[iowarider]

Well here goes. If like me you have been looking through all the trucker forums goggle could muster, trying to see if this career is for you check in once in a while and I hope this will help.

After weeks of searching and reading there seemed to be a common line of thinking on the forums; all large companies are just out to rip the drivers off, all load dispatchers have driven only a desk and have no idea how to actually help a driver make miles or even find where to un load the truck, and we just won't even get into the single digit IQ of the trainers. Well I don't know about you but when things are either all negative or all positive it usually turns out to be just way biased opinion of few that may or may not be true. Than I ran across the diaries of papa bear who was a newbie for Schneider and cool breeze who was going through training with Swift. Good reads giving the good bad and frustrating of working with their companies. Like all jobs, some things bad some things good and the attitude you take to the job basically determine what you get out of the job. So I made up my mind to do the same if I decided to go through with trucking.

What brings me to Trucking? I am 50 years old, and have not one but three education degrees. B.S.E. M.A. and D.I.T. that last one stand for Doctorate of Industrial Technology. Well I worked for a government agency for 11 years helping fifteen different school districts develop course work for their kids that would meet requirements of feds and state officials, when "No Child Left Behind" came into being, the state agency I worked for decided everyone needed to be credentialed as reading or math. So the history guy and I had our position eliminated. No offer of retraining, no golden parachute, not even a Kleenex. Add a divorce that was not a nice one two years earlier, and wanting to stay around the southeast corner of Iowa to be in my youngest sons life when needed and I have survived on minimum wage and less jobs for three years. I have run through all my savings and retirement in the last three years, so this is a total career and life change for me. Starting over from zero is an adequate description of my situation.

I have always liked driving, thought this might be an interesting career, and now with nothing to keep me tied to Iowa, trucking seemed like a fit. My son is now 15, and understands that dad needs to make a living and is supportive of my career change. I did apply to Schneider but they said I did not meet their requirements for a steady work history. I have held three jobs in the last three years. I am now in one of the largest towns in Iowa, Des Moines and there are lots of folks that will let me feel out an application, but than look at it and say "why are you applying with us?" Seems schools would rather higher new grads at half the money they would need to pay me in order to meet the union scale contract. So, Monday I start my training with CRST, the gold Internationals and Freight Liners you see, who are based out of Cedar Rapids Iowa. Why them? Because it was within commuting distance of where I live and they would train me at no cost. I will verify the terms Monday and up date this post, as to the honesty of the recruiter. I have been told that the only charge to me will be the cost of the DOT Physical and the License fee itself. In Iowa that amounts to around $150. I will be committed to working for 6 months to pay back my loan, which is a good deal shorter than most training companies, but I will be working at a, shall we say modest income until the training period is completed. Does that make CRST on of the bad guys taking advantage of a guy in a bad situation? Not in my book. Makes them a smart business that is willing to give a guy a chance in return I get to prove to them I can be there best driver in a short time, fair trade in my book. I will arrive at the CRST terminal for orientation, dot drug testing and physical on Monday. The rest of the training is to take place on the Kirkwood Community College truck driving range.

WHY CRST: applied, learned how to word the app. From Schneider, and the recruiter calls. He and the company have no problem with my work history considering the circumstances I described and would love to have me work with them. So that?s how I fell into a new career with an established company. Scared, you bet, well apprehensive any way, anxious to get on with it yep. Oh yea, literally arriving with an empty gas tank and no money, none, not kidding. Lucky for me I have a friend that is willing to put me up and feed me during training. Hey, if you cant much from a friend once in a while who can you much off of?

[just_froggy]

Let us know how it goes. Hopefully you won't get burned with them like my fiance' did.

[iowarider]

first day at CRST orientation. Turns out, the recruiter not only was honest but a good guy to talk to. They make it a point to have the new folk meet their recruiter in person. All that I have talked to have been very friendly and up front. Class started at 7:00, we went through the contract, yes it is only a 6 month commitment, The Van section is 100% team driving and they explained the pay scale with went up January of this year. Now for no experience folk like me. It is a bit complicated as the per mile pay is on a scale that increases every 2-4 weeks for the first 6 months. I will post the particulars tomorrow. It starts at .18/mile with miles split between the team. Sounds cheap but they take nothing from your pay after the school. Others pay .26 or so but will deduct the price of the school from your wages for that full year or two commitment. I estimate around $250 per week for the first couple weeks. Only other things to be taken out are the cost of the physical ($50) cost of CDL ($37) Housing, which is $21/day for the time at the school. They do not start taking funds from your check until the 5th week.

Biggest surprise for some, class started at 7:00 am today. Tomorrow be at the bus pickup to go to the driving school at 5:30 am. Grumbles and head shake from students. instructor simply says welcome to the trucking industry. First order of business in the morning, take the CDL Exam. Then out to first time in truck. CRST uses super 10 transmissions in Internationals for now, but is replacing them with standard 10 speeds in Freightliners and will complete the transition in 12 to 18 months. I'm at the library and will be spending the rest of the day studying the cdl manual.


Lessons for those that follow, do the details. I did not have my birth certificate and that could slow me down for a bit. Birth Certificate is required by feds for the hazmat endorsement all drivers must have, even though only 10% of the runs are hazmat runs. According to person in front of class CRST is 83% drop and hook, and 97% no touch, lumpers paid if needed. Ill keep track and let you know on that one. Safe trip all, talk to you tomorrow. As for the physical, heck they didn't even have us to the "turn your head and cough thing" Its given in a way meant to help you pass. Now the "fill the bottle" test is another matter, we are talking empty your pockets, fill it to this line more is better, don't tell me your story if something shows up we have heard it and it makes no difference. For me no problem, but you had best be squeaky clean for a couple months or you will not pass. This goes for all companies these days I would guess.

