crst/van expedited?

Well my friend, you have been given an offer that you may want to look at very closely before you leap. CRST sent me to a very reputable truck driving school that they paid for. Most of the trainers had driven over the road for 1 mil;lion miles or more. Then I went to Fontana California, for orentation, and then was assigned my trainer. From CRSTs student base, they recruit you to become a trainer with as little as 8 months over the road experience. Some of the girls filed a class action suit for sexual harrasment for being teamed with men that made them have sex. I had a trainer that could not back up to all the docks, he would call the company and refuse. My first husband and I owned a long nose KW, and he could have made these docks with his eyes closed. My trainer never let me back up the truck, but he signed me off as someone that was able to do all the parts of the job, and be first chair on a truck. I know I was not even close to being ready for that. I was really lucky, I told my dispatcher, and he teamed me up with someone that could back up the truck. We hauled dry van boxes and curtain vans. I was trained by a shipper how to open and close the curtain van, and luckly my codriver had hauled flat beds, so he knew how to strap down the load. CRST also has some interesting rules you may want to consider. First is, that every time the truck leaves the freeway, for fuel or at a shippers or consignee, both drivers must be up. No one is to back up a truck without a ground guide. If you log this, you will always be late, and in trouble with dispatch. If you do not log it, you are making a false report on your log book. If your co driver hits something, and you show you were in the sleeper, you can be fired for this. The last winter that I drove for them, Safety would send out a message on the qualcom that if you were driving in Wyoming, you could not go faster than 45mph, and you could not pass anyone. I know of three drivers that got turned in for breaking this rule, and got canned. One of these days, I sent pictures of the dry clear road to safety to get them to lift the 45mph. They would not. Everyone else thought CRST Drivers were nuts that day. You will not get paid extra for taking trailers to the shop, or for hazmat loads, or for NY city deliverys. You will not get paid detention pay either. I sat at Road Runner in Auburn WA for 16 hours waiting to get loaded for free on more than one occasion. If you take this job, and go to one of there shops for maintance, check the truck before you leave. I found a coffee can under the hood at Fontana. I found tools under the hood in Oklahoma City. I was very greatful to CRST for sending me to school, giving me a 2005 truck that never broke down. But I earned it big time, by the 8 month contract I signed, for substandard wages. They did not give us enough time to sit down and eat, and showering once a week. I knew how to truck, and what trucking is, I earned my million mile patch in 1974. The 53 foot trailers were a new piece of the puzzle for me, and being with someone other than a spouse was a real change. But it depends on what you are willing to trade for the training. You may get someone that can not even keep it between the white lines. Then again, you may get someone like Dale B, a very compentant trainer...... that has worked with CRST for years. Pray about this one really hard before you jump. Remember, advise only affect the giver for the time it takes them to type it.
what you do with it could affect you for life.

 

I will be attending CRST Drving School next week and I am looking forward to it.

 

All in all, Crst is a decent company to get started in the industry. There are lots of things that can go wrong to make your experience difficult. Everyday is not going to go your way-and this applies to the whole industry. Keep a positive outlook. Try to be an asset to your co-driver. If you get a good FM, they can run you pretty good at times. Learn to manage your time and money wisely. The pay is not necessarilly top-line trucking pay, but, if you prove you can p/up and deliver ontime, it goes a long way to helping you succeed. There is a lot to take in and learn. There are decent co-drivers and there are bad co-drivers..same goes for trainers. I am amazed at some of the things I am having to teach my co-drivers. Why? Because a trainer has limited time to teach basics to people that may come from all walks of life. Don't think when you are done with your your trainer, that you know it all, you are just beginning to learn. Learn the system and try to use your down-time to catch up on paperwork, laundry, etc. Have all your information ready to log in the macros on the qcomm. Keep your nose clean. Listen to how people talk about their FM. Write down the name of FM's that people like alot. Then, if you find yourself in a position of looking for a co-driver, consider that as part of your decision to co-drive--as you may get to go with that "good" FM. Consider you will spend lots of time in a cramped space with this other person, and try to be considerate of that. Be professional in your dealings with any of the FM's=even night and weekend dispatch. Enjoy the good days, and don't let the not so good days get the best of you.
Showing up to a truck with nothing but your clothes is not so good. There are things needed on the truck to make it run smooth (a broom to sweep trailers,hammer, crowbar, etc..). Talk to your co-driver and try to co-ordinate things. My last co-driver brought nothing-not even a map....I suppose I was supposed to buy it all---see my point? Get in the habit of starting to think about what your doing ahead of time-don't just let it fall on your co-drivers shoulders. show some initiative. Try to run hard. Call the consignee and see if they will take a load early--the worst they can do is say no. If they say yes and take it a day early, you just might get another load..Some things you can do can help you. not doing them may cause you grief. It's a learning process. Part of your experience is what you put into it.
Temptinfates

