Went to England

Discussion in 'CR England' started by ed28560, Jun 2, 2009.

  1. He who is called I am

    He who is called I am Medium Load Member

    437
    98
    Dec 18, 2008
    Da U P Eh, Michigan
    0


    Look i spent 2 yrs at CRE. Thats about a year and a half too long. Its worse now then it was back then. At least then you could be a solo company driver and you had loose leaf logs. Not to mention the trucks werent as underpowered and gutless. There are way better options for you. I didnt go to driver training with them. You can find better for yourself if you take your time and exhaust all possibilities.
     
    CREngland88 Thanks this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Gator83

    Gator83 Bobtail Member

    35
    9
    Jul 17, 2009
    Arkansas
    0
    The option to run solo company just went away recently from what I heard. I have also heard in the past couple of weeks from a friend that's still running in his leased truck with them (he won't leave, 6000 miles a week and home 2 days a week as a trainer..) that they're pushing even leased to teams, CAT, and trainer, so I guess now we should say "Back in the day when you run solo with CRE company and IC..."
     
  4. rmarierii

    rmarierii Light Load Member

    103
    19
    Jun 25, 2009
    Spring TX
    0
    I grew up around the trucking industry and even as a kid my parents who are both drivers always said CRE has some pretty trucks but knew some of the drivers and they didnt pay for s@#$ and yhat was 15yrs ago....not much has changed.... just be careful about where you go.
     
    CREngland88 Thanks this.
  5. CommDriver

    CommDriver Road Train Member

    1,315
    480
    Dec 9, 2006
    0
    I wonder where this started. I've heard that a lot also. Is it because of the word "England" and the way it is stenciled like old colonial letters? I don't get it.
     
  6. ed28560

    ed28560 Bobtail Member

    36
    52
    Apr 29, 2009
    New Bern, NC
    0
    There are no longer company solo drivers at England. The only way you can drive solo is to lease and - FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND - they will sometimes withold miles to lease drivers in order to get them to team-up or train. Although this latter news may be toward only select drivers rather than across the board.

    The only way you can really drive solo as a company driver is to be a trainer. This way, you're allowed 30 days between students, so you can train someone, then drive solo for up to 30 days, then get another student.

    There is no minimum time at England. If you quit before the loan is paid, you still have to pay it. They told us at school that the interest or final amount due will not change, but the monthly payments may increase in order to get it paid earlier. They also told us that this is wholly dependant upon whether you stay in touch with them. As long as you stay in touch and don't try to dodge them (so we were told) they'll work with you on every level.

    I'm currently in Phase Two and just got home yesterday for a little home time. I dropped my trainer off in Toledo for his home time, then finished a load to Streetsboro, OH. Picked up another in Columbus and brought it to South Carolina, then headed home yesterday morning.

    Phase Two is a completely different experience from Phase One for me. I lucked out and got a trainer who is a good dude, is easy to get along with and wants the experience to be a positive one. And it is. We're more like a team than trainer/student, both pulling our weight and getting up to help each other out when needed.

    I've been watching the trucks on the road and never seem to see as many trucks on any one run from any other company than England. I know we haven't been slow on getting loads, although only a couple we're really tight on time.

    I did find out that I was lied to by my recruiter about the way phase two pays. I was told that during phase two, there is a minimum weekly amount of $550 and max of $650. Turns out there is no set amount. It pays just a straight $0.12 per mile. If you get good miles with your phase two, then you make good money (for being in training.) If, on the other hand, you get a trainer who likes to hang out in truck stops and be late on loads or even just take the full delivery time (and there are some out here) then you're likely to not make much of anything. Be picky about who you agree to ride with for that 60 days.
     
  7. CREngland88

    CREngland88 Bobtail Member

    12
    0
    Jul 20, 2009
    Springfield, MO
    0
    I am not pleased with CR ENGLAND AT ALL! I am ready for a greyhound ticket home! I went without sleep for 26 hours and without food for 30 hours the first day! For the first day of class I couldnt even wake up and was throwing up and had the ##### all morning and throughout the day and still having them tonight. It is because i hadnt eaten and got proper rest. These people treat their students like they treat their OTR Team Trucks...drive 24 hours a day 7 days a week and stop for fuel WHEN THEY HAVE TIME! I do not recommend CR ENGLAND FOR ANYONE!

