Heading to Cedar Rapids on the 5th

UPDATE:

Despite what everyone said I went ahead and took the bus trip to Cedar Rapids.

I PM'd TheEvilOne (Randy) who was also going. Turned out he lives barely 15 miles from me here in Fl. So as we're riding up through conversations on the bus we found that there were 11 others on the bus also heading to CRST.

Miserable ride. 34 hrs switching buses and stopping all over the place.

I will try to be as unbiased about this as I can. But I am still entitled to my personal opinions.

Even after every horror story I read, and what a couple friends in the biz told me about CRST,.. my back was against the wall. I had to do something. My recruiter called me on Mon. I told her I didnt want to go. She asked why, I stated that I had no intention of paying for any classes. I felt uncomfortable relying on another driver for my success or failure not to mention my safety. She stated that I would NOT have to take any refresher courses,.. nor would I be charged for any classes. She said all I would have to do is show up, take the 3 day orientation, take a road test, then wait to go out with a lead driver for 28 days, then team up with a driver and that would be it.

So Randy (TheEvileOne - Thats his name here on the forum) and I decide to team up. He's a family guy like me, local so we planned to do our home time together to avoid the hassles of teaming up with someone who lived on the other side of the country.

We get to Cedar Rapids on Mon evening. Take the shuttle to our hotel. I sleep almost immediately after my shower from the long bus ride. Meet the shuttle at 5:10 am even though our orientation class isnt until 7am. Now here is where my opinion set in. I have never seen so many degenerates in one place in all my life. Though conversations with others there, it seems CRST goes through approx 100 drivers each week. Thats there turn over rate. How true this is,.. fact or fabrication I cant say. But watched 9 people leave the class on the first day. There was a guy doing the CDL class running around the place with his underwear showing and his pants hanging off his ### like some 14 yr old wanna be thug. As I'm looking around I'm thinking to myself, "Is this what is trucking has evolved into?"

So we get into class. The instructors seem to be pretty focused on safety. And they seemed to have a good head on their shoulders. So I was of the opinion that it was the recruiters who send bus tickets out to anyone willing to show up. People who can barely drive a stick shift car were being considered for 3 weeks of training to become full fledged truck drivers. I couldnt believe what I was seeing. They pulled us out in groups of 4 to head out for a road test on the first day of orientation. The road test was pretty much a joke. The guy who wore his pant off his ### was in the group before Randy and I. The instructor was marking and writing alot on his sheet. He told us to bare with him for a moment. I laughed and commented "That bad huh?" He said,.. "Well this guy might make a great Somolian pirate, but he wont be a truck driver here". We cracked up. The total road test consisted of less than 1 mile of travel. My time in the seat was less than 5 mins. I made 1 right turn from a traffic light and then 1 left turn into the parking lot of CRST. That was my road test. No dock bumped,.. not backing up,.. all he wanted to see was if I could shift and not drag the trailer over the curb. I was like "Seriously?".

I was asked if I had signed up for his Lead driver class. I said no because Randy and I were going to team up and I thought you had to be there for at least a year before you qualified. He said no and wanted me in his class. So I agreed.

So back to orientation, more videos, we are shown how to properly write out a log book, even though they do E-logs, so mkay. I'm still waiting to learn something. Were done for the day, take the shuttle back to the hotel. Catch a bite to eat. I head back to my room, sleep and get up the next morn.

Next day rolls around. I was eager to see how to use the tire chains for snowy weather. I've driven in the snow before, but never used tire chains. So this would be something new for me. About 1 hour into the class I am pulled out. The head office flagged my name and for me to see my recruiter. So head over to the main building. I finally meet my recruiter face to face. She says she over looked my 'recent' experience and they flagged me as to needing their refresher course. I explained everything to her on the phone. I was honest and upfront about everything. I tell her there that I am not taking the refresher course. I cant afford it. She said that I wouldnt have to pay for it up front. CRST would and they would deduct it from my pay. I reiterated,. I'm NOT PAYING for your refresher course. I then said just get me a bus ticket back to Fl. I want to go home.

Before anyone starts hooping and blasting me as to this is how things are speech. I am aware of how things are. I still refuse to buy my job, and while at CRST I felt really uncomfortable. That is the main reason I refused. CRST as a whole seemed to be a confused group. You have the trainers and safety side pushing for safety, telling you that if a dispatcher is pushing you to run the miles and making you unsafe that you can go over the dispatchers head. Yes you can,.. but you have to realize that those dispatchers are the ones who control where and how you run. Pizz them off and see how many 1500 mile runs you get. So its a doubled edged sword.

Then on the bus ride home, I was feeling pretty down and Randy texts me saying that on the 3rd day they called my name for Lead driver class even though I had left the day before. The right hand doesnt communicate with the left over there.

So thats my experience with CRST. I gave it a shot. I didnt go on the road,.. cant say how that is. Randy should be out with his lead driver by now. I havent heard from him in a couple days.

I just hired on with a transport company running their 8 car hauler for mixed local and OTR. I'm running local for now to see how I do. And I guess once they feel comfortable with me I go OTR. So I made out ok. I'm too independent to worry about a team driver being able to keep up with my pace. Nothing against Randy,.. he is a very straight up guy and one of the few there that I met that I feel would be safe on the road with. If I had to team up with anyone,.. Randy would be my top choice. Its just that I dont want to depend on anyone except myself for my success or failure at a company.

To anyone thinking about CRST,.. I wont discourage you from at least trying and to see what they are about. But I have made up my mind that I will NEVER hire on with a company as large as CRST. In my opnion they are just a driver farm. I dont know how true this is,.. but someone commented that CRST would get paid Govt money just for me showing up. Didnt matter if I hired on or not. I like being able to look the owner of my company in the eye, shaking his hand and giving him my word that I will be the best driver he has.

To each his own.

Peace,..

Hurst

 

Yeah Randy sent me a text earlier. Said he was in Texas waiting to dock. So far so good. He had no complaints.

I dont want to seem like I am being a total ### toward everyone at CRST. But I mean while waiting to take the road test we watched 2 idiots. One backing up another truck and the other trying to guide him,.. he let him back into a parked Honda SUV that belonged to another driver who was out on the road. They just left a note on the windshield,.. but now when this guy has his home time he will have to contend with not only getting a way home,.. but getting his vehicle fixed as it was not drivable.

That is the kind of experience I had while there. Just not my cup of tea so to speak. I can handle grease ball truckers who lack hygene and manners as long as they have their ish together when behind the wheel. What I saw at CRST was unbelievable. Recruiters bringing in a bunch of monkeys and expecting the trainers to have them road ready in 3 weeks. Bad way to do business IMO.

Hurst