Question:
Hey all, just wanting to know about Roehl seems that nobody has anything bad to say about them, or maybe I havent been looking to hard. Was just wondering, I dont have a CDL and I need training the whole nine yards, would Roehl be a good company for me? Also Ive been thinking about flatbed, but thats to be decided yet, curtainside also interests me. Do they run all 48 or are they mostly in the eastern half, any replies are welcome and appreciated. stay safe yall.
Singledrive

Answer:
Entirely up to you in what you decide. One company may be good to one driver but, it might not be the same to next. Choose wisely
Hey, if life throws you a curve ball, try and take a swing at it. Who knows what might happen

Answer:
They are all basically the same. If a company says they will give you something that no other company is offering. . .they take it out somewhere else. It just takes awhile to find out where. By then, the game is over. . .you lose
Roehl is one of the better companies though. Some are more blatant about screwing you. Anytime you have to work for free, there is a problem. But, that's life, that's trucking. It's not just a job. . .it's a lifestyle.
Here is a game you can play. . .Find the Tuition Reimbursement! Here is how you play:
1. When the tuition reimbursement starts to show up in your check, you have 2 months to figure out what you are NOT getting paid instead.
2. If you figure it out before the 2 months is up, YOU WIN!
3. If you don't, THEY WIN! Keep on truckin!
You could do a heck of a lot worse than Roehl.
Good luck, have fun, PLAY IT SAFE!

Answer:
Man, you are really torqued about that tuition reimbursement thing.

Answer:
Pretty straight forward, they do it like they say they will. You get $100 every 10,000 paid miles starting after you have your first 10,000 finished. So you start recieving the reimbursements starting at 20,000 paid miles. They do take taxes out of it, so it ends up being $80ish in the pocket, but this is a beef with uncle sam, not the company.
As far as a company to start with, Roehl is one of the best. Yes I am biased. But Roehl has company policies that make it alot easier to get your feet wet in the trucking industry. For example, at Roehl you do not split log your sleep berth, you have to take 8 consecutive hours for a break. You also have to take a break every 5 hours of driving. Granted Roehl is not the end all, but comparing them to the other larger companies out there that hire newbies, Roehl is probally one of the best to start with. As far as flatbedding goes, there is always a demand for flatbedders. You have to be spotless and have 6 months solo with Roehl before you can be considered for curtainside. The biggy they look at for curtainside is your ontime performance.
DRIVER BY CHOICE
Buzzdog

Answer:
Buzzdog, does Roehl subtract money from your pay if you attend their school or can you drive with them for a length of time?
Roehl told me they would hire me for Van but not Flatbed because I will be living in Central Missouri.
Have you ever spoken with their Van drivers?
Have they ever said how they like Roehl and do their Vans have regular freight lanes or do they cover all 48 states?

Answer:
I don't think they do payroll deduction for their school. As far as I know you have to pay for the tutition of their school up front. Attending their school does not guarantee a job with Roehl.
I am suprised about the hiring area deal, my trainer lived in Fair Dealing, MO. It is right next to Poplar Bluff, MO. Can't really say much about the van operation. Sorry I can't help you out there.
DRIVER BY CHOICE
Buzzdog