    THE HORROR STORIES ARE TRUE! :biggrin_2552: :biggrin_2553: :biggrin_2551: :biggrin_25516: :biggrin_25510: :biggrin_25518:
    I am thinking they will send me home for missing today but if they dont im going to try to stick it out.
     
  8. CREngland88

    CREngland88 Bobtail Member

    12
    0
    Jul 20, 2009
    Springfield, MO
    0
    Dont worry about positive feedback anymore...dont want it...i know the real story and you were right, they suck!
     
  9. JW430

    JW430 Medium Load Member

    401
    37
    May 23, 2009
    Rocklin, CA
    0
    My dad told me CRE had on their trucks "Lease. Train. Drive." (which of course I already knew), he knows I'm looking to get into trucking, and I told him I would not even attempt an app into them, I've heard way too many horror stories and this one just drives in the stake on CRE for me.
     
  10. CommDriver

    CommDriver Road Train Member

    1,315
    480
    Dec 9, 2006
    0
    Well, that didn't take long. Details....?
     
  11. Saienga

    Saienga Medium Load Member

    626
    229
    Jul 28, 2009
    0
    Yeah, I'm curious about the details, too. Somebody should stencil up an "I'm a CR England Survivor" decal for the side of our new rides.

    I went to the California School, and on the first night of school I found complaints about England on RipOffReports...I literally called my wife and wept. Not ashamed to admit it. I was really broke at the time and suddenly found the fear of this company.

    I passed through school (not without a near stress ulcer, for sure. The pressure to cram in your skills was intense). The trainers were interesting. I had one who ran me down in subtle ways. Basically (in hindsight) he was only happy with me when I drove just the way he would drive. So I couldn't relax and learn the vehicle within the limits of safety, I had to do it like him ('cause he was the best ###### trucker on earth, apparently). The second trainer (first one went on a vacation, thank God) was really cool, but still pretty rigid about me driving just a certain way.

    Phase II or CAT was a different story. I was out with a super cool guy from Cudahy (read, rough part of LA) and he told me to knock myself out learning the ins and the outs. "Just don't kill me in my sleep, all right?" was his quote. I learned how to float on his truck. Trusting guy.

    I wound up leasing a used truck so that 1)I could get out there and knock down some miles 2)I wouldn't be stuck with 36 months of crap if I found it didn't work.

    On a 16 month lease, I ran regular OTR, Western Regional, and then Containers. I bounced around looking for the miles. Containers was where I got closest...but then, June of last year, my truck broke...and that was when I knew for sure (as if I wasn't already pretty certain) that leasing was the dumbest idea on earth. A wiring harness saddled over the tranny got brittle and shorted, and fried my ECM. I lost power, my digital relay gauges went out (Speedo, Tach, Oil, and Coolant temp)...ugh, I can tell the story in another thread. Long story short, I spent, oooohh, 7 grand on tows and shops across 3 states. Not to mention lost a couple years of my life when the blasted truck SHUT OFF on me in 65 mph traffic. Freightliner of Kansas City finally fixed it (thanks guys, you're awesome)...but it took me till October or November to pay that whole mess off.

    There are some good, helpful people at England, but policy rules people, and the policies there are written by profit finders and nobody else.

    You can survive a stint at England by learning the fine art of not letting crap get to you (which, admittedly, is a good skill for a trucker)...but notice, like my fictional decal, the key word is survive, not thrive.

    I came out with no outstanding balance due after the turn in (they actually gave me a couple grand back, by the grace of God), a TWIC, and Tanker-HAZMAT-Doubs/Trips. I also have 18 months of busting my butt for very little return, which makes a good deal really easy to spot.

    I learned a lot there, but you can learn a lot from sticking your hand in a boiling pot of water...and that I don't recommend either.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.