Comments By Jolie R.

I am in the Great Lakes region and run 2 loads of syrup from Columbus OH back to a McDonald's distribution center in Fairfield OH twice a day. The days are long but the pay is great. Throw in weekends being optional and you can't beat it! I am lucky that the boxes and canisters I haul are so heavy I have never tipped one (knock on wood!). It is great to find another Coke hauler! Safe travels sister!

Hi Jolie!! I agree, the relationship I have with the Coke people is awesome. For example, if any pallets tip during transport, it is my responsibility to restack them. Being short (5'3), that can be difficult, because a full pallet ends up taller than me. Trying to lift a shell of 8 2 liters above my head can be rough. But they are always willing to help me out. What region do you run in?

Hi Ahmalia, I too run on a dedicated Coca Cola account but for Marten Transport. I agree it is a sweet deal as I haul 2 loads if syrup a day and go to the same consignee each time. I like the relationships I have been able to build with the shipper and consignee and while what I do wouldn't appeal to many , it works for me. Nice to meet you! P.S. I am blonde too! :-)

I currently drive for Marten on a local dedicated account. Are you going OTR with them? I will give you any insight that I can if you let me know what info you're looking for.

Sorry for the reply, but I'mnot going OTR. I'm goingto do regional with them.

Whether you drive regional or over the road for Marten much will be the same except frequency of home time and how far you venture in your truck. I make good money with them local but there are things I would not want with them if I was regional or otr. They pay miles base on length of haul and I want to be paid the same rate regardless of the length I drive. I know others would say it all works out in the end but I like the simplicity of the same rate so I can keep track of what my checks should be.

They are good about paying detention time after 1 hour (I have to wait 2 on my account). They will also pay for inclement weather should it be too dangerous to drive which is a big bonus during the winter. I am sure your buddy can give you much more of the lay of the land than I can. If you have a good dispatcher and are will to run you can make money. Good luck!

I currently drive for Marten on a local dedicated account. Are you going OTR with them? I will give you any insight that I can if you let me know what info you're looking for.

Good luck Ernie!!!

Congratulations Daniel! I know this is something you have been wanting for some time now and I hope it is everything you and your lovely bride want it to be. I can't wait to hear how things go for you in your new adventure! Good luck and safe travels!!!

Hey all, thank you for your replies.

A company asking for their training money back is in my experience unheard of to me. I could be wrong, I understand if a company that you work for pays your tuition to get a degree or certification with the understanding that your doing, you benefit the company. So I would expect that you would have to pay for that if you bail right after getting that education. But what were talking about here is the simple on-the-job-training that is done here. Something you generally receive it 99% of the time at any job that you go to. Like any company these trucking companies are here to make a profit. They make a profit from each driver in their company. So a new driver is an investment. You hope to spend X amount of money and get Y in return. You got to spend money to make money, right. Usually if you're doing something right then most people will stay rather than leave your company, therefore you make money and grow your business. Gee, can I get a guarantee that my $3,000 investment in XYZ company stock will go up in value in at least the first 6 months. If it doesn't then i want my money back. That's Fantastic. Just found my new career.....Day Trading...Someone say millionaire... And by the way the average company revenue per truck per month is like 16k so if you subtract salary, fuel, equipment costs, etc then lets say conservatively that's 11k a month, then that leaves 4k. That's 4k a month easy that they make off you. Do they really need their training costs back? and again I'm not talking about CDL School Training here.

Did the things I've read about the Truck Driver shortage, play a part in me coming to this industry......Yes. Did I expect a trucking company to swoon a little over me.....Kinda. Do I expect Driver pay/benefits to be good because of the shortage.....Yes. (Laws of supply and demand being used here) And....Yes, I am a brand new driver with limited training in a CDL school. I get it. Yes, I need to prove that I'm a competent driver/employee. I get it. Yes, I know that I should work at least a year before I can consider myself an experienced driver....I get that, too........ but I'm not talking about that stuff.

