Central Ref. Svc.

[RSTrans]

I wish it upon no one to even consider working for these bozos. If you have a brain and try to think you will get punished as a result and have your miles cut to the point where you are just about paying them to work.

I spent over a year here and once they went to the E-logs on the Qualcomm things got worse. Ended up with more late or re-powered loads, lost 6 to 10 hours a week of drive time. Went from a good 3100 to 3300 miles a week to a wonderful 1700. If you took your issues up with your home terminal manager or with the O/O department then you would get run ragged for a week and then sit for 2 weeks after that.

Basically all they want are trained monkeys that have no business behind the wheel of a tractor/trailer let alone a car. They want these kinds of drivers because they get to charge them $3,000 for the school, and then can trick them in to a lease in which CRS can end up making it so that the driver ends up owing them thousands of dollars and not see a positive paycheck for months on end. Then once you've had enough they screw you on your DAC and Credit report and you practically have no chance in hell of getting a job ever again for an OTR company or as a Lease Operator.

I have never been happier in my life since I got away from them and went back to trucking for myself and doing things the old way and still keeping it LEGAL.

[RSTrans]

I can go on and on about the way they do things and how they screw you as an employee.

[Bikerboy]

aren't all the lease purchase carriers scum bags like that

[RSTrans]

It's not just the lease guys that get screwed, they get you if your a company clown too.

A friend of mine was working for them when I applied with them back in 2008. Things were going very badly with the local economy and I had just gotten laid off so I needed a job, any job for that matter. So like a dumby listened to my buddy whom was doing alright working there. I went to Colton, CA for Orientation and stayed at one of the crapiest Motels I have ever been to. The only thing worse was a place I stayed at in Tucumcari, NM. Anyway Orientation was a couple of days and then I had to wait for a so called trainer to show up. Only reason I had to go with one was to learn about the reefer units since I had no reefer experience. Sad part of this is I had been driving trucks longer than my trainer. So of course I had the ok what is this guy going to teach me that I do not already know attitude. Which I was right the only thing I got from him was how to use the Qualcomm and the Reefer.

It was fun trying to convince these guys that a Truck and Transfer and a Lowbed were both Class 8 vehicles that required a Class A drivers license. They didn't want to give me credit for driving, ultimately they gave me a years worth of experience even though I had been driving truks for the past 5 years. My first truck I had one week, I liked it. It was a 2005 W-900 with a 13 speed and was pretty much a clone of the truck I own now except it was black and no APU. They didn't want to let me have the truck at first. The very first thing I was asked is well, "Can you handle a truck with a hood?", my response was for them to look at my resume. Almost every truck that I had driven previously except for 3 of them were either 379 extended hoods and one was a Freightliner with a long hood and set back axle. So anyway I had that truck for a week, left SLC and went to North Platte, NE then back to CA. I got to Fontana, CA and was told oh we are taking your truck back because its a lease turn in. So I got to go home for 24 hours and then went back to SLC. I got back there and ended up sitting for 3 days waiting on a truck. Here they have new guys who just got their CDL and upgraded from the trainer that were getting brand new W-900's so I figured sweet, I'll get another one. Boy was I wrong. I was handed a key to a Volvo 670 that had and automatic.

I took the key and went back up stairs and told them they could kiss my arse because I was not driving a truck with an automatic (No offense Dave), but those are for people who can't drive. So they gave me keys to another Volvo and I went to get it out of the pen and someone else was already assigned to it. Next truck they gave me when I started threw a rod and cracked the block, and I must say that was a pretty cool sound when that happened. So moving on to the fourth truck, another wonderful Volvo 670. I had that for about a month and a half and that thing was prone to problems with the electrical system, the cooling system and it got the worst fuel mileage 4.9 mpg. I kept asking to get a W-900 and kept getting the response no you don't have experience with a truck with a long hood. I was getting a little pissed over that because lke I said almost every truck I have driven before that plus I owned a 379 long hood. So I kept driving the stupid Volvo that was a problem child. When it wasn't in the shop for a day or two I was able to run about 3100 miles in a week.

I started having issues with payroll and a couple of other things so I would try to call my dispatcher aka driver manager, whom was never in the freaking office. Every time sorry, Lisa is not here and there is no one that can authorize or take care of what you need, you have to deal directly with her. This was great because this went on for about a month and a half. On top of that the miles started slipping, I was getting about 2000 a week which was not a good thing.