[iowarider]

Day two of CDL training for CRST. Well I promised the good, bad and frustrating when I started this so here goes.

Got to the motel where the other twelve trainees were to be picked up at 5:30 am. All were in good spirits, shuttle bus to the college did not arrive till around 6:00, no fault of theirs the found a flat on it when it was time to come pick us up. The trainer is a great guy with a good sense of humor and over 18 years of otr experience, Today was practice CDL test for our permits then the real test, DOT came to the campus to administer the test, than Van to motor vehicle department to take mug shots and get our plastic cards. All in all good group of trainees, all very serious about getting the CDL and the Dot personnel did their job well.

Lesson for the day, DO NOT PLAY GAMES WITH THE DOT LADY GIVING THE TEST. One of the guys questioned here about needing to retest when the recruiter for CRST and the trainer at the college he had came from both assured him he would not need to do that. Quick response from DOT lady, "were they IOWA DOT? Know mam, THAN THEY DO NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THAT PROMISE!!! :shock: yes mam. Shall we say that was the end of any further discussion of such issues with the DOT lady.

This one goes under
UGLY: several of the folk in class, including me, distinctly remember our recruiters telling us there would be no charge to us for motel and food. All would be taken care of. Well, technically that may be accurate, but not entirely truthful. Yes their is no out of pocket money for those expenses, but they take it out of your pay check along with other expenses starting with your 6th week pay. Yep, that one smacks of the old three card Monte card trick. Don't mind that man behind the curtain.

This one
Frustrating or maybe to be expected. The motel CRST has earned the nick mam BATES MOTEL, as in reeek reek reek psycho by Alfred Hitchcock. Very small rooms, one set of washers and dryers and communal microwave as well as TV. small bathrooms that are a bit discouraging to guys my size and larger, one poor guy stand a good 6'7" tall and nearly has to shower on his knees if he wants to shampoo his hair. The lucky ones that signed up after the Bates Motel was full got put up in the locale super 8 and are enjoying rubing it in. :roll:

As for the testing and me, good day passed general information, air brakes and combinations. yea, several will be retaking tomorrow, Was not able to take Hazmat due to not being prepared on my part with certified birth certificate in hand. That one is my fault. 5:30 tomorrow, we start learning pre-trip inspection and get to play with the trucks on the driving range. Oh, I met a guy in class that is about my age and we are of a similar disposition, we are in it for the money, nothing fancy needed, just tell us where and keep the wheels turning. Both of us very very thin on the finance side. We think we will team after the 28 day trainer driver. That was my biggest fear, getting stuck with a team driver that I could not stand to be around. Didn't happen. A little surprised that nearly half the class is woman. Not a bad thing by any means, just did not know truck driving was a profession that woman were choosing, though I don't know why they would not. With power steering, brakes, cruise control and such its not the physically demanding job it used to be. Don't get me wrong its work, but upper body strength is not an issue like it used to be. Well tomorrow another day up at the butt crack of dawn as my boys would say. Talk to you later.[/b]

[BrutusBuck]

Thanks for taking the time to post this.

Keep them coming. :P

[yoopr]

good reading

[Nivek]

Newbie want a be here. You take the CDL test the first day? I thought they were there to train you?

[iowarider]

Hey Niveck,
As with all things in life, a person gets out of an opportunity what they put in. Sometimes we get smacked in the head with a curve ball but that story is for another day.

Actually, it was the second day of class and for those that did more planning than I the entire Iowa CDL manual is available in PDF for on line reading or printing at http://www.iamvd.com/ods/cdl.htm

Me, I was so into, I'm tired of this whole idea of being out of a job that paid minimum wage, I called the recruiter and went to class on Monday, when I had applied on Thursday the previous week. The guy took a chance on me and put me in the class before receiving my driving record check. The trainers gave every opportunity to succeed, they went over all questions and answers that they could legally teach in the morning of testing. So with correct answers fresh in our head the Iowa DOT came to the campus and administered the test. The idea being, if we passed at least the general information test we could get our permit to be in the truck and start range work the next morning. As I keep saying, all about attitude, for me opportunity for one last chance to make a retirement income and provide for my boys. After all, this is a profession, and once someone shows and helps me learn the information it is my job to learn it, and show that I have learned it. Like one class mate said his instructor from another school told him, "When you were born your mama was given a birth certificate for you, not a CDL, your hear to earn that."

[just_froggy]

"UGLY: several of the folk in class, including me, distinctly remember our recruiters telling us there would be no charge to us for motel and food. All would be taken care of. Well, technically that may be accurate, but not entirely truthful. Yes their is no out of pocket money for those expenses, but they take it out of your pay check along with other expenses starting with your 6th week pay. Yep, that one smacks of the old three card Monte card trick. Don't mind that man behind the curtain."

This does not surprise me one bit. Their recruiters are full of it. My fiance' lasted 3 months with them. The reason he came home? Had to take a refresher course and they were almost taking his entire pay each week for the repayment of the course. And what happens if you owe CRST money when you leave? They keep tacking a hefty interest rate on the balance until it is paid.