Roehl Transport

I worked for Roehl for about 8 months and had a VERY mixed experience. Started on the 7/4-7/3 which was OK, DSR's pretty good..miles not bad had to switch to National which was just OK also then switched back to 7/4-7/3, different DSR and a complete nightmare and pretty much became almost 10/3-9/2 was on the verge of quitting and offered 14/7 which worked pretty good for the most part but decided to switch to a local co. (I believe the same as preacher man works or worked for??? a certain end-dump company that hauls a lot of coal....) and may be reviewing my options again after they BOUNCED MY PAYCHECK!!!!!!

 

If you had a bounced paycheck don't think about leaving. LEAVE, run like a scalded dog, take off like a frenchman from a cap gun...you get the picture.

 

If your paycheck bounced I doubt you worked for the company I did. They used an outside contract company as a middleman to keep workmans comp costs down. They were slow on paying their vendors for things like tires and parts but we always got paid on time, just not much pay for the work. A load of lime from Nokomis to ADM and deadhead back took about 2.5 hrs and we got paid about $25. You could usually get about three loads then an hour deadhead back to the yard after an hour deadhead to start your day. In other words $75 for a twelve hour day. I liked the job, just wish it had paid better.

The company I worked for is pretty big and their financial picture was actually improving after paying off a big fine to the EPA for another company they bought out.

 

I think it is the same company, i run a lot of lime to ADM from Pontiac,Kankakee coal from Elkhart to Duck Creek and so on...if it is the same they no longer use the middleman.

 

I guess Roehl pay is even better than a bounced check. (Thought I would check back here after a 6 month hiatus). I know some of you are tickled pink to see me. Still working for my same gig I left Roehl for and am still very happy. I said it once and I'll say it again, if you need to be trained, go to Roehl, then get the he** out and get a real job. And all of you trainers making DECENT money can refute this all you want. Eventually everyone finds out that Roehl is a mill. That's why you trainers stay busy and the drivers stay still.
Good luck newbies. I feel sorry for you for your first year but hang in there. It may get better.

 

I suppose all of the Roehl people that used to try and negate the things I say have either quit trucking or quit posting.
Good luck to all, be safe and God bless each of you.

 

Roehl does suck ###, no doubt about it here. I posted my mileage and pay numbers here somewhere - people can check them out if they want. At 6.5 months I got out and got a much better job.

A couple things I thought were ridiculous - all the stuff they sold to truck drivers that a more professional company would have given away or included in each truck, including prepass, fuel filter wrenches, company hats, tire pressure guages, etc. And the safety shtick, which everyone knows, if you prize safety above efficiency and performance, you change your payscale so drivers aren't worried about money, or pay people above the poverty line so, again, drivers aren't worried about money.

My .02

 

I just found out the company I worked did indeed bounce everyone's paycheck. I also found out the more things change the more they stay the same. Everything is still the same there, so I guess I won't be going back.

As for Roehl
I agree they give more lip service to safety and driving legal than they do to actually following through. Two examples, on the hometime fleet they want you to be in your truck by 7:00 but don't start your log, stay off duty. Last time I checked, if you are told to report to work and be ready to drive you are "on duty, not driving," Not "off duty." Another example is that they are like everyone else when at a dock they want you to log fifteen minutes then go to the sleeper, even though you may not be released from control of your vehicle. Roehl is what they are, I will say that when you confront them, they tend to back down, because they know they've been caught.

 

I am on the home time fleet and live 100 miles from the truck, I don't even leave the house until I have a load plan via phone call to my DSR. I always try to go to the sleeper after check in at the dock on live loads to conserve hours on line 3 and 4. Roehl has problems like all larger companies but they do take safety very seriously.

 

Yeah, thats about all they have going for them. And you can bet your "glass" that it is not for your benefit. I know that all "newbie" trucking companies suck. The thing that "pezzez" me off the worst is that I fell for the lies and B.S. they fed me hook, line and sinker. They have a great marketing plan. They have a "chitty" company.