Information About Roehl Transport

I made the mistake of looking at the forum on the T-R just to get as many perspectives on my probable future choice of a company in Roehl. Perhaps I am stating the obvious but it seems like a bashing contest on that site for just about any company.

My expectations (at some point in the future) when I enter the industry are to work hard doing flatbed, live in a closet 5 days a week (regional), go 2-3 days without a shower, be issued a very used truck, go to sleep crying a few times especially the first 3-6 months but reel myself back into reality of not quitting due to a lack of opportunities back home, and after a year or 2, make in low $40k's, and be as positive a person in any and every situation I enter. I'm excited at the prospect of becoming a trucker some day, but I know it will be one of the greatest tests of my life as far as mental and spiritual toughness.

After reading some of those posts on the "other" site am I correct to assume most of those guys are just leakers with crappy attitudes who wanted the world on a plate? Seems like they depict companies like Roehl and Schneider as places where rookies are treated like crap and run into the ground and no self respecting trucker stays there more than a year. Are even companies which are predominately good to most drivers who are positive an work hard also thrown under the bus this much on other sites???

Thanks!

Zen Joker, you're dead on. TheTruckersReport is nothing but a bashing/b*tching contest for people who either didn't belong in the trucking industry in the first place or simply didn't have the right attitude and expectations.

We've all known plenty of people that seem to screw up everything they do and yet nothing is ever their fault. Just ask em - they'll tell ya - it's always someone else's fault. That's the same kind of thing you see at TheTruckersReport or RipoffReport about trucking companies.

People go to these Company-Sponsored Training Programs expecting to succeed of course. They pack their bags, brag to all of their family and friends about the new job they got, and off they go. Two days later they're told to pack their bags by the company and they're back home empty handed.

It's embarrassing for them. Real embarrassing.

So for most people the natural thing to do (unfortunately) is defend yourself by blaming others. Sad but true. So they come home, jump on the forums, and start bashing and blaming.

A lot of the people that don't successfully complete these programs could have been very good truck drivers but they either didn't take it seriously and work hard at it or had the wrong expectations about what the schooling would be like.

You wouldn't believe how many people drop out or get booted from these programs because the program wasn't run the way they expected it to be run. Instead of going in there, working hard, doing what you're told, and rolling with the punches a lot of people show up expecting everything to be done a certain way. When it isn't, they think often assume the company is either incompetent. They figure the company either doesn't know what they're doing or they don't care about you as a person, otherwise they would be doing things differently.

But the fact of the matter is the company is purposely testing people right from day one. They're testing your patience, your dedication, and your resolve. They want to see if you can handle pressure, handle people with harsh personalities, and adapt to changes in plans. Because that's what life on the road is like - it's really tough. If you don't have the personality for it or you aren't dedicated to becoming a safe, productive driver then they want to find out right away and get you out of there before they waste any more time and money on you.

So a lot of people get sent home from these company-sponsored programs for having a poor attitude or work ethic. Many of them would have gone on to be successful truck drivers if they would have handled themselves differently.

That's one of the main reasons I started this website years ago - to let people know just how tough it is getting your trucking career underway. I've always known that tons of new drivers never get their career off the ground simply because their attitude and expectations were off. So I'm hoping we can help people understand that you have to take it seriously, you have to prepare yourself ahead of time, and you have to expect this to be an unbelievable tough challenge for quite some time.

Approach it like you would the military. Expect the training and the first 6 months solo to be h*ll sometimes - and it will. But in the end it's well worth it. You just have to see it through.

Thank you all 3 of you. Yeah this is what happened to me in 2002 when I went to CRST. I'm realizing my skin needs to be thicker this time around.

I actually saw a Roehl truck parked at a local gas station on weekends. So last week I slipped a letter in a Ziploc bag under his windshield stating I would like his opinion on the company and the industry. Spoke to him twice. He has been on for 6 months and switches between reefer and intermodal. Today I am meeting him in person, buying him a cold one, and discussing things further.

In the end I will likely be private school material as I think that may be more my pace vs. company sponsored which seems more ram rodded. I would still expect a rough going during parts of training and my 1st year, but at least at that point I will be able to find my @$$ with 2 hands regarding basic operation of the rig. Where I went wrong the first time was I let the instructor at CRST intimidate me and that in combination with some home sickness made me leave after 4 days. This time if I go home to I'll be putting my wife and 2 year old in poverty as my area is an employment wasteland. No better motivator for personal growth and commitment then that I guess. I just don't want to become so hardened that it affects me on the weekends as a father and hubby.

We'll see what happens with the current job & insurance issues in 2014. If things go south, then I will need to thicken my skin and just do this. My goal is to succeed at it for my whole family, not just "give it a shot".

Anyways, thanks again and be safe!

People are complainers by nature it seems. Even if 20 good things happen in a day, a person will tell you an hour long story about the 1 bad thing that happened that same day, and not even mention the 20 good things.

