CRST Van Expedited, Inc. - Cedar Rapids, Ia.

Did the refresher cost you? Did you have to sign a contract?

 

I think it is a 6 month contract.

 

Thats reasonable I think.

 

It cost $1500.00 I had to sign a 1 yr contract. I quit after 3 months, and payed it back myself. I think in the end it cost me like $1800.00 with interest. The thing is the "REFRESHER" consisted of me wasting a week of my time. 1/2 a day of driving. The other half sitting around or helping the other students with there walk around inspections. It served it's purpose though. The worst part was staying at the CRST roach motel. Thank god I didn't have to share a room with anyone. See my post #67 in this thread for more information on what I went thru with them, its on page 7.

 

If your O/O friends are sitting its there own fault. If CRST is unable to find or give you a load you can get on the load board and find your own if you want. so sitting as an O/O is by choice.

 

That's for solo drivers

 

I didn't know CRST had any Solo drivers? Are there many solo drivers?Where do they run?

 

CRST Premier is based out of Indianapolis, IN. They run almost entirely the midwest, some east coast, You'll see their trailers all over the country because CRST don't care which truck pulls which trailer...I've pulled dozens of Premier trlrs as a team.

I've been with CRST about 32 months...First driving job, went to Premier Truck Driving school in Fontana, CA and signed a 6 month contract with CRST.

Those first 6 months were brutal, lots of top ramen and beans, late car payments, etc. But since then I've made good money...not great, good. Average 5k-6k a week, make .39/mile. Last year I grossed 42k. Plan on moving on after I get 3 years otr.

The key to making it with crst as a new driver is knowing what your getting into. You better have some money in the bank before you decide to sign on the dotted line if you have a high overhead....without it you WILL lose your house. Another key thing to consider is they're a team company for the most part, without a good codriver, you're sunk. I've got a good one, and we've been together since January of '05.

Trust is important, and I trust my codriver with my life every day.

As far as equipment goes, well our first truck was a P.O.S. But if you demand...DEMAND that your truck be safe and reliable, you will get it. The key is being assertive with your dispatcher, and if that doesn't work, go over their head to safety...Safety is your friend with CRST.

Same with that B.S. I saw earlier about chaining up...CRST will NEVER force a chain up. I've been on the chain crew for 2 winters, and have been pulling Conway dedicated for 5 months. I have NEVER been forced to chain. If dispatch tried to force me...I'd call safety and put dispatch in check, period. We did chain up once on Donner last winter, because my trusty codriver got us in a bind....chains got us out (chain rookies that we were, we broke 2 and threw 3. Once again, it was OUR call. I've shut down more times than I can count pulling airfreight w/ 53 mph transit times and have never had negative repurcussions either via qualcomm, verbally, or miles.


If you are upfront with dispatch as to where your hours are, dispatch will not force you to pull a load...no hours=no load.


If you are where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, barring weather, CRST will feed you as many miles as you can legally handle.

If you are willing to train, the lease purchase is one of the best in the industry. CRST will pay the trainee $450.00 a week, you get the ALL the miles paid to you. Of course training comes with it's drawbacks....sitting in the jumpseat for the first week, weeding out the losers, sleeping with one eye open, etc, but I know some guys who have made TONS training. the truck payments are under $300 a week...

Anyhow, there's my 10 cents

 

All companies training and hireing newcomers start them out at the bottom of the pay scale. All these companies are alike. When I started out 20 years ago the starting pay averaged around 16 cents per mile.

I am an owner op with CRST and we are treated like gold, however I can tell you that my wife went through their driving school in Cedar Rapids last year and all they teach them is enough to get their liscences and that is it. I don't think I could ever be a company driver with CRST after hearing all the horror stories so many of their drivers have told me!

Cheers
Fireball

 

I just got back from the Swift trucking school in Memphis, Tennesse and they were Rude as heck, and unfair in their Physical wellness program.

I was told all I had to do was be able to lift 70 lbs. NO PROBLEM there for me... but then they had me climb a ladder 3x's in row, then squat and keep my back straight and be able to lift a crate with 70 lbs in it... then a strength test(by pressing your body against a bar on wall that registered your strength.

I had noticed that there were exactly 5 men that were not made to keep their back straight on the squat test and they passed them onto the next part, and the next until it was time for the Dr's physical.

I was booted out due to not being able to squat and lift with my back straight.

I had spent 18 hours on bus to get there just to be kicked out the next day... now that sucks ! !! Then another 22 hours getting home.

I would like to find a school that is willing to work with you not against you! ! Any suggestions???