[KnightRider]

For what I understand they do not hire you until you are done with training. I have not told any other company no yet. If I get to the school and can't deal with the BS then I will walk. That is the great thing about being local.

Thanks for the good luck statement.

Originally Posted by KnightRider

I also know people who like it there.

Who likes pulling a reefer for .26 cpm and never seeing home? There's companies that will start you out at .30 cpm and get you home every weekend. I can't for the life of me fathom WHY someone would drive for CR England. Is is the pretty red trucks with that nifty coat-of-arms on the side? Chrome don't get ya' home, driver.

I am looking to break into the trucking field and make enough to feed my family until I can move onto something better.

What does doing time for 3-6 months at a company which has one of the worst reputations for screwing drivers get you? Another day older and deeper in debt, that's what. You need at least 1-2 years of rocksolid experience under your belt before better jobs come your way - especially now since freight levels are down and employers can be much more selective in who they hire.

That's what happens to alot of guys. They pull for these dog$hit companies and get fed up and quit. Only to hop from the frying pan into the fire of yet another two-bit operation. Or course, they get screwed yet again and jump ship somewhere else and they can never move up to the better paying gigs because they've got "job-hopper" written all over their resume. That's like the kiss-of-death in this biz.

Actually, a part of me wants CR England to be a good experience just so someone on this board has something neutral to say.

Ah, so what we have here is a crusader! Soldier-on, brave warrior!!! Onward Christian solders LOL!!!!

[Colts Fan]

Originally Posted by KnightRider

I am looking to break into the trucking field and make enough to feed my family until I can move onto something better. Actually, a part of me wants CR England to be a good experience just so someone on this board has something neutral to say.

Sounds like you already had your mind made up. If so, why do you want anone else's opinion? Are you looking for affirmation?

You're looking to get into trucking until you find something better? If this is something that you don't really have a passion for and are in it ONLY for the money then do you think it is really a good idea to do it? And if you doing so well in the corporate world, then why can't you pay for school and pick a company that fits your needs?

You have a family? Are you sure about this career decision? Do you ever want to see them? With CRE you can forget about ever being home.

This is not a get rich quick scheme. Almost every newbie trucking company pays basically minimum wage during your 4 to 8 week training period, and that is after you go to school to get your CDL which YOU pay to go to. In essence, their is at least a 2 month turnaround time before you are a solo driver getting your full pay. CRE is more interested in making money through their scandalous L/P agreements than hauling freight. Their is something inherently wrong in that, don't you think?

If you have decent business acumen you should get a life/health license and sell insurance policies. I did that for a while and made some money. I just can't stand people so here I am! You are with your family a lot and the turnaround time is pretty quick. Google NAA and check them out. Good people.

If you are dead set on this, look into getting your CDL through a private school (SAGE, community college). Call your state workforce department and ask about WIA (Workforce Investment Act). It could pay for some or all of your CDL training if you qualify. There are a lot of financing options as well. If the school is a certificate program through a community college you could qualify for an education loan with approved credit. Also look into LTL and local jobs. There are a lot of them out there. You will see your family a whole lot more.

I hope you heed the advice of everyone here. No one here is trying to sabotage you in any way. The good people on this board are trying to help you and prevent you from getting screwed by a very unsavory company.

If you choose to go with CRE then best of luck!

[inmate1577]

I know a woman whose husband worked for CRE with the promise of big money. Now they're broke and she works at a cafeteria.....at a Schneider OC.

JB Hunt would be a better choice than CRE.

But if you decide to take the CRE job please dont come back here and tell us how much it sucks because you wont get any sympathy here, especially after 2 pages warning you not to work there.

[BigDawg]

damm it you all are beating a dead horse deader ok he should go just road to
Central Reefer i know Uncle Jerry's daughter own's but still a mile ahead of CRE.

[inmate1577]

Is Knightrider sitting at home
with his fingers in his ears saying in a loud kids voice...

"I'm not listening...I'm not listening....I'm not listening"


?

[KnightRider]

Nope I keep my fingers busy in other ways :lol:

[Colts Fan]

Originally Posted by KnightRider

Nope I keep my fingers busy in other ways

:roll:

[Useless]

Originally Posted by Sealord

May be a little late to be asking about CRE, you'll probably regret your choice. But here goes:

Trucks have a CB in them or is the driver required to purchase.

No and yes, and while you're at it get a good antenna, the installed are sometimes not so good. BOL

As for the CB, you really need a Galaxy500 which has an Echo Box which will garble everything you say so that nobody can understand you, a stupid Roger Beep that tells everyone that you just got through transmitting something that nobody could understand, and a frequency range that allows you to transmit on the 10 Meter Ham Radio Bands!!

RadioRay, (See; Rules, Regs.& & DAC's Forum) who has plenty of idle time on his hands, can help you locate one. Getting a good, top quality CB, as well as a high quality, properly installed antenna, is VERY important, especially for CR England drivers.

Being a CR ENGLAND driver, you'll need to be able to use it in truck stop parking lots, and to both transmit & receive clearly in order to sell your personal belongings out of your truck so that you'll have enough money to buy some food!!

Then, after you have sold off your personal belongings to buy some food, you will still be able to sell your Galaxy 500 radio with all it's bells & whistles, and feed yourself for a couple of more days!!

[scythe08]

Hi Knightrider,
Hope you had a good weekend buddy. Here's my .02. If you can, I would highly recomend Sage tech for your training, they operate on a 1 to 1 basis. with 90% of the other trainers at 4 or 5 to 1 ratio(students per teacher) You will get good training! There is plenty of work at temp agencis and such to keep the money flowing until your checks from your driving job start coming in.

Your not going to be bringing in any money for 2 to 3 weeks when you first start driving, I'm not sure how CRE trains, do they make you team with a instructor for 4 weeks then a student for another 4?

The important thing is to plan ahead, your first year or 2 is when you can really make a name for yourself. Don't job hop(though it worked out great for me ) Keep your nose clean at all times, Don't let ANYONE jepordise your license. Wheither it be a DM who has no care about the HOS or you yourself.

If CRE doesn't work for you, I would recomend Knight, as they are right down the road from you and will get you home more and pay you more to run. Plus you don't have to deal with reefer stuff. And if you do, they have their own refridgerated division. Just because it's your first company doesn't mean it has to be your last.

At knight We got alot of CRE drivers, butI think all the ones I talked to were former fleece-operators, I honestly don't remember any company drivers comong over. I would be more comforatble with you getting trainging from someone else thought, and then when you have your CDL you can choose which company you like and not be contracted to stay with them until your training is paid for or however these carriers do it.

I'm sorry for the rant, but I just wanted to give some honest info. Pm me if you like as I live in SLC too. maybe i can give you some local info.

Be safe Buddy