[lifespalette]

Originally Posted by LOAD IT

I'm offering you a challenge. Stop posting here until you have at least 10,000 miles on your backside, the longer you stay in the saddle, the quicker you can come back and post. I bet that you will come back and apologize to everyone that "bashed" CRE or you will not have completed 10,000 miles with CRE. Do you even have your permit yet? Are we wasting our finger tips replying to your posts? You have a great opportunity in front of you. What are you going to do with it?

Actually Loadit.......... Spencerian didn't post that I did.... and I've actually already got a few more miles than 10,000 on my backside thank you.

I think you may have misunderstood my statement. I'm not saying you should candy coat anything.......... by all means if you have a personal experience with CRE ... share it, pass it on...........if you don't and it's hearsay from a friend who knows a friend whose second cousin was screwed by CRE then your input tends to be more opinion than fact and I doubt you have all the "real" unbiased information. One of the nice things about living in America is we're free to voice our opinions and we're free to accept or reject opinions.

What I was trying to say..... and undoubtedly didn't get it across.......was that IF someone has made the decision to go with CRE (or any other company for that matter).... is it expecting too much that the more "experienced" and knowledgeable drivers on this forum might be able to offer them some concrete tips for improving their chances short of jumping ship and running like hell. That isn't always a viable option for some.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be able to finger point the problems of any situation..........unfortunately, those who can offer valid construction solutions are far and few in between. Anybody can find problems, problem solvers are worth their weight in gold in today's business environment.

When I first stumbled onto ClassAdriver's forum, I was immediately impressed with the helpful attitudes of a majority of those who posted. It seems now that it's become like many other forums, a place to vent and cram your own opinion down every body's throat and to hell with anybody who doesn't agree with you.

Maybe that's just another reflection of reality in trucking today. I've got mine and ain't gonna help anybody else.....screw em. Oh, there are those glimmers of hope here and there is really no need to point them out... anybody who spends any time here already knows who they are, and for those individuals I would like to say thank you...... your positive contributions have far reaching impacts that usually remain unseen.

[lifespalette]

Spencerian, some on here have had some very valid points. You did come on here posting that you were being trained by politicians. One can interpolate that to mean they have lied to you over and over again like politicians do.......(if their lips are moving, they're lying) and some tried to point out to you that CRE has a reputation known for that.......it's kinda like preaching to the choir........you already know they've lied........not much constructive input if you ask me. But that's my opinion. Doesn't mean a thing.

You've already made the jump to drive for CRE.......I'm not sure why, as I'm of the opinion that there are better companies to start out with, but that's besides the point......what worked for me, isn't necessarily the route for you. We each had different circumstances and factors that we needed to consider.

Now I'm assuming that you're going through their training school and will eventually go out on the road with one of their trainers. First off, according to my brother, the school is fast paced........so stay up to speed. Be prepared for each class. Listen to the instructors and ask questions........pick their brains.... you're paying for this (in one fashion or another) so get your money's worth. Secondly, take advantage of every opportunity to get behind the wheel on the pad or on the road. The goal is to get your CDL and get onto the next step in the best position possible. School is not where you learn to drive.......that comes later.

Your training on the road with another driver is where you're going to learn.........either by mistakes you make or from positive input from your trainer.........hopefully it will be the latter. If you get assigned to some pig of a trainer, request another..........my brother's first trainer had a drinking problem........(mouthwash), the cab reeked of it and he had a mental wife whom he had to sing to all through the night over the cell phone. Two days he lasted with him. The second trainer was Indian whose accent was so heavy he couldn't understand his limited grasp of the English language.....that one lasted all of one phone call. The third time he got a fairly professional driver who actually took some pride in what he was doing. Since he went the lease route, his CAT trainer was as he put it.......very professional, very helpful and expected damn near perfection, and taught him as much as he could take in the 4 weeks he was with him.

Since you're going the company driver route......you need to be prepared. CRE is predominately an O/O or L/O company..........the company driver sector is limited and there has been talk that it was being eliminated.... don't know how much truth is there, but the point is the company drivers are limited there..............O/O's and L/O's are given preferential priority when it comes to loads, so you may find yourself sitting occasionally......so be prepared..... build a reserve as soon as you can. Learn to manage your time efficiently. When you have a load, drive hard right out of the gate. Better to be early than just on time or late. My first trainer had a saying ...."On time means an hour early..........if you get there when you're scheduled your late." You get there early, maybe you'll get unloaded early, maybe you get another load that you wouldn't get if you get there on time and get held up to be unloaded. Practice time management, it'll pay off.

