When I was training there was a coworker that I had met that had slipped on ice in a warehouse at a Walmart. She was about to loose her truck. Seems she was too proud to file for bankruptcy. The only saving grace she had was that her closer CR friends were helping her to some degree, as she only had 6 months left on her contract.

Something about, if you complete your purchase, only then do you become a actual trusted employee of CR, the rest are just drivers with a loan.

Mind you this is only heresay

I heard that after the Big truck becomes the property of the driver,
C.R. England will issue the driver a
surplus WWII parachute.

__________________
Pontificating Dogmatist

My husband is considering CRE and after reading all of the negative.. FINALLY.. A POSITIVE attitude and statement about CRE. Are you still happy with them or was it just a dream? My husband doesn't have his CDL and needs to work with CRE for a year or two. I don't want him to trash his job making OK money to make only in the $28K range.. do you think with a positive attitude he can make around $40K? What are your toughts.. I love a great attitude!

Welcome to the forums, SGentry.
What's up?I believe in miracles. EXCELLENT questions! Me, too!
We oughta get along fine.

An open mind is an advandage to have.

__________________
Pontificating Dogmatist

Personally? If he makes 28k a year? If it is something that isnt likely to boot him in any near future? Stay with the off the road job. If he loses the job? ok you could consider driving. But the real question is, when you go on a trip, is he willing to ask for directions, or does he try to bluff his way through? If visiting new places becomes stressfull (yelling, easily upset, tells you to clam up while he contrates) its doubtful he will like driving.
Driving a big rig sometimes means you have to drive some 5 miles if you overshoot a turn. Then its a real trick too get turned around. Shopping malls are ideal, factory parking lots are better.

My suggestion is, if he must get his CDL, do it throug a private school. Learning to drive a big rig is pretty stressful. The orientation from CR is top notch. Learning about rested sleep and how to deal with what to eat to keep you going at night is a real plus. However, the people that I saw trying to learn to drive at CR were usually reduced to mush mentally.

Speaking of orientation, be prepared to virtually go to a bank. There is a mountain of paperwork, about 2 inches thick. Doesnt matter if you are going company (.27 cpm) or fleece (fleet lease). During orientation he will learn the average a driver will only see maybe 500 miles a day. The others on this board may roll their eyes and say its a bit more, what ever, I am just trying to be objective here.
Also during orientation they wanted $500 for schooling, even if you dont make it you still are obligated to pay this. Granted I paid for it out right on creditcard.

There are good trainers, and there are some really rotten ones on CR's team. Just remember, its a job, and how much do you want it? CR is going to cram down your through the need for team drivers. They will try to sell you on more money, better routes and so on. Its up to you. Personally on the fleece? I wouldnt want team driver. That other guy doesnt pay the costs you have for him wrecking the truck. That still comes out of his pocket.

Home time. Not likely. Most trucking companies want some one whom is going to live on the road. If your relationship has it that works better with him away, go for it. Yet if he likes the home comforts of sleeping in a quiet room? Pffft, its gone, wait till he hears that compressor kick on 4 times at night.

Trucking has to be in your blood. Its a solo job. Look up gunney28 on you tube. Mute the sound (he plays music in background). Watch some of the parking manuevers, alot of what is there is the real thing. Tight yards with little manuevering room.

Only real nice thing I saw with CR was a job that let you drive on a true dedicated route. Point A to point B to point C then maybe back to A. To me this was important. I like to know the customers. Its important in my book to be able that on both sides we know what to expect. Alas I have not found anyone that can or will fill that expectation.
Perhaps its just me.

Managers will be a pain no matter where you go. Some are nice, yet most are just plain... well difficult. They have stresses just like us. Unfortunately they dont always realise what it is they are telling us. To them we are just a computer screen print out with attitude. I try to be as polite as possible, yet there are some real ######'s out there that just dont care. If you get your loads there on time, they are not quite so bad.

Hope this helps

I work with CR England. Would I recommend the company. No in a word. It is a place to get a start though. You get a lot of second seat experience. I suppose that is what you make of it though. When I get more experience I will look for other avenues of employment. The company is large but I have worked for large companies before but they treat you as if you wore simply an announce to them. As far as bad hotels and long bus rides those things are not relevant to me. The company is geared towards leasing you a truck. I have been with three different trainers now and they all say they make money. $1300 week is the average. But they stay gone and they train. Is this a good deal. I do not think so. Out of that 1300 they have to pay for taxes and medical insurance that is not discounted and 12% Social Security. As far as I am concerned it was my foot back into the industry. I guess that is why they say Every New Guy Last Around Ninety Days (ENGLAND). Overall I would not recommend this company if they could be avoided. I do not get the feeling they are an honest or a trust worthy company. What the hell is wrong with the trucking industry?

They ought to be forced to tell the truth on the rear of their trailer train, lease, drive, go broke.

