CR England or CRST?

When I started thinking about getting a CDL, I phoned my cousin who is a dispatcher in Washington. Asked him for advice. He made it short and elegant:

"STAY AWAY FROM C.R. ENGLAND"

 

what documents do they require? my recruiter said just drivers license, birth certificate, and social security card. Is CRST in iowa as bad as everyone claims?

 

Exactly, you wont be making .31 cents per mile, more like 15 and a half. Dont do it. No way u could get a loan from anywhere and go to a real school? Spending ur first entire year of driving making around $200 a week def not worth "free schooling."

 

Yep, driver's license, birth certificate (original, of course) and SS card. No CDL permit is needed, but those who have them are more than welcome. If you have a medical card for your state DMV, make sure to bring that as well.

For me personally, CRST isn't all that bad, but I'm adaptable just about anywhere. The training center dorms are a lot like college. Different areas of the country represented, different personalities... different levels of hygiene. The meals can be rather basic (cereal, apples and toast for breakfast; hot dogs, burgers, grilled chicken, cold cuts and pulled pork for lunch), and sharing a room with two other ppl isn't ideal.

As for the training, things can feel a bit rushed, since they are trying to cram a two-month curriculum into 2-3 weeks. After two days going through the manual, you're already testing for the CDL permit. Then, whatever date you receive that, you start testing for your license 14 days from there. Just stay focused on your goal(s), and you'll be just fine.

 

The information you've been provided applies to California applicants ONLY! Your state is a whole different beast with laws that CRST has to follow that don't apply to students from the other 49 states.

I went through training at CRST, got my license, did my time (10 months) and got OUT! Out of the 250+ people that were in my training class in Iowa, want to know how many got through and fulfilled their 10 month contract? Counting myself, THREE! I was like a golden unicorn to them. When I gave my notice I was immediately routed to Cedar Rapids to sit down with my driver manager and her boss to try and talk me out of quitting. They count on their drivers being stupid and not being aware of better options. In orientation they're going to try to beat it into your head that all trucking companies are the same, "The only difference is the color of the door." I must've heard that a hundred times from them. It couldn't be further from the truth. KNOW YOUR OPTIONS! RESEARCH ALTERNATIVES!

 

I've looked at the options and have decided that this is the best of the worst. I joined the military out of high school and got screwed so there's no way it can be worse unless CRST has a North/South Siberia run. I'm old enough to do my research and make decisions on my own. While I like the positive and negative feedback, it won't change my decision.

 

I was just offered to attend training with both of these companies. I have also applied to some other companies like Prime who hire out of IL. The reason I am entertaining going through either of these companies is because I do have a felony from 2009. Would it be better to try a local college for 8 weeks and apply to a different company?

 

Sure, go the the local college if you can and have many more choices.
FFE (Frozen Food Express) trains at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights. Have you tried that company? Apply there and if they don't hire you, go to the college cdl school.
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Edit: FFE, CR England, CRST, all do hair follicle drug test, so you need to be clean for 12 months to pass their drug test.
Prime Inc. and Stevens Transport do urine drug test, so you need to be clean 90 days to pass their test.

 

I'm going to apply to them now. I am waiting to hear back from Prime on Tuesday. I have yet to get in touch with someone from Roehl other than emails.

I figured I may as well apply to them all and see what I may be offered.

Should I be worried about getting my cdl through a college or company sponsored training given that I do have a felony? I have disclosed this on all of my applications. I would hate to quit my job to go to another state to train only to be sent home.

 

Others have more knowledge on this than me but I know for a fact that CRST hires people with prior felonies, there were quite a few in my class there in that situation. I'm sure they have guidelines on what the conviction was and possibly how long ago it was.
Prime and especially Roehl have much better reputations than CRST and CRE. When I was researching where to go I was blown away by Roehl and really wanted to go with them but they were only hiring for flatbed in my area which I wasn't interested in. I know two drivers that I currently work with that trained through Prime and they rave about it their training program.
I hope someone else may have more knowledge on this for you. Aside from being honest on the application, which you've already done, I'd make it a point to ask the recruiter about it as well.