Out of JB...chose Roehl!

[chris_stfc]

Well, after many months of humming and hawing I finally took the plunge and moved over to Roehl, running on their 7/4-7/3 program out of Gary,IN.

Just getting ready to start my second week, and my overall impression so far?? On the whole very good. The first week I was kept moving solidly and I have a pretty good DSR.

Ok the good:
1. HOME ON TIME!!!
2. Keeping me moving (so far)
3. A good DSR
4. Last but by no means least... a SAFE company, unlike a lot that merely pay lip service to safety, Roehl lives it which is borne out in their Saferstat numbers.

The bad:
1. Poor communications between the orientation dept. and the DSR...I was assigned a school truck to take down to Gary and my DSR wasnt even expecting me to be working yet!!! Eventually got to Gary had to stay there overnight and DSR said I could go home for a few days...problem was wife was sick and they couldnt find me a driver to take me home and there were no rental cars available!!! Eventually got a ride from another driver going home to MA in a rental!!\
2. Fuel stops....30gal her 25there....a pain in the rear end!!!

For the most part I am very happy I switched out of JB...home time was decreasing miles were hard to come by (even in my dedicated account!!!)

Oh well...take care all!

[Soladad]

There is a reason why for 25 gal fuel here then fill up down the line. I know that it is a real headache but it is for the $$. I ran with them.

Two times a day fuel prices are upgraded through a program they are signed up with to find the best fuel prices between the large truck stops. You will fuel the majority of the time at a Pilot. Occasionally a TA and Flying J. I don't ever remember fueling at a Petro. It is because of fuel prices and road taxes that you are told to dump just a few gals. Funny thing about Opti-Stop...that quick splash and go sometimes brings you almost up to the full mark so you really can go farther. Each state has a fuel tax and a road tax base. Road taxes are based on how many miles a truck (company) runs in a state. Some states are really high with fuel tax and so you don't want to purchase as much fuel those states. Therefore, you purchase just enough to get the truck to a place (state or truck stop) with better pricing. Don't go by the price you see on the sign. This purchasing is done on a large scale so they do get better prices.

They don't like you to miss the fuel stops again because of the $$. Once you get to know your truck and how your DSR thinks and just how far down on the gauge you can go safely, you can at times with careful planning, skip a partial fuel and rebump Opti (Macro 16) for new fuel instructions. There are times that Opti really screws up in fueling like when you are at 45K with massive hills. Opti only works on math. It knows when you last fueled, how many miles to the gal you make on the average and sets the fuel stops accordingly. It does not know anything about terrain. Drivers normally running east of the Mississippi who occasionally take a run out west, they have to recalculate the miles/gal to compensate for more mountain road. Don't get caught rebumping for better fuel on a regular basis. You will get scolded for it.

Only in your 2nd week. As the saying goes: "A new broom sweeps well too". You will get your miles because they try and get the 7/7 and 7/4/3 fleets at least 3000 miles per week. Those fleets get runs with good miles while the nationwide fleet gets the short runs and cleans up after the 7 fleets when they relay a load into a yard with maybe 300 miles to go. I ran the 7/7 fleet for 5 months while I had to take care of some personal business. Had to go back to nationwide because working only part time didn't pay the bills. Communication is a big problem. Seems like at times no one knows what is going on or even there. You will wait forever to get answers on nights and weekends either by Qual Comm or phone.

I left because miles were going down and they would not give me a raise going into my 3rd year because my idle times were out of their accepted %. Basically, I got starved out and got tired of the idle crap. Won't work where my skills and knowledge are not appreciated and compensated for. Overall, they are a good company and do walk their safety well. I won't say that I haven't had some pleasurable times with them. Got good training. A good training company but until you reach the upper pay scale after a few years you will starve.

[mbadriver]

I ran the 7-3/4 for a few months. I pretty much always got +3000 during my week. Payroll cut-off is Friday at noon. The weeks you launch on Wednesday can result in some pretty slim paychecks. So budget accordingly.

My main gripes with them were the nickel and dime stuff, overpriced medical insurance, and slip seating. I never dreamed slip seating would be such a royal pain. Loading your stuff in, removing it at the end of the week. I didn't bother carrying a CB because it was just another thing to load and unload. If the other slip-seaters are pigs, that will compound the frustration.

Once, about 4 days into the run I slid out the little dining tray. There was a razor blade and some white powder. Oh joy! :?

I was also surprise how fast they could beat up trucks. The ones in my rotation had less than 250K-miles. Bumpers were mashed, cab protectors mashed, tranny's loose as a goose, and not much clutch.

On the plus side they kept me busy and the hometime was without fail. I would have stayed longer, but just not enough money. Dispatchers were pretty mindless, but that is typical.

Hope it works out for you. If the money on the 7-3/4 is "good enuff" then it won't be a bad gig.

Well, after many months of humming and hawing I finally took the plunge and moved over to Roehl, running on their 7/4-7/3 program out of Gary,IN.

Just getting ready to start my second week, and my overall impression so far?? On the whole very good. The first week I was kept moving solidly and I have a pretty good DSR.

Ok the good:
1. HOME ON TIME!!!
2. Keeping me moving (so far)
3. A good DSR
4. Last but by no means least... a SAFE company, unlike a lot that merely pay lip service to safety, Roehl lives it which is borne out in their Saferstat numbers.

The bad:
1. Poor communications between the orientation dept. and the DSR...I was assigned a school truck to take down to Gary and my DSR wasnt even expecting me to be working yet!!! Eventually got to Gary had to stay there overnight and DSR said I could go home for a few days...problem was wife was sick and they couldnt find me a driver to take me home and there were no rental cars available!!! Eventually got a ride from another driver going home to MA in a rental!!\
2. Fuel stops....30gal her 25there....a pain in the rear end!!!

For the most part I am very happy I switched out of JB...home time was decreasing miles were hard to come by (even in my dedicated account!!!)

Oh well...take care all!