I ended up getting wind that another driver I knew was going to have to give up his W-900 wth only 7 weeks left on the lease. I also knew that unless someone took that truck he was going to get screwed on his DAC report. So I stepped up and decided that what the heck I'll go down this road again and take the truck over. He was happy because it would help him, he had to leave because of a family issue and ended up having to take care of his grandfather whom had raised him when he grew up. So one minor issue, the truck I want was in Fontana and I was in SLC. I flew out to Atlanta, GA to recover a truck and while that was happening they were supposed to have my truck piggy backed to SLC and get detailed, serviced and all that good stuff. I made it in to GA and picked up the truck, that thing was beat. The cabinets were trashed and wouldnt shut, the seats had holes in them, the steering wheel was missing most of the rubber off of it, the truck was filthy inside. I made it back to SLC by the grace of god with that thing. You couldn't let the wheel or the shifter go because the truck would just drift and the tranny would pop out of gear. I honestly do not believe there was one gear that didn't have missing teeth plus the clutch brake had been busted off. I made it in to the POE at Echo and got a red light on my PP and was like great I'm dead this thing has an airleak that s about 10 pounds a minute, it is puking oil and coolant so yeah I am gonna take it up the shorts on this one. Luckily I got sent down the bypass lane and limped in to SLC.

Of course my truck like it was promised to be was not in SLC. So the next morning I hopped on another guys truck that was going to CA to deliver a load down in Otay. I jumped in the sleeper and crashed. It was an interesting ride because this guy couldn't shift to save his life. We had to wait on another driver to meet us at the rest area just south of the 70 to switch loads because he was a moron and went 300 miles out of route. He left CO and went east instead of west when he was to go to CA. We got the load at about midnight when the guy was supposed to meet us at 7pm. Off we went and I woke up when I heard the truck hit the rumble strip and then come to a stop with the brakes set. I asked whats up and was told, well I'm out of hours. I was like umm this load is supposed to be delivered in a couple hours what do you mean your out of hours. I jumped up in the seat and rolled on down the road with it and when we got in to LA the driver as putting the delivery address in to his GPS, I looked at him and said we don't need it I know where this place is. We argued a bit about it but I said I bet you $100 I do not need the GPS. He took the bet, what he didn't understand even though I told him was that I had delivered sand and equipment to this address when the warehouse was being built 2 yrs before. Needless to say we didn't need the GPS. I got us there and we were 2 hours late for our delivery but the load made it there. We didn't get dinged for it he still got his bonus. And this was when things started slipping.

We then went up to Oceanside to pickup a load of tomatos once again a place I have been because I have haulded dirt and fertilizer in to this place for years. The load wasn't ready so we spent the night up there, stupid me I should of called a cab and gone home since I was like 20 minutes away but I stuck it out because this guy didn't know the area. I took him to this place down the road and we had sushi for dinner wasn't bad. The next morning the place where we were decided that they would not let the customer have his tomatoes. We ended up back in Otay to pick the load up right next door to where we dropped the previous load off. Finally we got loaded and I got up to Fontana to get my truck.

I offloaded what couple things I had and got ready to roll only to find out guess what we don't have a load for you yet. The truck still hadn't been serviced yet either and it had a couple of issues that needed attention, like the fact that someone stole the mudflaps and brackets off of it. I got a load to Texas and it was a glory run I ended up driving for 21 hours non-stop to get the load there on time because I got screwed at the shipper. I bounced around for about a week and finally got back to SLC to pick up my stuff that was in storage.

My paycheck comes and guess what's missing. The load to CA, the detention time at the shipper in Oceanside and then layover pay for sitting at the terminal because they had no freight. I called payroll and was told to contact my terminal manager so I called him in Fontana. He told me to call SLC and talk to them and I was told because I was not seated on the truck even though I finished the load out so it wouldn't end up late that I would not get paid for it, for the sitting in oceanside or the layover in Fontana. I called my terminal manager back and went off on him and he said well there is nothing that I can do about it. I told him next time I'll let a load be 10 plus hours late if I am on someone elses truck instead of drive to get it there when I am legal to drive. From this point on things just went downhill.

I finished up the lease and decided I'd buy the truck out because I was looking at buying a truck anyway and thought I'd save a few bucks. When CRS realized what I bought the truck for and what it was actually worth my miles started slipping. I ended up losing about 1000 miles a week. I called and bitched out Owner Ops and then things picked up a little bit and then went back to 2000 a week or so. First of the year rolled around and I was shut down for three days and forced to go to the Qualcomm HOS E-log. After that things went to hell because that system would eat time. I put it against a paper book and another e-log and on average would lose 10-15 hours available to work a week. I went to about 1700 miles a week and thats how it stayed. I got out to PA and was forced to sit for over two weeks without a load or a trailer. I got pissed and threatened to bobtail all the way back to CA and miraculously got a load. Of course I was out the two weeks I had to sit. Then right after that I got suspended and shut down again because the E-log system was screwing up and of course it had to be the driver and not the software having issues. Which safety later found out that it was the software. Then I was put on probation because while I was at home I let my brother use my truck to go and pick up his toy hauler. Granted I own the truck and can do as I wish with my truck. That was a big mess and I almost got fired as a result.

