If you love your wife, avoid CR England

I banged my hat on the bar in the 80's. 2 greenhorns in a huge tractor is a death move. Summer maybe, Winter no way. At least Pumpkin & JB don't do that. (I hope) I fear no one, A pay raise with out skill, Is like an accident I had to investigate. Wash boy to Owner, Can't stand bute kissing so I left a job as Safety.

 

After speaking with him today, the offer is still on the table if he decides he wants to make a switch!

 

I say this. If you get the opportunity to learn something you desperately want to do, Do it. They can take your pants, & hat, BUT they can't take your skill. Most every truck is the same. My truck has enough gears to make a budge in my Jeans. But I know 65 won't get me tickets. I thought I was never good enough. Deep in me. The thing is to large for a person to control, so we do the best we can. If Your a Driver, You will know it. If Your not, You will Know it also. I love it almost as much as life it's self. That's just Me.

 

I bought my truck with CRE about a year before they made the requirements even harder to purchase the truck. When I bought it you just needed the $7K down. They changed that to a % and I remember one guy in the container division I used to see at the port all the time told me England wanted $14,000 down on his Cascadia. Horizon did not even tell him that they changed the parameters on him. He found out a couple of days before his lease was up.

There was also some other things they added like you could not have any negative settlements within the last 3 months or you weren't allowed to purchase your truck at the end of the lease.

When I was at England I jumped around different fleets for awhile until I found the one that worked for me. The container division, in my experience, had the best miles and about 75% of the loads were d&h. I spent my last two years with England in that fleet. I remember when I told my DM I quit she just said okay and that was that.

 

If this is where you have ended up you should not be in business for yourself, have him be a company driver. Being in business takes research, planning and decision making...and the strength to end what isn't working.

 

If it were me and FCL sounded serious about having me, and I lived nearby like you folks and I were making negative settlements from CRE and a truck possibly waiting for me at FCL... hell, I'd consider hitchhiking home if necessary. Uh, after turning truck in properly and donating my gear to Goodwill or a newbie. Maybe ask FCL or local church for help with GrayDog ticket, TWIC and Haz.

Backpack and a sign. 'N Carolina'. Or CraigsList ad, 'CRE CDL Trainer needs home to N Carolina. Job waiting. Will help drive... '

On the other hand, USX would at least get him out of CRE.

 

Despite high Vehicle Maintenance CSA it would be derelict, IMO, not to look into this right in your neighborhood and home daily, IIRC.

The company I part-time with has an unattractive CSA for both Driver Safety and Vehicle Maintenance. The smaller the company, the larger the impact a driver or three has on your CSA. Three got warning tickets for speeding in construction zones recently and it hit us just as hard as tickets. Driver Safety number zoomed up into Alert level.

But I'm in charge of my own driving. Not to worry there.

We run older T800s, four-bay garage with one mechanic to four drivers (1:4) and they're doing expensive repairs, like $2000 gear frame at front of Detroits so they don't leak. So I saw they were serious about improving their CSA. A number of FCL violations are for 2/32nds and 4/32nds tire tread. Now, that's not safe. Tires needed improvement when I started here. Much better now.

 

I think you will be amazed at how much better things will be

 

That is good to hear. Keep us posted on how things are working out for him.