ROEHL's Training Phases?

Well, I've been with Roehl (Dry Van) for a bit over 5 months now and believe them to be an excellent company. The only negative that I will mention is that, at times, the miles are just not there. My weeks have ranged from 1200 to 2800 miles, but I am in a regional fleet where the trips are 200 to 400 miles in length. My overall weekly average is 1725 at this point. I am usually home Friday night or Saturday by mid-day and go back out on Monday AM. This is one of the benefits of being in a regional fleet.

However, this past week racked up 2500 miles and with current dispatches for next week, I will have about 1700 miles in by next Tuesday night with 2 more days to run before the cut-off for payday. So, things appear to be picking up for me in the mileage department right now. In my opinion and personal experience, Roehl is a fine company and will be a good choice for you.

Geeezzz...A girl can't even go fishing....Well..I fooled ya...I wasn't fishing...I was on my Harley, with my face in the wind....If I had to pick between my Harley and fishing, it would be tough...But I can fish 365....my Harley doesn't have a heater, or ice skates. So it would have to be fishing. I don't know why I fish...I catch and release...I only eat ocean run fish... Anyway..back to truckin'.. As a rule we do not rank trucking companies on this site. Mainly because the company is only as good as the driver allows it to be. If you have a good dialog with your dispatch, if you run as hard as the law and the company will let you, if you are respectful and polite to shippers and receivers...and company that you go with will be just fine. Thats why we always say, you never ask a company what they can do for you...you tell the company what you can do for them. In choosing a company, let your own needs dictate a few things. The type of trailer you want to pull ( flatbed, Reefer , Van) the type of runs you want ( Over the Road , Regional , or day runs). And what kind of benefits you'd like (medical, dental, optical...truck with APU , inverter...larger sleeper. And you also need ot decide if you want to run solo, or team. After you do your diligent research, you will have made the best choice for YOU...not from the trash talk on the internet, and not from trash the recruiters hand out like Halloween candy. You have to ask some hard questions, and demand answers. It may well be that the one thing the recruiter lies to you about, may be the one thing you can' abide by. And that first year is something you will have to stick with your company choice. So were ai a rookie, the very last thing I would ask anyone is what they think of any company, be it one of their drivers, the people on those trash sites, or my grandmother. You'd probably get the same uneducated answer from all of them on any given day..Know what you want....then apply to companies until you are satisfied with the offer.

Shipper:

The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.

Regional:

Regional Route

Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.

Over The Road:

Over The Road

OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.

Dm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Haha, I had to :)

Steven, don't let these responses discourage you. Poor old Jhon is so misinformed that I have to restrain myself from setting him straight everytime he posts on our forum. I'm hoping he will stay around long enough to get his mind wrapped around the truth. I feel for him because there is so much misinformation out there that he has saturated his mind with that he now seems to think he's got it all figured out. He will come around I just hope it's before he gets out there on the road, because it will make his life out there so much less stressfull.

I've deleted Jhon's post and I've asked him privately (for the second time) to either tone down his negativity or (preferably) go the TheTruckersReport where misinformation, negativity, and nastiness is the way of things.

I've heard tons of great things about Roehl and they have by far the best home time packages I've seen anywhere in the industry. Here's a quote from page 4 of Roehl Transport's company-sponsored training program review:

7-On/7-Off Fleet

Exclusively from Roehl, our 7-On/7-Off Fleet drivers drive seven days and then they are home for seven days at a time. If you choose a 7-On/7-Off Fleet, you’ll have 26 weeks a year off. You must be fully rested prior to dispatch. Space in the 7-On/7-Off Fleets may be limited in some areas of the country.

7/4-7/3 Fleet

Getting more miles is a key feature of our 7/4-7/3 Fleets. When you join a 7/4-7/3 Fleet, you’ll drive seven days, then be home four days, then you’ll drive seven days followed by three days of home time. That’s an average of 120 days off and mileage goals between 95,000 and 105,000 per year. You must be fully rested prior to dispatch, and space in the 7/4–7/3 Fleets may be limited in some areas of the country.

14/7 Fleet

Roehl’s 14/7 Fleets are unique options that combine the mileage goals of a 7/4-7/3 Fleet (between 95,000 and 105,000 per year) with the extended home time of a 7/7 Fleet. You’ll drive fourteen days and then be home seven days. Space in our 14/7 Fleets is available in limited areas, and you must be fully rested prior to dispatch.

Awesome options! Very rare to find anything like that.

You can get your career off to a great start with Roehl. As you've now heard, there's a lot of people with a lot of great things to say about em.

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.