Profile For Kurtamanga

I just wanted to thank you for the helpful and POSITIVE insight regarding CRST. I'm starting traing with them in Jacksonville on Jan. 4th, and look forward to being on the road....I had a unpleasant experience with Drivers Solutions/PAM Transport at a school in Texas, so my attitude was going negative, plus readng so much negativity on the internet....but then I stepped back and went with CRST, and this info is very informative! People ***** & whine way too much, the 1st year will be hard, but you go in with a positive attitude & try to get better everyday. Thanks again!

I am at the 6 month stage in my 8 month contract with CRST. I have to tell you, CRST, has done everything they said they would. My co driver and I came in and told them, we wanted to work hard and run, and they believed us. There have been a couple of weeks, where freight was slow and we sat more than we wanted, but on average, they keep us moving. We have a great relationship with our FM, and he has taken care of us, including, running interference on the few problems we have had. (Mostly communication problems, like a couple of paychecks not having all the loads on them. The two times, that happened, he contacted payroll, and had that fixed the same day.) We both have our HAZMAT and that has allowed us to become a #1 rated team. We are now getting loads that need to be rescued, because we have proven we will run them. I have said it here before, but will again, if you go into certain forums on the internet, you will see CRST bashed a lot. Well, those people doing the bashing, are usually the people who could not make the cut. Like Brett has said here many times, the people who are actually doing well at companies like CRST, don't have a lot of time to comeonlinee and whine.

Our last 2 loads of about 2200 miles each will be with the 6 month raise. That brings us with 6 months experience to 31 cents a mile. (We split the total miles). That is going to be a nice raise from the 23 we have been making.

I am going to fulfill my contract with them, and then start putting out feelers and aps for other driving jobs. My goal is to go solo. I am just better suited for being solo. Though, I am also adaptable enough to have spent the time team, and unless something drastic happens, I will finish with the person I met on the bus, on the way to school. We dont always get along, and honestly, are very different people, but we have both been adult enough, and recognized each others goals, where we can work it out and do well for while we are here.

There have been a couple of people PM'd me and asked me questions about CRST. I only get on line about once every 2 weeks. We have been maxing out our 70 hour rule, and then on several days back with hours too. (Managing our hours with the new rules has been a bit of a challenge, but we are working it out.) We go on average 3 to 4 days past our 70 with hours coming back. To do that, we dont run long shifts. Usually, we drive 9 to 9.5 a day unless the load demands more, with short time. The new rules on resets do not favor team drivers at all. We're still working to find the best way, but have mostly found, we have to be flexible. I am sitting for a 34 hour reset today through tonight, because the loads fell where I had lousy hours coming back, and my co driver had great hours. He does not get a reset, but does not need one.) Anyway, anyone with questions, please be patient, because I will answer, but it might be a week or more before I get back on line.