Comments By Stevo Reno

I drove with CRST 22 months when I started 9/2019 with them, they trained drivers then, not now. They also own a couple other companies.... 1 I see is IN Ohio, BESL transfer, a flatbed company. They'd also bought Pegasus Logistics in 2015, which from what I learned from drivers, hauled a lot of team pharma loads. CRST was not a bad place to drive for, unlike reviews say. Their main terminal is near you in Cedar Rapids,Iowa.

Hopefully, you 2 can find a place to drive sooner than later. It might be a bit tough, with the current freight market slump

Forgot to add, now here in the Phil's, taxi's are 99% manuals in toyota vios (corollas) And they have many varieties/models of diesel small cars here as well !

Thought WOW, ya'd never find these in the US. Diesel fuel here is cheaper than gasoline (by the liters) Gas is around $2.35 for premium 95 octane here, and diesel's $2.20 a gallon. And I'm guessing with a lot LESS additives than the states impose.. Especially like Cali's damn price gouging, with 70 cents per gallon tax

Same for auto's, they are doing away with manual cars as well. I got my license at 16 used my gf's 66 beetle to test in. The signals didn't work, so when the tester guy was having me use em for him to check, I timed the lever manually hehehe....I barely passed, because I speed shifted gears up & down, he wasn't too keen about it lol. I told him "Dude, this is a 40 horse engine ya need to wind out the gears for max speed, duhh" Also learned on a 3 on the tree, in classmates '56 gmc step side truck. Prefer manuals in my cars/trucks than auto's.

As far as the CDL, I didn't care about the auto restriction, since I knew I was only driving 3+ years anyway until retiring @ 62....And I think it was better in the end, only a time or 2 was backing to a dock in an auto a pain. My trainer @ CRST had a 2016 FL, 650k on the clock, at 1 delivery the dock had a bit of a dip in the lots pavement. So, the truck would act goofy backing and shift stupid if at all. I was new, and he was acting like it was me, but it was showing a trans overheat light? He took over trying to dock it, and it acted stupid for him too, finally got in the dock 15 minutes later. I told him "See, it was your truck NOT me lol"

Never had an issues in any of the 3-4 trucks I had afterwards

CRST got out of driver training almost 2 years ago. Closed the Riverside, terminal dorms, leased a new smaller place in Ontario, Cal. and moved there. Gardner's, that they had bought, have changed their name, and took over the old terminal,and converting to more offices. Hell,they don't even want CRST drivers in there, even for a shower, or anything !! Now, CRST's only hiring experienced drivers.

Their "Expedited" part, which I was driving for, are no more as well. They've made,and have been making a lot of changes for awhile now, I've been told.

#1 Apply to companies that train drivers, THEN you've got a job once done, with them.....Private schools are just mostly rip off's, they take your money, teach you just enough to get the license. Then you're stuck, trying to find a job after, on your own!

I went that route at first, state of Calif. paid for school, which was just a big waste of my time. Then I went with company training, and a job with them 30 days later. The downside, even for experienced drivers, without any blemishes on their history/records,are finding it sometimes harder to get a new driving job.

It's a trucking company market right now, not a drivers market, so companies can and are being very picky who they take in. Also depending on what type of felony you have I'd guess too.

Good luck , others will chime in later

LOL I was surprised, when I looked weeks ago, and found MYSELF way out here......hahaha

With CRST we'd hit everywhere, 4 corners of the country. Really, I hated getting north on the 80 anywhere! Especially, during winter lol, it was good though, for the all around experience those 22 months there. Any NE states blehhhh, NY, PA, Ill, Mass, etc. Did 1 run to within 20 miles from Cape Cod. Seemed when we had runs down south on the 40, or I-10, my fave's...But once we'd get routed north using the 80, we kinda would get stuck there 4-6 weeks running back n forth. The PNW, Oregon, Wash I wasn't a fan of either, but that was the job, suck it up n Git R Dun lol

Now, with Legends, those 4 months, I liked a LOT better, ran mostly the I-40 out to OK, and back. Was supposed to been on a Home Depot dedicated, but wasn't, which was fine by me. Sent me to grab an empty @ a HM DC, the guy was rude, and flat out would NOT gimme an empty period! But most of my loads were to the same places, with a few odd ball runs thrown in here n there. And I was mostly left alone to do my own thing, because my 2 DM's I'd had, young guys, knew I was gunna run it hard, back n forth.

Now, if I'd not planned my early retirement to leave the states, I'd hoped to finish out my working life driving for Legends. They were actually, a great company to drive for, and I made bank there!!.....Any bonus's like the $10k signing bonus parts I'd gotten, were paid on time, every time.. And they marked em as reimbursements, not added to my gross, so was no taxes taken out.

So, in my 3 years driving, I should'a got into trucking years earlier! Sure made way more money, than ever did "bustin' nut's & bendin' wrenches"

Don't matter much, because the stiffer the rear trailer DOT bars are, ya hit it at speed, you're gunna likely DIE....

My mentor @ CRST was stuck in a shut down on I-40 3+ years ago. Traffic was at stand still, he happened to be up in passenger seat. They had 4 ways on and just parked in the right lane. When he /they felt a thump, he looked out the mirror to see a puff of smoke, jumped out and ran to the back. Well a car had hit them @ 70+ mph, on the right side.

Bent the bars into an "L" shape, hit and tore a hole in the right trailer door. Driver side of car was halfway under the trailer, and the driver(alone) was dead. From what he said it was NOT a pretty site. Guy turned out was 54, from Ark. and his cell was in his lap, no holder inside his car. It took hours for his body to be extracted, and it caused an even longer road closure, and a couple days of investigations...He and his co-driver had separate interviews (interrogations more like it) by the company, and it's lawyers....

It was found by evidence at scene, and witnesses, to the crash, the guy did not even brake before impact. So either he had a medical issue, or was using his cell phone, not watching ahead. And this was in the middle of the day during the summer, so weather or road conditions played no part in it. Sad the guy had to die yesss, but it happens everyday, everywhere, ya can't fix stupid, no matter what safety is implemented into things.

Trucking is Federally regulated, not state. So NO, a medical card for weed, ain't gunna fly in trucking, period....

After my knee surgery in 2012, they gave me a script for Norco 325s for pain. I refused to take pain pills, I can take pain to a point (70 staples removed 1 week late) lol

I found and started using Aleve's for any pain in my knee once I went back to wrenchin'. Being on my feet 12-18 hours a day, sometimes I need the Aleve's. That's why when moving to Asia, I stocked up on Wal Marts, Equate generic brand of Aleves, since they're not over here (900 tabs)

As far as weed, h3ll, I'd shave my head and wait at LEAST 6 months, if not 9-12, to be sure.. And QUIT the weed period, starting now lol.....

You have time, since the trucking market is in the 'toilet', and who knows when it will rebound back, to a drivers market...

Good luck in going forward, Alex