to buy.
Many of the road company's spread out the maintenance over a longer number of miles. For company's that primarily do long haul 1000 miles plus this is not really an issue. Though 40k is a little high, 30-35k is normal for a B service. They should be getting an A service (grease job) every 10k or so.

In most situations a truck with 500k miles is now broken in. All the early issues are taken care of, and any real breakdowns that occur will be due to lack of maintenance or normal wear.
Trucks made in the last 10 years should all be good for 1 mill miles before they need an over haul.
This is just not the case for training company trucks when it comes to transmissions though.
In the case of the 9 speed. This is in my book a better transmission than the 10 speed. They are worth allot more in the resale market also since it is easy to change it to a 13 speed, which is the best type on the road for most applications.
I always drove 9, 13 and 18 speeds till I went to large fleets. So getting use to a 10 took me some time, I would forget that 6th was hiding in that lower corner lol.

APU's are also a great resell point, and not just for the comfort they give. A truck idling for 1 hour is like a truck driving at 30 mph for that hour. So the high idle hours wear on the engine like ALLOT more miles than show on the ECM or dash.

 

Ranger If I was to relocate to northeastern/south eastern Illinois/Wisconsin are they currently hiring in this area? I currently live in South Florida.I did drive for Swift for a short time in Which I had problems getting my truck fixed and that was the reason I left.I have been currently in a non-drivin job but would like to get back into it. I have been out of drivin for about 3 years.Do I have to take a refresher course thru Roehl or just go out with a trainer? Thanks in advance for your Help.

 

yes for the area, i am in a high freight area so gettin a load to or from the house is easy, im always home when i need to be. As far as training they with send you out with a trainer for 10-13 as a mentor to teach you the Roehl way of doing things

 

Mine was doing something similar. It had a bad turbo and EGR. It took three different trips to the dealer in Wausau to figure it out.

 

BTW I do wish they had more of the features on the qualcomm, such as the gps and Google maps. Perhaps that will come later.

 

I do find the mechanics do try to fix the problems. My miles are good when not in for maintenance. Also just got a new Fleet Manager, she's good to work with so all in all I'm a happy camper.

 

Truck should be in the shop next week as long as I get routed near Gary. I was surprised to hear that the EGR was a warrantee item and needed to go to a dealership. I sure do hope they get the engine running good with just one trip to the shop. As far as the gears sticking it is pretty much down to 4th/9th gear that really sticks but that is also getting less with time and usage.

 

I drove for Roehl for a few months and I thnk I must have gotten your old truck! What a piece of garbage. It broke down at least once a week and I swear I was a the terminal in Gary, IN for repairs more than I was on the road. I left them because of the crappy truck and their refusal to fix the continuing problems. I'm doing some local driving now but about to go back OTR with US Xpress. Hopefully their equipment is better!