[Retired in Nevada]

I was turned down at my company of first choice for driver training. That company's head recruiter called me a couple of days ago and simply said that the company has more qualified candidates than I.

When I pressed him to elaborate on what he meant, he was very evasive, so the heck with that company. I wouldn't want to drive for them, anyway, based on that evasive response.

So, on to choice #2: Central Refrigerated. I have read a little positive and a lot of negative here at CAD about CR.

CR has a training school (Riverside, CA) not too far from my residence. In addition, in this difficult economic environment, maybe reefer is the best way to go? People still need to eat. Reefer companies carry a lot of freight to places where food is sold.

Please post any and all opinions, and any fresh insight about CR -- the good, the bad, the ugly, and the indifferent.

No need to post anything about CR's lease program. I have hung around CAD long enough to know to stay away from any company's lease program. I'm looking to be strictly a company driver.

Thanks.

[Bumper]

I went through their 3d Riverside class....and i am sure it is alot more organized than it was back then!!

They also have a class in Salt Lake City.

Like all the rest, its a training company. Pay isnt the best, but it will get you a CDL and teach you the basics about OTR truck driving.

I did my year and moved on.

Make sure you can bring your truck home on time off, otherwise you will be driving home from SLC or Fontana.....

[Retired in Nevada]

Originally Posted by Bumper

I went through their 3d Riverside class....and i am sure it is alot more organized than it was back then!!

They also have a class in Salt Lake City.

Like all the rest, its a training company. Pay isnt the best, but it will get you a CDL and teach you the basics about OTR truck driving.

I did my year and moved on.

Make sure you can bring your truck home on time off, otherwise you will be driving home from SLC or Fontana.....

Bumper, how long ago did you attend CR's Riverside school and work for them? What was your opinion of the quality of their training? After graduating their school and obtaining your CDL, how long did you have to go out with a trainer, and what was that experience like? Was your trainer a real trainer, or just someone out to get team driving pay?

Are you still driving reefer?

[TruckerChris]

Search for a big thread all about Central by "cockroach" It's a year or two old but it's a good one all about central

[Bumper]

I worked for them from 2005-2006. They are now allowed to do their own testing, back then we had to shuttle down to what ever DMV we could get a test time in. I had to go to Poway just to take my test.

They train the basics, enough for you to pass. They want your in truck trainer to do the real stuff. I had a very good trainer, Justin Smith out of Fontana. He made the difference. His Dad works for the company too and Justin was his trainer!

Yes I still pull reefers, I work for IWX out of Kingman Arizona now though. I moved there from Riverside California.

Personally I think Schneider has the best in house training school but I have no regrets on going with Central.

[saber11]

I drive for CRS I went through their school in Salt Lake. I have to say i don't think any other school would have had the patience they had with me.

With that said, I am still driving for them. For the most part it has been good. I ran teams with a guy I met in school, but CRS doesn't know how to run teams, and couldn't make any money so we split up. We were only running solo miles as a team.

So you got to start somewhere, so I'm sure there are better companies than CRS, but you could do worse.

I will stay with them for the year required, but after that I will evaluate my options. Oh they pressure you to become an owner op, but don't fall for it.

[Retired in Nevada]

Thanks, all, for your replies. During the last week or so, I registered with an outfit that counsels displaced workers on re-entering the job force. I met with one of their job counselors yesterday. He assured me that if I want to enter the truck driving industry, he has a grant available that will pay for my entire tuition at a truck driving school in my area. So, should I decide to enter this industry, that obviously is the route that I will take. Not only will I have school paid for, I won't be an indentured servant to any company.

I am still undecided. There are aspects of OTR driving that appeal to me. There are also aspects of it that turn me off completely.

One plus is that the counselor said that if I excel in the school, the instructors and job placement people will recognize that and will probably be able to assist me with landing a regional or dedicated job straight out of school.

My follow-up meeting with the job counselor is on October 10th, by which time I have to decide, for 2008, anyway. His is the last grant available for 2008. After that, with the upheaval in the economy now, he doesn't know if and when future grants will be available or for how many dollars they will be.

I will keep you posted.

[ajritter04]

Sometimes, a dedicated account isn't the best thing out there.

Werner and their Dollar General account is a good example.
Yes, it is dedicated and chances are you will get home more often than 48 state, but you have to back into some stores "receiving area" that you'd be hard pressed to fit a pickup into. Even better, is the fact that you have to fingerprint almost every single box that goes to that store.

All in all, trucking is what you make of it. But, if you do decide to enter the field, try your best to obtain your CDL on your own / through government assistance rather than letting a company "pay" for it.
A lot of times, if you quit or get fired, that company that was so generous will ass rape you on interest charges, fees, and other stuff to make sure they get their money back, twice.

[Retired in Nevada]

Originally Posted by ajritter04

Sometimes, a dedicated account isn't the best thing out there.

Werner and their Dollar General account is a good example.
Yes, it is dedicated and chances are you will get home more often than 48 state, but you have to back into some stores "receiving area" that you'd be hard pressed to fit a pickup into. Even better, is the fact that you have to fingerprint almost every single box that goes to that store.

All in all, trucking is what you make of it. But, if you do decide to enter the field, try your best to obtain your CDL on your own / through government assistance rather than letting a company "pay" for it.
A lot of times, if you quit or get fired, that company that was so generous will ass rape you on interest charges, fees, and other stuff to make sure they get their money back, twice.

I discussed fingerprinting loads both with the job counselor and a recruiter at the school. I made it clear in no uncertain terms that my 55-year-old body probably could not stand a lot of live loads and unloads. They both said that it should not be a problem landing a job with a company that runs no-touch freight--again, if I excel in school to the point where they see in me a mature and professional attitude toward my endeavor.

[Jay B]

Originally Posted by ajritter04

Sometimes, a dedicated account isn't the best thing out there.

Werner and their Dollar General account is a good example.
Yes, it is dedicated and chances are you will get home more often than 48 state, but you have to back into some stores "receiving area" that you'd be hard pressed to fit a pickup into. Even better, is the fact that you have to fingerprint almost every single box that goes to that store.

Yup, Werner got the Dollar General account by under bidding JBHunt. They did this by paying the drivers on that account a dime a mile less. ( This is what I was told by a guy who was a JB fleet manager at the time) Now Swift wants the account and I wonder how low they will pay. Still, there are guys who stay on the account and change companies because they are in their comfort zone with it.