Starting out in Mira Loma

So, I've been at the CR England School in Mira Loma for a week now. And Ive just been spending some time reading through these threads. I'm going to try to update folks here with a reasonably objective view of what I'm going through. I'm not trying to sell or cheerlead for the company, nor am I trying to set up to rip on them.

About me: I'm 48, and the main reason I am here is that I was flat broke, unemployed for several months, with crappy credit and a load of debt. England doesn't want any money in front (well, you need something like a $50 admin fee, and $65 for the CDL itself) and puts you up in a motel, 2 to a room. I've done a lot of driving work before, but strictly in standard vehicles -- cars, pickups, and vans; I'm new to "real" trucks. And the motel has fridges and microwaves in each room, so I can eat cheaply.

First week is all classroom, for most of us newbies (or "schoolies") -- though a few were routed into "Flex" training and started working (and getting paid, albeit not much) right away -- I can't speak to their pathway. My informal count shows that about half of the trainees were weeded out the first week -- some by choice, some because they couldn't pass the written test for the learner's permit, some for background checks, some for medical. Right now, there's still some acrimonious debate about "to lease, or not to lease." On paper, it does look good -- but we all have heard some of the bad rumors, and we wonder. A few are determined to go company first; others are determined to lease as soon as possible, and are thinking in terms of having their own fleets eventually, which I think is getting ahead of things, to say the least.

Me, I'm looking at it this way: I have the 90 days of phase I and II to go through -- $430/week for the first four weeks, and -- on average, they say -- about $600/week for the next two months. And probably not a lot of home time, if any. After that -- we'll see. We don't have to make a decision for a while. For me -- I don't really want to team, any longer than I have to; to solo, you have to lease. But can you make money solo, even leasing? They urge you to consider being a phase II trainer, but that sounds iffy, too. (You can go back and forth, so the idea of training, say, a third of the time, and running solo the rest, might be feasible.)

But frankly, even $600/week take-home pay is better than I've been making reliably for a long time. (My last job rather soured me on being a contractor, too -- there were a few very nice weeks, but there were a lot that weren't so good.)

The instructors do really seem to have it together, and know what they're talking about. But of course, it's hard to tell, from a newbie point of view, whether they really do know what they're talking about, or just seem to.

Anyhow, will try to keep you posted here.

 

Actually passed the test and got the Class A now. I'm waiting for my trainer. I was expecting to leave this morning, but he hasn't called, and now I'm thinking I may have misunderstood and we're actually leaving Monday....but at any rate, I'm on track. (And no problems with the DMV, apart from ridiculously long lines. We've been warned to make sure our temporary licenses don't expire, as the whole California government is so backed up at the moment, the hard copies may be a while coming.)

I'm definitely leaning company for the moment. I can see where the lease could be very profitable in some cases -- but at least as a company driver, you can't actually lose money; if you have an off-week or get sick or the truck breaks down or whatever, the worst that happens is that you make zero. Then, as you say, six months or a year or two down the line, depending on how things are going, with some experience under my belt, I can move on to something else if I'm not happy at England.

 

Thanks!

Been on the road a few days now. California to Pennsylvania, PA to Alabama, and heading to Colorado in the morning. Lost the sheer terror of driving the truck, and now think I am settling into a good frame of cautious confidence. Of course, I've been driving almost all on the highway, which is the easy part. Have been doing a lot of hills, though.

 

We actually did 40 to 44 to 70, if I remember right.

My trainer is pretty good, except that he has a quiet voice, and in a loud truck cabin, I often have to ask him to repeat himself. But he's pretty laid back and seems to think I'm doing well in most respects. We haven't had a lot of time to practice skills like backing, etc, as they've kept us hopping. I find I don't mind the long drives though, at least not yet. And I've been getting plenty of rest so far, so fatigue hasn't been much of an issue. Part of that, I'm sure, is that it's still new to me so I'm probably just less relaxed about it than I would be in a car. Hopefully I will, for the most part, stay that way.