Roehl Transport's New Training Contract Is It Fair?

You'll pay just over $7200 at Knight. I'd say you got a bargain.

For CDL school, not Orientation

I signed up with Roehl to get my CDL through them. I get my physical & drug test on Fri. Leave for WI on Feb 1st. A big part of my decision was based on Hrynn's post about last years pay breakdown, and Joeseph D's posts about the company. I could have got my CDL locally, but I feel that there program is better overall for me. My contract seems simple. Drive for 120K miles, and owe nothing. Start at .42/mile with pay raises every 3 months... easy peasy.

You are going to get out what you put into it. To be honest, it almost sounds like you expect them to screw you over somehow. If you already feel cheated, or uneasy, or vulnerable, or whatever. Then don't go.

.42 cpm?? I will also have my CDL when I get there, and the recruiter told me .32 cpm , which is low. What kind of truck/load you'll be driving?

oops... Yea, it's .32/mile. Sorry... fat fingers lol

My cdl school taught me how to pass a cdl test. They didn't teach me anything about driving truck.

I have been on the road with my trainer for 9 days and have put on over 3,500 miles. Been to 7 States and have experienced things school just can't teach you. Snow, ice, rain, construction zones, hills, mountains, getting lost in Atlanta. All this has opened my eyes a lot.

I have had to do multiple blind side backs in heavy traffic docks, dealing with adjusting weights to be legal. Having to skip fuel stops because it would put me over weight. All things I never learned in cdl school.

I am not in love with having $3100 held over my head but my eyes have been opened and can see the additional "training" I have received.

Nate says:

My cdl school taught me how to pass a cdl test. They didn't teach me anything about driving truck.

That's exactly right, Nate! School gets you past the CDL skills test, and not a bit more. It's up to you and your company (that's the trainer's job) to get you up to speed on their equipment.

Finally, it all comes together when your out there Solo.

Observation: this seems to happen often here. Ruminator claims he's been victimized by a Big Bad Company. He posted his rant a day ago. When should we expect him back to read our explanations and encouragement?

The $3,150 is confusing in OP post, IF, The employer decides you don't fit in anymore, and terminate you, how could THEY expect to repaid training expenses, when they"broke the contract", sending you packing?? Bonus and advance $$ I can see that being owed back

The $3,150 is confusing in OP post, IF, The employer decides you don't fit in anymore, and terminate you, how could THEY expect to repaid training expenses, when they"broke the contract", sending you packing?? Bonus and advance $$ I can see that being owed back

If they let you go before you go solo you owe nothing. Once you go solo your on the hook.

Roehl is not gonna send you out solo if they don't think you can handle it.

I wouldn't have signed something like that. There are plenty of companies that do not have such a contract. I agree that training new employees is a cost of doing business, and they should bear it.

With that said, you signed the contract. Let it be a lesson not to sign before you read carefully.

I think I paid something like $2500 for my CDL at a local college. In the last 2 years I have made over $70,000. I would say that was a good investment in myself.

Phil

I think I paid something like $2500 for my CDL at a local college. In the last 2 years I have made over $70,000. I would say that was a good investment in myself.

Phil

Simple math! It certainly was an excellent investment.

Observation: this seems to happen often here. Ruminator claims he's been victimized by a Big Bad Company. He posted his rant a day ago. When should we expect him back to read our explanations and encouragement?

I totally agree. It does happen quite a bit. Fortunately it will still be a chance for a good discussion that will help others get a better understanding of the industry.

What I've always found interesting (and quite disconcerting) is how many people come into this industry with a long list of demands, expectations, and criticisms. Like Persian said, this guy isn't even a rookie yet and he's going on rants about how unfair this company is and of course doesn't hesitate to state his opinion on how the company would be much smarter to change their ways to better suit him.

Hey, how about actually learning to drive a truck by yourself before you start lecturing the best-in-class companies in the nation about their operations? You know, like how about literally drive one mile by yourself and earn a company one dollar of revenues as a solo driver before you start running the company? Just a thought.

What's also interesting is how short sighted people can be. For instance, driver turnover is a massive expense in this industry. Every nickel a company has to spend on recruiting is yet another nickel that will never make it into the pockets of the company's drivers. That's why these companies offer steady raises, longevity bonuses, and all kinds of other perks to keep drivers around. In this case we're talking about a new driver who just got his license and has never driven solo. It's going to cost the company quite a bit of money to train him yet but he doesn't feel like he should be held responsible in any way for paying that back. He's entitled to it - one of our favorite themes around here.

Even though he's a completely untested rookie and about to be a brand new driver given beautiful new equipment at a best-in-class company he doesn't feel he should be obligated to them in any way.

Folks, if you jump into trucking as a rookie with a "me, me, me" kind of approach you're quickly going to find that everyone will adopt that same approach toward you and "you, you, you" are going to be incredibly unhappy no matter where you go. This industry isn't bowing to any rookie's demands. Never has, never will. Ya know why? Because it's hard as h*ll to make it in this industry and a huge percentage of the people that give it a shot can't hack it. So until you've proven yourself in this industry, no one is going to care very much what you think about how operations should be handled. That's the hard, cold truth.

So what the Company appears to be saying is this "You want to quit early, fine, Go, we don't care. Now give us our 3k."

Actually what they're saying is, "It costs a lot of money to bring you in and train you. And even though you're a completely untested rookie we'll take a chance on you and make that commitment if you're willing to make a commitment to us in return. "

And obviously your answer is no, you aren't willing to make any sort of commitment and that's fine. That's what they're hoping to learn the easy way about you.

...and not to mention if you're get fired. Because they also mention not meeting "driver and physical qualifications" which sounds like something that you can be fired for in which allows the company to demand payment to this contract.

Does it concern you at all that you're all up in arms over policies you admittedly don't even understand? Cuz it should. You don't even know what they mean when they say you have to meet the driver fitness and qualification standards, do you? They're referring to you failing a drug test or otherwise being disqualified to drive. But hey, even though you don't understand the policy it does sound like they're expecting something of you so I can understand your skepticism given your reluctance to commit to an employer for even a few months.

Ruminator, I've got news for you. This company is looking for some assurance that if they spend the time and money to bring you in and train you as a completely untested rookie that you'll at least stick around for a few months. If you think that's asking too much then their policy has done its job because they're not interested in showing that level of dedication to someone who isn't willing to give anything in return.

Personally I think it's a smart policy on the company's part. It's obviously working. A driver who intends to stick around a reasonable amount of time isn't going to mind this policy because they're happy to go to work for a company that insists they stick around. And the ones who are going to jump ship anyhow won't bother getting in the way in the first place.

Only in America would someone complain when a company tries to ensure that employees stick around and work for the company for a while. Everyone cries about their job security until they find a company that actually wants to make sure you stick around and then they complain they're being held hostage.

(I'm only speaking from my experience - Swift's company school then Swift driving, and what I've read her at TT.)

It's too bad it's not easy for a prospective student to learn more about the trucking lifestyle before they even set foot in a school. The trucking companies will accept almost any warm body with a DOT physical and a CDL permit. But most of those warm bodies have little idea what they're getting into, both the financial commitment and the physical requirements.

If you get a job in a warehouse, for example, and decide the pressure to get things moved and packed is too much, you can pretty much just walk away. But if you realize for your self that trucking is just too much, you may be already on the hook for several thousand dollars, and no way out of that.

At the Swift school, the first three days are no charge, and if you decide it's not for you you can walk out and they will get you a bus ticket home, all no charge. But even that doesn't give you the real idea of the truckers lifestyle.