Profile For Mthrsupior aka Julia Balsamo

Hello Steven,

I have been driving for Roehl for about 7 months now.

Since I have "grown up" on this site, I have adopted the attitude that Star and the others have said.

A company is only as good as you are.

You need to pick a company that will have the opportunity that best fits your needs.

So, with that said, I am on the 7/7 fleet. I share a truck with one other driver, who is in the truck when I am home. Because we share a truck, we have a drop yard where we pick up the truck and that we have to bring the truck back. For me, the yard is about 2.5 hours away. I average about 2800 miles per week that I am out, and am making .34 cents per mile right now. This works for me, because I can afford to work "part time" and it enables me to have the home time that I need for my family.

I happen to really like trucking in general, and the people that I work with specifically. I believe that Roehl is a "good" company, and I will definitely stay with them for at least the first year or two; but I also believe that there are other companies that may have a better opportunity for me in the future, as my needs change.

For example, as my children finish school and start college, I may need to make more money, or be able to work different days, and arrange to take home time at different places. I can't do that on my current 7/7 shift. I may just be able to switch to a different fleet, or I may find another company that has a better opportunity for me. Either way, Roehl is still a "good" company, but it may or may not be the best company for me.

So, if you find that Roehl's programs are a good fit for you, then yes, I would highly recommend them; but if they don't have the opportunities that you need, they will be an awful company. You need to consider what is best for your needs, and then have a positive attitude and which ever company you pick will be a perfect fit, and the best company for you.

Hello Chris,

First, I want to say, for your service to our country.

Second, I understand completely what you are saying and what your father meant, and no offense was taken.

Finally, I will just say, that having been on this site and having followed Brett's teachings, I was referring to being a professional in the way that Brett explained. I agree totally with Guy as well, in thinking that what your father meant was to be perfect, and I believe:

I will always be a "Rookie, Professional Driver".

What I was really trying to say is that I spent so much time and energy, learning how to be a driver, that I didn't really notice that I AM a driver! Do I still have a lot to learn? Hell, yes! But, I am doing it man! I'm out there, I'm really out there, driving a big rig! And I'm loving it!

Congratulations David,

You were one of the very first stories I started following when I came on this site, and I loved hearing about all of it. I can't believe it's been a year already though. The time really does seem to fly by when you are driving a truck.

It does take some time to get adjusted to being back home again. It really is a huge change for your family, first getting used to you being gone, and then getting used to you being back home, especially for the kids. (They just don't seem to deal with change very well, even if it's a good change.)

I'm so glad to hear that you found something that works for you; I was really pulling for you. You worked so hard, and were doing so well, you just seemed to be cut out to be a truck driver. We would have lost a valuable asset had you not been able to find something.

At least now, with the auto tranny, you have an extra hand for that "sammich" you always talked about.

Hey Steve,

I've been driving a dry van for about 7 months now, and I had to pull my first Reefer trailer last week. One of my fellow drivers who usually drives dry van had to pull the reefer for about a week, and he said that all his loads were live loads, and they all took at least 4-6 hours. I only had to pull it for the one load and I was unloaded quickly, so I can't say for sure; but a lot of that depends on which company you work for, and what types of customers they have. I felt like the fueling of the reefer tank wasn't difficult, but it did add time to my fuel stop, and then I had to wash it out.

I'm guessing that most of the time you can take it to a truck wash and they wash it out for you, but because I was returning it to one of the terminals, I was expected to use the wash bay and wash it out myself. No problem, but... The power hose I was using had a leak that hit the inside of my left ankle and drained into my shoe. (Did you know that waterproof shoes are only waterproof from the outside?) So, after I was about 1/2 way done washing it out, the power hose turns off, and I have to climb out of the back of the trailer and go hit the button to turn the water back on. Okay, so I'm like knee-high to a grass hopper, so when I say "climb" out of the trailer, I really mean "climb", well as it turns out, there isn't really anyway to climb out of a soaking wet trailer without getting soaked. Needless to say... by the time I was finished washing out my trailer, I looked like a drowned rat, and felt like a raisin.

So for me, with there being no extra pay for pulling reefers, but the added time and work of keeping it fueled, cleaned, and at the correct temperature, plus the increase in the number of live loads, which means more backing into tight docks, and generally increased wait times, it just didn't seem like something that I would enjoy doing, or would want to do on a regular basis. I'm sure if I was asked to pull one, that I would be able to adjust to the changes and it wouldn't be a big difference; but for now, I feel like I have enough to learn.

Just my experience. Hope that helps.

Julia

Hello Jim,

Congratulations! I live in the Pittsburgh area and I looked at all the schools available to me when I went to start my training including All-State.

The 6 month program was more for people that could only take classes 2 times a week, instead of a 5 or 6 day week. When I looked at it, there wasn't ANY advantage to the 6 month course, unless you are a slow learner, and it would benefit you to be able to take the time to absorb the material, or had to work while while attending school.

I visited the school, talked with the program directors, emailed with some people that had graduated from their program, and I also spoke with both Werner and Schneider recruiters who all had good things to say about the school. When I visited the school, they had a list of companies that would, and have hired their students, all of the major companies were listed. They also had a wall of recent graduates and where they were hired, and there were quite a bit of local companies as well.

