OK I am 2 weeks into this thing with CR England, before anyone says much about the lease program yes I taken the time to read all the post here prior to coming to this company and I am avoiding the lease program like the pleg and advising the rest of my class to do the exact same thing. with that said I am a single guy without a home to go back to, my goal is just to go and after reading the reports here and looking at the pay extra well I know better than to expect much compensation for it. So some may be wondering what my opinion is so far, and while it is not that bad I will say that for most people it is not the way to go. If the following fits you stay away. 1 you have a family that you love and can't be away from for months at a time 2. you are out to make lots of money quick and don't want to work for it 3. your age or other mental abilities prohibit you from learning quickly and I mean very quickly 4. must be physically in shape before you come 5. be able to make friends quickly while in school because you'll need everyone in the class to pull together to make it. Simply put it is an extremely hard job with traps at every corner. I look forward personally to the challenges and the adventure, and the last 2 weeks have been a lot of fun but at the same time it has been a real challenge. again for those with a life its probably wise to go to another company, if you are single, have lots of money to spare and don't mind giving up your home family and friends in exchange for driving cross country living in a bad hotel being screamed at worse than at boot camp, and working till every last bit of energy is gone and then possibly selling your soul to the devil for a lease program you know this might just be the job for you, i know its been great for me so far.

So they're tryin' to "Drive Life" right out of ya', eh?

Dirve Life is their motto. Just wish the trainers I had were not they way they were.

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Looking for work, LOL
Building a 2.5" scale Stainz
Building a freelance Ford railcar 7.25guage

Yes it is hard work, keep your studies up and you will do fine.
Not sure what school your in but I get into slc every 5 day so any questions just ask.

I am currently in Dallas, and honestly its been a trip so far, I graduated this last Monday, but I need to re-take the driving portion of my CDL test one more time. kind of had a real dumb moment the first time and made an illegal lane change...opps once I get that out of the way its just a matter of time to be placed on the truck where the real fun should start. I can say that I am truly looking forward to the whole experience. I just re-read my last post and it actually sounded a lot worse than what I meant for it to, the thing that I am seeing the most around here is that this truly is a life style, and for a lot of people to change their life is hard if not impossible so I wanted to give a perceptive of yes it is possible and yes you can have a great time with CR England but it is also a new beginning its like learning how to crawl all over again and then walking and soon you are running. Yeah friends and family from the previous life is left behind, though so if someone is too attached then they shouldn't be doing this job and thats not just my opinion but the instructors here have all said basically the same thing. As far as pay well the numbers look good but are they reality? honestly I am not sure I have seen and heard a lot of negative, but I've seen some of the positive as well. I am setting my expectations at only enough for food and basic necessities if I make more then thats good if I can only make that though then I will be happy. As far as what I plan to run well as I mentioned in the last post I have no place really to call home so I just want to go. I don't care if its across the street or across the country and thats the way i will look at it. For me turning down loads or spending my time in a truck stop just seems like the dumbest thing in the world to do I just don't see a point. provided I have the DOT hours and there is a load for me I want it. I haven't really set any long term or short term goals for myself at this point to be honest only because I am not completely sure of everything. I believe though in researching before I do anything and I want to provide the best information and give my honest opinion to anyone else that may want to do the same.

Being young,fresh,new and w/o other problems that life may throw,I appreciate your attitude.I possessed the same can/will do attitude when i first started and truly wish I still had it!
Best of luck to you and please keep us posted.Yours will be another that i look forward to reading-

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Fast trucks and loose women are my passion.
Or is that loose trucks and fast women?
Does it really matter?

thinking about working at cr england on that 6 month lease can you survive????

I'm going to start my orientation with CR England, May 11, 2009. Anyone have any ideas or advice. How much money I'm expenting after my training a week and if is true above what they say.

I hear you'd be lucky to make $350/wk there and never get home? I want drive but i don't want to get ripped off either! I don't get why a company would want to have a system that sets drivers up to fail? Unless they like continually cyclilng drivers in and out like getting caught in the payday loan. Once you do it your stuck trying to catch up.

I'm starting the refresher course on November 16th. As with most on this board, I understand the ups and downs associated with CRE, but I need the work. I also have the philosophy of "Run Hard, Run Legal". It CAN be done.

- Keep breaks to a minimum.
- If you have the hours ... run them.
- Show up early, they might fit you in.
- Only take 10hr breaks in Truck Stops when you have to (Laundry, Showers, etc...)
- Sleep in the Pickle Park (Rest Areas) when you can (Quicker to get out of)
- Combine stops (Fuel & a 10 hr for example)
- Buy a cooler / fridge and eat most of your meals from the truck (Walmart's cheaper than any buffett)

These are some of the things you can do to make things work better. Being early, running hard and taking resets when you need them combined with constant concise clear communication will make your rep as a driver soar. Do everything you have to do to keep from getting the "Why aren't you rolling?" message on the Qcom.

Also, keep tight watch on your expenses and avoid taking advances unless you really need one.

Just my 2¢.

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The Rattlebunny
It's your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your altitude.