C.R. England and Sons, Inc. - West Valley, Ut.

Recruiters are like horse traders, --- it's not only what they say
but what they DON'T say that speaks volumes.
Be especially aware of recruiters who claim they were once
Big truck truck drivers.
They have more experience pulling the wool over a wannaBee's eyes.
Especially those who don't know what to ask or look for.
Get it all in writing.

 

As of last week, cr was backlisted at over 400 drivers wanting company positions. They dont announce anything about no positions for company drivers but they dont have them. Of course they hold alot of information back from us. And somebody tell me why we as trainers have to pay the income or a !!!!!student!!!!! And not cr england pay that bill cause they are supposed to handle the curriculum that students are paying for. Such as oh i dont know.....like train them to drive. We are paying all the wages for students and not cr paying their 2 cents like they proclaim. Let me be clear, this is not a problem because of the students, it is because of those corrupt greedy ######## of cr england!

 

You got that right. Get it all in writing!!! Of course, good luck getting them to put it in writing.

 

All Trucking Companies with more than 200 units are following the industry model. Beat up the poor drivers! The list includes any company that advertises in those CDL Websites, Trucking Magazines, Truck Stops, etc, etc... Yet Millions of drivers work for these Big Slim Bags.

The worst thing a company can do is force a Driver to violate the DOT most abused Rule, The HOURS OF SERVICE. Stop allowing them to Abuse YOU! Keep your logs legal. Make sure your well rested. Super Truckers are History, the Concrete Cowboys are a dying breed. The DOT and The CSA 2010 will punish those who run illegal... Your well being is the last thing on any one list at SLC.

C.R. England is a Capitalistic Caorporate Entitiy that has but one Mission, and that is PROFIT. There will always be some ROOKIE trying to get a JOB driving a Big Truck and will have to use CR England to get his 1st year Experience.

I see Daily "Poor Driving Habits" by 90 % of the CR England Drivers and that is because the average driver has less that 3 years out here and has or had inadequate training regarding how to manage space around his/her truck... I avoid driving next to England Trucks when ever possible even if it means slowin down, LOL...

 

i went through school with england, what a joke, did get my cdl thats all the good i could say for it, when i finished i opted for company driver, my pay checks were never right, my home time was none, my dm sucked, the facilities at all terminals were a joke, most of the time i payed for my own motel when i had to stay for anything. i was deeply disapointed in the whole experience and when i finally made it home i was almost hospitalized because of sickness that my dm new about and still refused to let me go to the hospital. i am glad to be gone from there but here lately i am wondering if all the trucking companies are the same, i left england and took a job with truck movers in kansas, pay was great but advances were not enough to even live on, was treated like crap there also. just was hired with a company called pam transport, if this goes south i think i may also!! hopefully they are better here...

 

oh yeah btw even as a company driver they still took money as if i were leasing, still trying to get that back....good luck i know....

 

Reading your post, I can feel your frustration, Pop. But painting "all" Big truck truckin' companies with a wide brush isn't really an accurate statement. Whereas I will agree with you that there are too many of the larger truckin' companies that are taking advantage of wannaBees who seek training, not "all" truckin' companies with more than 200 units are involved in that practice.

Careful and thorough research is the best way to weed out those companies that profit by taking advantage of wannaBees and/or newBees. Too many folks either hire on with the first truckin' company that shows interest in them, or they make their selection from a list of the worst truckin' companies in the industry without researching them first before signing the dotted line. Once the ink is dry they discover they've made a mistake. But by then it's too late, ....... they're committed.

With all due respect, I don't think that's the "worst" thing a less than repeatable truckin' company can do to a driver. Not paying them what they're owed comes to mind. No truckin' company can "force" a driver to violate the HOS, a driver first has to make the decision to allow that to happen.

I can agree with that, Pop. Sometimes, the only way to prevent such abuse is to terminate employment with truckin' companies that dispatch loads with tight, impractical schedules. But even doing that, a driver takes the chance a slime-ball truckin' company will ding their DAC just because they can, ..... and get away with it.

I'm not sure how you define "Super Truckers" and "Concrete Cowboys". As it stands, I'm reading that the days of freedom are rapidly coming to an end as we encounter ever more government control over our actions. Violating HOS doesn't necessarily indicate an unsafe condition. Rather it can be the opposite. For those who welcome more government control, please name for me three things the government does well. And y'all still want more government in y'all's life?

As I understand it, which isn't always easy when it comes to government rules and regulations, is that CSA 2010 will also punish the truckin' companies with drivers not in compliance. Question is, does the government have the resources to enforce the new rules? If they somehow do, consider the costs to the taxpayers as the government continues to grow into every facet of our daily lives. When the government has total control over our actions, will we be satisfied?

I'm certainly not a fan of C.R. England due to their company practices, however "profit" is the main reason why ANY company or corporation is in business. Employers won't last long unless they realize a profit and, in that regard, are no different than their employees. When C.R.E., or any company, withholds a driver's pay, read profit, said driver finds it next to impossible to exist.

