CRST Truck Stop

OK, so my husband is in school. I'm going in January. Have gotten a lot of info regarding USX on this forum.... many a happy teams driving miles and making money... BUT I want to see what my options are regarding the bigger companies that are willing to hire newbies/help with schooling. I have heard that CRST will put me through school and I promise to give them 8 months of my life. But I looked at the website, and then I called... their pay is quite low. To get to the same pay that you start at with USX you have to be with CRST for about 5 years, if I read it right. So, is the only benefit to going with CRST the contract time and schooling? Their trucks are newer, just like USX, they claim to have long trips for teams, just like USX. ???

 

So I am hoping that some CRST veterans can help me out here. CRST is not currently at the top of my list of companies to go and get my CDL training with, but I do have interest. I have done my homework and I continue to hear terrible things about CRST. It seems so bad that I wonder how this company is still in business. I am hoping that some current drivers for CRST can give me some better insight. I don't mind hearing from Ex-CRST drivers, but I would like to get straight answers.

I look forward to some of your responses!

Thanks,

Punky74

 

This is how CRST works if you are going to do their training in Cedar Rapids. They will tell you it's all fine and dandy and how great the CR terminal is etc etc.
They will give you a greyhound bus ticket to the terminal.(Better to drive your own car will get to that later). Upon arrival at the CR terminal you will arrive with about 200+ people all trying to do the same thing you are/ already been there. You will wait in line to get your room assigned to you(3 guys per room), no T.V. or fridge in room, Just 3 twin size beds and a bench. Their is a lounge with about 2 or 3 fridges/freezers but good look storing anything in there. Got a few nice size tv's but so many people watching them you have to enjoy whatever is on. They do not feed you until orientation at 1 meal each day of it at lunch. So bring ALOT of money your going to need it.

The next day you will go meet with some people in the OPS building of CRST. There you will find out you have been shafted. They will tell you they need an application fee of $50 I think it was. The bus ticket you will pay for you calculate that right there how much it is.(Why it's better to take your own ride) Otherwise, you will be walking quite a bit around the s-hole that is Cedar Rapids.There is a short bus shuttle that will run you to wal-mart and stuff but it's a pain waiting on it. The building you moved into yesterday. Yup, you guessed it you're paying weekly rent $150. They also tell you drug screen and physical which you will take shortly after that you're paying for $50 each. It's all calculated on a piece of paper that you have to sign. It states it will be payroll deducted at $40 a week until paid off.

The whole first week. After you pass your physical and drug screening which takes hrs to do because so many people are doing it. You will have to study to get your IOWA CDL Permit. Which is 3 different tests at the DMV. Only need to pass the general knowledge to obtain it. Guess what, that comes out of your pocket to. You have to turn over your current DL in the state you reside and use CRST's address to obtain your permit. (Need birth certificate, SSC) It is also a temporary paper copy. Hard copy is mailed to your house.

The next week after you obtain your permit. You will go back over to the OPS building and meet with Kirkwood Community College to start your schooling. Here you will fill out a bunch of paperwork. The school is not that bad, but it is fast paced. If you don't improve each day their they will send you home quick. It mainly consists of very little driving maybe a hr or 2 a day. Then the rest learning the Pre-trip and phrases you have to say. If you make it thru the week at Kirkwood you are pretty much good to go. The tests you do there to obtain your Class A CDL are. Pre-trip test, Skills tests(Front bumper stop, Right hand turn, Straight line back, Alley Dock), Road test. After you pass Kirkwood you go back to the DMV and pay more $$ for your CDL, which is also a temporary Iowa.

Next week, you will start CRST orientation for 3 days(unpaid). Really boring as well.Sign your 8 month contract. After orientation you will get matched with a trainer for 28 days. Some will pick you up in Cedar Rapids. Others, you have to get a rental car with about 4 others and go meet them.( I had to do this). When I went thru training pay was $50 a day. Now it is .22 a mile. You will start out really broke. I am not gonna lie to you. You will have a hard time getting a good paycheck for the first 6 months. Not many people make it and quit. Then CRST sends them a fat-### bill.

I did my 8 months there and I was out! Hopefully this answers some of your ?'s on what to expect when you go to CRST.

 

This aspect is something nobody clearly discussed when I read the board discussions here before I went to CRST. Also, nobody at the company or Kirkwood will tell you either. Specifically, you have 4 sessions (@ 1 hour behind the wheel Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri.) That's 4 hours -- 5 hours if you're really lucky -- to make it or get kicked out. If you have not mastered shifting (double clutch) and driving by then, say adios! In addition, you get to pay $5 grand for the privilege of getting bounced from the program cuz you have to repay everything CRST fronted for you.

If they kick you out at the end of that week, they'll pay for the bus ride home for you. If you give up -- as one man did -- and said he wasn't going to drive again, they refuse to pay for your bus ticket. The guy got stranded until he could find someone to help him get back home. This is not an isolated incident.

I got very sick and only drove 20 minutes Tues and Wed. Again, neither the teacher nor the school explains that you only have those 4 days to get everything. They came and said "you need to get your skills up." By the end of that week for me, I had a total of 1 hour 50 minutes. It was clear I had been very sick. Despite that, they refused my request to continue.

It's shameful.

 

Couldn't agree more..

 

Wow, that is all very scary information. I really appreciate your insight on your CRST experience. I find it very scary that you get only 4-5 hours of actual behind the wheel instruction over the course of a 2 week schooling! That is crazy.

Thank you to all of you!

 

i came in with my cdl already but had to do refresher, that was second to last week of august. since getting off leads truck theyve been running me constant, im not complaining, rather that then sitting doing nothing. im generally happy so far no pay screwups and get what im expecting so. just ready to get home. they tell you at most two weeks out after lead to get home...bull...im on week two and got one more till home...oh well, as long as im making money ill be happy, yeah CR is a pain but there is a bus system. all in all its been a positive experience for me.

 

I actually got about 2-3 hours of drive time a day the first week, & we practiced the CDL test route a few times the second week. Also, my bill after I was dimissed from orientation because my recruiter witheld info on my app that (unknown to me) put me outside the hiring guidelines was just under $3000 instead of $5000.

 

Are they still using England's Training Facility and Yard in Mira Loma?