Roehl Driver Training From Start To End.....

Thanks so much, WT!!! I have really enjoyed your thread from start to finish, and you have helped me more than you know! For one, before I read it, I was set in the notion that I was going to go to a private CDL school, and I had all but picked the company I wanted to drive for. Now, I have re-evaluated my thinking, and I am going to apply to Roehl's CDL school and hopefully drive for them. I haven't taken this decision lightly, either. I've gone through all of the training companies on the TT list, and Roehl really stood out to me for having what I am looking for as far as hometime, etc... I hope you will keep us up to date on how things go from time to time!

Keep the rubber side down!

Tarren

P.S. I sent you a PM a while back. I figured you were busy so, if you get a chance to PM me back, that would be great!

Sorry, I missed the PM. I hate that it does not notify you on the site that someone sent you a PM. Any sites I sign up for go to a "junk" email account to keep the clutter down in my email account that bills and the important things go to. Not that you are not important! Anyway, good luck man. I am surprised I had such an influence on somebody. You will do well.

I will occasionally drop a line in here for a short update I guess. It will not be as regular. Just unique things I run into. Tomorrow is my first longer run. I will be out for 38 or 39 days. Then when I get home, it will be vacation time. A full 7 days off. It will be interesting to see how being alone that long will effect me. Some of the old timers say a month is nothing. They say if you don't stay out for at least 6 months you ain't a real trucker. They must not have families or they have a cheating spouse. Who knows? Anyway, wish me luck!

Trying very very hard to stay positive. I hit the road Thursday and rolled from NC to OH. Funny thing was, I was not able to get to the food store before I got going. I got back to man truck way toooo late and just didn't have time. So, the first day I was told to bobtail over to a Lowe's to pick up an empty trailer. Picked that up and headed to get it load. This was my first experience backing a van into a loading dock. Surprisingly, I did it with ease. I waited for two hours while they loaded me. Then I headed out. Well, it turned out I had done a giant circle in NC and ended up back where I park my truck. It worked out great. I pulled in and shut my truck down for the night. I got in my little pickup and went grocery shopping. I should have enough supplies to last for a couple of weeks. $150 bucks and eat for 2 - 3 weeks is much cheaper than eating in a truck stop every day. So, I get back to my truck and start loading all the supplies and I here this whining. I look around and found this tiny little kitten. It was smaller than the palm of my hand. She was not even really old enough to eat dry food. Poor thing was skin and bones. I tried to give here water. I had not milk. She did try to eat a couple of bites of small shredded chicken. It was really late, I looked up the local animal shelter on my phone and called. The number was not even in service. I had no idea what do with this little kitten. Maybe I should go stand in front of the stores and see if anybody would take her? The company has a no pet policy but I could not leave this defenseless little thing. She curled right next to me on the bunk and went fast asleep. She followed me around the next morning like I was her mother while I did my truck check. I hit the road still trying to figure out what I was going to do. Then I see a Pet Sense pet store. It was only 0645 but I figured maybe I could leave her in a box at the door? Then I decided that was a bad idea. I noticed there was a car in the parking lot so I knocked on the door. I lady comes from the back and looks at me surprised as I hold this little thing up to the window. She immediately opens the door and and says, "AWWWWWWWW! Where did you get that?" The lady said the poor thing was too young to eat anything but formula. I asked where the local animal shelter was and she said that she would take the kitten and make sure that she gets to the shelter. She said they help the local shelter all the time by using the store to get the animals adopted. It worked out great. Here I am a 6'4" 240 pound burly man with a goatee protecting this tiny little kitty.

Anyway, I am on the road after that and drive. I was not due to deliver until Saturday morning. I called the place and asked if it was possible to get in early. The guys says that it was a holiday weekend and probably not. Then he says, "Wait, you are a drop and hook. Anytime after 4PM and your trailer will be ready." Sweet! I told him I would get there around 1730. He gave a number to call to get the few people that would be there after hours. They let me in and I was on my way with my empty trailer. The next load I was assigned was a relay. Drop the trailer I have and pick up a loaded one at our yard in Ohio. Luckily, I have just enough time to make it to the yard. I got unhooked and hooked to the new load with 30 minutes remaining on my clock. I sent the loaded at relay and crashed for the night. The next morning I was on my way to Gary, IN. Finally, I can get rid of the sissy van and get a manly flatbed back.

