Complaint Review: CRST

My husband has worked for CRST for the last 9 months and it has been a nightmare.  he wanted to get back in his own truck and became a lease operator with them.  now my husband is not new to the trucking industry has been trucking for over 18 years and has owned his own truck before so we thought we knew what he was getting into.  The truck he went to pick up was trashed it took 6 hours to clean it out, that should have been a sign...but it was not a big enough one.  Crst is team oriented they tell you that at orientation, but also tell you that solo's do just fine.  Not true.  My husband ran the first 2 months by himsel and was always in the whole.  Very much like working for free.  

He was being offered loads that paid flat rates and low rates like  1.1o per mile.  they take 30%  so that makes it like .77 per mile.  In orientation that tell you the average is $1.65 mile plus .40  per mile fuel surcharge.  After they take thier percent is now $1.51 per mile plus  they take .16 per mile to maintain the lease truck.  the .16 is not put into an escrow account for the driver, but put into a general fund which the driver has no access to.  If the truck breaks down and it will they decide who to take to  and when to take.  My hust broke dow and there was a shop around the cornor they choose to to towed to a place 1 hour away that could not get to it for a few days.  

The few days became 9 days in hotel waiting.  Also, since my husband could not make any money own his own  he became a trainer.  He had a student with him and was responsible for him.  So my husband ending up footing the bill for the hotel for him and student and gave the student $120.00 to eat on,.  The company refused to reimburse him for any part of that.  Even the handbook saids student is entitled to $40.00 a day during breakdown and they would not give it to him.  Alos they expect you to run with a student fresh out of driving school like a team.  Which is not possible.  My husband and student barley had time to set down for  1 meal a day and many times did not.  

If you say anything about a rate on a load they tell you better take it.  If they can not find you a laod right away they say you can broker your own load, but that is not true.  I have tried to on several occassions with an approve broker and they will not accept it.  Many of these loads that I found were paying  over $180 per mile much higher than they were offering.  Make you wonder if they are pocketing more than the 30% they day they are taking.  Also they quote you a rate on a load but that is subject to change.

They tell you that on the qualcom after ever load and it does sometimes as much as .15 per mile.  I do not know how they get away with the things they do.  I guess if people keep signing with them they will continue to do business that way.  Do not try to call them they hardly answer the phones.  I can not say anthing good about this company, I'm sure there is something, but I just do not know what.  Because of breakdowns my husband has only brought home this month $500.00 after expenses.  We can not pay bills on this and he getting ready to sign on with a new company.