Is CR England REALLY that bad?

I am driving for CREngland and the instructors are not lazy they are very good. They are eager to teach if you are willing to listen. Keep a open mind and don't listen to all the BS that goes around. when they say having more than 1 trainee in the truck is only when they are instructing you when you have a permit. When you go OTR it is like driving in team just you and the trainer. I think it is illegal to have more than 2 people in a truck while OTR. It is like everything else it is in the way you make it. Don't get caught up in the lease program till you are sure that you want to make it a career. I was on the road for 5 weeks with 1 bad trainer and 1 good one. I will be driving as company and regional.

 

We have a guy from CRE in our orientation class. A well spoken, clean cut, seemingly well balanced individual and he quit CRE after 6 months because the hated working for them.

His job was to pickup and return to OC abandon trucks. Apparently they push the lease program very hard and then once on the least....they pay 90cents per mile, but take out tons of money for this and that. He said .14 cents goes towards some imaginary thing he could never figure out...for example. He also said that if you take a week off, you still have to make that $500 truck payment. I don't know if that payment was weekly or monthly.

Anyways..he said they sucked and I tend to believe him and all the others I've heard share simular stories.

 

Weekly payment

 

Its all over rip off report.

There are hree statements from womenwho went there that were raped, multiple kicked ou without a way home tales

multile verbal abuse from trainers, physical abuse, encouaed to use nodoze and sleeping pills..illiegal logging..the list goes on and on...

Petey

 

I got my CDL on my own, also a degree in heavy diesel repair and I walked into CRE the other day and the lady behind the counter said they were looking for a local (Salt Lake City) to be a Recovery Driver.
I figured that would be a good gig since I'd be a company driver without a truck of my own (no lease pressure) and presumably they couldn't hit me with the mileage deduction crap. :shrug:
I'd like to eventually be an OTR Solo Company Driver.. figured I'd cut my teeth doing the recovery aspect for a while then transferring over.
I have 1 friend still with CRE and two other friends who are former CDL trainers for CRE (now teaching CDL at the local CC.) All of them highly recommend CRE.. makes me wonder if all these neg. reports are just disgruntled people who couldn't hack it?
not saying these people are liars.. just saying there are usually 3 sides to a story. Your version, Their version, and the truth somewhere in the middle.

 

I am curious how many other companies have a "recovery driver" position?

Mikeeee

 

I would presume most of the large companies. Abandoned loads, deaths, etc. Life happens and if they don't have a designated recovery driver they have to pull someone else to do it. <br />
Not discounting the fact that CRE's pushy lease program probably has a lot to do with this position existing.

 

I joined CR England out of desperation. Some people really like it, and are making it work. However there are problems that would prevent me recommending it to everyone (or anyone that was not desperate). There is a reason that England stands for 'every new guy lasts about 90 days'

1) School is fast paced. If you have trouble backing up, or need a little extra help, this school might not be for you. You are a number. During 'school' you will receive VERY little hands on time with the rig. Most of the instruction time will be in fact spent waiting. There are many other numbers in the class with you, and only so many 'teachers' and rigs.

2) They may not pay you everything you are owed. I was held over for 4 days, while awaiting a phase 2 driver. I was paid for 2. Another time I accepted a company ride from my home to the nearest CR terminal. I spent a week driving around the country (not getting paid) before he could drop me off.

3) It is hard to get ahold of people in the company. As a rule they do not return phone calls. They have an 800 drivers disservice line, where you call up any time day or night, to play with the phone tree. When you finally do get hold of someone be prepared for the inevitable verbal abuse that will take place.

4) If you do go, get it in you head that phase 1 and phase 2 trainers are not there to train. They are there to get paid for miles that you run. There is good money to be made 'training', but you have to go through a lot of sh** to get there.

So in summary I would only recommend CR only if you are desperate. There is nothing wrong with that. It is just that there are probably better companies out there if you do not need a job right now. Perhaps I am just whining, but then again, perhaps there is a reason, that the driver managers and recruiting staff sit behind armed security guards. There is also probably a reason they have a 'recovery department'

Whatever you do don't jump on the lease before going through phase 2 training. That way you can witness your 'trainer' getting negative paychecks first hand before you make the same mistake.

 

Go try them out and get back with us.

 

DirtyBayTrucker joined TTR in July of 2011, and, made two posts, (#14 & #16), on July 27, 2011. DBT was last seen on July 27, 2011.
To my knowledge, DBT never came back to inform us if it really is "that bad working for these guys". If I was a gamblin' man, I'd place my bet that DBTrucker would have returned to tell us if we were wrong about the Sons-0-Chester.

Two trainees and one trainer?
One trainee drivin' the Big truck?
Who's in the bunk with the trainer?
That oughta be cozy. :smt112

WoaH Thar BigJoel!!
That ain't good advice, --- even if you're kiddin'.
A wannaBee might take you seriously and sign up for the
C.R.E. adventure.