CRST - DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!!
 

These are the facts about the scam, which should be illegal, that CRST Van expedited is running.

1) The recruiters will lie to you about the pay you may make. You will start after training at .22 cents a mile. Do the math, it barely makes minimum wage, even with good miles.

2) If you bail out on their "contract", get a lawyer. They don't tell you that the intrest jumps to 18%. I think this is illegal.

3) If they don't hire you, you still have to pay the contract, another reason to get a lawyer.

4) They get federal money to send you to school anyway, so they are making a profit off of you making the ridiculously low wage.

5) Ladies beware!!! There are stories, which I have gotten first hand of male trainers (and you don't get a choice) having liberties with their female students, and even tying them up and making them stay in the bunk.

6) If they can't find a partner for you, you are out of work, out of salary, and you still owe.

7) They "advance" you the money for orientation. They will charge you for the room, bus ticket, and anything else that goes along with it.

8) They hire convicted feolns and use them as trainers. I know this first hand.

Do not go to this company. They do dishonest business and sucker people in everyday with promises of money and success. What can you say about a company that has only 1600 trucks and has orientation for 100 plus people every week. Run away, run far away.

I have to disagree! I say this cause I have a lady friend who has been with CRST for about 2 years now! She is under their lease purchase and is doing great. She is getting miles and plus she stays out for long periods of time but that is her choice! Even though CRST is a team operation they do hire solos and my lady friend was driving team with her ex husband but they got a divorce and she has been running solo with CRST for about a 1.5 year!

military recruiters also tell half truths. if you know somebody who is going into the army as 11B, and they believe it'll be a lot like college because the recruiter said so. man, they deserve to be laughed at. :lol:

Hello missouriman


The first 4 things you listed are some what common in many starter companies.

There is some good information on these boards I know you are new but thanks for the info.

Some companies get bad comments more often than others and CRST happens to be one of them.

Sorry that you decided to attend Trucking 101: The Basics, only after you had already been burned. Or burned yourself. Whichever is the case.

Everything that you posted above is very possible. It's a tough industry, any way you slice it. If you would have taken the time to come here and ask questions beforehand, we could have warned you about these possible pitfalls.

Sorry that it didn't work out for you. May I suggest better preparation for your future endeavors? Solid preparation will save you a lot of time, money and unnecessary frustration.

CRST class of 06/05. Still trucking and lovin it!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah HAAA! NOW we know from wence comes your bitterness to OTR !!! :wink:

Me, bitter? I dunno what you be talkin bout Stanley! :lol:

Re: CRST - DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!!
 

They don't tell you, or you don't read the fine print? CRST has been doing this for a while.. I'm fairly certain they know how to cover their asses already.

Yes, they'll make you pay for your schooling. If you attend university, get a degree, and don't get a job immediately afterwards, you still have to repay your student loans and such. They held up their end of the deal there. It's not their fault you didn't make the cut. Didn't you realize you were taking out a loan to pay for your school?

Did you actually research this, or is this something you've just heard?

It's been my experience that most "firsthand stories" come from someone who heard it from someone else, who heard it from someone else, who heard it from someone else, etc, etc, etc. One thing you'd know already if you had spent any time in this industry is that truck drivers tend to be full of shit. Not every single one of them, but enough of them that you should know better than not to take every rumour you hear at face value. All those drivers out there who were Green Berets in the Navy, CIA paramilitaries, SEALS in the Merchant Marine, etc, and they all started driving big trucks at the age of five, and... well, you'll learn the fishing stories for yourself once you get out there.

Finding a trainer/mentor/partner/whatever the hell they want to call them is going to be a trying process with most entry level companies. You don't take off like a greyhound out the gate in this industry. Just the way it is. If you're on your dispatcher's ass constantly to get paired up with someone, then you're just sitting in the corner, out of sight, and out of mind, and you'll get passed over in favour of the person who'll make their presence known every single time.

Now that's a bit - ebonically speaking - whack (that one was for you, Double L, even if you'll be pissed off at me for it :P)

Then stop with the "I know this firsthand" bullshit, and give some details. What were they incarcerated for? Were their crimes actually felonies? Somehow, I'm just a little skeptical that they're going to hire someone who poses a risk of their loads being hijacked, or others coming under harm as a result of their actions - both cases which would leave the company liable, and subject to lawsuits.

I'm sure there are legitimate gripes about CRST, but, from your post, I'm getting the impression of someone who either came into this industry with their head in the clouds, or who simply found out the hard way that they couldn't hack it. Perhaps this occupation isn't the ideal choice for you?