I'm subscribed. Sitting at the crossing watching the train coming and the lights are not flashing yet.
Unless... it's a recruiter telling the story then it might have a happy ending.

Want to reply and ask if you would keep a update of your training from time to time.. Thnking of cr myself would like to hear some positive for a change. Ps i would really appreciate some feed back thnx

Wow. I wouldn't have thought anyone would raise such an issue since it's really not that difficult to figure out. But since an explaination seems to be required, here it goes.

Though I had no experience, I did go to the school here at England - which means I did have a general knowledge and a few basic skills to draw upon. Some of us do have the capacity to draw upon those basic skills and expand them by trial and error. Yes! Even without the direct instructional input of a "trainer." That, too, is considered "learning." Many of us learn a lot of different things in life by just getting out there and doing it. May not be the best way to do it, but we get there however we can.

I will clear up one legitimate issue that was mentioned. Someone mentioned that at least it was the trainer and not the company who promoted log violations. I'll back this up. England will hook your ### up in a heartbeat for log violations. They watch it closely. They are also very safety conscious. You have to figure that out of thousands of employees (which doesn't even cover all the IC's) and all the trainers they have, not all of them are going to be responsible/accountable/competant. So England did make sure we all knew that if we got a trainer who we were uncomfortable with for any reason,then we had every right to drop them and get another. It was also made clear the expectations of England versus the trainer, meaning that if the trainer asked us to do anything we considered illegal, unsafe or inappropriate then we had every right - and even responsibility- to refuse. We were also to report any such demands if they could not be resolved on a personal level.

I didn't drop my trainer because I decided that it was only 30 days/15,000 miles and that it was not so unbearable as to risk delaying my training. If I dropped him, I may have gotten another trainer in a day or two or it may have been a week to ten days. I didn't want to risk prolonging my phase one. My goal here (immediate goal, anyway) is to get through training as quickly as possible and hopefully start making a decent living for my family back home. And, no, I didn't report him either, although I didn't exactly give the guy a glowing evaluation upon completing phase one.

I also have to make clear here that, throughout phase one, many of us who went through school together have stayed in touch. There are others who are dissatisfied with their trainers (to various degrees) but there are at least as many who came back talking about having a good or even great experience. So I don't mean to imply at all that every England trainer is a fraud who just wants free miles.

I just came back in from phase one yesterday morning and completed my upgrade this evening. I still have to say that England has carried through on what they've presented to me. I know that some folks have legitimate complaints with the company. But I also have to say that I seen alot of people come through here just looking for something to complain about. And then there are also those who are "unjustly" terminated. Take for example the lease operator that had his lease yanked today. Yeah, they actually terminated his lease after three months. All because he had ONLY (by his own admission) 8 late loads in the past 5 weeks. Surely England was out to screw him from the very beginning.

Hey...as you move on through the phases how long do you have to drive as a team driver? When can you go solo as a company driver? Are they still pushing the lease program yet?

I just got off the phone with an impatient and presumptuous female recuiter without a sense of humor at cr who said there was no minimum stay at england. All you had to do was pay off the $3000 debt.

Is that accurate or a lie?

I also heard rumors of cr england going all team with company drivers. Any input?

I can tell you the latter is true, it's on their website.

Personally think you have a great atitude towards the whole situation. Your'e mindset is the kind that all of us newbies should have. By not telling on him now he might be able to help you later. Never know. I hope you are succesful in your new career move

And please keep us posted, I will check back in a few days to see if things have changed.

There are no longer company solo drivers at England. The only way you can drive solo is to lease and - FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND - they will sometimes withold miles to lease drivers in order to get them to team-up or train. Although this latter news may be toward only select drivers rather than across the board.

The only way you can really drive solo as a company driver is to be a trainer. This way, you're allowed 30 days between students, so you can train someone, then drive solo for up to 30 days, then get another student.

There is no minimum time at England. If you quit before the loan is paid, you still have to pay it. They told us at school that the interest or final amount due will not change, but the monthly payments may increase in order to get it paid earlier. They also told us that this is wholly dependant upon whether you stay in touch with them. As long as you stay in touch and don't try to dodge them (so we were told) they'll work with you on every level.

I'm currently in Phase Two and just got home yesterday for a little home time. I dropped my trainer off in Toledo for his home time, then finished a load to Streetsboro, OH. Picked up another in Columbus and brought it to South Carolina, then headed home yesterday morning.

Phase Two is a completely different experience from Phase One for me. I lucked out and got a trainer who is a good dude, is easy to get along with and wants the experience to be a positive one. And it is. We're more like a team than trainer/student, both pulling our weight and getting up to help each other out when needed.

I've been watching the trucks on the road and never seem to see as many trucks on any one run from any other company than England. I know we haven't been slow on getting loads, although only a couple we're really tight on time.

I did find out that I was lied to by my recruiter about the way phase two pays. I was told that during phase two, there is a minimum weekly amount of $550 and max of $650. Turns out there is no set amount. It pays just a straight $0.12 per mile. If you get good miles with your phase two, then you make good money (for being in training.) If, on the other hand, you get a trainer who likes to hang out in truck stops and be late on loads or even just take the full delivery time (and there are some out here) then you're likely to not make much of anything. Be picky about who you agree to ride with for that 60 days.

Thanks Ed for posting this thread. I am getting in to the business for the first time, and I think I am going to go with CRE. They seem to be a good company. Quick question for you " are you required to be on the road for 30 days are can the training be shortened?"