Roehl Transport - Are times changing?

First off let me start off by saying that I was fired by Roehl Transport today, completely by surprise but I also have had a bad feeling about how things have been going with this company over the last month and never felt that great about the company ever since I got out of their GYCDL training program.

Let me start off by saying that Roehl offers excellent training be it their GYCDL program or any other additional training afterwards. I was very impressed by everyone that I worked with.

Most recently I had applied to work in a different position 6 weeks ago and had been getting told ever since that I would be getting moved "any day now" and get a different truck to do the job. After I officially moved into that new position I retained the same truck for the duration, which was a special truck used exclusively for a dedicated customer account with different (blue) paint and decals than a regular red Roehl truck. I came to find out after being paid for my first load in the new position that I was being underpaid by 16 cents per mile. I had signed up for the new position because it was substantially higher in pay with more potential miles and travel opportunities. I contacted payroll about this last week and was informed that I would be paid at the lower rate no matter what which I was very confused about and reached out to my management for answers. They were very wishy washy with their response asking if I ever transferred into the higher paying position in the first place? I would like to think so considering that I had been hauling that specialized freight for 3 weeks at the time. In the two weeks that followed I had by mileage severely cut, I had been averaging about 3000 miles per week previously and now I was only getting about 1200 miles.

I started to feel like something was up and no one was communicating to me what was going on. So last week I only worked 3 days and finally received a new assignment this week. As I was driving to work someone to management called me to ask how close I was to the terminal? I told them and they said that they would call me back in a half hour or so. When we did speak again they said they needed to read me something (I was like what now in my mind) and I would have the opportunity to ask questions afterwards. They informed me that I was having my employment terminated because I reported some flat spotted trailer tires a few weeks ago and also they said that a customer was upset with me last week. I asked them to further elaborate on those reasons and they said that they did not have any further information to share with me. I have no idea what they are referring to, I guess I am getting blamed for the flat spot tires even though I remember reporting them immediately upon being assigned that trailer and submitted pictures per company policy. I am very confused about this upset customer because it was not addressed with me at all over the past week and I don't even know who or what they are referring to in terms of them being upset and for what reason?

My only hope now is that the $7000 amount from the GYCDL contract does not get sent to collections for me to pay. I don't know but I suspect that I will start getting collection calls about that soon enough. I hate this company for always holding that over our heads and I now wish I would have gone with another company just to avoid that dread contract. I have been hearing from so many Roehl drivers in recent times that have left be it after their contract was up or simply quit. Many people like myself are getting fed up with the pay and lack of work with this company.

So any recommendations for a CDL A driver with 8 months recent experience are welcome. I have done dry van, reefer, flatbed, conestoga, curtainside, and step deck van (paper hauling). Schneider, K&B, and Oakley Florida all hit me up today.

 

I would like to work for Sargento, their trucks are NICE if you're fine with driving a yellow Volvo.

I'm thinking about working in the North Dakota oil fields at least to see if I can do it in the warm weather months and get paid enough to not have to work there in the winter months. I have a buddy to drives a water truck there and makes about $250k after taxes annually but runs 7 days a week, 6 weeks straight, and then gets 2 weeks off. He said that most people quit because they cannot handle the weather and working conditions. I think I would be fine in the summer.

Otherwise Freymiller and a few other places that do long haul type driving are what I would be most interested in. I would like to travel more but if I can make great money I might be more motivated to do something like oil field work.

 

Company, water hauler and he busts his arse like no other. His job is paid out based on performance he makes double what most drivers make because he goes out of his way to get as much work done as he possibly can every day.