Unless I'm not aware, C.R.E. doesn't hold a gun to the heads of potential employees. C.R.E. doesn't force ANYone to sign the dotted line. That's a decision the potential employee makes on their own. They do NOT "have to use" C.R. England as a stepping stone into the Big truck truckin' industry. One of the many choices they have is to choose NOT to sign the dotted line. Ignorance is a good excuse for doing so, but only if one has a good excuse for being ignorant. Not researching what they're gettin' into is not, IMO, a good excuse. Those who do take the necessary time and steps to become aware of what a company is all about usually don't sign on with companies with revolving doors and a high failure rate.

Again I sense your frustration, Pop, ........ but is 90% really accurate?

If avoiding C.R.E. Big trucks makes you feel safer, by all means do that. Just don't slow down so much that you become a problem for those sharing the highways with you.

It's been my experience that the majority of C.R. England drivers are just good people who had the misfortune of believing that C.R.E. is a good place to get a start, especially those who buy into their lease program without adequate knowledge of how a small business should be run. Those who think like company drivers when leasing are setting themselves up for a hard fall and failure. For C.R.E. to encourage newBees with very limited Big truck truckin' experience to be their own boss is, IMO, a dis-service. And anyone with such limited experience who thinks they'll succeed in an industry they have practically no experience in has a fool for a boss.

For every rule there seems to be an exception though. For those who have business smarts and cash behind them to see them through as they gain experience have a better chance for success. However, those with no banked money, living from paycheck to paycheck, as too many company drivers seem to be doing, is a sure fire way to fail. If they don't realize that, I think it's C.R. England's responsibility to stress that point and not encourage good folks to bet the farm, ..... only to lose it all in the end. THAT should NOT be allowed. Yet we read of that happening on a regular basis.

Yet with all the examples to be read here and other places, otherwise good folks take the bait thinking it'll be different for them, ..... only to realize, often too late, that they've become another statistic in a growing number of failures. They're warned, and still jump off the high-dive into the deep end of an empty swimming pool.
Look before y'all leap folks.
The warning signs are there.
NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY
JUMP AT YOUR OWN RISK.

 

Are you tellin' us that you're not properly trained as a Big truck truck driver because C.R. England's training program is a "joke"?

Why on Earth did you sign the dotted line in the first place, MTD?

Your DM is hundreds, if not thousands of miles away. How did your DM prevent you from seeking medical attention?

Of course not all truckin' companies are the same. It would be absurd to think they are all the same. With proper research, that becomes evident. It amazes me how so many folks don't properly research things that will affect their lives in big ways. They just jump in head first and hope for the best. It's YOUR life folks. Be aware that there ARE companies just drooling to get your signature on that dotted line. Recruiters are paid according to their results. They'll tell y'all ANYthing y'all wanna hear so they can make a buck, ...... read profit. Whether y'all make it or not, they collect. Those who study and research the various truckin' companies know what to look for in a company and the right questions to ask, ..... and know when a company is blowin' smoke up where the sun don't shine. If shady, low-life recruiters were honest and told only the truth, how many signatures do y'all reckon they'd get?

The object is to not have to depend on advances to live on. It's imperative to learn how to budget.

If their advances weren't enough for you to live on, chances are you're not the only one realizing that. How many of the company's drivers did you talk to first before signing on, ..... thereby agreeing to the company's terms?
More than five, ....... or less than one?

If you continue to jump from one questionable truckin' company to another questionable truckin' company, pack your bags. Just remember, the farther south y'all go, the warmer it gets. Pack and dress accordingly.

BTW, how many PAM drivers did you talk to prior to signing PAM's dotted line?
More than five, ....... or less than one?

The machine y'all are sitting in front of provides a marvelous opportunity to do proper research of most anything in the world, including Big truck truckin' companies. Combined with live interviews of current drivers within any company is another way to arrive at the truth of the matter. How anyone with a computer at their disposal can say 'I don't know' amazes me and is a cop-out. It's up to y'all to research things that will affect y'all's lives. Nobody can, or will, do that better than y'all. Don't expect others to always have your best interest in mind. Take control or your own destiny. Don't trust others to do that for you.
When lack of research results in failure, whom is really to blame? :smt102

 

Well, read your contract. You are "employing a driver provided by the company." CR England doesn't pay for ****!!!!

 

After.... I just turned down an offer from England.

Many O/O I have encountered look down on the Large Carriers(Swith, Knight, JB, England etc, etc. and I agree with them and the disapointment and frustration caused by so many of the Large Carriers. Obviously, Many drivers out here have found a good place to work. But the you know the New Guys have to suck it up to get a start in the business. These are tough times and it seems unfair that the drivers are treated so badly by these "Big Truck" Fleets. I took me three years to figure out the Big Ones are all the same, and the smaller fleets treat drivers with more respect. It is sad drivers can be blacklisted and have their miles cut and/or reduced to force them to quit.