My experience with CRST

stingdar · Jan 18, 2014

TheLuckyTrucker said: ↑

There was one guy who everyone thought would fail, when he got back from his test, he told me he stalled 12 times, hit 2 curbs and rolled a stop sign, and he passed. Oh em gee.
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Wow. I know on my CDL license test, our tester from the state told us if we stalled once we fail.
I always heard horrible things about CRST. I was also told never to go through a trucking companies school. I went to Truck Driver Institute in Oxford, Al and we had tons of driving and backing up to make us feel comfortable driving. Even my trainer at Roehl said he new that's where I came from before he even asked the school I went to because he said that is the only school that students come from that he did not have to teach how to drive.

TheLuckyTrucker · Jan 20, 2014

stingdar said: ↑

Wow. I know on my CDL license test, our tester from the state told us if we stalled once we fail.
I always heard horrible things about CRST. I was also told never to go through a trucking companies school. I went to Truck Driver Institute in Oxford, Al and we had tons of driving and backing up to make us feel comfortable driving. Even my trainer at Roehl said he new that's where I came from before he even asked the school I went to because he said that is the only school that students come from that he did not have to teach how to drive.
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Yeah, CRST's school really just looks at students as dollar signs. Then after the school passes them, making bank on untrained students, CRST expects you to know everything right away. Then if you quit or get fired, for not knowing what you are doing, before your contract is up, you owe CRST money. It's pretty clever, really. It's a win/win for CRST and their School, but a huge loss for students and anyone who happens to be driving on any major freeway in America. CRST really should be looked into. When I worked there, every night they would send updates on the Qualcomm about who got into accidents or who got tickets. Almost every single update showed at least one accident. There were a few roll overs. Now, to CRST, a few roll overs seems like nothing compared to how many trucks they have. But, there are people inside of those trucks. People that they did not train properly. This company shouldn't be allowed to "train" anybody.

Lucky

rockstar_nj · Jan 21, 2014

TheLuckyTrucker said: ↑

So, I would pull over for a couple hours for sleep. But, the whole time that Qualcomm was going off with messages basically wanting me to get back on the road.
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Yeah... If I'm sleeping, the volume is all the way down on that thing, and unless I'm waiting for a phone call, my phone's ringer is off, and vibrate is off.

I was woken up at 5AM one day to 5 qualcomm messages and 2 voicemails asking me why I wasn't moving. At the time, I was 24 hours into my reset, just needed to sit to the next morning. I was getting 0 hours back at midnight that night, and I had about 80 minutes on my 70 hour clock. They actually expected me to start my clock to drive less than an hour down the road.

I'm convinced that none of them understand the HOS laws.

TheLuckyTrucker · Jun 2, 2014

Hey guys, just a quick update. I am doing fine, never heard anything since from CRST. I still have my apprenticeship and started my own side business and am in full time college. Been busy so haven't had time to check on here in a while. I saw a CRST truck pull into my local walmart parking lot yesterday and it reminded me of my post on here, along with some not so happy memories of my short time with that company.

The driver of the truck pulled in to the parking lot with what seemed like all the room in the world on all sides and all he had to do was pull straight in against a curb to park, instead he pulled in the middle of the parking lot and tried to parallel park it against the curb. He wasn't delivering, just resting. But, it took him about 20 mins or so before he got frustrated and I noticed the truck jerking around, so I walked up to him and gave him my advice, why make a situation more difficult than it has to be. I told him he should have just pulled straight in, he had the space to do it. So he ended up backing all the way out and pulled straight in against the curb.

When he got out he thanked me and asked if I drove, I told him I used to drive for CRST. I asked how long he had been driving and he said 20 days. He said his trainer doesn't show him anything and the school sucked. He said he needed help backing but his trainer only wakes up to drive and eat. So I told him to hop in the truck and I would teach him something. Now, the parking lot at this Walmart is giant, seems like overkill since I live in such a tiny town lol so no cars were in this side of the lot. His trainer was asleep through most of this, but I had the driver get in the truck and slowly walked him through backing the truck into a dock. The docks at the walmart on this side were closed and nobody was around so he got a lot of practice. Within about 30 mins he was doing it all by himself, like a pro.

