Roehl Or TMC?

I am just about done with school (New England Tractor Trailer Training School out of Pawtucket, RI) and have two orientation dates set up... Our of all of the companies I've been "hired" for (Werner, Western Express, US Express, Schneider), I've settled on either TMC or Roehl.

Now I don't know how to decide. Either way I can bring my wife with me when I want, so that's no biggie. But TMC doesn't allow pets.

TMC also has options to be paid either percentage or per mile.

I'm at a loss on how to decide between the two. I'm looking at the topics but figured I'd ask "The Pros" what they think and what they know about the two companies. Hopefully I can get some feedback to help make my decision.

Also, right now we live in Rhode Island but my wife wants to move to North Carolina by Autumn 2016. Is it going to be a big pain in the @$$ to transfer my license from RI to NC?

Welcome David!

Now I don't know how to decide.

You are actually looking at the right things to make your decision. Find tangible things like "Pet Policies" or "rider policies" that are important to you and then you can come up with a company that meets your needs or desires. Don't focus on the pay so much for your first company, and I wouldn't let that percentage pay thing bug me if I were you. It's not that big of a deal, but somehow people think they are going to make a whole lot more money if they are getting a percentage of the load. The truth is that even when you are getting mileage pay you are still getting a percentage of the load, it's just not broken down that way for you to see the calculations. At least when you get paid by the miles, everybody is honest - you know how many miles you were dispatched, and you know what you are supposed to get paid. When you get paid percentage how do you confirm exactly what the company was getting paid for the load? I just think miles is a good way that everybody can confirm what was done. The other thing about percentage pay is that some loads do pay differently per mile, and what if you run into a week or two of really low paying loads? With mileage pay your dollars are already averaged out for you and you are not playing "catch up" after you've run into a part of the country where the freight rates are unusually low.

I'm assuming you want to do flatbed? Either company has an excellent flatbed fleet. I'm thinking that Roehl will be more of a true Over The Road type job, but not for sure. TMC has a lot of what they call "line haul" jobs (which is an unusual use of that term in my opinion) that are sort of like regional jobs where they organize your loads in a certain area of the country so that they can get you home on most weekends.

They are both good solid operations with nice equipment and excellent reputations.

I just started with Roehl. Just completed my OTR with a trainer and been issued my truck in fact. Before I joined with Roehl I was considering TMC a well. In doing research though I was able to find out more about Roehl than TMC. Here are my reasons why I chose Roehl instead of TMC. One I changed my mind about flatbed as I figured I could get more miles rather than having to spend time tarping, untarping and strapping loads. TMC runs during the week and promises weekends but here is a possible catch. You might get home late Firday evening and then have to leave Sunday just to make it on time for delivery on Monday so generally, how much home time are you really getting? Roehl has different options. For me right now I don't have a need to be home. I like to go to church on Sundays but other than that I don't have a big need right now. So I get 3 days for every 11 to 14 days I'm out. One of my trainers was on the 7 out 7 home schedule. So it would depend upon what would work best for you. TMC specializes in flatbed whereas ROEHL does flatbed, dry van , curtain side as well as refrigerated so there are more options to moved around too.

As far as transferring your license to NC I really can't say much as I don't live there. I wouldn't think it'd be too difficult except for the hazmat endorsement of you get that. Hazmat is accepted by all states but you have to take the test for which you are a resident. So I you are planning to move to NC soon I'd say wait until you move so you don't have to take the hazmat test twice. Roehl also has hazmat loads from time to time, more often than TMC I think which is extra pay and then Canada deliveries which is also extra pay on top of your mileage pay. Hope this helps. Do plenty of research on both before deciding and whichever one appeals the most to you is the one you should go for.