I started with them about 6 months ago now. I would like to share some facts with you all now.

Before I get into it there are a couple things that may help you decide if I am just a ticked off driver.

I work for Van-ex. My co-driver and I have reached the #2 spot on our dispatchers load board. Air Freight dept will sometimes call us before they plan a load to make sure we can take it (have hours and can make the appt). Our dispatch sent us a message yesterday thanking us for staying on the truck until we were released. It seems over half the drivers took off and went home before they were released. They had a potential load so we sat half a day waiting to see and then finally got sent home. He gave us two extra days for being the only team willing to "stick with me". Even when we are late our customer satisfaction rate is through the roof. We have been asked to rescue tractors, drivers, and of course loads. Basically we give it our best effort no matter what.

Now on to those facts.

This is your typical CDL mill company. They proudly tell you in orientation that they hire an average 100 new drivers each and every week. They only run 1250 trucks. Thats 2500 drivers in the seats at any given time. Factor in 5000 new drivers hired a year and you have a tremendous turnover. There are millions of reasons for this. But first and foremost this is the way they want it.

They make more money off hiring new drivers under their contract terms than they ever could as a real trucking company. I will gladly supply numbers to show what I mean if anyone desires.

I have been suspended twice now.

The first time was for refusing to haul a hazmat load because I did not have a hazmat endorsment. They managed to delete all those records from their system when they found out my mother in law was in the legal dept at Panther.

The second time was for refusing a load.....when I was on home time. It was a 30 mile run, for free. A favor to dispatch. I was sitting 3 hours from my truck and asked to drive the city in search of an empty and deliver it 30 miles away to a customer. Then I could resume my home time. This one just happened so the result of the "appeals process" is still to be determined.

Further they advertise 5000 miles a week average. I have run 40,000 in 3.5 months. The math says it all. I am in a truck that has a little over 500,000 miles. Last month I broke down 4 times. Each time I caught hell from dispatch for shutting down. Sorry, I find brakes important!!

My co-driver has been paid twice in 3 months. Payroll says they are looking into what happened. Yea right!

Communication between the company and the drivers does not exist. If you have a problem, good luck. Just dont be late.

We get daily qualcomm messages about acidents. Obviously we dont have them daily. But every time we do the company tells us what the driver did wrong. I dont imagine anyone here thinks the driver is at fault 100% of the time. Yes we make mistakes. But 100%? Just once it would be nice to hear them say someone else contributed to the accident.....even their own lack of quality maintenance.

Last week in the snow storms over OK, Tx I ran out of washer fluid. I stopped at a fuel stop and had some added. They refused to pay for it saying it was an "unapproved item". The last time they gave me any was in Ca....2 pint bottles of concentrate. Like to see them tell the DOT we arent allowed a clean windshield in a ice storm, or any other time for that matter.

Weather shut downs are ok. But do not be late! If you encounter a state highway that is closed that is not an excuse to be late.

Rembursments. You, the driver, pays all tolls and they pay you back on pay day. Provided you send reciepts of course. However they also tax and garnish those for child support and income taxes. Didnt think you could double tax a person. They dont admit doing this, but when I am owed money and my ex wife and the government gets it they cant hardly deny this practice.

There is one bright side to this company. IF you can make the 8 month contract you can say you have driveN the worst equipment in the worst state of repair and in the worst conditions possible. You can feel confident that you just might make it in this industry yet.

Bottom line. STAY AWAY FROM THESE CRIMINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Need help, i im still in school for CRST im training with Advanced school of driving in Fontana and don't know what to do at this point. After the training im off to CRST in Fontana, CA. I didnt go to orientation yet I'm I in a safe spot?

You know what I'll never get about disgruntled drivers, There's almost always a story about them having to buy some tiny, nearly insignificant item for the truck (Fuses, Washer Fluid in this case), and then raising holy hell when the company won't re-imburse them for it.

Its freaking washer fluid. Its not setting you back a mortgage. Guess what, sometimes the company doesn't have the time to stop what they're doing and front you $20 for a purchase at a truck stop. Thats the cost of doing business. Should you just let a company nickle-and-dime you to death? Of course not. But Washer Fluid? REALLY?

I had to buy a gallon of antifreeze for 7 bucks.
I did not go through the proper procedure to get reimbursed for it I thought all I needed to do is get a po# from my driver manager but I actually had to go through breakdown.
Did I quit because of not getting reimbursed for it nope I took it as a learning experince next time I will carry antifreeze on the truck and buy it only when I get fuel that way is alot eaiser.
My old company would let me buy 2 gallons of anything I belive it is per week for the truck during a fuel stop.
I did not work for crst but I just thought I would provide my 2 cents worth.

Big deal!! You work for a lousy company, You've made stupid decisions in life and you find the niggling reasons to gripe. Cry me a river.....
As for the poor soul in training; You've absolutely made and enormous mistake!! I feel terribly sorry for you knowing the hell you are about to live through. I certainly hope you don't have a mortgage or any obligations of any kind. If you do, they are a memory. Truthfully, CRST should recruit in homeless shelters because the biggest bulk of their people are gonna wind up that way anyway so, why not cut out the middle man so to speak?

I do not know who you are talking about in this post but if it was me I was not griping.

I just threw out an example of money I spent and did not get reimbursed for the expense.

I had problems with my truck and had a bad driver manager at the company that I was working for that was why I quit.

I was new and did not know any better I should of fired my DM and got a different truck.

I just thought oh well on the antifreeze I took it as a loss I would not even complain about replacing fuses.
I would of just went to the shop later to pick up new fuses to replace the ones that I had in my kit.

Gee, this is interesting coming from the one who doesn't drive a truck. Why don't you walk a mile in our shoes before you decide to complain about the "disgruntled drivers" you're apparently looking down your nose at?

It's the company's truck. Let them pay for the washer fluid, especially in the wintertime whn you'll be going through it like water. But, you wouldn't know that because you don't drive a truck.

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Z-Lady's devoted hubby.

You know what I'll never get about disgruntled drivers, There's almost always a story about them having to buy some tiny, nearly insignificant item for the truck (Fuses, Washer Fluid in this case), and then raising holy hell when the company won't re-imburse them for it. Should you just let a company nickle-and-dime you to death? Of course not. But Washer Fluid? REALLY?

You bet. I held a load hostage till I was reimbursed for a truck wash and two cash advance charges of $2.50 each when I hired a lumper till the money was loaded on my card. I am expected to follow company policy's so I expect them to do the same.

If It says these things are reimbursed, then they should be reimbursed the amount or what it is, is irrelevant.

The company's attitude is sometime similar to yours. Whats the big deal it's only a few bucks, or a few miles, or a few hours of local pay, detention, or layover, Right? Ad it up over a year and it amounts to hundreds if not thousands of dollars these people will try to weasel out of if given the chance. And it is not by mistake it is by design. Delay delay delay and many drivers just get tired of the hassle and give up. It is a calculated effort to reduce cost while still making recruiting and orientation promises.



You might have a point if It was a one time occurrence, but it usually is not.

I have found out in my driving career that if you give these OTR trucking outfits a inch, they will take a mile.

Oh its possible to find a company thats worse. Just won't be a large nationwide carrier. Lots of small local operators can be found that are worse.

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If anyone knows anyone who is considering CRST do everything possible to keep them away