Being on SSI and wanting more out of my life, meaning to be productive and pursue a dream I have had for years. I took it upon myself to enroll into Truck Driving School.
I called CR England and I was on my way. I picked up a prepaid bus ticket and arrived in Ontario Ca. To start school on Monday morning. Here I am on my way to accomplish my career goal.
What a nightmare it became, 75 to 100 people showed up for class barely enough room to sit.By the time we go through the whole process of interrogation, meaning being told that after our drug testing ect.
We will be speaking to thier detective an X police officer. So if we have anything in our past to hide including smoking marijuna that we had better come clean with it.
The guy was a complete idiot and very rude at that. The whole process was a mental game that they play.
After all of this process is completed there were only around 25 or so left in my class.including myself.
Ok! On with the teachings after all the paperwork is finished. First we have classroom with videos and learning about truck driving.
We are given tests to prepare us for our class A permit. It is a very short time to learn all that is needed to know. So I studied all day and most of the night.
I woke up studying out of a sound sleep. I worked hard. We then go to DMV take our test for our permit. Congratulations! I passed. On to the yard I go.
To learn my skills. Which consists of docking, pull-ups and backing along with parallel parking.
We are put into groups to learn each of these skills, We are taught ONE time with each skill by two instructors. Told to get into the truck and do it.
Now, I forgot to tell you most of these instructors are retired military so it is like a bootcamp. Do it the first time or all hell breaks loose and the intimidation and yelling begins.
What a nightmare! Now also remember that I am to pay $3,000 for this brow beating along with having to go to the yard after hours and teach myself my skills.
Now! We go out with a different instructor and drive on the streets, to teach us our in traffic skills along with on ramps and off ramps freeway driving. Down shifting ect.
There are 4 of us per tractor. We all take our turn and have paperwork testing when our driving is over for the day. I was the only one that did not want the answers. Oh Yes! Didn't I tell you that the instructors give us the answers.
There was one instructor that did not give answers. Bless his heart. He did it by the book.
Ok! Now it is time to take our test for our Class A license. Which includes a pre-trip and skills test. No answers are given here! I gave my 100%. Yes I passed. I now have my class A.
Now it is time for Phase 1 & Phase 2 - 30 days for each phase for more training. Utah terminal calls me telling me they have a driver trainer for me up there
Off I go to finish up my training. 5 hours layover at greyhound in vegas. Slept on the dirty floor until the bus came. I arrived late at night therefore I was tired.
I arrive in Salt lake city Utah, was picked up by the shuttle bus taken to the terminal. Was given a key for a room. Went upstairs opened the door and the smell of filth almost knocked me out.
Ther were piles of clothes all over the dorm room along with expired food and garbage everywhere.
I took the key back downstairs and informed the front desk that I would sleep in the tv room due to the room being the way it was.
The lady that does work for the school went and checked the room out and told the people to give me another room due to the condition of the other room.
I then preceded to go to another room which consists of 8 women 8 beds. My driver trainer did not show up for 2 days.in that time I became aware of people eating noodles due to them being stuck with no runs.
Having to use thier money to eat and completely doing without. I am speaking of employees at England having no money and no food. I couldn't believe my eyes.
Oh yes! There is a restaurant, a store, a movie theatre, a pool room, a TV room, a sprint dealership. Big deal. There are alot things going on that are pushed under the carpet and not discussed.
My driver trainer finally showed up and off I go for 30 days with a man I know nothing about. Fine I say, I want to get this over with and get on to my next phase.
Along with this phase 1 driver trainer comes an evaluation sheet about my teachings and my progress. We are taught in school that no apprentice will drive after 12 midnight.
Due to it being the most dangerous time to drive. Well here I go. I am told to drive and it is around 1 or 2 am. I drove until the sun came up. No problem I say to myself I just want to get this over with.
After awhile I am being cursed at, yelled out and told It didn't matter what I was taught in school I am in his truck now and things will be done his way.including not telling the truth with the log books.
I got fed up with the yelling, him in my face the cheating with the logs and jumped off the truck in Montana. Paid for my motel for 2 days until the company could get me bac to the Utah Terminal.
I tried to tell the company staff about the verbal abuse and the fake logs No one would listen. I told them I was taught to be professional and to go by the book and It wasn't being done.
Again No One listened. Thet preceded to set me up with another driver trainer I asked this time for a woman. Due to the verbal abuse ect.
Here again they didn't listen. Thet set me up with another man. Here I go again. The guy informs me he is a recovered crack addict but could do some drugs and walk away.
Again there is verbal abuse and the only time I can drive it seems is when he gets tired. I was being yelled at and treated very bad. May I add I do not need someone yelling in my face,
So close that I can feel thier breath on my cheek. My logs again were being messed with to suit them. Was I being taught anything on my evaluation sheet? NO!
Was I a bad driver? NO! Did I want to learn all that I could to perform my tasks to give 100% and above? Yes! The Driver trainers that Iwas with used me for making money off of my miles.
They I feel did not conduct themselves in a professional manner. I was physically touched. Verbally abused and refused to take anymore. Iwas told by my second driver trainer that my downshifting was bad.
And the only time I did well with it was when He got in my face and made me very upset. Why? I asked, Do you feel that is the case. Why, should it be the case?
Going back to Utah yard he informed me he was going to tell the training cordinator that I needed more training on my down shifting. That he could not teach me any further on what I needed to know. Another head trip!
I got out of his truck. Enough is Enough! I could go on and on and on. They sent me another driver trainer another male and I conducted my own interview. He failed. I was sent a train ticket home.
My God! What a nightmare! And I have unreported miles driven and hours missing. Violations due to the 1st driver trainer not turning in my evaluation sheet.
And my second driver trainer finished filling out my evaluation sheet after I got off his truck. I have my evaluation sheets. And being on the road 14 or 15 days.
Going over 10,000 miles driving the cabbage patch and a few others driving over black ice, Through snow and blizzards. Through rain so bad I couldn't hardly seethe zipper.
Here I am being charged $3,000 for a school that did not complete teaching me. They only care about making money. Not people that want to learn andbe taught in a professional manner.
And may I say I have my evaluation sheets and not even one set-up did I or was I able to do. It was only to point A and point B. Money off of my miles.
If there is anyone out there that is as upset as I am and knows how to get a class action lawsuit going I would LOVE to hear from you. I welcome any lawyers to PLEASE call me.
M-Sacramento
Sacramento, California
U.S.A.
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