My Experience with Roehl
 

Hey all... I just wanted to let you all know about my experience with Roehl. I have never driven a truck before, but have always wanted to. i looked into many companies, and Roehl looked to be a good starter co. I signed up for the school early last year. The school in Marshfield was great. I had excellent instructors, met good people, and learned a lot. I thought it was a great company to work for.... I WAS WRONG!!! i have worked for many different companies, and this is the most DISORGINIZED, LAZY, CHEAP, POORLY RUNNED COMPANY I have ever been a part of. I was dispatched out of Gary, IN, and my dispatcher NEVER EVER answered the phone, listened to his messages, or answered the QuallCom. I would call if I was running late, if I ran into trouble..etc.. He would never listen to the messages, and then scream at me when I was late and I didnt call. I was in the dispatch office, and watched him work... if you want to call it that. He would sit and watch the phone ring and talk to everyone who came in and out of the room. I complained several times, and nothing was done about it. He repetedly sent me to the wrong companies/at wrong times/on wrong days. (Probably for complaining about him) Making me sit sometimes for a couple days before I got something else. I was forced to drive on 2 lane routes bearly fit for a donkey cart to save a couple bucks in tolls. I was forced to drive through major cities only to drive back through them to get 40 gallons of fuel because its 3 cents cheaper than somewhere along the route. I was constantly running in New England. Not that I minded going there every now and then, but when I was sent there (Maine esp.) there was always an issue getting me out. I have seen Chevettes with more options than the trucks that they run. I was promised decent money, good miles, and support. I never got decent miles, I was not making the money I was told I would, and nobody was there to help me when I needed them. The Evolutions were OK, but I had 2 ICs and its a totally different experience as a Co. driver. I lasted about a year, and I finally got so upset I turned in my keys and quit. I am now stuck with the balance of the tuition because I couldnt work for them for 160,000 miles or what ever it was. Go to the school, but STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!!! Im now working for another company and I am respected, and make decent money. They are family owned, small, and I love my job. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roehl is a great starter company but for experienced drivers stay away. The money isnt there and the only drivers who achive the quaterly bonus are the drivers who have the ap unit on their rig. it takes 5 years to become fully vested in the 401k. you will have to meet the idle requirments 10 of 12 months to recieve your annual raise. If you let your truck go over 75 mph you will be fired! $14 hr for local driver which is what i do. no overtime pay. Im not some newbie i have 9 years of experience 7+ with one company so belive me when i tell you experienced drivers stay away. You will be dissappointed. Also they have turned the truck speed back to 62! yes 62 mph and 60 on cruise control. any questions about roehl just ask me. im employed with them until friday. try local fuel hauling. home everynight and pay will be doubled. only expect to make $35-$40k

I am thinking about driving for them. I read someone post that they train in the atlanta area. Is that true? I got my CDL over one year ago, with plans to drive but the company I was furloughed from called me back, now I am thinking it was a mistake and should have stayed with driving. So have my CDL with zero experience, which I am sure I have to start all over just dont have to test for the license.

Roehl does train out of Ellenwood, GA at the terminal there. As it is said they can be a company to get training/experience with but they do have their problems.

I had my CDL but no experience when I came to them. I stuck it out for 2 years just to get the 2 years of experience. I left them in Jan for family reasons and asked for a rehire 8 months later (July). When I asked for the rehire this summer I was told to go to another company and get 6 months of experience then reapply and they would reconsider. This is with 2 years safe driving with no violations, accidents...clean driving record and on time performance. Excuse for not rehiring me back was that I idled too much out on the road. Really a line of BS. Somewhere I must have pissed off someone in the rehire process.

Went over to Green Bay and was warmly received by Schneider as a experienced driver. I am going from the strawberry patch (Roehl) to the pumpkin patch this next Sunday on a dedicated out of Dallas. Pay is more than when I left Roehl. Monday thru Friday with weekends off and I will only be working in Texas. No more OTR I hope.

I won't tell you if Roehl is a good decision or not. It will all depend on what you are willing to put up (BS) with while getting some experience.

Soladad

I would only recommend them for the free training and thats it. I quit over a month ago and i just got my money they owed me for equiment that i turned in the day i quit. Dont expect to make over $42-$44k unless you are otr but who wants to do that now. They are also strict on there logs, unless a load needs to get there so they are just like any other company. Use them to get your experience an find you a real driving job. Remember newbie's, you dont owe the trucking company anything. If you screw up they will fire you on the spot and dont care how far you are from home. If seen it a lot over my 9+ years of driving. Do whats best for you.

ROEHL related curiosity
 

Folks,

I've read more negatives about Roehl than positive. It seems the ones submitting the negative reports are those who have terminated their employment with ROEHL for whatever reason. I'd like to hear from those ROEHL veterans who remain with the company. How has/does ROEHL performed/perform, in your judgement, when it comes to salary, benefits, care for the drivers, home time, milegae oppotunities, and so on? It's surprising that a company has grown and survived all these years given what appears to be an avalanche of negative comments and reports, and high employee turnover.

Thanks, ladies and gentlemen. Drive safely out there.

Future trucker,

Rick

Let's set the record straight. I still feel that Roehl is a good company to work for. I left only because of family reasons. I wanted to return to driving for them as I had good training and time with them. When I asked to return Roehl they were the one's who said "no". They have good training. There is nothing wrong overall with the company besides the usual stuff that goes on within any company. If you do your research (search) on this web site you can read some of the positives that have been written by others including myself.