 

i have a question im seein alot of crst trucks going into miami what for

 

very good advice... a good co-driver & FM is the key.....

 

im sorry i have too comment here.i some what agree with some trainer dont have the nessiary expierence too train,but there r some that all they think about is the money so trainees dont get nothing but pushed striaght down the road.i on the other hand care about my life and theres and all the other on the road,so there for my trainee's make good drivers.all of you that r complaining well welcome to the world of trucking.it has it bad days and its good days and most trucking companies r the same but you have to prove your self to your d/m with or without a trainee that slows you down.yes there are a lot of untrained drivers out there iam going to crst to train drivers not only too train them properly but to make some i said some money,last company i trained for was ok but not the best i just got tired of b.s.and yes i do know what to expect from crst,in a perfect word we wouldnt have to work our butts off to be safe and etc etc to live.and besides your training is up too you how much you desire your life and career,not the other guy most dont care about you.so if your trainer is not or you feel hes not training you right kindly ask for another or deal with what happens.and i truley hope its not death,cause ive seen some pretty nasty #### out there with trucks.most companies average the profits of driver too come up with the figures they need too convience new wild eyed money hungry kids looking for qiuck buck into there company.you have to love too drive and want safety 1st and formost before you get into trucking.the d.o.t.rules make it so you cant really get rich n e more.and thats a good thing cause i dont wanna die by your whinny butts thinking your a super trucker with $ signs in your eyes.remember this the rabbit and the hare(to a degree)slow,steady pace wins the race.or be consistant with your time to and from shippers and recievers dont play game in front of the load play at the end or when you can take every load,even if no hours left make d/m swap it to someone with and if its un safe to drive in bad weather dont they cant for you to drive unsafe,remember its your license your life not the home bodies in the office.well good ppl hope too see some safe non complaining whinners out there that still give a #### about whats real.
lyondawg.

 

oppps sorry about misspelled words comp bites lol.

 

you have to be up front with companies not all take you but ive seen companies not take for 25 year old felonies,and ii got dui's 20 some odd years agoand i got on at cr england now local and going to crst in 2 weeks they know about all of them cause i told them.companies will lie to you but u better dang sure not lie or undisclose your info to them,that murder lmao.

 

As a o/o trainer its a decent outfit if your willing to to work, I am facing leaving after 8yrs due to family, and needing to be nearer to home more. I have nothing but contempt for students that think its a free ride. If you think you only have to do $50 a day worth of work and that is all this gig isnt for you. In thids business you start low and build up

 

the only trucks i've seen with them for the past year and a half are columbia's peterbilts and volvos im leasing a columbia right now and i can say to you...sure it could be newer,sure all the "little" things that don't work are a pain in the ### sometimes,but i really wouldn't have any other engine than a series 60.and the ONLY way to make this lease deal work with them is to hire a co driver.i don't care what they say that is the absolute necessity.notice i said HIRE A CO DRIVER,i do NOT train.