Any CRST lead driver trainers?

speediemac91 · Sep 18, 2012

bottom line is....you are always going to have good and bad trainers...just like there are good and bad truck drivers....i started with crst had a good lead...not great....u are only going to get taught the basics...and will keep building on them as you advance in your career...iam now currently getting ready to go back to crst...and be a lead...iam a veteran so iam detailed orientaited...and i wanna be...and will be one of the better leads....iam still learning myself....but my attitude is good....very honest straight forward...so iam wanting to teach as much as i can....pay is an extra 6 cents per mile on top of your base pay...and when i was there....it was for 13 months....i did have some issues with my fm....but i was always on time for pick and drop....so i had a little leeway to vent....and with that being said....i was kept running...its ppl who are always late that never get miles....thus they are always needing an advance etc....and are the ones who end up complaning....

Huggibear · Oct 28, 2012

Safety 1st said: ↑

As a former CRST trainer, allow me to give some of the new drivers some tips. As with any company CRST is as good or bad as you want to make it. Having said that it is a training company. Listed below are some of the issues you should know before going out on your own.1) Going North or East on the interstates the mile markers get higher, Going South or West they get smaller. Having said that sometimes two interstates will merge for a while. Don't let this throw you off.2) There are 2,000 pounds in a ton.3) A gallon of diesel weighs approx. 8 pounds4) CRST tractors usually have 100 gallon tanks on each side. With full tanks that is 1,600 pounds that is why you should always weigh first before you fuel.5) Each hole when you slide your tandems is approx. equals 330 pounds.6) The eight letters and numbers on the side of your tractor are the last eight of your VIN #. You might need to know this when taking your tractor for repair at a TA Truck Stop as an example.7) Your CRST tractor and trailer empty weighs approx. 32,000 pounds or 16 tons.8) The breakdown for your maximun weight of 80,000 pounds is 12,000 on the steers and 34,000 on your drives and 34,000 on your tandems.9) Your total lenght with tractor and trailer is abt 75 feet10) Your CRST tractor and trailer is 8 feet six inches wide or 102 inches.11) The brake checks on I-24 between Nashville and Chattanooga, TN going Eastbound are manatory as the one on I-68 in West Virginia going Westbound. 12) I-35 around Dallas and Fort Worth break up into two seperate interstates. Worth starts with the letter W. So does the word West. Therefore I-35 East goes to Dallas and I-35 West goes to Fort Worth. I-35 also splits up in Minnesota. The second letter in eAst is an A. The word pAul as in St. Paul second letter is also an A. Therefore I-35 East goes to St. Paul and I-35 W goes to Minneapolis.13) When going to the OKC terminal try to remember this tip. I-40 goes through OKC and you get off on exit 140 and always turn towards Love's Truck Stop regardless of the direction you are going. The CRST terminal is approx 200 yards in back of the Love's Truck Stop.14) Interstate signs are part blue in color. Business interstate signs however are part green in color. 15) The term in the box refers to the weight inside of your trailer. For example if you picked up 20,000 pounds and your empty weight was 32,000 your new weight would be 52,000 or 26 tons. You will need to know both tonage and pounds while driving. At the Cabbage Patch approx, mile marker 222 on I-84 Westbound in Oregon your speed will depend upon your weight. If you don't know how much you weigh than you will not know what speed to go. I had about 500 questions that the students and I will go over everyday these are only 15 of those 500 questions. There is a lot to know about driving and 28 days is cram packed. When the students were not studying they would be backing up. Each back is different. You will need to know how to read a yard and it does take a while sometimes to handle. Keep in mind that I also learn sometime new everyday just as my students do except in their case it might be 20 or 30 things a day. No one knows everything just try to keep learning over your driving career. CRST did and does have some excellent lead drivers.
Click to expand...

=D Thanx for the info! My husband starts orientation in the morning, when he calls me tomorrow I'll be sure to pass along the information. Hope he gets a trainer that is just as helpful!