His trainer woke up and couldn't believe it. I told the trainer he shouldn't be a "trainer" if his student is going to have to get his training from a random guy in a parking lot while he sleeps. The driver was very thankful and offered me $20 for my help, I told him no, with the way CRST pays, he is going to need it more than me. He couldn't believe that in just 30 minutes I taught him more than he learned in the 2 weeks he was at ASD, the trucking school CRST sends you to. I haven't drove in about a year now, and had limited experience as a driver, but I still remembered the right techniques. Sad to see CRST still treating new drivers the same way they did when I was there a year ago. They should make all trainers video record their training or something because otherwise, it seems like they are just using the student to make extra cash and not teaching them anything.

Just wanted to update you guys, hope you all are staying safe out there, you guys keep America moving.

Express12$ · Mar 16, 2017

Hey thank you for writing this review on CRST. I read all of it I went through point-by-point and your writing is very impressive and easy to understand. You know the funny thing is I'm speaking and the Google is typing whatever I'm saying into this comment and because my phone keyboard so small lol.I'm not typing I'd rather just speaking into the into the phone. I'm trying to I'm struggling really struggling to get a CDL CDL commercial license. I could not find any company that would accept me hi I contacted all the local companies in my state they have nothing for me period I have when I was 18 I sales fake ID at the bar and I order fake ID for people through the internet for many friends from school . My state charge me with the selling fake IDs which is felony it was ridiculous I didn't have a choice enough money to defend myself so I end up going to jail prison workhouse I did 14 months. It was my mistake you know at the same time it hurts my Trucking career. I call or contact to CRST and several other companies explain to them my background none of them would accept me with a felony. I love doing all that's really doing very good job I work for social service but I want to the truck is so I'm thinking about going to CRST that's what I Google CRST into this phone I'm very very surprised to see a lot of complain about this company and no I don't know if I should go I have to be there by the 28th of this month.

TheLuckyTrucker said: ↑

I kind of figured someone will eventually come across this and defend CRST. Honestly, I have nothing to gain from writing this. I am no longer in the trucking industry. I just wrote exactly what I went through in my time with the company. I just wanted to give people a heads up of how things are run there. If you are expecting a great school with 1 on 1 instruction, sorry to tell you, this company does not offer that. During my in cab inspection, the "instructor" was texting on his phone the entire time. Not listening to a word I said. I even said during my inspection, just to see if he was listening, "I check the injection progression dispenser to make sure it is functioning properly." and the guy just said, "very good, next.." he never once looked up from his phone..

Honestly, I wanted to be a trucker. I knew the pay was low, but I didn't think a company could get away with this kind of stuff and still be in business. I tried my best at this company. I didn't want to quit, but the way I was talked down to and treated at this company, I have to much respect for myself to stay with a company like that. I have been proud to tell people my whole life that I never quit anything. But, I was not about to continue going through the BS with CRST.

I hope the best for everyone, wether they choose CRST or a different path. I'm happy for the people who say they like CRST. What works for some might not work for all. If you can live with $100-150 a week, be away from family for 28 days at a time and trust your life to a total stranger, maybe CRST will work out for you. But, honestly, McDonalds pays the same and treats you like more of a person than CRST. I have never worked fast food, but I am pretty sure they don't play games with you and run you ragged. And you will have a guaranteed paycheck every week, unlike CRST.

Good luck to all the newbies out there wherever you choose to go. Just make sure you do a ton of research and get opinions from actual drivers from whatever company you choose.