I've been with Schneider Bulk for about 3 months now. I love it. I got issued a new truck last Monday for "proving my worth." I thanked my dispatcher and told him I am trying my hardest. He told me I deserve the truck. My old truck was a 2008 Freightliner Century with 600,000 miles on it, but I drove it for 3 months and NEVER had an issue with it; except for a tire blow out, but that happens. My new truck is a 2012 Freightliner Cascadia with 200,000 miles on it. It is so dramatically different than that 2008, it almost drives itself... I love it.

I don't complain. Maybe because I came to TT I knew what to expect, or I have particularly thick skin, or something. Take today for instance... check engine light comes on, truck starts shaking, etc, etc. Lucky I am headed to Schneider's Houston Operating Center. I get there, I go to the shop, tell them what's wrong. They say they have to keep it until Wednesday to fix it, they have a big backlog of work. I call weekend operations and ask for a loaner truck because mine will be in the shop a few days. They give me a loaner truck #, I go find it, get a key from the shop.

I go inside this truck and it is filthy. I have a load leaving at 0200 on Monday morning, so I need to sleep. I call weekend operations and tell them that I cannot sleep in this truck because it is so dirty. They get me a hotel room. I didn't scream and yell at them or anything, I just stated facts and politely asked if I can have a hotel room... and I got it.

A lot of people would complain that the their truck is broken, or the shop takes too long to fix things, or whatever. But none of that is necessary. The world is still spinning as I sit here in my hotel room typing this.

They are, in most situations, crappy drivers, who abuse their DM's then cry cuz they don't get any good loads, and complain about the guys who do. They will never change, or be a credit to any company they work for....and THATS if they are working at all....

Zen Joker, you're dead on. TheTruckersReport is nothing but a bashing/b*tching contest for people who either didn't belong in the trucking industry in the first place or simply didn't have the right attitude and expectations.

We've all known plenty of people that seem to screw up everything they do and yet nothing is ever their fault. Just ask em - they'll tell ya - it's always someone else's fault. That's the same kind of thing you see at TheTruckersReport or RipoffReport about trucking companies.

People go to these Company-Sponsored Training Programs expecting to succeed of course. They pack their bags, brag to all of their family and friends about the new job they got, and off they go. Two days later they're told to pack their bags by the company and they're back home empty handed.

It's embarrassing for them. Real embarrassing.

So for most people the natural thing to do (unfortunately) is defend yourself by blaming others. Sad but true. So they come home, jump on the forums, and start bashing and blaming.

A lot of the people that don't successfully complete these programs could have been very good truck drivers but they either didn't take it seriously and work hard at it or had the wrong expectations about what the schooling would be like.

You wouldn't believe how many people drop out or get booted from these programs because the program wasn't run the way they expected it to be run. Instead of going in there, working hard, doing what you're told, and rolling with the punches a lot of people show up expecting everything to be done a certain way. When it isn't, they think often assume the company is either incompetent. They figure the company either doesn't know what they're doing or they don't care about you as a person, otherwise they would be doing things differently.

But the fact of the matter is the company is purposely testing people right from day one. They're testing your patience, your dedication, and your resolve. They want to see if you can handle pressure, handle people with harsh personalities, and adapt to changes in plans. Because that's what life on the road is like - it's really tough. If you don't have the personality for it or you aren't dedicated to becoming a safe, productive driver then they want to find out right away and get you out of there before they waste any more time and money on you.

So a lot of people get sent home from these company-sponsored programs for having a poor attitude or work ethic. Many of them would have gone on to be successful truck drivers if they would have handled themselves differently.

That's one of the main reasons I started this website years ago - to let people know just how tough it is getting your trucking career underway. I've always known that tons of new drivers never get their career off the ground simply because their attitude and expectations were off. So I'm hoping we can help people understand that you have to take it seriously, you have to prepare yourself ahead of time, and you have to expect this to be an unbelievable tough challenge for quite some time.

Approach it like you would the military. Expect the training and the first 6 months solo to be h*ll sometimes - and it will. But in the end it's well worth it. You just have to see it through.

Here's another thing. Those ".......... Report" websites attact people that think "somebody done them wrong."

If you listened to everyone that is in the trucking industry about a particular company you should NOT come to a conclusion. You will get every answer from "horrible" to "great."

Talking to current drivers of a particular company will get you better answers than former drivers.

Dave

Thank you all 3 of you. Yeah this is what happened to me in 2002 when I went to CRST. I'm realizing my skin needs to be thicker this time around.

I actually saw a Roehl truck parked at a local gas station on weekends. So last week I slipped a letter in a Ziploc bag under his windshield stating I would like his opinion on the company and the industry. Spoke to him twice. He has been on for 6 months and switches between reefer and intermodal. Today I am meeting him in person, buying him a cold one, and discussing things further.

In the end I will likely be private school material as I think that may be more my pace vs. company sponsored which seems more ram rodded. I would still expect a rough going during parts of training and my 1st year, but at least at that point I will be able to find my @$$ with 2 hands regarding basic operation of the rig. Where I went wrong the first time was I let the instructor at CRST intimidate me and that in combination with some home sickness made me leave after 4 days. This time if I go home to I'll be putting my wife and 2 year old in poverty as my area is an employment wasteland. No better motivator for personal growth and commitment then that I guess. I just don't want to become so hardened that it affects me on the weekends as a father and hubby.

