Comments By Colin K.

I finally posted the first entry in my training diary for the C.R. England Truck Driving School in Fontana, CA. So far, I am very impressed! They are very thorough and somewhat strict. Those are situations that I learn best in. I've got a long way to go, of course, but I'm off to the good start.

Thank you for the continuing encouragement. I'm staying away from rats, keeping my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut, except to ask a question!

Best Regards, Colin

Congratulations, Big Scott! That is impressive. Thank you for setting such a good example for those of us hoping to jump into the industry.

Stay safe out there, everybody! Colin

This is my diary of my time at the C.R. England Premier Trucking School in Fontana, CA. This first post talks about my first two days. So far, I am very impressed.

C.R. England is very through. The first day they had us show them the paperwork that we were asked to bring with us for the DMV permit test. Some people did not bring the required paperwork. Some of them were staying at the company paid hotel. They were immediately driven back to the hotel and told to check out. I assume those who came in on the bus got a bus ticket home as well.

The first two days of the program was devoted to studying for the DMV permit. They take people to the DMV for testing on the third day. I highly recommend that you use the High Road Training Program to study and get your permit BEFORE you come for training, like I did. It is a lot to learn in two days and many people are struggling. On the positive side, you are only asked to pass tests on air brakes, combos and general knowledge. The DMV in CA will also test you on general knowledge for your Class C license as well, however.

The rest of the time so far has consisted of filling out paperwork for our physical and our agreement to work for C.R. England after training. Despite what I've read, (9 months), we are asked to commit to working for C.R. England for one year after training. That still seems fair to me. Veterans are asked to agree to work for C.R. England for nine months after training.

The instructor said that C.R. England just announced a pay increase for the people in training. He promised to find out what that is. I will post that information as soon as he gets it to us.

The staff is constantly stressing safety. They gave us an open book test on safety and federal regulations from the FMCSA. This was graded. I did fine. We also saw some safety videos

We also saw a video about careers at C.R. England. The video stressed team driving, and becoming a trainer, as the two best ways to make money. I asked the director about solo jobs at C.R. England, which is what I want once I know what I'm doing. He said that there are plenty of solo jobs available. The instructor later brought up some open positions on their company website to show us.

Today we had a physical agility test and our medical exam. The physical agility test consisted of lifting 35 lbs. over our head three times in succession, walking under a trailer (NOT crawling) and getting in and out of the back of a trailer safely. Everyone in my small group passed.

The medical exam is typical. We had a urine test. No hair follicle test, at least not yet. They also took our blood pressure, listened to our heart and gave us an eye test. At least two people were sent home because they failed the eye exam. Based on some conversations that I overheard today in class, I assume we will lose more when the drug test results come back.

I told the doctor yesterday that I had a CPAP machine. I seem to be the only one in our training class who does. The doctor asked me to bring it in today so he could look at it. He is very thorough as well.

They also did some diagnostics for sleep apnea on everybody. They measured our neck and then asked us to rate on a scale of 1 – 5 how likely you'd be to fall asleep doing certain activities such as watching TV, lying down, talking to someone, etc.

Classes run anywhere from 17 to 21 days, depending on how you are doing. We only get one day off during school, this coming Sunday. This first week, classes are from 6:30 am to 3 pm. Next week, classes start at 6 am and go to 3 pm. There is a bus that takes students to and from the company paid hotel. It shows up on time, and doesn't go back to pick up stragglers, so don't be late for the bus!

The instructors expect you to be there on time, as well as to comeback from breaks and lunch on time too. Breaks are 15 minutes, at 9 am and 2 pm. Lunch is an hour, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. As the instructor said when he stressed the importance of being on time, “How can we expect you to be on time for work and deliveries if you can't be on time for school?”

So far, the instructors have shown that they are more than willing to help you, provided that you show the effort and initiative. We were advised, as they advise us here on TruckingTruth.com, to treat this entire training process as a job interview.

They have a zero tolerance policy for alcohol, drugs and harassment. The staff at the company paid hotel is instructed to call the school if they find evidence of drugs or alcohol in your room. You will be kicked out of the program if found to engage in any bad behavior.

The only negative thing that I have come across so far has to do with my name. I go by my middle name, Colin, and not my first name. My family doesn't even call me by my first name.

I had asked my recruiter if I could go by Colin, and not my first name, at C.R. England. She said yes. I brought this up privately to the instructor while we were going over my paperwork. He said no, I need to go by my first name. “It's what it says on your birth certificate,” he said. I started to say that Colin is also on my birth certificate, but I bit my tongue. I decided to let it go for now but will bring it up in a polite and professional manner once I complete my training.

I hope that you find this diary helpful. I'm happy to answer any questions that you have, so please fire away!

Best Regards, Colin

Congratulations on making it safely through there, Wind! I'm glad things are going well.

Stay safe, Colin K.

Thank you for the encouragement, everybody! It really helps. I have no family in the area so this site, along with my faith, serve as my support network.

Best Regards, Colin K.

I start my training at 6 am tomorrow at CR England's facility in Fontana, CA!

I'm going in determined and with an open mind. I'm also taking all of your advice and encouragement with me. I will also start a diary in the diary section to hopefully benefit others.

Best Regards, Colin K.

Congratulations, Jeremy! I'm very happy for you. Please keep us updated on your progress. I'm on my phone and not sure how to send you some dancing bananas. If I could, I would.

All the best, Colin K.

Best wishes, Don! Please keep us posted.

Stay safe out there, everyone, Colin K.

Good luck on your test, Jeremy, and thank you for sharing your insights. Please keep us posted.

Best Regards, Colin K.

Thank you for another great article, Old School. It is especially timely considering my circumstances.

I'm starting training with CR England this coming Tuesday and was told that they train on automatics. Part of me said that was great as I don't have to learn how to shift/clutch, etc. Part of me was wondering if that restriction would cause people to consider me less of trucker. Silly I know, but there it is.

I decided that it probably didn't, but to have OId School, and others here, verify that conclusion makes me feel good.

Stay safe out there, Colin K.