Burns Harbor on the 16th

Good luck, just don't drink the kool-aid. Hubby drives for them and it has been a real struggle.. He got out of trucking after a year with another major company and decided to get back into it 2 yrs later. I thought it looked like a good company from the advertisement on internet; didn't know they had so many trucker blog websites at that time that talked about C R E. I don't know if any of the others are any better either, and this one is based on leasing trucks as much as possible, which makes it hard unless you have a co-driver, or are a trainer.

 

hopefully my wife and I will be there for phase 2 upgrade in a few days

 

Good luck to you and the wife, you had a little experience didn't you already. Are going to have to lease or are you going company.

 

we will be leasing
yes I did this a little already
Just wanted to pipe in that we will be at Burns Harbor. I wonder if it is as much of a zoo as cedar hill and WVC.

 

I haven't really heard, husband has p/u and dropped off students there so far. He doesn't like sticking around the terminals anymore than necessary.

I think the whole organization is so dyslexic some weeks, the right hand doesn't have a clue what the left did.

You've finished the phase 2 right.

He got his truck at Burns Harbor, they did not have any of the ones he wanted ready when he leased and had to take one that he does not like. He went through the demo 6mo truck and had to turn it back in. He has an International now, their service centers are good though, they have even had one clear up around Jerome, ID where he was delivering one time. He tries to stay out of CRE shops also.

 

Burns Harbor's hotel they make students stay at is a sty, but not as bad as the old hotel in Waxahatchie(sp). SLC was decent when i trained five years ago, but I know it was going downhill the past few years the few times I had to stop there for something.

Overall, if you go with CRE, don't expect to make money. Expect to owe money when it's all said and done if you're just starting out. You have EOBRs, governed trucks, newer and newer DMs, more breakdowns with the newer style engines not working like the older pre-07 engines. Your breakeven is a lot higher. The loads are a lot worse. No more '1600mi average for solo runs' that they promised when I first started. A long load for a solo will be if you manage to get to Washington and bring Apples for wally world somewhere out east. Otherwise, it's a lot of 500-800 mile runs at best. They cut the pay for loads down as well, so to get the 'extra per mile' means the load has to be under 500 miles. They cut deadhead down and they're getting sneaky with the miles on loads.

One load I hauled, the exact same load, was listed as going to "Urbana, IL", which it was. I ran it a year later and it was listed as "Champaign, IL". That's about 9 miles they short you on pay, just to short you. But, what's funny is if you're heading west, they list the customer as Urbana.

And don't let them tell you that S&R Forwarding is in Laredo. CRE lists it as "Dolores" and pays an extra 40 miles round trip out there (you'll see most of the miles on the DH back from there). They're telling all the newer drivers that it's Laredo. It never was. I had to argue to have it changed every time I got a load down there. Otherwise, I never would accept the load.

Secondly, don't let them bully you into taking a load you can't make the delivery on. They'll tell you they'll swap you out. But, they will. With something that you'll either babysit or make no money on. Because they only care about getting that load on a trailer. You making money is not a concern. So, if you don't have the hours, just turn it down. You're under no obligation to run it. They'll try to hard ball you. But, if there really is freight, they'll have another load dispatched shortly because they will not broker out what they can have a CRE driver take.

Thirdly, watch your settlements like a hawk and make sure every receipt is reimbursed. Sure, they might pay with a comcheck, but if the receipt isn't approved, that money will come out of your pay. Non-Blue Beacon washouts, load locks, and approved tolls (I-70 in KS, I-44 in OK, all of Florida, and all bridges) are fully reimbursed. Make sure they're reimbursed. And never EVER do anything for CRE for free. They will ask you to do crap. To send faxes with scale tickets for loads (mostly beef), paperwork that other drivers have failed to give you (like not leaving the paperwork in the permit box), etc. They'll want you to pay. And will trick you into paying and then when you call them out, they'll admit that they will reimburse you. They're just hoping you don't catch it. And I've seen enough people wondering why they're not making money have stuff go unreimbursed on their settlements.

 

OH I forgot husband picked up last student at Burns Harbor, he had been there 3wks I guess. He sounds like he has a very bad cold and now husband is picking it up. Kid said the filters on the air conditioner in the motel were filthy. Make sure you check them and get some spray to kill mold and mildew and get some fresh air.

 

good times

 

Did you ever serve at Torrejon AFB in Spain?