My year with CRST

deadspade · Jun 23, 2011

eyazee said: ↑

Hey all! Ive been reading posts on CRST for about 2 hours now ("headache"!) and I am inclined to agree with the "positive attitude" mindset...it is important to be positive, open to learning, and finding ways to make yourself known as someone who is reliable, has integrity and versatile. I spoke with a recruiter today and may decide to go to CRST in Fontana for my refresher and training.
I have had my CDL for 5 months now, and besides a few months driving back east, they want me to take a 2 week refresher (because the truck school I went to didnt test students with a 53' trailer), then 4 day orientation. I can understand it doesnt pay much at first, but I am one that doesnt need alot right now. I am a 25 yr general contractor, closed my business after the economy took a bust. Looking forward to driving, did my most recent trip from NYC to Frisco in 47 hours (is that good?!) while coming home from back east.
Can anyone tell me about the refresher course? Does it involve all new tests, pre-trip, brake tests, etc...?
Can anyone tell me about the Fontana terminal? Whats it like, what should I bring, not bring, any input would be great....!
Peace and safe driving!!
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Okay I just finished orentatoin at fontana and the teminal is a dust bowl the training crew is thourgh and cares about giving the trainies the best most recent and information posible, you'll stay at the clarmont hotel about 25-30 min away and they shuttle you back and fourth every day there is alot of restarunts around the hotel but you only need to worry about dinner cuz they have rolls bagles and muffins with coffee and you get lunch at the terminal, so enjoy and have fun

wondering4ever · Jun 24, 2011

hey keep us informed i have heard all kinds of crazy stuff about these guys yet im gonna call and talk to them anyways

deadspade · Jun 28, 2011

wondering4ever said: ↑

hey keep us informed i have heard all kinds of crazy stuff about these guys yet im gonna call and talk to them anyways
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alright dude check this out i've been waiting a day and half now trying to get my driver number and start training I;m sure things will be fine once i start but its dragging ### to get started

Paladan · Oct 1, 2011

BubbaMan said: ↑

I started with CRST last year after leaving the computer industry (long story, don't ask). I have always liked driving and my wife thought it might be a decent job while the economy improved, so I looked around and decided on CRST as my place to start. My decision was based on reviews here, research into other training companies, and talking to some drivers out at a truck stop in the valley. CRST was not the most highly recommended of companies I considered, but I didn't want to go out of state for my training, so that left CR England and CRST. CRST won out because they paid a bit better to start and had a shorter training period. I also decided to pay for my training up front and not be tied into an 8 month contract. By doing this, I got my recruiter to give me a single room. I think she intended to have me pay the difference, but it worked out that I never had to. CRST students stay at the Claremont Hotel in Claremont, CA. It is NOT the Four Seasons, but it's a #### sight better than the place the CR England students stay.

Training Week 1
===============
CRST uses a couple of schools on SoCal. I happened to be sent to the Premier school run by CR England. The training was VERY fast, and solely set up to get you a CDL as fast as possible. Your first day will be spent filling out tons of paperwork and getting your physical and drug screen out of the way. The remainder of the first week is spent reviewing the actual answers to the several different versions of the CDLtests, finishing up by going to the DMV and getting your permit. My instructor offered us the "study materials" for the other endorsements, so I opted to take them all at once. Remember, if it has been over a year since you've taken a written test for your class C, you'll have to take that again as well as class M if you're a biker too. I ended up taking 7 tests that morning: Class C, Class M, Class A, Air Brakes, Hazmat, Tankers, and Doubles/Triples. I figured I'd get them all out of the way at once and save money too (you have to pay the license fee again if you add endorsements later). Even with the answers in hand, we still had some people fail the test... several times.

Training Weeks 2-3
==================
With CDL permits in hand, we headed over to the CR England yard in Mira Loma and started working in the actual trucks. This part can be a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it. The trainers work with you on the skills you need to perform for the DMV examiners: Pre-Trip, Air Brake Check, Straight-Line Backing, Parallel Park (yes, you really have to do this with a big ol' truck, and it's surprisingly useful), Measured Turn, and Alley Dock (this is the most difficult skill to master, but also the one you will use most often). You will also take the trucks out of the yard and begin to learn how to drive them in the real world. Depending ont he school, you might be offered the opportunity to come back and practice after hours. Several members of my training class came back nightly and it helps a lot to practice while not under the scrutiny of a teacher. The DMV test was fairly grueling, mostly due to nervousness. When I passed, I promptly went into the bathroom and threw up.

