Thinking about Central Refrigerated

[Scoutman57]

I was recently (Apr 2010) laid off from my very nice software engineering job. Since then I have been hard pressed to even get call backs on jobs that may 50k a year. Times are getting tough and I have been looking at OTR to just get by.

Right after high school I drove a feed delivery truck to dairies and ranches. I have read may of the post here about some of the CDL mills. Stevens (Which is close to where i live) Knight, CRST, Werner, Swift, and a few others. While reading the post I saw someone talk slightly about Central Refrigerated. I have not found really any post about them on here.

Could someone give me more information on this company other then what their website says? I see their training course is like 4 weeks before you start with a trainer. Do you get paid during this training course before you hit the OTR training porting? If so how much?

Are there any other companies that people recommend?

 

[cajuntrucker59]

you can go to the trucking review section of this forum and read about central. they seem like a better than average "cdl mill". i talked to a recruiter last year and almost went, but got a local job. they pay 500 dollars a week during training and some of the drivers i spoke to said it was a good school. some compained about this and that but over all most were happy with central refrigerated. they have some good clients, budweiser comes to mind and alot of there routes are drop and hook. stay away from stevens at all costs. good luck to ya.

 

[cajuntrucker59]

oh.....almost forgot.....there's a member here in the forum called "cameltrucker". he's a lease driver for central and was very helpful when i private messaged him. he's out of their modesto california yard and went thru the school in salt lake city. havent seen him online in awhile, but he would be the guy to talk to. he gave me a full run down on the system. happy hunting my friend.

 

[ChromeDome]

I worked for them a couple years ago. I went to them for a refresher.
They are run of the mill large company. I stayed with them a year and a half and was on dedicated for close to a year.
I did not mind them at all and made ok money. Especially once on dedicated, since it paid allot more per mile.
I left because my wife wanted me home more. So I went to a small flatbed company.
Since then I have heard they have lowered pay for dedicated, dropped guaranteed home time pay, dropped ontime delivery pay, and several other things. If you never had it you will not miss it.
I do not know if they will bring them back when the economy gets better or not.
I still talk to about a dozen drivers from them on another forum. They press hard for the lease. DO NOT DO IT.

 

[Sinister]

/moved.

 

[MorrisGray]

From my friend's experience with them I suggest you not go to work at Central. He was a lease operator. His last four checks did not even total $500 bring home. No joke. Several weeks he didn't make enough to make his $800+ truck and everything else payments to the company. He was treated terrible by them. He finally just turned in his truck breaking the lease. They are after him about a settlement payment but he has refused so far.
JM2c
MorrisGray / Rock Spring, GA

 

[ChromeDome]

Leasing a truck from any of these large company's is a bad move.
Only an idiot would read that contract, look at the miles and pay, and believe they would make money.
The 500 a week he was taking home for that few weeks was much better than most do when the time comes for there miles to drop.
They are leasing a truck yes, but it is not really a lease to own. Since the balloon payment at the end is what the company decides that truck is worth at the miles it has, at full retail.
So basically it is a rental agreement. Not what I think of as a lease. Just lease sounds better.
90% of the time you will make more per year as a company driver than as a L/O.
Notice I did not say O/O, since that is a totally different thing.

 

[cajuntrucker59]

Leasing a truck from any of these large company's is a bad move.
Only an idiot would read that contract, look at the miles and pay, and believe they would make money.
The 500 a week he was taking home for that few weeks was much better than most do when the time comes for there miles to drop.
They are leasing a truck yes, but it is not really a lease to own. Since the balloon payment at the end is what the company decides that truck is worth at the miles it has, at full retail.
So basically it is a rental agreement. Not what I think of as a lease. Just lease sounds better.
90% of the time you will make more per year as a company driver than as a L/O.
Notice I did not say O/O, since that is a totally different thing.

i agree with this post. any lease option with these big cdl mills is risky. but if you have to start somewhere i would pick central over stevens. not much of a choice...LOL! the lesser of two evils i suppose.

 

[Busfahrer]

How would you rate CR England in comparisson to Central.

 

[cajuntrucker59]

How would you rate CR England in comparisson to Central.

cr england is the toliet under central refrigerateds ass!

 

[Mindy829]

I think CRSI is a SCAM!

My husband is there right now, or he was. He failed the DOT for Blood pressure which he has NEVER had a problem with 12 other people that day were kicked out for various reasons. They made him pay 100 dollars up front did the DOT then said sorry you have an hour to pack your bags. He didnt have enough money to get home. I had to call every realitve I have ever met to help us get him home. Now in 36hrs he will be home. How in the world can you tell people to bring 300 dollars get them there 2 days early to where they HAVE to buy food. Take 100 of it and say alright well your 1200+ miles from home, start huffing it! I am appalled and plan to take action! :shoot:

 

[twodogs]

seeking information

Cajuntrucker, I am interested in CRS and noticed your post naming cameltrucker. My residence is near where cameltrucker reportedly works out of. Can you assist in my contacting cameltrucker? I am new to this so any information I can provide that will enable us to communicate privately would be ok.

 

[cajuntrucker59]

Cajuntrucker, I am interested in CRS and noticed your post naming cameltrucker. My residence is near where cameltrucker reportedly works out of. Can you assist in my contacting cameltrucker? I am new to this so any information I can provide that will enable us to communicate privately would be ok.

you can click onto cameltruckers profile and send him a private message or an email. at the bottom of this page you will see an area called similar threads. click on central refrigerated ser. go to the last page and find his screen name and click on it. that will take you to his profile. if you have a problem with that contact "mike" who is a moderator. im sure he will help you. thats what i did. cameltrucker is a nice guy and is now a trainer for central. good luck and be safe.

 

[pizzmyer]

I agree DO NOT LEASE from Central. It is a big scam. You get enough miles to pay for the truck and 300 / 500 a week take home. They keep telling you they will make it right...liars...how do I know this.. I am a Trainer L/O right now with Central. I went Trainer for the extra miles promised and I enjoy teaching..The miles stayed the same as a solo driver...so in reality you are training for free and you get less money per mile while a student is on you truck.. A win win for Central Scam Artists... Trust Me find another company..