starting roehl on Feb 25th

yeah.......it's pretty cool to get a phone call from a job you haven't started yet and get a raise.

 

hey evo. why is your screen name saying banned or MIA.

 

Well I know I've been MIA for a while. Here is the low-down on what's going on. I have been out with my Evo 1 Trainer since 10JUN08. We've been running our tails off. It appears that us Flatbedders may find ourselves pulling a lot of short hauls. We did numerous relay runs, and multi-drops. We averaged 90-250 miles per day. Were it up to me, I'd have us Honor guys do it, so the mileage guys can make their pay. We get paid the same regardless.

I'm doing pretty well, still need to iron out some shifting and downshifting bugs. Being out of the cab for a month didn't do me any favors. I'm staying out all the way through Evo 2. That way I can log some good time on the board, plus keep my skills fresh. This will also ensure I'm not home for just a couple of days. My girls miss their daddy, and I miss my princesses. I'll have a drill weekend and a week of military training after Evo 2, so staying out for a month will also keep the Roehl grown-ups happy with me.

This is only like the second time I've been able to check my e-mail and access the net. I really need to get some decent sleep, I go out with my second trainer tomorrow at about 5AM. He finishes up my Evo 1 and then his partner (he's a 7/7 guy) takes over for Evo 2. I should be done with Evo 2 around 26JUN08. Heh...then I get to take yet another Road Test. Oh well...hopefully my bugs will be all worked out by then.

Well I'm off to bed. I'll keep you posted, (if/when I can).

Stay Safe and Be Good.

 

Don't worry about the shifting too much. All they're interested in seeing during your driving test is that you can drive the truck SAFELY.

Anyways, off to bed. Had to run into the casino to supplement my income, since I'm doing so well with these pitiful short days.

 

I guess now I understand what he was saying about getting a raise. Listened to the VM and they're bumping up the flatbed fleet another 1cpm, and raising both steel and lumber tarp pay.

 

Well, passed my physical today, so, here I come.

 

Well I've completed Evo 1 and got dropped at the AmeriHost Inn in Gary, IN. I get picked up by my second trainer's partner tomorrow, so I can start Evo 2. I'm looking forward to getting the student training done, as well as actually earning real pay.

I'm not going to lie, I haven't really been pouring over that Evo Workbook they gave us. I pretty well did the whole thing, but I haven't filled out very many of the trip planning sheets or the weight tickets. I realize their purpose, but I don't see the point of writing down the same information over and over. Nor does it make sense to write it in a different format from the actual work.

Both of my trainers had me do pretty much all the paperwork, Qual-Comm and the driving. They assisted with the strapping and tarping. I liked it that way, it forced me to learn it (sort of fly or die). In fact, yesterday I logged 10 1/4 hours on the drive line. Heh...I felt like I was back in Army on some long-##### convoy.

Hopefully I should start getting GI Bill money next month. Lord knows I need it. We've just about burned through all the severance pay from my factory job. I have yet to see a single check from Unemployment. But now I'm just venting...

I think it is time to get a nice shower, watch some TV, and wait for a ride to the nearest restaurant. Oh speaking of...my first trainer was awesome, we went to Wal-Mart and ate out of a fridge most of the time. You know, PB&J, granola bars, and whatever drink we got (I chose 12oz Gatorade bottles). My second trainer liked to eat at actual restaurants. I avoided spending a lot by only eating 1 meal with him, the rest of time I chowed on granola bars.

ok...time to go.

 

Do the trip planning part of the workbook. That's about the only part the guy looked at in mine.

 

hey GI-jeff0 just wanted to ask about your gi bill the paper that you had roehl send in for you ojt do you know what it said? I am going to BTC and I am tring to get my pay set up.

 

I just finished reading all 41 pages of postings on this thread. It is a far cry better than the comments toward the company I had originally signed with. Ironically enough, even though their thread was in the "Good Trucking" column, there were nothing but complaints.

I will be leaving this Sunday for Gary. I have already taken driving school and will be skipping that part.

I am amazed at the unending amount of information you have provided and thank you for keeping the updates coming. I now have zero doubt that Roehl is the company to work for.

I'm doing national van to include Canada. I thought you only needed a birth certificate to get in and out. Is a passport needed? I didn't consider flatbeds because, frankly, I am too small to lift the tarps. I hear they weigh between 75-100 lbs. While I think I could do it first thing in the morning, I would guess that by the middle of the afternoon they would be throwing ME around instead of the other way around.

Looking forward to talking back and forth and maybe meeting some of you while out on the road. Thanks again for the information.