Orientation Week
================
Orientation is standard new company stuff: filling out aplications, learning their policies, and getting ready to go out with your OTR trainer. I've heard SO many stories about people being stranded by their trainers and such. All I can say is that they are the gatekeepers to working for CRST, so keep your head down, do what they tell you and try to learn what you can from them. Some of them I'm sure are decent, while others are horrible. My own experience was mixed in that my trainer was a mysogynistic racist cretin, but he knew how to drive, so I payed attention and learned everything I could from him. My 28 days was unpleasant, but bearable, and in the end you're going to be out with a team mate, not this person. I was also lucky in that he had a decent record and we made good miles. If you don't drive enough miles during your 28 days, they WILL send you out with another trainer. School taught me how to drive a truck, but my trainer taught me a bit about being a truck driver, good and bad.

Driving for CRST
================
I'm not going to go into all my differing experiences driving with several team mates. I was lucky enough to mostly get good ones, and I believe that was partly due to just trying to have a good attitude. However, this gets very difficult when dealing with CRST'
s idiotic dispatchers, crappy equipment, poor hometime, and low pay. A word about CRST's pay; it's a TRAINING COMPANY, people! They aren't going to pay top wages when they have a 200% turnover rate. My dispatcher was pretty dense and tried to have me run unsafely a few times (pulling unloaded during a Denver snowstorn was one of them) and illegally others (overweight at loading... "well, most of the weigh stations are closed lately, you should be okay", missing placards on a drop & hook... "just make it to the closest truck stop and get them"). The trucks themselves aren't terrible, but they're hardly top notch, and the slip seating is ridiculous. I never went out on two trips with the same truck. Possibly due to my association with the trainer who had a good reputation, I often got put on air freight loads, thus making LOTS of miles, but at $0.22 per it was a pittance. Once you hit the 6 month mark and get up to $0.31 the paychecks a much more substantial. I finally reached the limit of my tolerance when I was partnered with a guy who could NOT stay awake while he drove. I caught short naps right after he woke up and watched him the rest of his shift, then driving my own. During my hometime, I could not find another team mate I liked so I applied and went over to Marten, when I currently work and am very happy with them so far.

Conclusions
===========
The bottom line is that CRST is just another CDL meat grinder. You can read hundreds of other posts here telling you about all the bad stuff they pull, and I would tend to believe almost all of it. The thing to keep in mind is that they are a means to an end. If you want a CDL and you want to get some experience, CRST can be just as good or bad as any other company. You're trading a good work environment for a chance to get some experience in a field that a lot of people are using to fall back on in this economy. I hope you find this post useful, and feel free to PM me with any questions.

BubbaMan
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The truth is with everything it's what you make it and somtimes you must take the bad with the good but it is a means to an end.. everything depends on your attitude and how you react to any given situation.

TruckerBishop · Oct 2, 2011

So... What is and who is the best company to drive for? With faults and all? I'm suppose to head out tomorrow for "PTL" and IV heard nothing nice! Let me know! Thx.

Erick chapel · Oct 3, 2011

fireguy3 said: ↑

CRST, screwed me without lube last February!!

They offered me a job driving teams, i told them alright, but since i hadn't drove in 3 months they wanted me to take a refresher course...so i figured WTH, why not, i'll sail right through it and hit the road before it hit me.

They asked if i wanted to take it at their school? I said no why pay you guys if my old school will still do it for free within a year of graduating?

So back to my alma mater i went and actually ended up tutoring fresh fish for most of my week long refresher!!

I then called CRST to schedule orientation and you know what miraculaously since i did not go to THEIR school for my refresher, They did not need me as they had instituted a hiring freeze............B***S***! they were angry they didn't get my "Deutchmarks", my "Lira", My "Pounds sterling", my "Greenbacks", mio "Pesos" is the real reason they no longer wanted me i guarantee it.

Now i know why their initials pronounced as a word say "Cursed".
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Don't wanna bash on your little ad campaign here gxy,but, you sound like a liar.

YoungManTruckin · Jun 29, 2012

Thanks Bubba. You put the job in perspective. I am joining in with CRST in a couple weeks. Need a job that pays more than the ###### job I got now. I am going in with the mindset, I'm gona make this work for me.

hardball0025 · Jul 26, 2012

crst want me to be a trainer, how much trainers make

FEELTHEWHEEL · Sep 1, 2012

Best post I've read on CRST, by BubbaMan ! word for word all true !

Daddylovestrucks · Sep 4, 2012

I started talking with a recruiter today for crst. Now I am willing to take lumps to get my foot in trucking. It has been my dream for 10 yrs now and got my life in order so if they take me here I come!!!! Now I have seen a lot of bad post about them but what do you guys know about trainees forced to sleep on tractor floor etc. I have a good attitude and positive outlook but wanna know what to be prepared for.

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