Lucky
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diesel drinker · Mar 16, 2017

TheLuckyTrucker said: ↑

Yeah, if I knew then what I know now lol. But, really I just wrote this for other people who are considering this company. I don't want anyone else to go through that. Not saying they will, just letting them know it does happen. Also, other people from my class who quit after I did had their own bad experiences, some of which I witnessed myself. 2 of my friends had horrible trainers who just used them for the extra pay, didn't teach them anything. 1 of my friends who was half white and half mexican had a racist trainer. The trainer was mad that the guys were taking so long to load their trailer and the guys loading it happened to be mexican. Well, the trainer didn't realize my buddy was half mexican, he really didn't look it but is proud of his heritage. The trainer made some really offensive remarks and my buddy walked off the truck.

The best advice I can give people wanting to get into trucking is first of all do NOT sign a contract. CRST has the shortest contract, but beware. Also, do NOT believe anything CRST recruiters tell you lol. I was told I would start out with 31 cpm for signing up for the Reefer fleet because I turned them down when they wanted me to run Dry Van for 22 cpm. I agreed. When I got there they still told me the same thing. Then, when it came time to sign the contract on the last day, it said I would only be getting 22 cpm. I asked the woman in charge, I went to her office and she looked at the paper saying I would only make 22 cpm like everyone else. Now this is exactly what she said. She said, "this says 22 cpm because you will be going with your trainer, sign your name here, it doesn't show that you will make 31 cpm on this paper but when you get back, come speak to me and I will adjust it right.".

I honestly couldn't believe she told me that lol. These people really are so full of themselves they think they can tell you any BS lie and you will eat it up. So I went and got 2 of my friends to come back to her office with me and I recorded her saying it again. Just to have proof. Well, needless to say it was a straight up LIE lol. I signed pretty much knowing that, but since I went through the schooling and 3 weeks of hell already, screw it lol. When I confronted the supervisor guy on the phone the day I quit about that, he said, "Well, obviously she lied to you, you actually believed her?". I said, "Is this how you guys run your company? You lie to your future employees and when they realize it you just sarcasticly answer like that?". I played the recording on the phone and told him others were there to hear it, he got quiet. He told me he would call me back. He did a few hours later, pretty much begging me to come back to drive. His whole tune was changed.

Honestly, I would never go back to that company. That was the biggest joke of a company I have ever worked for. I am embarrased to tell people I worked for CRST. Making 10 cpm. Starving because they have you sit more than you drive half the time. Not just because we were late due to my co-driver either. When I was with my trainer, we were almost always early or on time. We were late 1 time, due to the fact that they gave us the wrong address which was 50 miles away.. And they still made me and him sit a lot. Every customer I talked too said that CRST was a big joke to them. The Kohl's warehouse in Wurtsboro, NY even had an excessive amount of orange cones around the guard shack and when I asked why, the guard said that it was for CRST drivers. Because he said the guard shack had been hit 3 times by CRST drivers. Then the Sam Adams guys in PA told me that he felt bad because they purposely put the CRST trailers close together to make it hard on the drivers. But the guy liked me and helped me out.

Biggest joke of a company. Really dissapointed in them. I really was enjoying trucking with my trainer. Him and I were early most of the time so we would go walk around different cities and go out to eat, enjoy our meals, go hang out at the mall even a couple times lol. I saw a lot of cool places and cool things. Like, I am from So-Cal, we do not have deer, moose, bears, severe weather lol. I got to experience a lot of crazy stuff and see stuff I probably never would have without driving otr. Also, I have seen a few drivers for these newbie companies struggling to back in places around my city because their trainers suck. If I am not running late I always go over to help them. I know what it is like out there in some of those tricky areas, especially blind side lol.

Lucky
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22 CPM !!! God have mercy on us East European immigrants from Chicagoland!We can't compete with that!

OTR50 · Dec 22, 2019

I wish I was your codriver man. Im a hard runner like you and my codriver here at crst is a lazy piece of ####. Can't wait till these 10 months are up and I'm solo. But I'm guessing you're long gone from crst, as all good drivers should be. Hope you're doing better now

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