Roehl, losing faith in them quickly...

Well before I started evo II I was off from the labor day weekend untill the following one because they lacked trainers. Not a huge big deal to me because I really wanted to be a truck driver. I would advise you to take advantage off all the off time you can because when you get your own truck you may not see home a lot.

 

Be patient and this too shall pass. BobC means well, but Scarecrow called it right. You're a newbie (read BEGGAR) who hasn't proven himself, so you don't really have a leg in the door yet. Right now you have barely one toe in the door. Those with just a big toe in the door shouldn't try to be boatrockers.

Yeah, you really do need to get used to this sort of thing. It happens a lot in trucking. The lady is shooting straight by telling you the truth about the problem--they don't have enough trainers. At least she's telling you the truth. At many companies, you'll get the runaround and just plain lies.

I'd MUCH rather be in this situtation than be at a company such as SwiftQuit. Swifty has many more trainers per truck than Roehl does, but this is because at Swift a guy with only 6 months experience can be a trainer. Do you want a guy who is not much more than a trainee himself training you, or do you want an experienced guy training you?

Sit back and be patient. They'll take care of you soon.

Unfortunately, they will remember this situation. When they DO get you rolling, you'll need to sort of 'make amends' for being more or less a 'complainer' so soon. When you get your own truck, do 'em a favor or three when they're in a jam and need a short load delivered in a hurry by taking those runs and completing them. After that you'll once again be on the fast track to being held in high esteem there and they'll forget all about this. Don't become a "problem child" there. That's a good way to find yourself being the low guy on the totem pole who gets the crappy runs or the guy who soon cleans his truck out and is jobless for god-knows-how-long.

 

Hey, Bob the mechanic from Maryland. How's it going? This is Tip T. Tipster from XXXXXXX, XX. Hey, why don't ya give me a call at XXX-XXX-XXXX, will ya? I live over on XXXXXXX Avenue now. Got it? Good.

Word up, Bob. You can use YOUR name here, sure. Couldn't care less. But don't refer to anybody else by his name, at least not without his permission, on a site like this. That's totally uncool. That's a good way to get somebody the shaft treatment or even fired. Companies look for schmucks they can make examples of all the time. Example-making helps control drivers' behavior. Honery drivers who won't take much BS need to be weeded out, at least in the minds of trucking company desk drivers. Drivers who are sheep and are more or less YES men are what are wanted.

Don't be naive enough to think vindictive trucking company insiders don't patrol sites like this.

I hope I don't come off as a smart-###, but there it is. I know if you used MY name here without permission, I'd be fightin' mad.

 

The industry paid me for all the effort I put into it.
If it didn't, I stopped being at that company.

How deep into debt do you want to see this guy go before you let him find another company that will put him to work today?

How much abuse must he endure before you think he should leave or fight back?

I've read an enormous amount of the "Bad Company" postings.
It's chock full of drivers that "took it quietly" only to get the final insult.
The same drivers that were told to "Take it 'till you make it".
To what end?
The opportunity to finally post all the abuses suffered quietly so they didn't appear whiners?

I guess I'm the only one that sees the pattern of "Bad Company" unfolding itself on this guy.

They failed to pay him...Didn't even know he was there.
Employed him but can't find any work for him.
Won't pay him as promised because they set up an "out" for themselves.
He's basically been "shelved" with little or no pay until the company gets around to him.

If this doesn't appear as "Bad Company" material, I don't know what would.

None of this his fault...except for hiring on.

If getting a black mark is a result of fighting for your survival against shabby hiring practices, what good is the job?

What other abuses lay in wait after he gets past the hiring snafoo?
I guess we'll just have to wait for the epilogue in the "Bad Company" listings.

 

welcome to truck driving
dont worry be happy remeber dont worry be happy youl go insane before your suppose to.
welcome to truck driving

 

Trucking Bum, Scarecrow, BobC, ALL you guys are dead-on right in your posts. You all make great points.

But....I'd still stay at Roehl if I were this guy. Roehl is a good company (rumour has it, anyway), and one who hires on at a good company right out the gate should count his blessings. He needs to stay there, honestly. I say this because I've worked for both good and bad, and I wish I could say today I had worked for ONLY the good ones in my career. You quit a good company at your own risk. Your next one may be a rotten apple that's far worse.

 

Hey Tip, I get your point. But if I can figure out who this person is based on his user name and location I'm sure Roehl can. I know better than to give any more than a first name. But thanks for the advice.

 

I will have to agree with you it is in your FMCSR. So if you have a cell phone and that is the number they are calling you on you are on call.

 

If a student is at home he is off duty. Plain and simple. No making up stuff and saying I want to get paid. A student at Roehl has to be with a trainer to count as a day of training and get paid. A trainer sends in his pay, the dispatcher approves it, then it goes to payroll. If he didn't get paid one of the three messed up.
I usually recommend to students to stay out for the whole training and not go home in between evolutions. Depending on where you live, freight , and availability of trainers it might be a while before you get picked up again. I know it can suck to stay out up to month counting orientation and training. It does simplify things to stick it out and do everything in one shot. Good luck and be patient.

 

Bucks, back me up here, but not only do you have to be with a trainer, you have to have at least 4 hours on duty as well, correct?