Roehl FLATBEDDER's miles

My miles have been good except for the week between Xmas and New Years. But that is pretty much every year. I do not go west much because I am 7/7 and a trainer. Roehl believes there is better training running the eastern states. I know one flatbedder who goes west all the time but he also stays out for a month at a time then takes a week off. Also Roehl does not let rookies go play in the Rockies until they have a year experience. This time of year is no fun to be running out there anyway. Also the freight can suck out there as well. Most of the people live on the east coast so that is where the freight goes.

 

I was in Wyoming a month after I got my truck. And did the rest of the west after 6 months.

 

Not really. I hear company drivers complain O/O get preference, O/O's complain company guys get preference, other company guys say 7/7 guys get preference. I delivered to a job site last week along with eight other Roehl drivers. There was a O/O, two trainers, at least three 7/7 guys, and other national guys. The truck that got empty first got the first load, the truck that got empty second got the second load and so on. Sometimes a trainer will a get a load because he has more hours available and get a load with time constraints somewhere sooner than a single driver. 7/7 guys might get a load to get back to a terminal because their truck partner needs to leave with another. For the most part it is first come first serve. I also know this because I worked in dispatch for a while when I broke my wrist.

 

isn't really how hard they work that gets you preplans? I know each div. is different, but seems different FM's do things differently... same with planners? i really would like to learn more on how it all "really" works. We all have our theories, but I want to see the training that is given. Then I may be more apt to understand certain aspects... :smt017

 

They do thier best to spread the miles around, in all divisions. As a rule of thumb, the longer you stay out the better you do with miles, if you go home every 11 days, you run good for a week, then they start looking for loads to head you home. Where if you stay out, then they don't have to worry, you get whatever load is there, and you just run. I am national, but on the curtainside fleet. I stay out about a month at a time and then go home for a week. It seems to work out that way. All that being said, this is the slow time of year for flatbed frieght, it always has been. It drops off right before the holidays, and stays slow into Feburary, then it picks back up. Good luck, and be safe!