C.R. England Training - Salt Lake City - A Glimpse

Discussion in 'CR England' started by AchioteCoyote, Mar 8, 2013.

  1. AchioteCoyote

    AchioteCoyote Light Load Member

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    Jul 24, 2011
    West Jordan, Utah
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    Despite all the negative comments posted here on the website, you still wonder to yourself "is it really THAT bad?" and you you continue to think about C.R. England, no matter what the others write. Right?

    So.... let me write a few lines to assist, give credit where credit is due and give you, the reader, an inside scoop.

    I am a former student, former employee and former Lease Operator of C.R. England. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LEASE ON THIS PARTICULAR THREAD! I will create a new thread, describing my experiences as a Lease Operator. I wish to keep the training, the employment and the Lease Operation completely separate from one another, in order that each experience doesn't become intermingled, which may cause confusion.

    As a further disclaimer, please do note that I am writing of my experience at the Salt Lake City facility ONLY. I have no experience at the other C.R. England training facilities and cannot give my opinion of the other training locations.

    Further, please note that I attended C.R. England training at the Salt Lake City facility TWICE. Once in 2001 and the other time in 2011. Thus, I can write with some first-hand experience.

    FIRST & FOREMOST: Please note that C.R. England Driver Training IS NOT a Harvard, Yale, or Princeton and YOU WILL NOT be staying in a Ritz-Carlton, nor will you be flown to Salt Lake City, Utah on a private jet, or first-class seating, or any jet for that matter!

    Too many people get on here to write their dismay that they had to ride a bus for what seemed like a million hours and the bus was late and the food that they had to eat on the bus wasn't fit for a king.... blah, blah, blah. C.R. England provides you a bus ticket and only a bus ticket. They don't provide you an all-expense, all-you-can-eat traveling buffet and they certainly don't run the bus company to ensure that the bus company can stay on schedule. If the bus is running 16 hours behind schedule, blame it on the bus company! If you only brought $5.00 for food to travel across the country, blame it on your stupidity!

    Others like to write their dismay of the motels that they were booked in, or of the rooms that are located at the Salt Lake Training facility. Again... not the Ritz-Carlton, but they're providing you training and a room for pretty darned cheap tuition.

    SECOND: The first three weeks of training IS NOT PAID TRAINING! Get it out of your head that you're going to arrive to the facility and receive a paycheck after being there for a week. Furthermore, get it out of your head that C.R. England is going to feed you for the three weeks that you're doing your training! Bring enough cash to provide you with food, entertainment and toiletries while at the facility. C.R. England is providing you a bed, a foot locker / wall locker, a #######, a shower and the CDL training. Nothing else! If you're being promised more.... don't believe it, or get it in writing.

    THIRD: Yes.... you are guaranteed employment with C.R. England UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION of the unpaid training. NOTE: Successful Completion. If you goof off, are continuously late for class times, hung-over from the night before, still drunk, or currently drunk, cannot pass the exams, cannot shift, cannot back a trailer after being taught 117 times on the methods of a straight-line back...... you're probably not going to "Successfully Complete" the training, nor will you be provided the sought after guaranteed employment with C. R. England.

    FOURTH: It is very possible and there are some that do receive their Class A CDL License from C.R. England, but who do not "Successfully Complete" the unpaid training. Thus, they are not employed by C.R. England and they're probably unemployable at any other trucking company. If you look at it in perspective, it would make sense that no other trucking company would want someone with a Class A CDL, who doesn't have any real-life driving experience AND wasn't even hired by C.R. England! Trucking companies are some smart smart folks!

    The training received at C.R. England is pretty intense and fast-paced. As a guideline, these are what your first three weeks are going to look like:

    WEEK ONE: DOT Physical Exam, FMCSA Book (The Green Book), Classroom Training on DOT Rules and Regulations, Classroom Training on FMCSA Hours-of-Service Rules, Classroom Training on Air Brake Systems, Many, Many Classroom Tests on CDL Exam Preparation, the "REAL" Exam (held at the Department of Motor Vehicles), Classroom Training on Shifting Procedures, Classroom Training on Hooking and Un-Hooking Procedures, Classroom Training on Truck Gauges, Classroom Training on Pre-Inspections / Post-Inspections, Classroom Training on Logs / Logbooks, and Classroom Training on Backing Procedures.

    WEEK TWO: Familiarization of Tractor and Trailer, Actual Backing Procedures, Backing Examination, Physical Pre-Inspections and Post-Inspections, and Road Driving.

    WEEK THREE: Road Tests, Pre-Inspection Tests, Hours of Service Review, Qualcomm Usage, Map Reading, Time Management, Trip Planning, Fueling, Maintenance Procedures, Chaining, Reefer Operation, General Reviews, and Hiring Process.

    Sorry.... it has been a couple years since I last attended my C.R. England Training, so I hope that I haven't left anything out. If so, it is probably an error on my part. If you need clarification, please feel free to write a post.

    However and in summary.... I attended the C.R. England Training, was employed with C.R. England, was a Lease Operator for C.R. England and was able to get some real-life experience under my belt.

    Recently, I accepted a position as a truck driver at a small truck company on a 48-State Operation, but they mostly run the 11-Western States. When my interviewer asked where I went to school, I told him C.R. England. When he asked me who I had experience with, I told him C.R. England.

