CR England - The real story

Huh? That's 35-48 cpm minus taxes....what's the issue with that? Of course, that's a company driver in ANOTHER company, not a lease driver at CRE..cut that net check in half for a CRE lease driver.

 

Hey There...
Well I am half way through school and progressing well. I passed all my endorsement tests at school and the DMV, and either Monday or Tuesday I will be taking the DMV skills test. Yesterday we went through it all for practice, I got through the straight line with 0 points, the alley dock with only 1 point for a pull up and so I played it safe and took 3 for the right turn for a total of 4 points, which is passing. (Here 10 points passes and 11 fails), as for my two class mates they both failed, one could of passed because he was only at 5 points before the right turn, so if he would of played it conservative on the right turn he would of passed but he wanted to score 0 so I would of only beat him by one, but he hit the cone for 6 points and failed. The other guy, took 5 on the straight line, took 4 pull ups at a point each and still took another 3 for being over on the blind side and going over the back on the alley dock.
I am doing pretty good on my shifting and driving around town, I have a little trouble downshifting going down hill, but over all I am doing good and the instructor told me that I should have no problems on my road test, which I believe I will be taking Wed or Thursday if I pass the skills test.

The scary thing is, is that the skills test, road test and all are no real measure of ones ability to drive a big rig, and it is only the beginning of what one needs to know and master to be a truck driver, yet, my class mates and too many others, feel that once they have their CDL they should be given a truck and allowed to hit the road.

It just seems to me that my class mates, and may others I bet as well, just do not have the true respect for these big rigs and all that is required to operate one safely. The school offered us the opportunity to come in this morning and get some extra drive time, and since it snowed last night it was a great opportunity to get some wet road experience, well I was the only one that showed up. But, that was good for me I got a whole 4 hours of road time, 2 hours of actually backing into a real dock between real trailers, not just cones, I even got to learn blind side backing and an hour at the truck stop.

I can't believe that in just two weeks I am able to back in between two trailers, that I can get around town pretty well and I can identify and name engine parts and know how they function.

I believe I am on my way to becoming a trucker because here it is the weekend and I am kind of bummed that there is no school and no truck until Monday.

Take Care
Bren

 

Young lady, you hit the nail on the head!

"The scary thing is, is that the skills test, road test and all are no real measure of ones ability to drive a big rig, and it is only the beginning of what one needs to know and master to be a truck driver, yet, my class mates and too many others, feel that once they have their CDL they should be given a truck and allowed to hit the road."

Unfortunately, with crappy trainers and a "push through" training system, many drivers never improve their skills or learn new things past what you've already picked up.

 

Hey There,
Well, I took the skills and road test Friday and...... I passed! The other two didn't so they will have to retake it next week!
Ronin, I am so grateful for your advice. I think of all that I have had to learn and how far I have come since my first 300 feet in the big rig. In the private school I am attending the student to instructor ratio is small, at most 3 to 1, and you get 1 on 1 time with the instructors, for example yesterday the instructor took me out in the 10 speed and we drove around an area with lots of hills so I could practice my up and down shifting going up and down hills, as well as learn. We drove for about an hour and then went and got the 9 speed and drove around again for about half an hour. Then I got to spend about an hour in the yard learning and practicing blind side backing with another instructor while another student went out in the 10 speed.
The first two weeks was all learning what we needed to get and pass the cdl test, The last two weeks are tougher, they put us on more difficult routes, and they challenge and test us by taking the truck out of gear while you are driving, so you get good and looking at your speed and knowing what gear to go to, We stopped at a truck stop and the instructor had me pass up the easy spots and park in a more challenging one, because I need to learn how to maneuver in tight spots.
I just don't believe I would have received the same level of training at an over crowded company school.
What I still can't understand, is the skills test is easy compared to what you really need to know and do in the real world, and the road test is a joke, with all you can do wrong and still pass. I did really well, I only took 1 point for a pull up on y alley dock and 1 on my right turn because I really didn't want to hit the cone so I didn't even try for a 0. I did very well on my road test, there was twice I had trouble down shifting (going down hill grrrrr) and the examiner asked about a sign and I hadn't seen it so I didn't know what it was, (it was a truck speed limit sign) I also went over the white line on my right once going around an on ramp curve. After he told me all that I asked if I failed and he said "No, you passed with flying colors, you can get a lot of points and still pass." So after I confirmed that I had passed and hugged him, we talked about all it would take to fail and all you could do wrong and still pass. So here is the scary thing, the other two only failed because, one or speeding, doing 45 in a 45/35 for trucks zone, an the other for speeding on the interstate, doing 68 in a 60 zone, other than that they would have passed, and I know what bad drivers they are. So next week, they will probably pass.