We'll see what happens with the current job & insurance issues in 2014. If things go south, then I will need to thicken my skin and just do this. My goal is to succeed at it for my whole family, not just "give it a shot".

Anyways, thanks again and be safe!

People are complainers by nature it seems. Even if 20 good things happen in a day, a person will tell you an hour long story about the 1 bad thing that happened that same day, and not even mention the 20 good things.

I've been with Schneider Bulk for about 3 months now. I love it. I got issued a new truck last Monday for "proving my worth." I thanked my dispatcher and told him I am trying my hardest. He told me I deserve the truck. My old truck was a 2008 Freightliner Century with 600,000 miles on it, but I drove it for 3 months and NEVER had an issue with it; except for a tire blow out, but that happens. My new truck is a 2012 Freightliner Cascadia with 200,000 miles on it. It is so dramatically different than that 2008, it almost drives itself... I love it.

I don't complain. Maybe because I came to TT I knew what to expect, or I have particularly thick skin, or something. Take today for instance... check engine light comes on, truck starts shaking, etc, etc. Lucky I am headed to Schneider's Houston Operating Center. I get there, I go to the shop, tell them what's wrong. They say they have to keep it until Wednesday to fix it, they have a big backlog of work. I call weekend operations and ask for a loaner truck because mine will be in the shop a few days. They give me a loaner truck #, I go find it, get a key from the shop.

I go inside this truck and it is filthy. I have a load leaving at 0200 on Monday morning, so I need to sleep. I call weekend operations and tell them that I cannot sleep in this truck because it is so dirty. They get me a hotel room. I didn't scream and yell at them or anything, I just stated facts and politely asked if I can have a hotel room... and I got it.

A lot of people would complain that the their truck is broken, or the shop takes too long to fix things, or whatever. But none of that is necessary. The world is still spinning as I sit here in my hotel room typing this.

People are complainers by nature it seems. Even if 20 good things happen in a day, a person will tell you an hour long story about the 1 bad thing that happened that same day, and not even mention the 20 good things.

I've been with Schneider Bulk for about 3 months now. I love it. I got issued a new truck last Monday for "proving my worth." I thanked my dispatcher and told him I am trying my hardest. He told me I deserve the truck. My old truck was a 2008 Freightliner Century with 600,000 miles on it, but I drove it for 3 months and NEVER had an issue with it; except for a tire blow out, but that happens. My new truck is a 2012 Freightliner Cascadia with 200,000 miles on it. It is so dramatically different than that 2008, it almost drives itself... I love it.

I don't complain. Maybe because I came to TT I knew what to expect, or I have particularly thick skin, or something. Take today for instance... check engine light comes on, truck starts shaking, etc, etc. Lucky I am headed to Schneider's Houston Operating Center. I get there, I go to the shop, tell them what's wrong. They say they have to keep it until Wednesday to fix it, they have a big backlog of work. I call weekend operations and ask for a loaner truck because mine will be in the shop a few days. They give me a loaner truck #, I go find it, get a key from the shop.

I go inside this truck and it is filthy. I have a load leaving at 0200 on Monday morning, so I need to sleep. I call weekend operations and tell them that I cannot sleep in this truck because it is so dirty. They get me a hotel room. I didn't scream and yell at them or anything, I just stated facts and politely asked if I can have a hotel room... and I got it.

A lot of people would complain that the their truck is broken, or the shop takes too long to fix things, or whatever. But none of that is necessary. The world is still spinning as I sit here in my hotel room typing this.

Man I basically had the same experience with a loaner truck. I don't understand why those loaner or "abandoned" trucks are always filthy. Does the driver purposely trash it as payback or do people actually live like that. The loaner I picked up was so bad I wouldn't walk barefoot and I threw away his black mattress. I would honestly rather quit than have to actually live in a filthy truck. I'm really puzzled and shocked about this. Like I said I don't know if the driver purposely does it or if people can actually live like a pig?

Lots of drivers are very dirty people so I guess it wouldn't surprise me too much.

Yeah it boggles me. I keep my truck clean, whenever I have a moment I vacuum and wipe down the floor, dash, doors, windows, everything!

Yeah it boggles me. I keep my truck clean, whenever I have a moment I vacuum and wipe down the floor, dash, doors, windows, everything!

Yep! Can't start driving until its clean. Can't drive with the thought of garbage around me. I usually pass out from the day before so I generally have to pick up a few things in the morning. Won't start brewing my tea in the morning until its clean. When it's brewing that's when I know it's driving time!

For any of you that have that rubber mat flooring in the truck - use a can of that tire spray stuff you get from Walmart on it and it will shine like you wouldn't believe. I used to put a piece of carpet down in most trucks but if I was using the stock rubber flooring I would break out the tire spray.