Comments By Zen Joker

Thanks for the feedback guys :)

Thanks Ernie and Ken, very helpful.

Have a good weekend guys :)

Do most of you have and use CB? Seen a lot of articles on the web that CB is just a wasteland of asinine conversation and lewd humor.

Do many of you find a CB to be a helpful part of your day? Is it worth having one in your truck day in day out?

Thank you very much in advance for your opinion and perspective..

Best, Andy

First off, I understand that a trucker's schedule is inconsistent and always changing. Since many flatbed loads are moved with Cranes, etc. is it a fair statement to say that a flatbedder's may have a slightly more consistent schedule than van drivers since there is no drop and hook? Or do they have just as many odd hours appointments/deadlines and drive sometimes as many odd hours (midnight to 6 am) as van drivers?

Appreciate any insight.

Also, have you ever heard of a driver letting someone ride along to get an idea of what it's like out there? I'd be interested in trying that.

Best bet might be to call a local truck dealer and ask them to ask one of their O/O's who has a double bunk would be willing to allow a rider. Buy a meal a day for the O/O. Not sure but I think company drivers can only take relatives. Most but maybe not all.

I have lurked here for a long time.

All in all you will find people on the web that will want nothing else than to complain about the company they have worked for. Some of its deserved most of it is not. My advice for anyone reading reviews on any company do your research. not all the bad reviews are legit.

I on the other hand when I decided to choose trucking as a option for me. I did alot of research, some of it here some of it on other sites. I took all the info i had avaible to me that i could find. I ended up choosing Roehl. Mostly the good outweighed the bad. Yeah i have had my moments that i hated decisions my company has made. But all in all they treat me very well. Get me home when i need to be home. I would recommend Roehl for anyone that wants to go their. Will i stay here forever? Nope I already know what i ultimatly want to do and Roehl cant do that for me.

The RDTC program is very fast paced and not for everyone. I loved it and excelled in it, I just work that way.

I appreciate your feedback Chris, thank you. Yeah....though I am hard working, I'm pretty easy going and just want to make a living and get home during the week for 36-48 hours. Roehl will be my choice when the time comes, and a private school will likely be my better option after reviewing Brett's eBook with regard to the "pace and atmosphere" of the private school setting vs. company sponsored.

Thanks again for your 10 cents, take car Sir and be safe!

Thank you all 3 of you. Yeah this is what happened to me in 2002 when I went to CRST. I'm realizing my skin needs to be thicker this time around.

I actually saw a Roehl truck parked at a local gas station on weekends. So last week I slipped a letter in a Ziploc bag under his windshield stating I would like his opinion on the company and the industry. Spoke to him twice. He has been on for 6 months and switches between reefer and intermodal. Today I am meeting him in person, buying him a cold one, and discussing things further.

In the end I will likely be private school material as I think that may be more my pace vs. company sponsored which seems more ram rodded. I would still expect a rough going during parts of training and my 1st year, but at least at that point I will be able to find my @$$ with 2 hands regarding basic operation of the rig. Where I went wrong the first time was I let the instructor at CRST intimidate me and that in combination with some home sickness made me leave after 4 days. This time if I go home to I'll be putting my wife and 2 year old in poverty as my area is an employment wasteland. No better motivator for personal growth and commitment then that I guess. I just don't want to become so hardened that it affects me on the weekends as a father and hubby.

We'll see what happens with the current job & insurance issues in 2014. If things go south, then I will need to thicken my skin and just do this. My goal is to succeed at it for my whole family, not just "give it a shot".

Anyways, thanks again and be safe!

I made the mistake of looking at the forum on the T-R just to get as many perspectives on my probable future choice of a company in Roehl. Perhaps I am stating the obvious but it seems like a bashing contest on that site for just about any company.

My expectations (at some point in the future) when I enter the industry are to work hard doing flatbed, live in a closet 5 days a week (regional), go 2-3 days without a shower, be issued a very used truck, go to sleep crying a few times especially the first 3-6 months but reel myself back into reality of not quitting due to a lack of opportunities back home, and after a year or 2, make in low $40k's, and be as positive a person in any and every situation I enter. I'm excited at the prospect of becoming a trucker some day, but I know it will be one of the greatest tests of my life as far as mental and spiritual toughness.

After reading some of those posts on the "other" site am I correct to assume most of those guys are just leakers with crappy attitudes who wanted the world on a plate? Seems like they depict companies like Roehl and Schneider as places where rookies are treated like crap and run into the ground and no self respecting trucker stays there more than a year. Are even companies which are predominately good to most drivers who are positive an work hard also thrown under the bus this much on other sites???

Thanks!

Congrats dude!! Stay safe!

Just an FYI on my list of recruiter questions looking at Roehl, they only have a 2 week window with the trainer and per the recruiter they do NOT Team drive, it is in fact set that time for the trainer to observe and mentor you during that time.

Good Luck!!

Just a word of warning, my brother went with Roehl out of a private school as his first company and found out the hard way that two weeks with a trainer is not enough by a long shot. He lasted three weeks with them before landing a job with fedex.

Hmmm. I have a friend in town here that went through Roehl's school and was out on his own after just 9 days with the trainer. He drives regional van and intermodal and seems pretty happy. Guess this is really an individual process.

What issues did your brother run into that made him leave if I can ask?

Thanks!