As for me, I am getting better and feel a bit more confident. Next week I get to take out a lightly loaded and a fully loaded trailer, and I am interested in feeling the difference. You have to pay an extra tuition fee for it, it is in their advanced training program, but, I feel it is worth it. I want to get as much quality training as I can. The other two are not going to take the advance classes, they just want their cdl.
Wow, it won't be long now and I will be on the road.

Take Care
Bren

 

12/05/2008 115.78 2213
12/16/2008 1259.07 5354
12/23/2008 788.76 2931
12/30/2008 0 0
01/06/2009 38.24 3073
01/13/2009 1588.43 5523
01/20/2009 433.07 2813
01/27/2009 857.85 3740
02/03/2009 2437.47 7585
02/10/2009 1425.22 4460
02/17/2009 1045.25 4357
02/24/2009 176.03 2132
03/03/2009 1295.11 5135
03/10/2009 559.43 2072
03/17/2009 813.65 3059
03/24/2009 210.68 2078
03/31/2009 2243.32 6712
04/07/2009 986.05 3237
04/14/2009 1304.66 5035
04/21/2009 569.77 1592
10/06/2009 0 692
10/13/2009 0 2026
10/20/2009 458.14 3645


3178.56 $744.2392 1st # avg weekly miles 2nd # average weekly check

79464 $18605.98 0.234143512 = net profit all miles.cents per mile.

Some of the poster's here know that i've posted my first year earnings while at Central refrigerated. this PALES in comaprison. anyone think i can do better elsewhere?

 

just about any company is better than England from what I hear.. I'm scared of England

 

Those numbers are horrid! I lease a truck from Hill Bros out of Omaha, Nebraska and during my first year I averaged 2,564 miles per week and my net was just north of $67,700. I'm in the middle of my second quarter (in my second year) and so far I'm a bit ahead of where I was at the same point last year.

I have a spreadsheet I posted with all my numbers; talk with Erin or Jason at HB and ask for the URL for the blog if you're interested.

Good luck,

Jim

 

Hey , thx for the comment's .

As a matter of fact, i did apply to HB. They don't hire in New York, my "legal" address. i'm working on that.

 

where can i find erin ii would like to see that spreadsheet

 

Hey There,

Well, I graduate tomorrow... I drove around town today, I drove the 9 speed and did pretty good at floating the gears, and they I drove the 13 speed, I like those 1/2 steps.
I was going to go to England to learn and train, and I am very glad I didn't. I got really good instruction at the private school, and I have decided to go with Werner for my training and experience. I hope I get a good trainer who makes me work and pushes me. I know in school it always felt they were pushing me just beyond my comfort zone, but afterwards I was grateful and better than I was the day before.
The truck they had m drive today, the 13 is an old Werner truck, only the direct an overdrive was manual not automatic, but it is the same size and style tractor with a 53' trailer.
I should be starting orientation next Monday. Dang, am I excited, and a bit nervous too. The other companies I could go with are Roehl, TransAm and a couple more that I will find out about tomorrow.

As for my other two classmates, one passed all his tests and the other hasn't, he passed his skills tests, but not the road test. So he will have to stay another week.
I gotta tell ya, I can't believe ,the one guy passed, he still can't find gears, grinds the heck out them, and is bad a backing. He also has no clue on how to use an atlas, he doesn't even know where all the states are and the log book has him completely baffled. I feel bad for his trainer. The school did all hey could, even had him come in on Saturdays and stay late a couple of times. He is a nice guy, just doesn't catch on quick. I don't think the other guy will last even if he does get his cdl. For one, he already has a list of loads he won't take, like anything under 500 miles, and he won't go east. Well, we are in Omaha NE, so that is half the country, oh and he can't do Canada because of a felony.
Wow, I am going to be on the road soon. Can't wait to start logging some miles.

Take Care
Bren