Get to know your load manager (dispatcher, etc)........they can make you or break you. It doesn't pay to be on their bad side.........now that doesn't mean kiss their ass and suck up.......it means do your job and do it to the best of your ability........I'm surprised the number of company drivers who will turn down a load because it's not enough miles or into some area they don't want to go..............BS, that's your job, you're paid by the mile.........a hundred miles is a hundred miles, whether it's the front end of a long run or the run period. If you're wheels aren't turning, you're not making money.

Get yourself organized.......I'm talking about everything. You're paper work, you're resources, your personal gear, your cab..........keep your log up to date by the event. I use a metal site clip board that I had from construction.........my log, the BOL and anything else I need easily fit inside it..........nine times out of 10 if I'm called in some weight station, just the fact that I've got my stuff together and organized is enough to get a cursory look from the officer and I'm on my way. MS loves roving DOT inspections..........if the officer sees that my cab is organized, my paper work is in order, and that I'm a professional, most times I get just a casual inspection.....once, both I and another driver were pulled over for a roadside inspection..........the other driver when he opened his door trash falls out on the road........I'm not kidding........the right seat well was filled up to the seat with trash.........the dashboard was strewn with stuff to the point you couldn't see the dash...........guess who got a full inspection and weighed on the spot? Me.......I got a walk around the rig, a glance at my log and BOL and have a good day driver ... be safe. Trust me it pays to appear professional.

Thirdly, I would say be professional...........in all aspects. Treat your customers as if your job depended on it........cause it does. I make it a habit of putting on a clean shirt and cleaning up somewhat before I go into some shipping office. Take some pride in your appearance. In most cases you are not just the face of the company..........you are the company. I've quit being surprised by some driver who goes into the shipping office, his shoes are untied, he's wearing shorts and a shirt that doesn't quit meet, he smells, his hair is uncombed, he has a 3 day growth on his face, his rig's a mess, he's a mess and then he cops an attitude.........that he's doing his customer a big favor by bumping his dock.......... This is a service industry, your customer is always right even when he's wrong.... without him you have no job. Being a professional driver is way more than just being able to drive some dam truck and backing it into a slot on the first try.

Most on here could write a book on driving tips, but that isn't what you need right now....you'll discover those issues as you drive and hopefully you'll ask somebody if you can't figure it out. For now I'll just suggest you take things slowly, don't get in a hurry, take note of the things around you in every situation.............what looks like no problem can quickly become a problem to you. Think your moves out.........plan it and then work your plan. If you can't see it in your head, how in the world are you going to do it in seat? I would say 7 out of 10 incidents could have be prevented had the driver been aware of what was around him. Complacency is a disease that can kill you or some body else. The day you get to the point where you're just going through the motions without thinking...........you'd be better off turning in your keys, cause you've just become an accident waiting to happen.

I sincerely hope the best for you .........be safe, be professional... be smart.

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by spencerian

Now say I were to ask about bluejeans (stick with me for a second). Say I wanted to buy a pair of $97 Tommy Hillfiger jeans and wanted opinions on them.

I would probably see replies like:
They're overpriced, and not worth the money. -or-
My buddy owns a pair. They're junk. -or-
Why would you buy those? You can get 4 pair of Lee jeans for $97. -or-
My wife bought me a pair. They actually fit well and lasted quite a while.

Out of all those opinions, I would trust the last one. Why? Because it is a first hand experience.

Other than the fact that I would lean toward the fact that they are overpriced.... I wouldn't even for a moment consider buying a pair of jeans for $97.00.....and I don't care whose name is on them. Waste of money.

So when someone posts CRE will cheat you, rob you of miles, make you run illegal, never get you home, and take your first born I tend to ignore it unless they have actually worked for CRE.

Ahhh, but some of us do have what is more or less 1st hand knowledge of facts...by way of our friends who did at one time drive for them, and lived to regret it and moved on. But hey, don't believe anybody.....go ahead, wear the rose colored glasses, have some fun....