Answer:
Gear Jammer Man, you are really torqued about that tuition reimbursement thing.
You are right. Tuition reimbursement and a few other white lies, are what encouraged me to go with an OTR company. It was a waste of time and money, why should I not be torqued, other than the fact that BedSpread, ZigZag and a handful of others tried to warn us (Man, that was really hard to say )
BuzzDog: Roehl tuition re-imbursement. . .
Look Buzz, Just to set the record straight:
a) I have nothing againsed Roehl. They have some boneheads in the recruiting office that I think do more damage than good. As far as the Company goes, I have no doubt it is as good as it gets (Sad as that is ) They are an OTR company and you will always come last. It's the customer, the freight, the truck, then you. I'm not saying they don't care about you, that is just their priorities. OTR, you will come last in the list of priorities.
b) From another post, 1 Iron you have not really impressed me much. Ah, ok, why would I care if I impressed a one year wonder. I hope you are forever happy with your job and company. Lord knows we would all be screwed if it weren't for those that are willing to live and work like that. I just realized early, that it wasn't for me. The price I would have to pay to "eventually" get a "good" (and I use that term loosely) OTR job would be so high that it would take years at the good job to make up for the losses incurred at the "entry level" job. For what. . .to live out on the road?
c) I never have denied the fact that this isn't a life long career move for me. I only need to do this for approximately 3 years. But the reality of work -vs- pay minus expenses, taxes, and time sitting around as a warehouse hostage, increased that projected time period. . .not good! Because, It's a job! Now with the company I am with, that number is below three years.
d) It's been said here many times before, Trucking, it's not just a Job, it's a Lifestyle. That's up to you. For me it's just a job. . .now. That's Reality.
Since we are talking reality. . .let's see. . .
Shall we say a $4000 student loan? Do you want to figure interest? Nah, let's keep it simple. . .
First you have to drive 20,000 miles (LOL okay, whatever)
Okay, here we go. . . first of all you would have been in school for 1.5-2 months. Longer if you are part-time or slow.
2 weeks, (if all goes well) until you are actually on the way to the trucking company of your dreams. (Did you get to ride the Bus? Wasn't that fun?? )
1 week orientation
20,000 miles. I'm gonna' give you the benefit of the doubt and guess that your accrued mileage with your instructor counts towards that. So you are adding on another 9 weeks ( and that is generous because 11 is more realistic) and since that is "book" miles, you will actually drive 22,400 miles to accomplish that. Should I interject here that, the extra 2,400 miles is a strong week of driving that you GIVE FOR FREE! Nah, I won't even go there.
Well, now you have been paying on your loan @ maybe $150 per month (or did you get "life-time" payments) You have been eating Ramen noodles and fallen waaayyyy behind on bills. Thank God for all that training pay! Did they pay you for every day you were away from home for training and orientation? Or only certain days qualified. . . no need to answer that, it was rhetorical.
So, now you are rockin' and rollin'. . .approximately every 4.36 weeks (not taking into consideration, snow, ice, lay-overs, illness, breakdowns etc.) you will have driven 11,200 (1,200 for free), accrued 10,000 miles of "book", so they can pay you $100 towards your tuition, and they don't even bother (this is their choice sunshine, not "Uncle Sam's") to give it to you un-taxed! So you only get 80 BUCKS!
HELL-O! they are only paying $3200 of a $4,000 loan! (That must be because they Love you so much!) Did I fail to mention that you only had to drive 358,400 miles to get it?!?!? Did I mention that out of that 358,400 miles, you drove 43,008 miles for. . .FREE! Let's see, at a meager .27 cents per mile you gave up. . .$11,612.16 to get 80% of your "tuition reimbursement" @ $3,200!!!!!!!!
See! You shoulda' kept your mout shut!
1 IRON It's a shell game. . .
YOU LOSE!

Answer:
Ol' 1 iron as usual has all the answers . Let's see--he could'nt handle not getting hired at Roehl, so he goes to HOW. Hmmm was'nt very long there, and NOW he'sdriving local. Oh well, he's not the first, nor will he be the last newbie to come on here telling the world how the big bad trucking industry ripped him off. And I'm sure he won't be the last! Seen 'em come and seen 'em go!
Better to have it and not need it as need it and not have it!Just remember:If the world did'nt suck, you'd fall off!
The more I see and read about Republicans and Democrats, the more I wish we had an Independent Party.
IMPEACH BUSH!!!!!!!!!!

Answer:
Let's see--he could'nt handle not getting hired at Roehl
Hmmm, I don't recall this. looks like you have mixed your details up with someone else. . .again.
Not to bright, are you.

