I'm going to school for Crst in Iowa. Need advice and info.

Okay, I'll bite. What was the terrible thing that scarred you for life?

 

Ya if you bought them used i can see it. Tho id add them. They make my daily life much easier.

And ya, they aren't standard equipment. Very little is.

I'm a cheap owner also, and installing dump valves is a lot cheaper than replacing landing gear. That's my view. But out operations are not identical so you may not have the same view.
The Johnson bar is much more optional in my mind. I mainly use it for a tug test, (which is easily down just by not supplying the trailer with air) and for checking brake lights during my walk arounds. Also is very handy for checking brake stroke in my weekly "get under the truck and trailer" routine. Highly doubt very many company drivers are checking brake chamber stroke length.

 

I agree with Chinatown. Check out Roehl if you haven't already. I'm considering going with them in the first quarter of the new year. A family member knows someone who was recently with them and said they were pretty good to work for. Certianly worth looking into at least. I've heard some negatives but they are more related to things you would encounter anywhere in trucking and not really a direct result of the company. Best of all, no teaming (besides training time, of course). Whatever you decide, keep us posted and let us know how it's going.

 

I just have to say one thing then I will sit down and shut up .

The OP is a perfect example of what drives me nuts about these wannabe's now days.
They come in here asking for advice because you want to about a company and trucking in general.

Then they start telling us old timers that it can't be like that and we don't know how hard they work and they have a good attitude so it will be different with them than it has been with the other 10,000 drivers that have done it the way they are going to do it !

The fact is you are selling your trucking soul to on of the worst companies out here for so called starter companies.
Heck I made more back in the 80's than CRST is paying teams to split .

The fact is CRST sucks .
The pay is in the top 5 of worst pay in the industry.
You have to start somewhere is a fact but you don't have to start with a pond scum outfit like CRST.

There are a thousand outfits that are better than these scumbags.

I may not be the brightest bulb in the pack but after 35 years looking the windshield there is one thing I do know about and that is trucking .

That being said I just can't sit by and watch another fresh fish jump into the grinder just to come back in a couple of moths whining about how they got screwed over and that trucking sucks .

So to sum up my ramblings if you ask for advice about a company and trucking in general please for the love of god just shut up and listen to the old timers !
Most of us are really trying to save you from having to go thru the crap we did to get to where we are .

OP I wish you the best of luck in your trucking life .
If you still want to go with these sleaze balls I wish you luck because you are going to need more then you know .

Sometimes FREE comes at to high a price to pay .

 

Try Millis Transfer also

 

Keep us posted on your CRST journey. Best wishes.

 

When you get your experience, try Averitt.
@TROOPER to TRUCKER will agree.