Here's some fun.... everytime you ask a question to someone at CRE... write the answer down...ask the same question to several people...write their answers down....compare them...

Other than that....feel free to ignore "what is common knowledge in the industry".... Hey, I have an idea...see if you can hook up with "futuretrucker"...he was wearing "rose colored glasses too".... and he spent lots of time "leading the cheering squad for CRE".....and then he didn't even make it past the first couple of days....and he found that they "lied to him"...and then he changed his monnicker to something like "midnitelighting" or something....and left for Swift.

You may say "There are several people that have been a lease-operator for CRE and loss their ass." That may be true.

BUT I am going to be a company driver. Do me a favor....
find all the posts that are NEGATIVE FIRST HAND experiences from CRE company drivers.

Facts are facts, and knowledge is knowledge....do as you will.

But out of curiousity....why are you so hell bent to work for CRE? There are many other options out there....

..


..

Oh, and yes, I do have my permit.

Good, that is how it should be, and you should have already tested and passed for your endorsements as well.

Another question: Do you think its possible that some of us have knowledge peculiar to this industry....and we are just trying to save you some "grief"?

If you really want to drive for CR England....by all means do it. Seems to me thats your plan regardless. So why bother asking for opinions?

Best of Luck to you!!

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by spencerian

So when someone posts CRE will cheat you, rob you of miles, make you run illegal, never get you home, and take your first born I tend to ignore it unless they have actually worked for CRE.

How would you know if they had or had not?? Secret handshake??

You may say "There are several people that have been a lease-operator for CRE and loss their ass." That may be true.

Actually its quite a few more than "several"....and well documented.

BUT I am going to be a company driver. Do me a favor....
find all the posts that are NEGATIVE FIRST HAND experiences from CRE company drivers.

I have a better idea....lets say you go and scour the web, and find ALL THE POSITIVE FIRST HAND POSTS FROM PAST OR CURRENT CRE DRIVERS....AND POST LINKS TO THEM HERE??

:shock: :shock: Good luck!!

And when you get a moment...go to this link and do some reading, it may just help you with your decision....

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tru...um/cr-england/

[Useless]

The School that CRE paid for him to attend lied to him about everything, but not to worry; CRE is still a FINE company!!!!

Now, what's this latest buzz "Bastard Trainer: Oh, How I Hate You!!!"

Here's to you, Spencerain!!
:P

[Colin]

I am still amazed JB Hunt turned me loose with my measly 7 years of local experience.

I had ZERO experience in trip planning, logging (except for what I learned in orientation), how truck stops worked, how to open the trailer doors :shock: , almost everything involved with OTR except actually driving the vehicle.

Of course I wouldn't have chose them if I had been required to go with a trainer. US Express wanted me to spend 6 weeks with one. I said no, but in hindsight it would have been nice to have some training. A week at most.

EDIT: Happy 900th post! :P

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Useless

The School that CRE paid for him to attend lied to him about everything, but not to worry; CRE is still a FINE company!!!!

Now, what's this latest buzz "Bastard Trainer: Oh, How I Hate You!!!"

Here's to you, Spencerain!!
:P

I'LL SECOND THAT!!!!!! This boy is just killing me!!!! He and "futuretrucker/midnightwhizbang" or whatever he calls himself now should "run team" and lease a truck from CRE and then come back and tell us about their "millions of $$'s" they are making after expenses/deductions!!



"WONDERS" NEVER CEASE, AND FORREST GUMP WAS MOST CERTAINLY RIGHT, AND SO WAS P.T. BARNUM......!!

[Useless]

[quote="Skywalker"]

I'LL SECOND THAT!!!!!! This boy is just killing me!!!! He and "futuretrucker/midnightwhizbang" or whatever he calls himself now should "run team" and lease a truck from CRE and then come back and tell us about their "millions of $$'s" they are making after expenses/deductions!!

Gee, we haven't heard from "Futuretrucker/ MidnightWhizz" since he left for Swift!! At least he did come back and admit that he was wrong, and I will give him credit for that!!

As much to his credit, after he returned from his "CRE Excellent Adventure", he demonstrated a new found maturity previously unseen when he was "FutureTrucker!!

[Skywalker]

There's something about this post that needs to stay in plain sight....

[Skywalker]