Thinking of CR England... Advice? - Page 2 - Truckers' Trucking Forum

_ton bundle · **^ Top** #11 06.28.2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splenda

According to this site, EVERY company sucks. No matter which company it is, someone has a story of a friend's cousin's uncle who got ripped off or hated the way they were treated. I'd say, go with your best instincts. Making a little money for a year and then moving on is better than staying home unemployed and broke.

Pure exaggeration.

There are plenty of threads where complainers are called out for just being whiney. There is a lot of good info on here, but you just need to know how to read the threads and know which posters that you can trust and which ones are just flaming. There are also a lot of drivers who admit that their company isn't perfect, but still defend their company as a good place to work.

The one thing you shouldn't do is rely on you instincts as a new driver. You need to do as much research as possible and use your brain. Many of these companies have mastered the art of taking advantage of the fresh meat. CRE is at the top of the list with the lease purchase that they ram down your throat.

The real problem is that many new drivers don't look hard enough for a good company to start out with, but go with one of the first ones that pre-hire them, or come to their school. It will take a lot more time and effort to find a good company, but there are plenty of people on here that have started out with a company where they are satisfied. Here's a good example of someone who did just that... [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

If a company seems overly eager to hire you right out of school, you need to ask yourself why.

RizenPhoenix · **^ Top** #12 06.28.2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanWinkler

Hi, my name is Dan, and I am 25 years old. School didn't quite work out for me, and I have always had a fascination with trucking, and have been considering getting my CDL and starting. On Monster, I came across an advertisement for CR England, and spoke to my recruiter today. He was very eager (it's friday, he asked me if I could be on a bus to Dallas on Sunday). I did some research, and found that trucking school generally ranges from 2500-4k, so the 3k financed seemed pretty reasonable.

At first, I was sort of excited, but wanted to talk it over with my folks. Then, I found many posts on ripoffreports and here, and heard many horror stories. I couldn't help but notice, however, that most of them were from people who were leasing their trucks, and many complaints were in regards to not having much home time.

I am young, don't have any kids or a girlfriend/wife, so I honestly don't really mind being out on the road for extended periods of time. I am having a REALLY hard time finding work at the moment, and this seems like an adventure. Is CR England OK for someone in my situation (no bills, kids,etc)? What can I realistically expect to make once my training is over, money-wise?

Also, I had another little question about the physical. I HAD high blood pressure, but after changing my diet up, it is in the upper range of normal. Say I get nervous or something, and my blood pressure is a bit high at the physical, will that disqualify me? I am sorry for asking all of these questions - I planned on asking Austin (my recruiter). However, people have basically been making these people out to be crooks, so I doubt what sort of honest answer I would get from him. Any input would be greatly appreciated, guys.

You'll find that stabbing yourself in the ear with a rusty fork would be a more worthwhile experience than working at CRE. Please, wait till there is a upturn in the economy and the supply of drivers to freight flips back in the drivers favor, all you new steering wheel holders are doing is making it harder for those of us that are already out here to make a living.

SmokeMac · **^ Top** #13 06.29.2009

Another thing you can do Dan is check out all the big companies and just start applying to the ones that suit you needs. Take your time with it.

Peanut Butter · **^ Top** #14 06.29.2009

Its unbeleavable how many people come to this forum and ask questions about companies like cr england, read the bad posts which there are more than i care to read, and they still go to cr england anyway, then come back here and say how bad it was, and wish they had headed the messages here.. gee go figure. i guess they have to do the school of hard knocks, in that case pay me the money you would give away to cr england and ill give you the hard knocks myself, wouldnt be any worse, still throwing away money and not betting anywhere. If there are so many places that tell you to stay away like ripoff reports and this forum its better to listen and run to find a better company than to be with out your money and no way home.

DanWinkler · **^ Top** #15 06.30.2009

Yeah... I was talking to my dad, who is a VP at a custom millwork company, and asked him to talk to their CDL driver for me. He actually offered to teach me to drive on saturdays or whatever, and my dad was going to talk to the boss to see if I could use one of their trucks to take my CDL test. I looked up the Texas CDL handbook, and am going over that, and making sure I can answer the questions correctly. If I get my CDL on my own, will that put me in a better position to get hired by a company?

lovesthedrive · **^ Top** #16 06.30.2009

If your going to learn on the mill companies truck. I would suggest seeing if the mill will allow you to second seat in that truck after you get your license. One year of experience and you can avoid the dangers of the "bad national carriers". Who knows, maybe the mill will keep you.

ronin · **^ Top** #17 06.30.2009

Dan, that's a great way to get your license, you don't have to pay for a school or go through a "driver mill" (think puppy mill) company to get licensed and trained. The biggest thing, however, in addition to having a license, is having experience, when it comes to getting hired by ANY company. Also, most companies look for OTR experience, not local or regional daycab stuff.

Splenda · **^ Top** #18 06.30.2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmokeMac

Another thing you can do Dan is check out all the big companies and just start applying to the ones that suit you needs. Take your time with it.

Not everyone can "take their time with it" if they are out of work and desperate for a job.

SmokeMac · **^ Top** #19 06.30.2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splenda

Not everyone can "take their time with it" if they are out of work and desperate for a job.

The guy is 25 not married no kids, how many bills can he have. Worse case scenario he has to move back in with his parents for a couple weeks, not the best scenario but beats making a rash decision which he could regret for a lfe of a contract.
Dan the only problem with getting your CDL on your own is not a lot of Companies want you to have the School. Insurance Purposes

SmokeMac · **^ Top** #20 06.30.2009

Dan to help you get your CDL permit google crist cdl. They have alot of practice test. Myself I don't do real well with reading a manual and retainig the info in it. I used this site to get my Tanker, double and HAZMAT endorsements

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