Cents per mile is based on your performance and years. If you don't abide by all the rules including mileage and idle you don't get your yearly raise. I drove for 2 years and ended up at 34 cpm instead of the 37 cpm that I should have been at after the 2 years simply because I was over on idle too many months often only being a 1/10% over the limit. Bonuses can be loss by just missing the required milage by a few miles (happened several quarters once being short just 4 miles). Benefits...health insurance is not one of the best companies to have insurance through. High deductibles and very little coverage. Getting your earned hometime can be a fight at times depending it seems on who you have for a DSR. Driver care again begins with who your DSR is. Get a good DSR and you world can be very good and he/she will take care of you. I had 6 DSRs. 3 outstanding and 3 lousy. Only one gal (good) is still with the company. They are strict on logging and running compliant. If you are in bad weather conditions and you choose to shut down I never had an arguement with them over my decision to wait conditions out.

I still have several friends that are driving for them. If I could I would be driving for them now. They gave me a good solid background to build on. If you do decided to drive for them it is better to hear both the good and the bad then you won't be surprised with anything that arises. As Roehl's Safe 7 states "Expect the Expected". Learn what to expect out of a company.

A former strawberry but now a pumpkin with a sweeter deal...Soladad

Thanks, Soladad. Good to know as much info as possible, whether it's a positive or negative critique. Anyone else care to share their two cents?

[quote="Soladad"]

"...Cents per mile is based on your performance and years. If you don't abide by all the rules including mileage and idle you don't get your yearly raise. . ."

This is certainly understandable. Why create goals, procedures, and policies if no one abides by them? Performance standards are that, standards, which everyone can shoot for.

"...I drove for 2 years and ended up at 34 cpm instead of the 37 cpm that I should have been at after the 2 years simply because I was over on idle too many months often only being a 1/10% over the limit. Bonuses can be loss by just missing the required milage by a few miles (happened several quarters once being short just 4 miles).."

Again, I can empathize and understand. If there's a performance criteria which stipulates that you need to achieve a certain mileage, and maintain a certain level of idling, and you'll be paid if those criteria are met, then so be it. Where do you stop, then, if the company pays those who 'just miss it' by 4 miles? Should they pay those who 'just miss it' by 10 miles? Why not pay those who 'just miss it' by 1,000 miles? Again, standards are set and that's it. You're either pregnant or you're not.

"... Benefits...health insurance is not one of the best companies to have insurance through. High deductibles and very little coverage. Getting your earned hometime can be a fight at times depending it seems on who you have for a DSR. Driver care again begins with who your DSR is. Get a good DSR and you world can be very good and he/she will take care of you. I had 6 DSRs. 3 outstanding and 3 lousy. Only one gal (good) is still with the company. They are strict on logging and running compliant. If you are in bad weather conditions and you choose to shut down I never had an arguement with them over my decision to wait conditions out. ..."

It appears these issues are commonplace throughout most companies. I believe it's up to the employees of those companies to use the system to improve conditions by competition, voicing opinions, and so on. Can we fight 'city hall' on these issues? I think we can, and WIN.
United we stand, divided we fall.

OK. Enough of my soap box. I look forward to hearing about other criticisms, positive and negative. Thanks, truckers. Be safe out there.

I also drove for Roehl.
Quit because they "could not get me a load home" continuously!
May have returned if not for two things;
1. when I left they said give me the keys and go.
2. my job with Ashley is so much better :!:

Roehl veteran drivers wanted
 

Thank you, PA. Where are the PRESENT veteran, long-term Roehl drivers?? They don't participate in any of these forums? I can't believe that. I'm also interested in hearing from the so-called Roehl company, salaried employees and their perspective on the company.

Thanks, truckers. Be safe out there.

Re: Roehl veteran drivers wanted
 

Maybe there isnt any veterans :?: :!:

Kramer, Here is a current thread about Roehl that you may find of interest. BOL.

http://www.classadrivers.com/phpBB2/...ic.php?t=35328

Tanks, ST. I read it earlier. Interesting, indeed.

It's true that I had a lot of problems with Roehl. I also made it clear, I thought, that most of it was because i lived outside of the freightlanes but I did live near one of their terminals. It is not my fault that they bought that terminal or that it sits over 100 miles away from customers and they dont want to deadhead drivers there.
I had several dispatchers, most bad but one who was a former driver for over 15 years was fantastic. He never asked me to do silly stuff, never argued about my decisions on the road and always sent me two different route/fueling stops for each load and let me take my pick as to which one worked for me the best.
I think much of the problem with this company stems from inexperienced people doing the dispatch and then being afraid to step outside of the employee handbook to take care of problems when they crop up.
There are a number of drivers that have been with them 10+ years so they must do something right.
Look for Roehl to be bought out by one of the bigger companies in the near future. Just a feeling that I have.

Hey, those look like the signal flags I wore on my class a's for several years :)

There is nothing wrong with going to Roehl for driving experience.
You help them, they help you!
They do stand by safety and will teach you many good things that you can only learn by working on the job.
If you live in the right area, they may get you home too.
Reohl is still growing, they have their base customers to keep them solid.
Start someplace and drive safe