Looking For Truths

Hikingcole is looking for dedication:

I live in Kentucky, right off I-75 half way down the state, near Lexington. Can brand new drivers get dedicated routes?

The general rule is school ➡ orientation ➡ OTR. My mentor tried to get me into a Swift dedicated account, but it was no dice.

However, That Being Said, a company can put you where they need you. Don't get your hopes up. Start asking after 3 months.

Sounds like almost everyone agrees with the things my wife has told me. She also said OTR would be best fresh out of the gate. She thought six months before even trying for dedicated.

I'm scheduled to leave home on Sunday and start my orientation with Swift on Monday. I was going to go with Roehl but they said they didn't receive my W-2's that I e-mailed. Then they said they didn't receive the contract that I electronically signed. Then they needed two non-related references to verify my employment status since January of this year (because UK Healthcare charges a fee of $35.00 for employment verification), then... then... then... I got a little tired of the constant hoops they wanted me to jump through just to get started. Even after I sent them the references and phone numbers, the recruiter's assistant e-mailed and asked which should she contact and can she do it through e-mail rather than calling and so on.

Since I was on the fence between Roehl and Swift, that made my decision for me. With Swift, the recruiter tells me what he needs, I send it and that is that. There hasn't been all of the back and forth.

Wish me luck guys and gals. Our new life begins Monday morning. My wife thinks I'm going to love being on the road and she knows me pretty good. I'm looking forward to finding out what that life is all about. She said she loved it but wanted to be a nurse so she came off the big road and got another degree and has loved nursing ever since. She also said in six months if this is too hard on our relationship and I'm doing well with trucking, she will walk away from her career and join me. I think I lucked out when this woman agreed to be my wife.

I agree, your wife sounds like she's got it together! Kudos to you for recognizing that.

BTW. You aren't going to make much money with home time every two weeks. You also will not score many points with your DM or company expecting that. You had better plan to run hard 3-5 weeks at a stretch, for at LEAST your first year. Good Luck!

Interesting you say that. I drive for Roehl on a dedicated account. I go home for my reset weekly, I stay out for two weeks SOMETIMES...they work with me...but my first year in the account(also my rookie year driving) I made 50k....now half way through this year I'm on pace to make 55 to 60 ....so I'm not sure what you mean by not making much money going home every two weeks. Hikingcole...I think your making a great decision going with Roehl. You don't say where you live and you don't say what division...van , reefer ,,,flatbed. I say that because they have several dedicated accounts both in the Midwest and east coast. I run for the Kraft dedicated out of Winchester va. Good luck!!

I live in Kentucky, right off I-75 half way down the state, near Lexington. Can brand new drivers get dedicated routes?

Hitch...I went to Roehls CDL school to get my license in Oct 2014. They hired me on right away to the Kraft fleet. So, yes, new drivers can get hired on for dedicated fleets. Roehl list everything they are hiring for and where on their website. Good luck

∆_Danielsahn_∆ is getting fed up about Errol being fed up:

I think Errol is fed up with all the jokes about his beloved company.

I use Swift when I need to be specific. It's not a bad place, and besides, Hikingcole asked about Swift.

Hello fellas,

This is Firecracker. I'm Hikingcole's (who has decided to change his handle to Hitch) wife. I just wanted to say thanks for all the information and advice we've found on this site. He was all set to go with Swift but because of this site, we learned about APU's , HHG miles and so much more. Although I drove a big rig back in the day, there were things I didn't know. When I drove, it was actual miles and I never heard of APU's. When H was making the arrangements with the recruiter to head out for orientation, he asked about APU's and what type of miles they pay. The recruiter said they do not allow APU's and use HHG rather than practical miles. He said they allow the drivers to "idle sometimes."

While H was reluctant to sign a contract for fear of not being successful at this new career and being indebted to Roehl, we discussed things and we both agree that their agreement/contract is certainly understandable with all they put into training their new drivers and the chance they take on them. From what we've learned about Roehl (even with a few negative comments from former drivers), we think they are a very reputable company and provide top notch training. It stands to reason they will keep their drivers rolling because if the drivers are sitting still, Roehl is not making money.

Anyway, he signed the contract and is starting his orientation with them Monday, August 15. It's going to be a very difficult time for us as a married couple having to be apart, but we are ready for the challenge and look forward to my husband having a career in trucking that he can be proud of.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for starting this website and for all the wonderful information we have both found here. This has been the best forum we found for honest, insightful information. We will be keeping in touch and let you know how it goes.

THANKS AGAIN! Firecracker.

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.

APU's:

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.

EPU:

Electric Auxiliary Power Units

Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices