CR England or CRST?

I'm looking at CRST my self. More so to get the foot in the door quickly and build OTR time.First 28 days are @$0.31/mi and $0.41/mi after a year. And their training facility is 50 miles from where I live. The state of CA may also pay for job retraining with a federal veterans grant. Good luck where ever you choose.

 

I'm just starting my second week at CRST's training center here in Cedar Rapids, IA. Both are similar in that their main training covers about three weeks (the fourth week here is an orientation for those who pass their CDL tests), and length of their student driver contracts (nine months w/England, 10 months for CRST). The biggest difference is that, with CRST, you're applying for their Expedited division, which is team-exclusive. So you will have a co-driver. Once the contract is complete, there are solo divisions you can transfer to, should you choose. Also, CRST at least offers breakfast and lunch (on weekdays), whereas you'd be on your own at C.R. England.

One recent development: CRST trains and tests on automatic trucks only. (There may be access to manuals at our overflow classes in Waterloo, so I hear.) If you wish to remove the automatic restriction from your license, you must complete at least six months OTR, request a refresher course on manual, and they'll give you a load back to Iowa. It's a three-day course, free of charge.

 

As others have stated, you can do better than the 2 you listed. It's like choosing between getting kicked in the nutz, or punched in the face.

 

You can do better than these two.

 

There’s better companies to start with, do some research here and you will see. Drivers aren’t just making things up just to bash these companies, these companies have earned their reputations.

 

I'm sure there are better companies out there. But sometimes it comes down to logistics versus cost. If I click on schools on this forum and click California I have few choices. And only one or two actually provide OTR experience. The others are 40-50 hours of combination classroom, driving training just to get the license. Why would I spend $500 in gas money (100 miles round trip each day for 3 weeks) for that, assuming I found a company that would pay to send me there, when for $750 I can go to a company mill, get dorm housing and breakfast and lunch.I also figure with a company school like CRST where you have a 28 day OTR training period and co-driver, you're probably going to get loads and miles. To me that equals experience and money. I've posted about the same thing, I'm planning on getting my CDL soon. But not many people can go without pay for 3-4 weeks, while paying to live, even if a company agreed to reimburse them. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and get through the crap to get the experience and get the rewards a little later down the road (pun intended). I know I joined the Navy in 1988 right out of high school and spent 2-1/2 years overseas as a result.

 

That's right. Usually where there's smoke there's fire.

 

Start at England and then after a year move to CRST, they'll look like the second coming.

 

Yeah... throw those 2 back in and grab two more dice (die) from the tub.

 

CRST scum bags no way! You won't make a dime. If you want to ride with a trainer for about 6 weeks then team with another student driver for 6 months at split pay of 0.30cpm...think again!