[RSTrans]

I decided that I was going to hire a team driver so that I could get on the Dole Dedicated fleet and run CA to OH and back. I was going to hire a friend of mine and when his dispatcher caught wind she kept sending him everywhere but SLC to turn in his truck. Then he got a ticket on home time and had to go deal with it in KY. While there, they had one of he worst Ice Storms and he ended up without power for three weeks as did the court house. He checked in everyday with the courts and CRS. They sent the hook and the sheriffs out to get his truck and arrested him for stealing and abandoning his truck. His dispatcher reported it stolen after I had just seen her and said hey Mike as been trying to call you all day and you won't answer or return his call he wants to know whats up. So needless to say he got fired and I was out a co-driver. I put up a flyer in Fontana and went home for some much needed time off because I had been out for 3 months. While I was at home my contract got terminated by CRS and the end of my troubles with them was over or so I thought. I took my truck in to get it De-Centralized and they screwed with my computer so I had to take it back and it still wasn't right so I took it to Rush Truck Center to get it fixed, was out $250 for the repair so I sent CRS the bill they woudn't pay it and stiffed me on pay to the tune of $3,700.

So you ask me would I work for them again, HELL NO! I was there for over a year and a half and all I can say was that it was an experience I will not forget.

[LeftLaneUSA]

I'm assuming that CRS is NOT a reincarnation of Dick Simon Trucking that used to occupy that same terminal and shop in West Valley City, UT, right?

I have seen what looks like a reappearance of 'The Skunk' in the form of Kelle's Transport Service trucks that run out of Salt Lake City over the last two years or so. They have a skunk on their logo that's visible on their reefer trailers.

[RSTrans]

Yes LL, CRS was Tricky Dicky and is owned by good ol' Jerry who owns Swift. Yes they are in the same terminal and yes Kelle's is Tricky Dicks son. There is also a Simon's Transport which is run by Dick and family same with Kelle's. They are right behind the old terminal they have there in WVC.

[EagleAce]

I thought that skunk on KTS trucks looked familiar!

:wow: that's QUITE an experience with CRS you had. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

[RSTrans]

It was ugly to say the least and a real eye opener. If your someone who doesn't mind getting screwed because you just don't care, then go ahead and work for them. Atleast you know whats coming. If your someone who uses their brain and likes to make money and actually work, then stay far away from them.

We won't even discuss why I had to get out of my truck and almost beat one of the students and his trainer. All I will say is I am glad that I had woken up and looked out the window when I did otherwise I may be in jail for assault.

[EagleAce]

Well I certainly have NO plans on working for them!!

[RSTrans]

LL, I forgot another re-incarnation of Dick Simon Trucking. There is another company called Back In Black that is also affiliated with Kelle's and Simon Transport. I forgot about them until I saw one on friday on I-10 pulling one of Kelle's Trailers.

[EagleAce]

I still remember when a Dick Simon truck plowed into CA's capital building! :yikes:

[Randg1]

I still remember when a Dick Simon truck plowed into CA's capital building! :yikes:

Yep! And that's when Simon shut the co. down and Central picked up what they wanted. Had a friend driving for Simon at the time and he went to Central--- was NOT a good experiance!! He's been with Blue Bird for over 5 years now and quite happy.

[EagleAce]

we've got a handful of Dicky's tractors in the fleet- as far as I know they're on the way out w/ the new trucks coming in.

[corydon]

Yep! And that's when Simon shut the co. down and Central picked up what they wanted.

Didn't Swift buy the skunk?

[CD]

No,Jerry bought the skunk with his(and his investors) $$$......Swift is publicly traded,Central is not(or it wasn't at the time of the original transaction)

[RSTrans]

I believe Swift is no longer publicly traded as Jerry bought it back, or so the rumor goes.

Back to CRS one of their boneheads rearended me thursday night in Gallup, NM. I was sleeping and he backed in to my trailer. No damage but it was enough to wake me up and knock the snow on my hood off.

[CD]

I stand corrected

[Uturn2001]

Jerry spent years trying to buy Dick Simon and Simon refused to sell it to him. Jerry then bought enough stock to get himself put on the board of directors at Simon and it wasn't long after that Simon was shut down and Jerry bought it and Central Ref was born.

You would have to dig for it but it was all reported fairly well over the course of a few years in various papers, both trucking and local news.