I disagree with you about that. They are very strait forward with people and their lease. They say stay gone for 4-6 weeks and you will make money. I think I would agree with that. The company does not have a lack of miles but they do have lack of respect for their employees. I think the lease is a bad idea but the alternative is to drive for 26 cents per mile. You have 2-3 months of experience by the time you are done with training. Everyone who is leasing says they make 2k a week. (Delusional People). So you have a choice work for 26 cents per mile, lease or go to another crappy company because you do not have the experience. What do you suggest they do. I would say suck up the 26 cents a mile, keep your eyes open for another company and move on when you can.

Keep up the good work biker at least they didn't train you then say hope you find a job thats what happened to me but thats all good most of that is my own fault

You disagree with whom about what? If that's true, it doesn't say much about the intelligence of those who C.R. England hires. "Gone" where?
Off the end of the Earth?
C.R.E. gets THEIR money right off the top.
Whatever, if any, that's left over is the flease driver's.

"Stay gone for 4-6 weeks"?
Then what?
Half a day at home?
Don't stop drivin', driver ---
or y'all will NEVER catch up. Seems C.R.E. convinces many to "agree with that".
On a daily basis, no doubt. Uhhhhh, which world are you livin' in?
Nearly ALL the truckin' companies are experiencing "lack of miles" now-a-daze. I think that's putting it mildly.
I'm thinkin' it's more like disdain and/or contempt. BuT WAIT!
C.R.E. tells folks that it's a GooD idea. YuP!
IF y'all last that long.
If not, what then?
With a dinged DAC, who's gonna hire a newBee with very limited training?

OH!
BTW.
If C.R.E. cans y'all --- y'all will STILL owe C.R.E. for the 'training' y'all received.
Or, didn't receive --- as the case often seems to be.

Do You Feel Lucky?
~~ Clint Eastwood -- Dirty HarryYa reckon?
Do those "Delusional" fleased drivers mention how much of that "2k a week" C.R. England skims off the top?

Or, that to realize that kinda money the fleased drivers are C.R.E. driver trainers, letting newBees tear-up THEIR (the fleased driver's) Big truck, --- rather than a C.R.E. Company Big truck.
And did they mention WhO pays for the repairs on the leased Big truck (from C.R.E. --- who STILL owns said Big truck 'till it's paid off in full --- if ever. And who WILL charge a fee for ANYthing THEY say is wrong with the Big truck if it's turned in before the flease is fulfilled?
To be re-fleased to another starry-eyed newBee,
over and over and over again.)
Read the FINE print Another choice would be to NOT try to get into the truckin' industry at this time, or even at ALL.
EVER. Well, ....... the right thing comes to mind.

Look at it this way ---- as long as there are those folks willing to put up with C.R. England's bovine excrement, and/or shabby treatment, lies and rip-off business practices, C.R.E. will continue to get away with what they do.

If MORE folks would just say
HaiL NO!
We ain't gonna take it no more, ----
there'd be no more C.R. England
anymore.
C.R.E. done bit the dust.
PaTooiE!

What if NObody applied at C.R. England
at ALL?

Then, C.R.E would either have to become ethical, or find Big trucks that drive themselves.
No more revolving door of starry-eyed wannaBees to be fleased, one way or the other.

Well, ....... unless C.R.E. dispatchers come out, come out,
wherever they are, --- from behind those metal detectors they hide behind,
and grab a steering wheel,
and perhaps their ankles.
MAYbe those armed C.R.E. guards would take a shot at it, too.

HuH?
NO!
Not the exposed buttoxes.
Drivin' a Big truck.
Load-Lock and go.
Makin' the Big BuX.
Ya reckon. And some would say 26 cents a mile, ...... sucks.
With most ANY other trainin' truckin' company, I might agree with you on that.
But many trainin' truckin' companies are plagued with problems and they pass said problems on to their employees, ---
drivers and office workers alike, .....
or dislike.
All depends.

As I see it, THE 'problem' is that there are too many folks who DON'T research their options very well, if at ALL.
Instead, they just jump in with starry eyes wide shut
as they shoot for the 'projected' monetary target.

But, a good marksman needs their sights to hit the target with any degree of accuracy.
When blindfolded --- or blind-SIDED ---
what are the chances that marksman will hit the
bullseye?
Rather than the bull's excrement?
Could even be a horse's askme no questions.
I'll tell you lies anyway.
That's the kicker.
Both hooves right betwixt the starry-eyes.
Coo-Coo --- who turned out the lights?

Will they hear it through the BO-Vine?
The EEEK-Quine?
Or through the Grape-Vines of Wrath?
Either way, I hear it's the Rage.

OH!
BTW, Arthur,
Welcome to the forums!
It seems we share a name in common.
EVERYthang I do, is a work of
Art, too.

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Pontificating Dogmatist