Roehl Transport's New Training Contract Is It Fair?

I run Reefer for Roehl and also live in Wisconsin so my first load is always out of Wisconsin. I have been as far west as Missouri and as far east as Phily. Roehl says they won't send you west until you have a year but I know a guy who has been with Roehl (new driver) for less than 3 months who went to Phoenix twice. So while it is rare it can happen.

Roehl does have Dedicated van routes that are all west and I hear flatbed does a lot of west coast runs.

Hi everyone. As a new member of TT, I just wanted to thank everyone for their input in this interesting thread. Take Care!

So don't go to orientation.

You have other options.

I was reluctant to sign the contract also but decided Roehl was the best fit for me of all the companies I talked too. So 75,000 miles seems fair since another company will want to see at least a year of driving anyways.

I go solo Monday and very happy with my choice.

So Nate, I saw your post that you had just started with Roehl when you posted on here six months ago. How are you liking it now, six months later? Are you getting the miles and income you expected when you signed on with them?

Hitch

I can't stress this enough.....be humble, especially in the beginning. You don't know how difficult this job or lifestyle is until you've lived it. Just trust us when we tell you that. We're saying it for your own good. If you want things to go smoothly you need to get along well with people, listen and learn, be tolerant, and be humble.

My wife has warned me about the many miles on the road, the night driving, the hypnotic effect of the "zipper," having to use a bucket (portable toilet) in the truck lined with multiple trash bags, not allowing yourself to start hallucinating from exhaustion before pulling off to sleep and so on. She told me the great things about trucking but then brought me back to reality with the bad things. The difficulty in parking in places you'd think no tractor trailer can fit, feeling so isolated when you're running through TX for hours and hours with no one else on the road. Yeah, she painted a pretty picture and then splattered it with black paint trying to help me have a realistic view. She said that I may not get the home time "promised" because sometimes they simply cannot get you home on Wednesday for those three days and to not blow a gasket when that happens. She stressed the importance of being flexible with scheduling even when we have plans because stuff happens.

I think it's going to be a GOOD thing to have such an understanding wife from the things she's told me and the things I've been reading. I know I have a lot to learn in the industry and I'm finding myself feeling quite thankful that there are companies out there willing to take a chance on someone who's never driven a rig and putting me behind the wheel of their $200,000.00 truck filled with who know how much inventory (expense wise). I'd think that asking for something in return from a driver is certainly reasonable. I just want to be able to eat, sleep and use the bathroom occasionally and have safe equipment and become a safe driver. I hope I can make it in this new career because I plan to retire as truck driver in about 20 years.

Somewhere along the line I read where you talked about the job you were in for quite some time. I would think that experience in itself would have taught you to READ THE CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SIGN IT. I read the contract in its entirety and felt it was reasonable. Many companies I've researched do not require a contract or commitment nor did those who do require a commitment hold a gun to my head and make me sign. The decision to sign or move on to another company was up to me and my wife. That being said, why didn't you read the contract since you have so much business savvy?

Hitch

I've considered OTR driving for some time. I looked at about a dozen schools. The Roehl months of service and payback don't seem bad to me. I could have gotten cheaper, but the classes would have stretched out twice as long. That's time I wouldn't be making money either.

I'm going to take my test for learner's permit tomorrow.

TT material here is nice, I'm doing well on the tests too!

:D

I've considered OTR driving for some time. I looked at about a dozen schools. The Roehl months of service and payback don't seem bad to me. I could have gotten cheaper, but the classes would have stretched out twice as long. That's time I wouldn't be making money either.

I'm going to take my test for learner's permit tomorrow.

TT material here is nice, I'm doing well on the tests too!

:D

Time you wouldn't be making money??. Once you have your CDL the training is usually PAID training.... at a lower cpm than a solo rate. For example at prime it is guaranteed $700 GROSS per week or .14 cpm which ever is higher for the first 30k miles. When you upgrade you get 41.5 cpm or 46.5 cpm depending on the size of your truck.

At prime I paid nothing out of pocket for training unless I quit before the year.. which is Oct 30th and NOT happening. Love it here.

Good luck with your testing ; )

Thanks for the info Rainy.

I miss-stated "cheaper". If I stay 15 mos, its free. A couple more months than yours. I also heard it can be based off of miles, whichever comes first. 70K?

The local Tech has a program I would have liked to have taken. It's ten weeks long. Roehl Corp. is right in my backyard and they pay $500 per week. I can commute to school and be home a night, for what its worth.

Just completed my Roehl training and passing my CDL-A test.. Cant express my appreciation to my trainers and the program.. great class size (3 max). Well worth the cost, no matter the miles.

While waiting my CDL test time at 2 different Texas DPS test centers.. I was able to see the level of training or rather lack there of.. during their "skills" test.. some blew the straight back but the majority blew offset or parallel, the worst was blowing the brake test.

Testers made very good comments at the high level of training/preparation Roehl test candidates presented. Pleased with the investment and confident it will pay off on the road. Certainly from looking back, I'd highly recommend Roehl to others considering a OTR career.