C.R.England: Good or Bad?

Hey hand, DAC is nothing more than a privately owned company that sells info to trucking companies. Furthermore, they only report the info companies give them-whether true or false. My suggestion is to contact one of the men McIntyre or whomever and have them send a letter to DAC and have it taken off your record. Or, get a lawyer to send a letter to DAC explaining your situation. This is too big of a thing to let go and end a career before it even starts.

Also, there are other company-sponsored schools out there-get your DAC cleared and try another. Most new students don't listen or read about these **** *** companies. I don't know everything, but from offers, talking to other drivers, being on the road with them and hearing and learning the scum companies; I can suggetst staying away from: C.R. England, May, Jim Palmer, USA Truck, PAM. Stevens is the only one that I know of that gives you half a chance-but move on from them as soon as possible. If you are from Texas, the CDL test in Dallas, (just off I-20) near the Motel 6 is an easy test to take-I was there and watched them testing. Once you get your permit (which is nothing more than passing the written test) all you need is to contact the guy on Youtube (can't rember his name) and he will let you use his truck for $300 to test. He will take you around the test course they use and tell you all the signs they might ask you about. There is NO pre-trip. You go down I-20 about 2 miles, exit, make a right-hand turn, and come back. Then back up across a line to parallel park. It takes about 10 minutes. You don't need a school to get your CDL. After that you might be able to get-on with some local company or get some practice somehow. It is not the end if a positive is on your DAC. You have to show them b******s you are tougher than they are. Don't give up.

 

I also paid 250 or so to rent a truck and go over h course with you in dallas

 

BAD, VERY BAD. Go anywhere but CRE, (and CRST) but if you do, go to England, Don't Lease!!! or go company driver. The only drivers that make any money there are Relief & Recovery drivers. I was one for nine Months. did $600 a week avg. some $900 weeks plus frequent flyer miles. But as with any company you have to be a hustler, and like to put in big miles.
Just as a side note the reefer business sucks, go with a company that is primarily dry box loads. You will get more drop and hook loads... and that's the name of the game. The fewer live loads and live unloads, the more you make. Because your sitting less and driving more.

That's my 5 cents worth, Good Luck

 

Agree completely with Snowman. The only way to get out and on your own before doing three months is to do Relief & Recovery. After the final "class" of phase 2 they push you to go talk with the guys pushing lease options. I got a trainer to sign off that I had finished the class and then went and spoke with the Dispatch for R & R. A week later they flew me out to pick up a truck that had been repaired from a jack knife accident.

Do your six months with them this way and then you can leave and go somewhere else.

On a side note, if something goes wrong it will be charged against the person you're driving for. For example:

I was driving relief for a driver and was on I-80 west and stopped at Rawlins, Wyoming. It was -25 F with a wind chill of -45F. Obviously, the fuel started to gel. I called dispatch who encouraged me to move the load forward (but said they wouldn't pay for anti-gel). I bought some myself, put it in and kept the engine running for about an hour to let it disperse in the fuel.

Pro-tip for rookie drivers: At -45 F it doesn't matter if you have anti-gel. The fuel will still gel up. I gave it a go and only got two miles before I realized I couldn't go anywhere at 20 MPH. I turned around and got stuck in 18 inches of snow in the underpass. A Wyoming trooper called a tow truck who promptly tied a rope to the bumper and pulled me (no exaggeration) fifteen feet before unhooking me. Price of the tow? $1,000. That's right. One grand. Wonder if the Wyoming P.D. gets a cut of that. Felt bad for the driver whose was on vacation and whose repair fund paid for this experience but dispatch did tell me to move the load forward. I know better now.

 

Hearsay is relative to whether or not you want to believe the horror stories. I've been driving since 1982 (holy crap... I gotta update my profile again) and the 5 months OTR with C.R. England was, by far, the most fruitless decision I ever made.

I could tell you my own experiences in that 5 months but I'd rather you bought the book. Promises of monthly home time were empty (along with most of the promises they made like... run steady, good money, great equipment...). I got home after 5 months,... when I quit. Hearsay?... how about my Oldest Brother dying and they didn't let me get to the funeral... hearsay?

I can say one positive thing for them though... nice trucks.

'Bigfoot'
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I got my DAC back from England and it was all good kinda wish I was still with them but I know there is better out there.

 

So, I just joined this board, and your experiences in your time with England would be very informative to me, who am a 57 yr old, Oregon coast resident with 20 years' experience in residential construction. I've gone backwards about as long as I can take, so steady work looks real good (and might it be less rough on me physically?) Sounds like you've been trying to move up the pay ladder, successfully. Sure seems like I could be a solo, national or regional (nw) company driver for a while. My three sisters and our ailing mother live in the SLC area and I sure would take every opportunity to visit and help them. I'm sure not going to blow anybody's doors off, just wanna be safe and get as many miles as are realistic, see if the pay can be the consistent way to climb back up to level, then actually fund some savings, a place of our own...

 

Ok, now you're a driver I would be privileged to visit with from time to time, since I feel I'm on the verge of committing to the CR England program. I'm a 57 yr old male from Oregon, with sisters and mother in SLC area, thinking that from the modest CRE start a guy could grow his income as time goes, either with them or not. My wife and 21 yr old son might not mind having me out producing more consistently than I've been able to in recent years in residential construction. Nervous about the winter conditions, too, though. Not gonna lie...

 

bad bad bad very bad!

 

Don't go to work for them.