I arrived in Marshfield Sat. evening, having permission to arrive a day early to account for possible issues on the road. I live about 1000 miles from here. I am staying in a motel that is setup as housing for Roehl student drivers. The accomodations are acceptable. The room is large. I met 2 students who have already completed the first week. They are doing well and enjoying it. They said out of 9 students only 2 are having a hard time "getting it". Can't say too much about Roehl's physical facilities yet, it was dark when I got to the offices to pick up my keys.
Today is Sunday so I am going to scope out the area today and do some shopping. The apartment has everything but pots and pans and a stove. It has dishes and bowls and glasses and silverware, a refrigerator and a microwave. I am staying at Old Dutch Apartments. Internet access is via ethernet in a room they have setup. You do not have internet access from your room, nor does my AT&T air card work in my room.
Every other vehicle in the lot is a pickup truck. I am driving an old Volvo 850 wagon. Hmmmm....
I will post updates as time allows. School does run from 7 AM until 5 PM 6 days a week. You test out for your CDL on the Wed. of the third week, or so I have been told. If you pass the next 2 days are spent signing up with Roehl and orientation. If you fail you get to go home early. I will do the best I can to provide info that I would want to be reading on this board as a newbie considering this profession.

respects,
Dennis in se pa

 

Good luck from a fellow PA'er. :wink:

 

Thanks coalregion. My family is from Tamaqua originally. So we have even more in common.
respects,
Dennis in se pa

 

You are going to do fine.
Hang in there and learn lots.

 

Is Marshfield in PA ? Anywhere close to Pittsburgh / New Castle / West Middlesex ?

 

Marshfield is in Wisconsin!

Dennis, I think you're gonna have a great time there, I know I did! two months after I started at the RDTC, I was into my own truck.

BTW, I may be through Marshfield tomorrow to get a windshield replaced... might stop in and say hi

 

Thanks for the clarification. Where are you based out of, and what routes do you run ? Are you on the 7/3-7/4 programme ? If not, what kind of hometime do you get ? Also, what are your average weekly miles ? Thanks.

 

Well, I'm still kind of new at this, so my answers may not be typical of a driver who has been with Roehl for longer....

I drive out of Columbus, OH. I'm nowhere near a Roehl terminal but you can live most places in the eastern US and drive for Roehl. When I was with my two trainers, and now, I've run all over the eastern half of the US. I was in the northeast the past few days before thanksgiving, but I've been down to Florida, all the way up to the michigan UP, and through canada.

I am not in one of the 7/3, 7/4 or 7/7 plans but I have looked into it. The 7-7 and 7-3/7-4 guys have to live within 150 miles of a terminal or drop yard, but typically they get better miles than us lowly national guys. I just saw a 7-3/7-4 driver out near Port Huron, MI thi s morning who mentioned he ran over 3,000 miles a week. The reason Roehl offers this is because they can run their drivers for almost 11 hours a day for their entire week without having them run out of hours on the 70 hour, 8 day rule. The truck runs all day, every day, and by the time the driver runs out of hours, he goes home and the other drive gets in.

I think it's a great program, because the drivers are running miles the time they are out, not sitting as much as the rest of us. I personally don't want to share a truck or take the slight pay cut, but it's a great program.

I get home every 10-14 days, and I get 3 days off. This can be flexible, depending on where you want to go home to(i.e. take time off away from home), specific dates you need off, etc. So far they seem good at getting me home when I want to. Just last wednesday they deadheaded me 200 miles to get a load home for thanksgiving.

I hope this answers your questions, let me know if you have any more

 

Thanks most kindly, for your detailed and thoughtful response. Roehl is one of the companies that I plan to look at, when I start job-hunting in the third quarter of next year...and I shall certainly look you up from time to time, with queries .

Do you happen to know if Roehl has a terminal / drop-yard in the Pittsburgh area ? How often have you gone through this area ? Is this a busy freight lane for Roehl ? How do you like your truck ? Thanks again.

 

Made it through the first day. IT IS COLD AND WINDY! So I went to Walmart and got a better jacket and gloves. The pre-trip thing is done outside and takes awhile. We sort of got slightly introduced to it late this afternoon.
We got the "We're serious about safety" speech today. They mean it. There are 6 people in our class. I like that small number. I now some people from this board.
Marshfield is a very nice town. In fact I really like it around here. The people from Roehl I've met so far seem like good decent people.
Tomorrow or the next day we should actually be starting to drive the trucks!
This whole thing is quite a challenge to me. It might not be to some, but it is to me. I hope I make it.
respects,
Dennis