Answer:
I could name 1 iron. I recall about 40+ posts about Roehl's recruiting dept. Then a very short stint at HOW and now running local. Oh well, just another newbie spouting off.
Better to have it and not need it as need it and not have it!Just remember:If the world did'nt suck, you'd fall off!
The more I see and read about Republicans and Democrats, the more I wish we had an Independent Party.
IMPEACH BUSH!!!!!!!!!!

Answer:
Just remember all these posts when, 1 iron decides local isent for him and come back on preaching about how good OTR is It happens all the time.
And from the sounds of it, your hauling natural gas/propane. Yeah its sweet and dandy in the winter time and your making so much money, but just wait tell summer comes and your wondering where all the work went too and more importantly the money.
Lets face it, some people just can't take OTR. Also not all OTR jobs are bad and with crappy pay. There are companies out there that are a joy to work for when it comes to OTR.

Answer:
if you look at it OTR compaired to regional does pay more and if you dont watch with a local job like hauling for pepsi or coke will only get you sometimes $13-$15 an hour. So local isnt always the best way to go. Ya home everynight but, you sometimes lose money
Hey, if life throws you a curve ball, try and take a swing at it. Who knows what might happen

Answer:
Fuel oil in the winter and gasoline in the summer. I also have the option to remain a seasonal driver and go back to my Golf Pro position for summer. I can maintain my insurance through Cobra. Then, when I go back to DownEast in the fall, they will reimburse me all my insurance costs and pay a weeks vacation pay for coming back. I think I will stay on though and accumulate seniority, and pay. Over-time is plentyful in the summer as well, tourism uses a lot of gasoline.
Like I said, you want to work like an animal to eventually qualify for the "good" OTR jobs, more power to you. You will have to work the "Good" ones a very long time to make up for the beating you took to get there.
My Aunt and Uncle have been doing it for longer than I remember and make a 6 figure income. They just traded in their Freight shaker and 100 grand for a new tractor. It wasn't always that way. Many hard years on the road and they are old beyond their years. Big house, motorhome (they never get to use) new vehicles etc. But they are never home. Thursday night until Saturday afternoon, then it's Hudson trucking, cruising I 10 cross country for the 10,000th time.
You are offended that I see it as a job and you have a romantic perspective of it, that hasn't existed for 20 years. I'm glad some people do it, just not me. Not worth the price. With my over-time and my Wifes pay, we hit the 6 figures again and that is all we need. I would just like the Newbys to know, You don't have to go OTR to make a living driving. You don't have to sell your soul, or work like a dog or live like an animal and kiss the asses of the warehouse scum that would spit on you in a heartbeat if they weren't so afraid of being pummeled to death.
If you really think that these companies are going to do something special to have Newbys join and not take it out the backside you are truly an idiot. They are betting you won't figure it out, and for the most part, and the follow up posts here. . .they are right.
I won't go OTR again because I don't need to. If I understood the pay structure of the OTR companies that take Newbys better in the first place without the "Recruiter Shine" I would not have gone in the first place. Like I said, I make twice as much money driving a tanker Local. Why sould I stay OTR for a lying doubletalking OTR company with an option like that? My pay only has to pay off some bills. After that, we will have our own buisness and I will never see the inside of a truck again. You confuse me with a starry eyed lifer. For me, it's is just a job. Choke it down boys, an OTR driver isn't all I can be, or want to be. I hope it suits you, but this is about sharing reality with Newbys. If I wanted to debate the pros and cons of being a truck driver, I would be posting in the other Forum. Take it with a grain of salt. If I have offended you, too ******* bad!
Dodge Makes It, Cummins' Shakes It!
www.TurboDieselRegister.com
Tanker Yanker

Answer:
YADA YADA YADA!!!!!Yeah big starry eyed deal!!
He'll be back. Looking for an OTR co. that will take him. Maybe you better stay with the caddy job.
Better to have it and not need it as need it and not have it!Just remember:If the world did'nt suck, you'd fall off!
The more I see and read about Republicans and Democrats, the more I wish we had an Independent Party.
IMPEACH BUSH!!!!!!!!!!