Complaint Review: CRST Expedited - Cedar Rapids Iowa

I took on a decision to accept the help from CRST to get my CDL A license. The terms were explain to me as it follow:
-Greyhound bus that will get me to Cedar Rapids
-Room and Board included
-Education will be covered
Once hired the company will follow it up with
-3 day orientation
-28 day training
-avg. of 6,000 miles a week that will be split by Lead driver and trainee
-.22CPM to trainee
In pursue to a better financial future, corporate Co. like CRST are flocking to take advantage of your un-fortune.

So the results of the commitment to a better future are as follows
-Cost of 200+ for the greyhound bus
-Cost of 300+ for the room and board
-If you come in to CRST having your CDL A drivers license, they start you at .30 CPM
-So at 22.CPM while ur 28 Days of training, then month 3, month 4, and month 5 the rate is .23CPM
the low pay scale for first 5 month helps pay back that free schooling that they promote.

But in reality that is their business, so when we are down and out we take the good w/ the bad and ignore the signs even when the information is right in front of you.

So I went to CRST, stayed in their Dormitory that is shared by two other people, thankfully I had two good dorm buddies (clean, organized, not thieves) Dorms are cleaned out by the individuals that stay in the rooms, went to Kirkwood community college to the 2 week course (The staff is there for a paycheck, so don't expect real help).

Once that is accomplished, they give you the 3 day orientation, which finalizes the first step. At that time they determine your background, and other research that CRST does to qualify you to be hired. Then once orientation is done, if things fall into place for you, they will assign a Lead driver to you and able to hit the road in a matter of 3 days from finishing the orientation.

While I was there I met and made some friends which I keep close contact with, we all had different experience...Rude was stuck in Cedar 5 days, Dust was stuck for 8 days, Bran went home for a week cause his lead drivers truck was not ready, Mik, D, and Ant drove a vehicle to meet up with their lead drivers 2 in Oklahoma, and 1 to Fontana Ca.

There they waited anywhere from 4 to 6 days for a load, truck to be ready or lead was on their way to them. I was able to get my lead driver and drove to Morris, IL to meet with him, there I spent a night for my lead driver to arrive and pick me up.

From there I drove to Kingman, AZ, waited 2 days there for a load, deadhead to Heber Ca. to pick-up my next load, which I delivered to Waco, Tx. waited there for about 2 days also for another load, from there we bobtail to Fort Worth, Tx. to pick up a load which we delivered to Atlanta Ga.  which I also waited there for another 2 Days for a load, bobtail 100 miles south to pick up a load that went to Miami, Fl.

I was dropped off at my home on a Tuesday night so I can finish the process with the license. Was told by my lead driver that we would be heading back out by that Friday. That day comes and goes, by Saturday the lead driver informs me that he is sick, by Monday he is waiting on a load, by Wednesday the  Fleet Mgr. informs me that my lead driver is waiting on Authorization paper so he can move his truck.

On Thursday my lead driver informs me that he is waiting on a load, so it'll be another day. Keep in mind the only time you get paid is when you have a load and moving it from point A to point B. I was on the road for 10 days and I have been paid for the first 3 loads which paid $277.00 and the 4th load has not yet been paid out to me, which is 8 days late to be paid.

Keep in mind when you accept the help from CRST for a better financial opportunity, they have you sign an 8 month contract, which is not bad compare to other companies, but know this.There are Co. that will not hire or deal with you as long as you are under contract, which you are responsible to pay back so that puts you right back to square zero. If you quit before fulfilling the 8 month contract and take on another job, they can potentially garnish a percentage of your paycheck to pay back the total owed.