    Case in point: C.R. England will get you the CDL and the experience, but it is up to you to do the rest. You will have to swim through a lot of sewage to be able to resign from C.R. England and find a new employer, BUT IT CAN BE DONE! It sucks, but it's a start and it's relatively cheap as compared to other schooling options.

    Just some thoughts. Thanks for reading.
     
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  3. pattyj

    pattyj Road Train Member

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    Great thread with alot of good info.So why did you leave crengland?
     
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  4. Puppage

    Puppage Road Train Member

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    I'd like to know, too.
     
  5. AchioteCoyote

    AchioteCoyote Light Load Member

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    West Jordan, Utah
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    During my 2001 experience, it was because of some issues in my own life.... wasn't quite "ready" for the trucking experience. After a great deal of time off the road and after my CDL had long expired, I went back to C.R. England in 2011 through mid-part of 2012. During that time, I did a brief stint as an employed driver and a Lease Operator.

    In my time with C.R. England, I realized that their understanding of the "human factor" lacked considerably. Home time was far and very few between AND I live nearby their main, home terminal. Further, C.R. England's pay structure is a little on the "screwed up" side of things.

    But, I will give credit to C.R. England in that I was able to receive the training from them, work for them and get the experience that I needed to move onward and upward to another company.

    I won't write that C.R. England is a great company to work for, but I can write that they gave me the opportunities and experience.

    In my words of advice to many.... I write it off as, "You gotta start somewhere!".
     
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  6. pattyj

    pattyj Road Train Member

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    Sioux City,ia
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    there ya go,gotta start somewhere.The thing I don't like and think many may agree is you either lease or get sent home waiting weeks if even that waiting for a trk.Is all that true?But glad you had success with them.I have dealt with bad companies and like you,I stayed there to get the exp.Because at that time as a new driver,you're not going to find any better.They all have flaws.
     
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  7. AchioteCoyote

    AchioteCoyote Light Load Member

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    West Jordan, Utah
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    Yes.... LEASE is heavily pronounced, through the C.R. England halls. Most the time, the newly-employed trainee is placed with a Lease Operator to conduct the paid-training part of the process - usually a minimum of four weeks, but could be as long as eight weeks, depending upon the trainee.

    I was with a Lease trainer for four weeks and was signed off as "Solo-Qualified" after my four-week paid training and my road skills evaluation.

    I did not wish to sign on as a Lease Operator at the time after my solo-qualification was completed and I was provided a truck of my own, within three days.

    After a two-month stint of being solo-qualified and operating the truck on my own as an employee, I did go Lease Operator.

    But.... yes, the Lease thing is pushed heavily during the period of time that you're a paid trainee. The individual has to be strong enough and capable enough to "Just Say No".

    In my opinion, I think that C.R. England might use the "home-court advantage" process of ensuing the "long-time away from home and long way from home" process. The trainees are there, having had to complete three weeks of unpaid training, and at minimum - four weeks of paid training. At the end of their MINIMUM seven weeks away from home, the trainee is exhausted and almost willing to do whatever it takes to go home. The trainee isn't forced to sign a lease to go home, but they're told that if they don't sign a lease.... they'll be in waiting until a truck comes available. On the other hand, if they do sign a lease, the trainee is told that they will get a load through their hometown and get to spend some time at home.

    Yes... it is a psychological approach to where C.R. England does play dirty.

    Fortunately, I live here in the Salt Lake City region and they weren't able to use the approach upon me.

    On the other hand, many of the BFI trucking companies do use home time to their advantage to direct their drivers to do whatever the trucking company wishes their drivers to do. They don't care about you getting home... they only care that you pick up the load and deliver the load, on time.

    To companies like C.R. England, they're wishing to see how far you can go and how interested you are in being a part of the trucking industry. To these companies, they think that a truck driver should be out on the road for multiple weeks at a time.

    If one is strong-minded enough.... C.R. England can and will give a newbie driver the time and experience. It's an ugly way of doing it, but I'm not too sure that there are too many BFI companies that will give newbie drivers the benefit of experience without making them "pay the price" of knowledge of what the trucking industry can be about.

    Lease is not a requirement at C.R. England, but it is a sales tool that they will use to their advantage.
     
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  8. bamalu

    bamalu Light Load Member

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    Alabaster, Alabama
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    Enjoyed your info very much.I do not see where CR England is that much different than most training companies that have their own school. There pay sucks, but so does Stevens and alot of other starter companies. Also don't most refer companies keep their drivers out three to four weeks on avg.?
     
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  9. AchioteCoyote

    AchioteCoyote Light Load Member

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    Jul 24, 2011
    West Jordan, Utah
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    I don't really know what the average time that other companies keep their drivers out. At C.R. England, we were told of the four to six weeks thing. But, look who it's coming from? C.R. England wouldn't lie!! :biggrin_2559:

    Any other reefer drivers out there that can answer the question of how long reefer companies keep their drivers out?
     
  10. russellkanning

    russellkanning Medium Load Member

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    I also went through training back in 2000 and the refresher course in 2012.
    Good thread.
     
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  11. AchioteCoyote

    AchioteCoyote Light Load Member

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    Jul 24, 2011
    West Jordan, Utah
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    Are you still with C.R. England, or have you also left for elsewhere?
     
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