CR England - The new world order?

Discussion in 'CR England' started by Road Rash, Jun 6, 2007.

  1. Road Rash

    Road Rash Bobtail Member

    10
    6
    Jun 5, 2007
    Northern Alabama
    0
    I obtained my CDL from CR England. The company treated me like a prince and I hit the road with a new found self esteem, confident I had received all the training I would ever need. If you believe in unicorns and Big Foot, stop reading and call a CRE recruiter.

    I did in fact attend the CRE school in Mira Loma. The company handled me and all others in my class as though we were criminals. At every major juncture of the screening and training process class size dwindled to the point where only 1 in 10 of the original students remained. My ducks were in a row but I worried daily my name would be called and a disqualification speech would ensue. I dodged that bullet and actually got my first look at a truck.

    Armed with the answers, we remaining students swarmed the local DMV office to complete the "written" portion of the CDL exam. A very short time later the remaining few students were tested for "driving" skills. We were tested by CRE employees which were knighted by the queen of the DMV (or some such honor), allowing them to access skills and then with a nod and a wink I was licensed! We were licensed! It was over! Well almost...

    It should be noted at this point that immediately after obtaining my CDL in the above mentioned fashion, the queen of the DMV abdicated her throne, returning power to the state. The state recinded all knighthoods previously granted all CRE employees and I (and hundreds of previous graduates) was soon invited by the DMV to return to California to "re-take" my CDL exam.

    CRE training procedure now teams each graduate with a "trainer" for some much needed over the road experience. Quality of trainer is a roll of the dice, much the same as quality of graduate being a gamble to the trainer. I got very lucky and my investment began to bear fruit. My trainer was an old man with good old fashioned values. We got along from day one and still maintain contact. Many of my fellow graduates were not so lucky. I heard stories of personality clash, hygenic differences, racial tension, etc... Number of graduates dwindled even further.

    After a couple of weeks on the road CRE brings student grads to Salt Lake City for an upgrade process, upgrade from student to employee. At this point you are put into a truck. Not your truck though! You still need to share air with another driver, typically a Lease driver who needs a second seat to to break through the bonds of his repressive lease agreement into profitability. I suspect that team miles help out the lease driver and therefore the lease driver agrees to wisper sweet lease stories into the "slave" drivers ears. Many of these lease drivers still wear the scarlet "S" of student status. The combining of inexperienced driver and barely experienced driver in the same truck is either lethal or genius - you decide! CR England calls this the "CAT" program. I suspect they also refer to these trucks as "cat boxes". My Mira Loma pier group is now a handful of upgraded graduates at best. If memory serves - only 3 of us ever drove the red truck as first seat.

    Now a word about this thread's title. There is a new world order but CR England did not bring it about. Service is dead and the service industry has been reinvented without it. An employee no longer smiles because they were told to, we shop at warehouse stores because low price has replaced service. Theories and attitudes that used to "trickle down" are now applied with a fire hose! Don't make the mistake of bending over to pick up where you left off - there are oither applicators best left undiscussed. In today's society you either make the adjustment and move forward or find a place to hide (hey, are the Amish hiring?).

    Obtaining your CDL takes patience and requires your full attention. Don't go looking for a CDL handout - it's worth the effort to bite the bullet, accept the prisoner mentality for a short while and come away with something of value that is 100% yours. CR England (and the other CDL factories) are playing a numbers game. Based on the numbers I saw them go through I question whether they are really coming out ahead? If you go into a CDL training program with an open mind and expect the worst, you will probably be surprised at how much you can learn and how quickly you can get on the road.

    If you stand in the middle of the road and scream foul, its only a short time before a Swift truck runs you over!
     
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  3. Hill-a-billy

    Hill-a-billy Light Load Member

    187
    2
    Jun 3, 2007
    South Carolina
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    Welcome to trucking!!!!:biggrin_2559:Awesome post!!!
     
  4. skullitor

    skullitor Medium Load Member

    548
    88
    Aug 5, 2005
    New England
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    HEY Road Rash; Great post!
     