If I had gone to a private school, I would have either gone with them or PAI (Pittsburgh Aeronautical Institute) depending on which one fit my schedule better.

Good Luck

Julia

Great to hear from you. Thanks for your encouragement a while back. Wondered about you glade things are good for you. I'm also enjoying the 7/7, felt like it took a bit to get here, but it has been worth it! Say hi when ur in Gary, I know I get there a lot - truck 8012 -Steve

Steve, I was wondering how you were doing. I will definitely say hi. As I told Scott, I seem to be in Gary a lot. I will definitely look for your truck, but if you know you are going to be there, send me an email. I'm wondering if we haven't crossed paths before and just didn't know it. I'm in truck 8778.

I have officially confiscated my son's laptop and will be able to keep up with all of my TT friends a lot better now, plus I have the NFL Package with Direct TV, so I'll be able to watch the games on my laptop. Just in time for football season... WooHoo! Go Steelers!

That's awesome Julia! Fellow Roehl driver here too. I love it here. I'm on the national fleet and would like to be home a bit more in the future, but this works for now. Great company!

Thanks Scott!

My main terminal is Gary, so I'm there a lot. What's your truck number? I'll try and keep an out for you.

OMG! Brett,

Talk about where to begin...

Ok, so when I was looking at Roehl, you had said basically the same things; but you had asked me to consider if the 7/7 program was going to be enough "pay" for me, since it is basically working part time. I have had several drivers ask me the same question.

Yes, it is. Just to clarify and stress for everyone out there, it works for me; but it may not work for everyone. I have a husband who is working, so for me, in my situation, I don't NEED to work to eat. I'm working because I need to pay for a college student, and two teen-aged boys who can eat, a lot! Have you seen the price of groceries these days? Just to let everyone know, I am now making .34 per mile (I expect to get a .02 cent raise soon) and usually get anywhere from 2600-3100 miles per week that I am out. Of course, sometimes things happen, like last week, my partner was a day late coming home, so I started a day late, and then, I was down a day while I had to have new tires put on my tractor. So I only got 2200 miles last week. But the week before I had over 3200. So it all averages out in the end, and since I don't need health insurance, that saves me a ton of money, so I feel like I make as much as someone who is running full-time, but paying for insurance. The point is, I get paid the same way everyone else does, but with more hometime, and it works for me, and my situation; but anyone out there considering this option, please understand that just because it works for me, and I am happy with the program, it may not be right for everyone. Just saying...

Okay, so now I have a question for you. I have been running in upstate New York a few times along the 90 from Erie to Albany. Well one day, I was traveling along, and I had to get off at exit 21, so I go by exit 18 and I'm thinking "wow, I only have 3 more miles to go?" then I look down at my GPS and it says that there are 24 miles to go to exit 21. So I'm thinking, (I know, dangerous) but, I'm thinking that maybe this is why things are so expensive in New York. I mean, just think about it... If every time you had to pay for something and it was supposed to be 3 dollars but they charged you 24 dollars, wouldn't that explain the disparity in prices in New York? What kind of math do they teach up there?

So seriously, why don't they have the mile system for exits up there that they do everywhere else? It was just weird; but they did do something different than other places that I thought was a brilliant idea. On their exits, instead of having exit 21A and 21B for a road that exited Northbound and Southbound, they numbered the exits as 21N and 21S and there were other exits that were 25W and 25E for West and East. I thought that was great, but the exit numbers were crazy. (Of course, there is only 1 exit about every 10-20 miles, so there's not a whole lot out there, but still...

It sure is good to hear from you! When I'm running the highways and see those Roehl trucks I always wonder if that could be our patron saint in there behind the wheel.

Really glad you got that great home time option, I know that family misses you when you're gone.

Old-school, I have missed hearing from you as well. Last week I got behind a TMC flatbed truck and was wondering if it was you. for all of your encouragement, and support. You'd be surprised how many times something you said helped me get through a difficult time. Plus, you seem to really understand and appreciate my sense of humor, and that's not easy.

You're awesome, I love you! Please feel free to email me anytime. I'd love to be able to meet up with you and thank you in person, as well.

Oh, and by the way, I'm in a 2012 International. It's a "deeper red" than most of the Roehl trucks, but with all the same markings. I am in truck 8778, and I always wear a ball cap. Usually my black Pittsburgh Steeler hat. Why? Because I love the Steelers, yes, but I also have some Roehl caps, which are an off-white color, and guess what? All of my Roehl caps end up looking just as black as the Steeler cap. As it turns out, I can't seem to look at my truck without getting black grease everywhere! And then to add insult to injury, I have this little peanut head and the Bluetooth that I got won't stay on my small, silky-haired head, unless I put it over the ball cap. So keep an eye out for the little peanut head with the Steeler cap and Bluetooth on her head.

I was wondering where you went! Glad to hear from you:) Woman truckers rock!

Yes, we do Red! I have been looking at all of the Wel trucks trying to see if I could spot you. I've been over to and around Allentown a few times and have wondered if maybe you were home, or out. I'd love to try and get together with you one of these trips though. You seem to run in a lot of the same regions that I do, so I'm sure we will cross paths at some point. Send me an email, mthrsupior@yahoo.com (anyone is welcome to email me, by the way) so we can make it happen. I have loved hearing about all of your stories. You do seem to have your fair share of adventures! I know you are; but be careful out there!