Follow me through Central Refrigerated training

We started the day off doing our backing tests. We had to do a straight line back then transfer to a parallel and finish off with an off set. We were allowed to practice once with the tester pointing out anything we did that would get marked, and then we tested. My whole group passed, and I do not believe that anyone in the class failed. Like I said before they really set you up for success and make moving the truck around a mathematic formula, which if you follow the steps will get you in the whole, or at least close, every time.
After lunch we drove in the mountains around Salt Lake City. We learned how to shift going up and down hill and how to use the Jake break. I thought it was a lot of fun and we go to see some great sights, including Olympic village. Going up in the mountains really helped alive some of my fears about driving up there. However I did get a little scared when one of my fellow students tried to upshift on a 6% down grade (A no no) and could not get it into gear. The instructor had to reach over press on the jakes, push on the students' leg to rev the engine and slam the truck into gear. I was impressed at the quick action of the instructor and the ability to do it all left handed. Great instructors here, but still a little scary nonetheless.
Road test in the morning, fingers crossed!

 

Day 12
We took our road tests today. We all passed except one. As we were all going out one on one with the tester the majority of the day was spent sitting around building 2 watching movies, smoking, chatting with the drivers and worrying about the test. Like I said we all passed except one, and I was not that one so I am happy. The tests are over and I will be getting my CDL on Tuesday all I have to do is wait. Tomorrow we have the extreme driving.
Day 13
Well the pressure is off. We get to do some extreme driving on a course. It included very sharp turns, blind backing and 90 degree backing. It was a lot of fun because it did not matter if we messed up or not we have already passed our test. However if you hit a cone you had to hop out and dance around the truck with the cone on your head. Also the one guy retested today and passed.
Thanks for the advise Big Rigg

 

Hah! This is very nostalgic. Makes me remember what it was like for me 20 some years ago.
Hope you guys have great success in your careers. Trucking has been good.

 

Day 12

One of our instructors' name is Art. Art has high expectations of everybody that is in the truck with him. Art is also passionate about each and every student he comes in contact with. Its all about being safe out there and Art stresses that throughout the training. We drove around Salt Lake City before lunch and then after lunch we headed for the mountains. Lake Jordanelle is a ski resort not too far from Mirror Lake. Beautiful driving conditions. The temp up in the mountains were about 10-15 degrees cooler than at the terminal. Everyone took turns driving the road around Lake Jordanelle (about a 32 mile loop). You go up and down 4,5, 8 and 10 degree grades. We practiced using the jake brake. The jake brake is an awesome thing! Just set up with the right gear and let the jake brake do all the work. You rarely have to touch your brake pedal while descending from the mountain top. We got out to take some pictures and Art asked me if I was ready to do my pretrip. Caught me offguard a lil but I said sure. I got form 3 which was the trailer and coupling pretrip. I passed and then finished driving my loop around the ski slopes. The other guys and girls were ticked cuz there was enough time for anyone else to do theirs. So the next day all I had to do was the road test.

Day 13

The test day is finally here! Our class has been split up into 2 groups since arriving to Salt Lake. My group did the road first and then after lunch did the pretrip. Everyone passed first go around with the driving. Did have one fail the pretrip first time but he came back after his driving test and passed the pretrip the second time.

Day 14

Sunday--everyone has the day off. Now that I look back, its amazing how far we've come! I'm still struggling a little bit with the timing for downshifting. I'm sure once I get on the road with my training and behind the wheel more, I'll pick it up and be driving like no tomorrow! Tomorrow is Monday and my class along with Moose's class converge in the orientation room. That will be our hire date for CRS. Really missing my family but can't wait to see what the future holds. Remember, short term losses for long term gains! My wife and I knew this first year will be a tough one learning to be separated but once I become an "experienced" driver, there will be options letting me be home more while making more money at the same time.

From what the other drivers told me, once you get enough hours and time, CRS really pushes to get you to become an O/O. Kind of leary about that b/c that is a 2-3 year committment but those that are already O/O really love it and are making good $$$. Will have to see.

 

Some of the Lease Op's are making ok money. None are O/O, since they do not own the truck and most never will.
The money is ok, till you have a breakdown or other down time. Even if it is warranty work, you are still down without pay, and will have some money due.
Tires are paid by driver 100%. The price is going up every few months. It is a BIG hit the first time they need to replace them.
Also 15% of gross pay needs to go towards taxes.
A solo driver will not make it in the long run. Or at least they will not make much more than a company driver, with ALLOT more risk.
This is why so many of the L/O will train. They need the money to survive and make more than a company driver. I made around 1000 per week as a company driver with Central. If I remember correctly my first full 12 months with them I grossed right about 45 or 46k. Not bad for a training company.
The solo L/O will net around 50k if they are lucky. After all the expenses are paid and taxes. My net and gross were about equal, due to the perdiem pay.

I was talking to OS&D one day when I was at Central. Due to a pallet of overage.
The lady told me about a L/O that had just gotten his truck that week.
His first load was a chicken load. When he got to the receiver he checked in and was told to back into a door.
He did this, and about 5 min later an inspector came and knocked on his door. The inspector asked if anyone had checked his seal before he opened the doors. When he said no. They refused the load.
As a L/O he was responsible for this whole load. Since it was a USDA load it could not be resold, and had to be destroyed. Driver had to pay for the load, pay for the incinerator, and unload the load.
He was billed for all of this. So first week in the lease truck and he was in the hole 40 grand.
If a company driver did this they would not have been financially held for it at all. Though they may have lost their job.
Yes, the driver made a mistake. But now they are broke for years to come.

 

id have to quit and walk away, chalk it up as a learning experience and ignore the phone calls.

 

i enjoy reading your post. i live near Atlanta,Ga and had been thinking about attending the local class. Your the first to detail your road to sucess with the company, the only info i could ever get is the negative stuff. Thanks man hope to see you on the road.