  5. dalan

    dalan Bobtail Member

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    Jul 13, 2007
    spring texas
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    Your post brought back memories I haven't thought about in years. I mean 10 years. I see it still hasn"t changed. I was able to take a test for a fellow student who couldn't read very well and he stood on the side of the truck where the so called instucter giving me my backing test couldn't see him showed me when and how to turn the wheel . Imagine we are both on the road. Thank Goodness my ex husband had 20 years exp. Do't know what happened to the other student that couldn"t read.:biggrin_2559:
     
  6. knighted

    knighted Bobtail Member

    33
    3
    Jul 28, 2007
    LA
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    I remember that scam company. I went through the Dallas school. Luckily i paid for the "training" in cash so I didn't owe that "company" anything. I got linked up with a POS leased trainer who got me disqualified from my own truck the first time around. Got a decent contracted owner operator who actually taught me something the second go around. When I say O/O he actually had his own authority and held the title to his truck.

    I then went through one of their programs that has since been discontinued. "Q FLeet" or "qualification fleet". I was first seat on my own and then expected to flease a truck with them.

    I finished my thirty days on that truck and they dispatched me back to SLC where I got my "certificate" and promptly handed the keys over, got on a plane and left.

    Had the same #### experience though. Starting class was around 30 ended up "graduating" around 12. Only 5 made it to their own truck. I don't think anyone stayed around. The whole company is a scam, stay away from them. If you want to know their "business plan" look at the back of their trucks. "Lease, "train", drive."

    Stay away from thier school also, especially if you're not going to pay for it in cash. Go to a vo-tech school and save your money. There is no reason to pay 1500 - 2500 for training when a vo-tech can cost about 800. Hell your CDL only costs around 35 from the DMV. vo-techs tend to have better training also.
     
  7. nstar92

    nstar92 Bobtail Member

    41
    18
    Oct 9, 2008
    Greenfield,Ma
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    I have been off duty for 3 years taking care of my Dad. He passed away last year, and I didn't even have the heart to go back to work. I had 2 kids to deal with, 21 and 19. I never had a problem finding a job, haD a good record, but now I need to find a company to train me. I went to England, they said $500 for 2 weeks of training. Now I am beginning to wonder, but I feel like I have run out of options. I don't have the money to go back to school. Am I really looking at a nightmare if I go there?? They at least seem better than Stevens. I never thought I would lose all my credentials after 3 years.......
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2008
  8. nstar92

    nstar92 Bobtail Member

    41
    18
    Oct 9, 2008
    Greenfield,Ma
    0
    I have ny CDL, they areonly charging me for a 2 week refresher course. Right now they are my only hope, so you are right, bite the bullet and do what must be done. I just hope I don't screw myself along the way. I am trying to keep and open mind and remember that sometimes people that are just not happy have to knock the company, although when I was out there ther were not many good things said, and it was not a choice I had to make, but had it been I guess I would do as I am doing now..bite the bullet, otherwise I am jobless and homeless. And I am going in and expecting the worse, just so I don't get lost in "wonderland" I sure wish I could tap the heels of my Ruby slippers and go back to Helwig, or T/A, I will in time. It is only for 6 months. I just have to keep repeating that so I am always aware that if I do as I am told (like a little kid) I will do it standing on my head. I am just not going to get into anything with them. I refuse to give them a chance to trash my DAC.
    THanks
     
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2008
  9. Daisey Duke

    Daisey Duke Bobtail Member

    4
    0
    Oct 11, 2008
    Pawleys Island, S.C.
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    I have been offerd positions from CRE, JB Hunt, USA truck, Swift (though I will NOT consider them and Schnieder. I have heard both good and bad of each company, but wanted some insider info. I have them at the bottom of my list. Is this where they belong? Thanks for any info you can share. DD
     
  10. Daisey Duke

    Daisey Duke Bobtail Member

    4
    0
    Oct 11, 2008
    Pawleys Island, S.C.
    0
    HI, I am DD.I have been driving over 8 yrs now. I just moved to SC and am in search of a driving job. I have, so far received offers from CRE, Swift(no way in hell), Schnieder, USA Truck,JB Hunt and Crete. Is ther anything about CRE that will take them from my lasy choice to my first? any info will help. Thanks, DD:dog:
     
  11. dalan

    dalan Bobtail Member

    2
    0
    Jul 13, 2007
    spring texas
    0
    I went there 11 years ago and unless there was a major change in policies keep it in last place. Do alot of research be4 attending any trucking school Good Luck :biggrin_25519:
     
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