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Just Me
3:32 PM (55 minutes ago)
to me
About CRST to Glass Door Reviewers.
Entered my information online for a
over the road trucking position! CRST
was the first to respond quickly. My
Recruiter was very nice and professional, she
had me enrolled in a refresher course in
a very timely manner! Was lucky for I
was sent to Hawk Eye Community College for
the nine to ten day course! CRST outsources
that college for their driver shortage.
The first day at Hawk Eye Community
College I was informed about all the rules of
the College. The course would run with no days
off which I was fine with. The courses cost
would be $1400.00 which I was not informed
about by CRST, but still was fine with! Was
also informed that my hotel that CRST put
me up in would have to be paid for by me
also! Was fine with that, but started wondering
how I was put into debt around $2000.00 the very
second day, but was still ok with that for
a CRST representative called via like a phone con-
ference no video and explained to the class
it would be deducted from your CRST pay at $40.00
a week until paid in full.
Keep in mind Glass Door Reviewers about
CRST. I am making a 40 day journey about as
short as possible!
Hawk Eye Community College
is and was in my opinion the best training center
I have ever ran into to obtain a CDL. The staffs
only complaint, was that CRST/NADA was not sending
over enough students/refreshers. CRST was being greedy
about the Government Grant money/Grants in my opinion.
CRST houses you with a roommate or when
taking any of their refresher courses to obtain
a CDL class A license! If you end up in Cedar Rapids
Iowa for a CRST refresher course, or to receive a class
A, you will be housed with TWO roommates! They
have two locations in Cedar Rapids. The Training Head
Quarters and NADA. I never visited or was sent to NADA.
NADA is were you are trained to receive your Class A,
unless you were lucky and sent over to Hawk Eye.
The Head Quarters Training Center is mostly used for
Orientation and sending you out to start working for
CRST. They have three buildings. Expedited, Dedicated,
and what I call the main building Housing.
Back to my story. When I showed up in Waterloo
Iowa at the hotel for my refresher course to be completed
at HCC= Hawkeye Community College, my first roommate was from
Ethiopia. Very nice guy, and was heading back to
Cedar Rapids Iowa in a couple days to start working
for CRST as a Owner Operator if I remember correctly.
My second roommate showed up a day later at the hotel.
I had two days left at HCC! The last night at the Hotel my
phone was stolen. This guy was from Atlanta and all
about some kind of Gang, and kept claiming I was stealing
his stuff. I took my phone loss, which I had previously
all set up for this job. Found a cheap one at a near by
store and headed to Cedar Rapids for CRST orientation.
Orientation lasts 3 to 4 days depending on CRSTs
current staff situation! Orientation involves making
sure you brought your non laminated social security card,
current and non expired medical card, and of course your Class
A license! After watching a good amount of videos and
going over the many safety issues that can and will
arise out on the road, along with a good amount of tests,
you will be introduced to part of the CRST operations
staff!
You will then be assigned a Driver Manager through
your Driver Services Manager who will then tell you
who your Lead driver will be the first 28 days out!
My conclusion, and what happened next. My assigned Driver
Manager was a very nice person. He kept my Lead driver and
I loaded the whole time out. My Lead driver became stressed
the first nine days out. Keep in mind I was his first
student and it was his first time training. My lead driver
became stressed for he usually was home once a week and
now that was not happening. I felt he was taking it out on me,
and I decided to keep the bull butter to myself, for my
Driver Manager was handed double the work load, as in 2 fleets because
another Driver Manager was fired and CRST handed that
work load to my current Driver Manager. He was sending
out a please no phone calls message over the Qualcomm on
a daily basis until the company found another Driver Manager.
He stated the phone calls were quite overwhelming for him to
answer all of them. Please communicate over the Qualcomm
only was his message!
After my 28 days out with the Lead Driver that was his first
time training a student, it was time to head back to Cedar
Rapids for my evaluation from the Lead Driver. He stated on my
paperwork at the last minute, without letting me see his
review first, in front of a busy Friday transflo office,
that I would not make a good CRST driver, and stating that I needed to
sign all four pages. This guys only goal the whole time
out with me in my opinion, was to get his dedicated lane back
with CRST with a new Co Driver that he already had set up
upon arrival, since he lost his last Co Driver! I picked up
and hauled a load a little under half way that was not
going to be delivered by me for I was off the truck and
the load was headed to Spokane Washington!
In conclusion I contacted my Driver Manager via email
and asked if I was terminated, for my Lead Driver stating
I would not make a good CRST driver! He stated no that the
company has to get/give a second opinion. I did not tell him
my Lead driver had a attitude problem giving the bird to most of
the bad traffic he encountered out on the road. I did tell
that Lead Driver to knock that off, for that could come back
on me! My Lead Driver also had 2 accidents backing up in
his career, and stated that was why I would not make a good
CRST Driver! I never rush my backing and never will. My
Lead Driver would try rushing my backing and I would not
listen according to him. Still no accidents on my end.
My Driver Manager handed over my situation to the Driver
Services Manager who finally called me after one day stating
the truck was in Cedar Rapids to receive a second CRST
review and she would call me back when they had personnel
to take me out for the test. She never called me back that
day, so I called her back leaving a message for what to
do. Have not heard from CRST for 3 days now. All that
company preached about was communication is the key. In
my opinion CRST became to big to fast and now have no
decent communication skills what so ever, except in keeping
the flow of Orientation, Safety, and training knew drivers
from around the WORLD that have no clue what being an
over the road truck driver consist of. The truck is your
home. Good luck drivers.