Jagd · Dec 14, 2012

Safety 1st said: ↑

As a former CRST trainer, allow me to give some of the new drivers some tips. As with any company CRST is as good or bad as you want to make it. Having said that it is a training company. Listed below are some of the issues you should know before going out on your own.
1) Going North or East on the interstates the mile markers get higher, Going South or West they get smaller. Having said that sometimes two interstates will merge for a while. Don't let this throw you off.
2) There are 2,000 pounds in a ton.
3) A gallon of diesel weighs approx. 8 pounds
4) CRST tractors usually have 100 gallon tanks on each side. With full tanks that is 1,600 pounds that is why you should always weigh first before you fuel.
5) Each hole when you slide your tandems is approx. equals 330 pounds.
6) The eight letters and numbers on the side of your tractor are the last eight of your VIN #. You might need to know this when taking your tractor for repair at a TA Truck Stop as an example.
7) Your CRST tractor and trailer empty weighs approx. 32,000 pounds or 16 tons.
8) The breakdown for your maximun weight of 80,000 pounds is 12,000 on the steers and 34,000 on your drives and 34,000 on your tandems.
9) Your total lenght with tractor and trailer is abt 75 feet
10) Your CRST tractor and trailer is 8 feet six inches wide or 102 inches.
11) The brake checks on I-24 between Nashville and Chattanooga, TN going Eastbound are manatory as the one on I-68 in West Virginia going Westbound.
12) I-35 around Dallas and Fort Worth break up into two seperate interstates. Worth starts with the letter W. So does the word West. Therefore I-35 East goes to Dallas and I-35 West goes to Fort Worth.
I-35 also splits up in Minnesota. The second letter in eAst is an A. The word pAul as in St. Paul second letter is also an A. Therefore I-35 East goes to St. Paul and I-35 W goes to Minneapolis.
13) When going to the OKC terminal try to remember this tip. I-40 goes through OKC and you get off on exit 140 and always turn towards Love's Truck Stop regardless of the direction you are going. The CRST terminal is approx 200 yards in back of the Love's Truck Stop.
14) Interstate signs are part blue in color. Business interstate signs however are part green in color.
15) The term in the box refers to the weight inside of your trailer. For example if you picked up 20,000 pounds and your empty weight was 32,000 your new weight would be 52,000 or 26 tons. You will need to know both tonage and pounds while driving. At the Cabbage Patch approx, mile marker 222 on I-84 Westbound in Oregon your speed will depend upon your weight. If you don't know how much you weigh than you will not know what speed to go.
I had about 500 questions that the students and I will go over everyday these are only 15 of those 500 questions. There is a lot to know about driving and 28 days is cram packed. When the students were not studying they would be backing up. Each back is different. You will need to know how to read a yard and it does take a while sometimes to handle. Keep in mind that I also learn sometime new everyday just as my students do except in their case it might be 20 or 30 things a day. No one knows everything just try to keep learning over your driving career. CRST did and does have some excellent lead drivers.
Click to expand...

You sound like an awesome trainer that takes it to the level of actual teaching. Kudos!
It's a shame you're not still training at CRST.

gs59_20 · Dec 30, 2012

speediemac91 said: ↑

bottom line is....you are always going to have good and bad trainers...just like there are good and bad truck drivers....i started with crst had a good lead...not great....u are only going to get taught the basics...and will keep building on them as you advance in your career...iam now currently getting ready to go back to crst...and be a lead...iam a veteran so iam detailed orientaited...and i wanna be...and will be one of the better leads....iam still learning myself....but my attitude is good....very honest straight forward...so iam wanting to teach as much as i can....pay is an extra 6 cents per mile on top of your base pay...and when i was there....it was for 13 months....i did have some issues with my fm....but i was always on time for pick and drop....so i had a little leeway to vent....and with that being said....i was kept running...its ppl who are always late that never get miles....thus they are always needing an advance etc....and are the ones who end up complaning....
Click to expand...

Speediemac91 Where are you based out of? Still with CRST and a trainer?

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