I'm just talking about their "Contract" guarantee that they will get their job training dollars back if things don't work out for new hires. WHY OH WHY Would a company do that. If a company wants to decrease their turnover rate because its costing them too much money then why not improve driver morale in someway by increasing either pay, benefits or working conditions. DUH? Is Roehl even aware there is a shortage and they need to be a little more welcoming.. If I work for a month or two and find this career isnt right for me or the Job isn't a good fit for me, I would like to be able to quit and be done with it. Also, wouldn't it be in the best interest of the company to part ways with you because aren't you a liability, morale and safety-wise, to have you continue working. But, No, I can't leave because I will owe them 3,000 if I do.

I worked a lot of years for a Huge Global Manufacturing company that has always been in the top 25 companies to work for in america for decades. I guess I got a little spoiled there. Why I left is a long story but it wasn't really the company's fault. They're turnover rate was super low I can assure you that. There was a reason for that. They incorporated the motto that their employees were their number one concern and they held up to that. If anything I should have given them more than I did; because they gave me more than they needed to.

Anyway, finally, may I be making too big of deal with this...perhaps. It's a matter of principal and ethics to me...I always had the intention to stay and be loyal to the company that i apply to and wants me as an employee. They do their drug tests, their physical tests and their background checks so they can trust that I could perform the needs of their business. Can't I do the same? Can't I look to trust them, too... This Contract just leaves me, personally, with too much doubt about wither this company is the kind of company I want to work for....

I may be able to shed a little light as to why Roehl went to their current policy in their contract. I am a former driver for Roehl and they have changed things since I went to their school and drove for them last year.

The cost of Roehl's CDL school was indeed $2800 last year when I went their although that may have changed. Their time with a trainer is some of the shortest I know of for a company that hires new drivers, typically 10 to 15 days. What they were finding is that many new drivers would come to Roehl, get their training, and leave in 3-6 months as many companies will hire you with that amount of experience without having to go out with a trainer again. This was discussed many times in the company wide meetings they had and they were at a loss as how to stem the out flow of drivers they had trained.

I don't know if I would have gone to Roehl under their current structure but I will say I got excellent training. I stayed for 6 months and then went local because it payed much more than I was making driving regional/dedicated. Just my 2¢.

Ii have another year on a lease but.I want to.get started on my trucking career assuming my blood pressure can get under control.and my recent accident doesnt hinder me I have concerns with paying a car payment and insurance while being on the road so much espicially at the beginning were I hear I will be gone for a month or 6 weeks to start but I also want a car for when I am home and need to get around and see my friends. Does anyone else own or lease a car or do you just save the money what about a home ir aoartment?? I assume thise that are single might.give uo.a home but those with families would still keep their homes I love the trucker life but also want a home life too

I lease a car and when I was otr I kept it at the drop yard where I parked my truck while on home time. I also shared a house with someone for many years which gives you someplace to come home to but greatly saves on living expenses. Good luck to you!

Way to go!!! It is amazing how quickly a year can go by in trucking, that's for sure!!!

I already have my CDL. And for orientation and 2 weeks with an OTR trainer they want 75k miles. Im still stuck on the longevity contract. I just cant get past it. Been trying to sell myself on it since Thursday. Cause I still want to work for them.

So what's the problem? "I still want to work for them." In that case don't you want to work for them way past one year? By the time you're "in the groove" most if that 75k will be gone.

And don't try to give me "but I might find a better deal!" (Translation: "There's greener grass out there somewhere.") Yes, there may be. But will you want to change your life for an additional $10 per week? Commitment is what gets things done in the world. Otherwise, you'll just be changing checkout lanes at Kroger because you think that other one is better - you're still at the back of the line.

I left Roehl after 6 months and I can assure you I make WAY more than an extra $10/week. I know I am not the norm, but sometimes it does pay to make a move.