CR England "refresher course"

Let me know how your experience goes and I will do the same. I am leaving to start training this weekend with USA Truck and I was also looking at CRE, but the training for USA was closer to me. Hang in there and let's prove we can survive these 'awful' companies and earn our stripes!

 

The other problem with England that I saw is the repitition. Just because you passed the test showing you could operate the truck when you arrive at the school, does not mean you wont take that same test again.

#1 you take the test showing their situations for parking and driving skills. Now you go out on the road for 3 weeks (this is what was required in 2007 no idea what now) and drive some 15,000 miles.

#2 Come back from the road with a trainer and do same test again. Now go out with some yuts whom (heard all sorts of wonderful horror stories) just got a truck and needs to turn some miles for 3 weeks. I believe they call this time seat #1. The guy your riding with passed stage #3 and still doesnt have a clue about propper driving ettiquette. One such story I heard of was the "leader" would drive down the road with a knee on the sterring wheel to hold it straight, sitting otherwise sideways in the seat looking out passenger window, meanwhile screaming at his gf because she wants him home and he is stuck on the road trying to make money. The gf by te way was on his cell phone. The seat #1 saw this turned around and went back into the bunk and closed the curtain. He learned never to watch that fellow drive.

#3 Come off the road and do test #1 again to prove you have not learned any bad habits and can go to the phase of driver.

Just because you can drive, doesnt mean you will with CR England. Please keep that in mind.

 

I went to the burns harbor refresher course. But check this out, I was one of the people who had the top average score in my class so I was moved into the flex program. It was an opportunity to get some driving experience before I graduated. I then graduated and was waiting in the motel for an instuctor for my phase 1. I then got a call from the recruiter who said that CRE couldn't hire me right now because my regular drivers license had expired in 2008 and I didn't renew it until 2009. I checked out the F.M.C.S.R. handbook and it clearly states that a company must check out the driving record for the last three years ending on the date of application for employment. What it says is no suspensions, revocations, or cancelled for cause. NO WHERE DOES IT SAY THAT IT IS ILLEGAL NOT TO HAVE A DRIVERS LICENSE FOR A YEAR. The way I see it the recruiter dropped the ball and I should not have to pay for the refresher course.

 

Ok sorry to hear about your bad luck. Perhaps you don't know this but it does happen to state that you have to have held a drivers licence for the past one year in order to obtain a cdl licence. It is a DOT requirement. It has nothing to do with the facility.

Regardless, best of luck to you. I don't think you have to pay for the refresher if they don't give you a job. That is what I have heard recently.

I am still in the training and am doing well.
Nicole

 

Fawne, having a driver's license for 1 year prior to applying for a CDL is not a DOT requirement.

CR England requires that their students have maintained a driver's license for a minimum of 3 years.

If you can find a link to that DOT requirement, it would be great.

Some trucking companies, private schools and Community/Technical Colleges will take students with a current DL, no minimum requirement for having maintained it.

 

Phase II england student right now.

In short let me say this:

Do they try to brain wash you into "Fleasing"...YES!!

Do they have company trucks if you absolutly do not want to lease?....YES!!

Do they make you take a refresher course if you haven't driven in several months?...........YES, however this seesm to be industry wide and is not the companies doing it , thir insurance carriers are making them do requalify "stale drivers".

The training pay at CRE? $430 a week for phase I, Even after taxes ande the refresher course deduction, i had not problem making ends meet and eating on the road(single withy no wife and kids, so YMMV.)

The refresher course?...Well lets just say, it taught me things i did not learn in CDL school, call it tricks of the trade about manuevering the truck during backing events.

Had great Phase 1 Trainer who actually cared about teaching truck driving skills.Am about 2/3 of the way through phase II, however you can exit early from phase II after a couple weeks if you are going to sign a lease, other wise you do 60 days(i feel this is to pressure into leasing)

Been with three "Fleasers" all of them were taking home well over $1000 bucks a week after truck expenses/taxes etc. were payed, but they all admitted they have to train drivers to make that much. CRE IS A TRAINING COMPANY and THEY KNOW IT, so outside of leasing trucks and the few hundred company trucks they know this, they accept this and know the high turnover is likely and accept that. Lets face it, no matter where you go most folks think another month or three of training is ludicris and find out being away from home doesn't agree with them and quit a couple weeks out. This si not a CRE stat this is industry wide, plus losing folks to accidents etc. and having to terminate them is par for the course.

Is there money to be made at CRE?....YES, and you don't have to lease to make it despite their constant pressure to do so, but hey even if you don't lease and don't and drive company, does learning to operate as a O/O hurt you? At least you have the training to make being an Independent with your truck down the road so you know how to budget, watch the bottom line, maintain the truck etc. So i do noty feel my time in the extra 60 days is being wasted, if i ever own and drive my own truck, i will know what to do and what not to do when and if i decide to go that route.

Are there LEAN weeks yes, a couple of weeks during phase two when you actually get payed team mileage for driving......YES, however this coming week i will be taking home a $950 check after taxes and the school payment!! ME and my trainer are going coast to coast every run latly and the miles add up.

Does being away from home for a couple months to train suck? Yes, but the way to drive and go home every night or weekend is to do your OTR time, thats all there is too it, because the local boys just do not have the money to pay the insurance premiums to bring on fresh meat from the CDL grinder, and have to demand experience to make the insurance guy smile. the way you get that is Schneider,CR England, CRST etc. thats just the way the industry is.

It's all a matter of perspective really, does the reality of the begginner trucking industry suck? YEs, but you have to bite the #### sandwich if you want the local gravy job for 6 months to 2 years.

It's all a matter of perspective, if you got a bad attitude and a "i really don't want to have to pay the dues" or a "i don't want to be here" attitude you won't make it with anyone.

I do not like being away from family and friends anymore than the next dude or damsel but if you want to be in the CDL industry it is the dues you will pay to get that local gravy run.

 

That is what I needed to hear much as I did not want to. Thanks for the hard love.

 

fireguy, thats a great and informative post. Thanks for the info.

 

Well said fireguy3. I really needed to read that. My bus leaves Saturday for England's Dallas school and after reading your post it only reinforces what I've believed all along. I am going with England to get my foot in the door in this business and drive company solo. It may not be the best situation but after months of digging and searching to find the right trucking company that would fit me, England is one of the few who do training and would allow me to run company solo after training. Thanks again & good luck out there!