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Post by abraham on Jan 29, 2005 8:16:03 GMT -5
Hello all, New to this site. My wife and I are going to be finishing school in Feb. We are looking hard at Roehl. Any comments on this company or any other companies that we should consider. Thank you for your help
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Post by Arcflash on Jan 29, 2005 18:42:46 GMT -5
I started with Roehl but I bailed for a better deal after only five months. I'll give you my impressions both good and bad.
Good.
-They treat you well. They are friendly and hospitable. They were downright generous to me all through orientation and driver training. They are always a phone call away, and they will listen to you when you have a problem. They get you home when you're due.
-They pay well. They don't mess around. If you turn in your paperwork right, they pay you right. They offer competitive pay and benefit packages when they are compared to other large carriers that hire new drivers.
-They have tons of freight and most of it is drop and hook. They made a major trailer purchase just before I left, and scattered them around to all their customers. This means lots and lots of drop and hooks and very little waiting for the van fleet. They also offer a van and curtainside fleet, although curtainside wasn't opened to newbies when I was there.
The Bad:
-They micromanage you like crazy. It's completely ridiculous the way they do things. If you can keep it in your head that it is their truck, and are willing to do things their way then you'll be fine. If you hate corporate waste and feel stupid when they make you do something dumb, then it's not the place for you.
-They are disorganized as hell. The company runs like a 16 sided tire. It will still roll, but it won't be smooth. You know those hot chicks in high school that were great to look at but as soon as they spoke you wanted to jab your eardrums out with a #2 pencil? They all work for Roehls load planning department. Whoever is in charge of that department likes eye candy, and doesn't mind that these girls are so stupid that they make smart people who go near them dumber. I honestly cannot even express how dumb those planner girls are. If I was an office monkey I would love the fact that Roehl has every hot chick in Marshfield WI in the same room, and they're allowed to wear short skirts. Unfortunately, it is sort of aggravating for a driver.
-Your boss will know nothing about trucks or trucking. Your dispatcher (fleet manager) is your supervisor yet they don't know anything but numbers and load info.
-They will put you in harms way no matter what they tell you. This is no different from any other company though, so resign yourself to it. It's the reality of forced dispatch, and the DACs reign of tyranny. They claim "Safety is their cornerstone value" and to most drivers, trainers, etc it is. But the reality is that the almighty greenback is every big companies cornerstone value. No matter what they say or who says it keep that in mind. They don't care about you and they don't care about their equipment. They pushed me in the bad weather, and once even dispatched me to a strip mine where I had to cut down a tree with a hammer and screwdriver to make my pickup. No NYC the first year? BS, I loaded in Jamaica Queens the day after phase two.
-Their equipment is shiiiiiiiiddy. You're going nowhere in a hurry and if you're heavy and the hill is steep you may not go at all. Some of their facilities have good mechanics that will do things right and fairly quickly. Then you have the Gary IN terminal. You can wait days for the simplest repairs. The bad equipment was the reason why I left Roehl. I picked up a 30,000 lb load of paper at the GP plant in Luke, MD. The truck wouldn't make the climb back out. Even in first gear I couldn't climb the hill, it would bog and stall. I finally made it 3/4ths of the way up then it overheated. Their tractors have very small engines and then they turn them down as far as they will go.
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Post by kreeper on Feb 6, 2005 14:51:52 GMT -5
Glad i didn't go to Roehl.
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Post by rodeogypsy on Feb 11, 2005 7:00:00 GMT -5
Hey Arc....How long ago did you work for Roehl? They are my first choice at this point, and I've heard they've made a major tractor purchase in the last year.
I have their pre-employment package, and everything else looks good, too. I'm hoping to talk to the recruiter at the Truck show in Louisville the end of March.
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Post by Arcflash on Feb 12, 2005 12:40:26 GMT -5
I stayed with them for about 6 months. The issues that I had with them are the same ones I would have had with any big company though. They all have slow, stripped out trucks, and corporate bs.
Roehl will offer you what you need, and they will treat you pretty decent. There money is good and they have lots of work.
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Post by truckertom on Feb 12, 2005 14:33:53 GMT -5
Ark
We have had several of our students go to Roehl, and one thing they need to remember is these companies that hire students are using them...So having a student use a company like Roehl to get some experience behind them so they can make better choices down the road is not a bad thing.
So most of ours use the big companies, pay off their student loans and then use the experience to better themselves later on. But I guess a newbie could do alot worse. At least you had some good things to say about them, and they do stress time with family as something that is important to them.
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Post by rodeogypsy on Feb 14, 2005 11:09:46 GMT -5
I appreciate your input, Arc, thanks
Tom, that's too true. Corporate America uses all their employees, but employees use them, too. It's a vicious cycle, but it works.
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Post by bamsden on Jun 5, 2005 14:37:05 GMT -5
I drove for Roehl back in 2001 and it is not a bad co at all, and thats all I have to say about that.
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Post by itrucker on Jun 26, 2005 21:03:36 GMT -5
While I agree with some of the comments (both good and bad) about Roehl, overall they are a good first carrier to strongly consider. After much Internet research, I chose Roehl--both to re-enter the trucking industry (after 20-years away from it) as well as to go through their driving school (both to review and sharpen my truck skills as well as to see how much has changed in the trucking industry). I left Roehl after about 6-months with them. I have a lot of good things to say about them. I was made a good offer from another carrier. The main reason I accepted their offer was that my dispatcher (at Roehl) and I didn't get along a fair amount of time (we tolerated each other). Sure I could have asked for a different dispatcher, but the timing was right when the other offer came my way. If you'd care to read about my day-to-day experiences, head on over to my non-commercial truck blog itrucker (http://www.itrucker.net/) - Chris
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Post by Arcflash on Aug 6, 2005 18:46:15 GMT -5
Heh, I just read some of your blog. Man, I had a lot of the same experiences you did. There were some shenanigans going on now and then, but overall I did enjoy working for Roehl. I recall a lot of what was BS at the time with fondness.
Do I miss it? Heeeeeeeell no, I got a real sweet deal in the job I have now. I don't regret getting my start with Roehl though, and I thank them for it.
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Post by rustyshackleford on Oct 16, 2005 2:38:56 GMT -5
"Roehl has every hot chick in Marshfield WI in the same room, and they're allowed to wear short skirts." Forget driving..where can I get a job in that office? They need someone to empty trash or something?
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Post by skullitor on Nov 29, 2005 13:53:59 GMT -5
ROEHL seems to have some nice trucks.atleast the ones I've seen.Cornbinders I think.
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Post by truckertom on Nov 30, 2005 13:12:24 GMT -5
Many here may not know what a binder is! My Uncle had and old '67 cabover well called "El Bindell". It had a wopping 6-71 Detroit in it! WOW!
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Post by skullitor on Dec 9, 2005 16:05:09 GMT -5
Many here may not know what a binder is! My Uncle had and old '67 cabover well called "El Bindell". It had a wopping 6-71 Detroit in it! WOW! Did he keep a big pan under that SCREAMING JIMMY to catch the oil Tom? ;D Cornbinder is a "INTERNATIONAL" Truck. I had a IC Eagle 4070B & a 9670Eagle . LMAO Remember those? Mine were BOTH ORANGE!!! ;D
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Post by truckertom on Oct 13, 2007 17:31:28 GMT -5
I think he parked it with a catch basin and pump to fill it up every morning. I remember seeing the GENERAL MOTORS DIESEL on some old Euclid quarry dumps at Dolese.
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