Here is where I am trying to stay positive. About two hours from Gary, I stop for my 30 minute break. I send in a message saying I would be in Gary in two hours. I asked if they had a preplan for me. The preplan I get says pick up a relay in Gary and take it 112 miles. It is Friday, the load was not due to deliver until Tuesday morning. Wait! What? 112 miles for 2 and half days. I made a phone call to the dispatch. I was told freight was slow because of the holiday weekend. They would try to find something better. The next preplan I get was another relay to go 243 miles. It was supposed to deliver on Tuesday as well. Really not better. I called and they said that was all they had. I got a little irritated. I could have stayed home with my family for the holiday if I knew I would be sitting. Then I got to thinking. I still had 5 hours on my clock. I picked up the load and boogied to MI. Best case scenario, I can unloaded early. That did not work out. However, there is a little thing called layover pay. It is not great but it is something. I got to a truck stop within 50 miles of the delivery. When you sit waiting to deliver within 50 miles of the consignee , you become eligible for layover pay. Per the guidelines, I sent in a message saying that if I sat I would be getting layover pay. It got approved. So, even though I am sitting, I am at least making $60 for every 12 hours I sit. I will end up with $150 for sitting. I would make more rolling but it is something I guess.

Hey winetaster i drop u a pm a couple of weeks ago.You not get it??

Sorry man,

I tend to miss the PM's on here because it does not give you an alert when you come to the site. I will see if I can find it. I'll send ya a PM so you can get in touch with me better.

I got it man.I will get with u 2moro sometime.

This has been a good week miles wise. I had a long chat with my FM about low miles and at least short term they have had me rolling since. I really think I hate tarps though. It is not hard work that bothers me. It is the amount of time the tarps eat out of your days and drive time. The pay to tarp is just to low for the work and time required. It is low industry wide. So, I am thinking a cross between flatbed and van. I have inquired about a curtain side trailer. Still waiting to here back. Anyway, I keep telling myself to stick out the flatbed thing. Just not sure what to do.

It is crazy to think it was just a few short months ago that I started looking on trucking truth about a career change. It seems so long ago. Training flew by. Now, the scared feeling behind the wheel is gone. It is still there in my head from time to time. If you do not have a healthy respect and fear for this job, bad things will happen. Every day just before I start to drive, I take a deep breathe, stretch my arms, and say, "Do not get complacent. That is when accidents happen." It may sound dumb but sometimes it is really easy to just kind of going on auto pilot and not paying full attention to what you are doing. This helps me focus before driving so that I remember we are in command of a huge machine.

My latest run is taking me somewhere I have never been, Texas. Looking forward to this trip. Everything has been going OK. A few bumps along the path but still doing well. Training seems like such a blur now. I did get to see Mike aka Big Daddy Shotgun Blast this weekend. We both picked up a load and convoyed all the way up to the U.P. of MI. Then we hung out last night. We were both picking up pre loaded trailers and heading out. He found his trailer had a flat tire. He had to limp 50 miles this morning to get some air and repair.

Well, I'm on page 8 of 16, friend, and this is a real page turner! I am lovin' it! I am so excited to think it could even be possible that I could do what you've done. I'm really enjoying going through The TT Training Modules on this website... And since I've been reading this website and studying for my cdl , this little 4 wheeled driver has gained a much greater respect for truckers and what they go through. I do 80 miles into and out of Omaha daily and I am MUCH more careful of my truck driver friends than I EVER have been in the past. I NEVER pull in front of them anymore! I didn't realize how dangerous it is for ME or THEM. But it's sure making me freak at all the cars I see DOING it. Wow! It's CRAZY. I've also never noticed what good drivers most truckers are! I'm amazed!

Thank you SO MUCH for this labor of love. It's really helping me understand what I'm up against when I finally jump in with both feet and DO THIS.

WT ... dude, this was such an awesome thread, I couldn't stop reading it until I was done !!! lol

This should be mandatory reading for anyone getting into the industry. Perfect. Thank you so much for your time spent.

When you have a break, would you explain the different methods of getting paid?

So far I have gathered... Miles, tarp time and some sort of downtime waiting to unload.

...and why you decided to focus on flatbed , instead of dry van or reefer...

grazie, brother.... you are a gem :)