Profile For Russell G.

I'll take people for a ride as long as I don't get taken for one. ;-)

Hi Lynette. Yes, it is a year contract. I confirmed with the person I spoke with. Everybody takes a Greyhound bus, it seems, to these facilities. The recruiter said they will get me a ticket. I said no way. I am driving. My wife can come with a friend or her sister to pick the car up after the training is over and I am on the road or the driver trainer can bring me back to the training center. I am not going to be at their mercy. I believe there is a possibility this will be a good experience but, like the people from Missouri, I say "show me." I do not want to b stuck in Utah with no autonomy whatsoever.

I was going to correct your spelling of rarified but it is, indeed, a variant of rarefied. :-) You cannot be orthographically faulted.

I only use grandiloquent language when I write, not when interacting socially. I also work part-time as a freelance writer and editor. Math is not exactly my forte, but I use it when I have to. I guess your number as a math teacher was up and you are counting your blessings every day that your opportunities have multiplied . :-)

I see you are an erstwhile didact. I, too, am a licensed educator, secondary English. I knew from the quality of your responses that truck driving is not your first rodeo.

Thanks, Errol. I appreciate the information and the interaction

I suppose the concern I have, Errol, is based upon the reviews I have seen. It is difficult to determine the veracity of the claims, but they are alarming. People who have done the company-sponsored training have claimed they drove 3-4 months without any home time. Others have claimed drawing $300 paychecks for 70 hours work and seeing truckers eating out if dumpsters due to insufficient funds. I know it sounds a bit over the top, but such claims certainly warrant discussion, even if they are unfounded.

Thanks, Errol. You have allayed some of my concerns. I suppose reading all the negative reviews about the Company leaves me a bit apprehensive and pallid. It is important to note, though, that one can find negative reviews about most any company. Sometimes, people ignore their own shortcomings and impute responsibility for their own faults to others. I will maintain an open mind and am happy to be among more optimistic brethren.

I am not a trucker. I am also considering getting a CDL. Jobs are ubiquitous and fairly easily obtainable, even with limited experience. If he can get grants, loans, or pay out-of-pocket, I think a well-respected driving school would be the best option. That way, he can pick and choose the jobs he wants to apply for. If he chooses company sponsored training, he will need to sign a one-year contract and will be at their mercy. The pay will be low, the routes indeterminate, and his home time not guaranteed.

I have gotten a CDL permit in preparation for training in Salt Lake City, Utah with CR England. If I choose to enter the program, I must sign a one-year contract at 12 cents per mile. I am hoping some experienced truckers can answer the following concerns:

Do companies tend to honor the regulations for working hours? Is it likely I will drive no more than 11 hours per day and work no more than 14 per day with a mandatory 30 minute break and 10 hours of rest?

Is it likely I will truly receive 34 hours off for every 70 hours I work?

If I am not able to go home during my time off, what do I do? Hang out in the vicinity of my last assignment? Take public transport if I want to go some place?

How many times does the average truck driver stop to eat meals?

I fear that since CR England will train me for free, I will need to pay the debt by adhering to inflexible, dictatorial, unreasonable Company expectations. I fear they will make me drive longer than regulations permit and give me fewer breaks and less down time than allowed by federal law.

I am in a situation, financially, that I can just walk away, even while under contract, if I believe I am mistreated. I am fearless of the consequences. However, I will save myself time and hassle if I get the truth up front. I am too old at 41 to be playing games. I need the truth about quality of life up front and am hoping somebody here will give it to me.