Complaint Review: CRST - Nationwide

I graduated CDL school and was hired 10/06/17. After being told I was forgotten about I was giving a lead driver to conduct my otr training on 10/16/17. My driver manager informed me that he switched my hired date to 10/16/17 so I wouldnt recieve my pay increase or be eligible for benefits till 01/16/18. So the 2 weeks I spent at the hotel struggling to survive and pawning my electronics for food was apparently my fault and got erased like it never happened, I sucked it up and figured its a sacrifice we need to make and life goes on.

11/07/17 I was informed by my driver manager that I completed my training and would be sent to oklahoma to be upgraded and be paired with a co-driver to start my new career, I was very excited and happy i made this milestone. My trainer was told for us to leave Minneasota head to Tennesse where we would pick up a load to head to oklahoma and I would stay at the terminal and await further instructions. We arrived in Memphis to find there was no load for us. 11/07/17 too 11/09/17 we was provided no work and stayed in the truck doing nothing.

The enitre month i just barely made $800.00 which I sent most of home to help support my disabled mother and sister living off $200.00 for the month buying food and winter gear, peanut butter and jelly, cold cuts, wheat bread, and box juices. I was happy losing 15 lbs but anyways the night of 11/09/17 my driver manager finally came thru with a load, we finally had a run to do taking us to Macon, Georgia. Arriving in Georgia 11/10/17 we was informed the load could not be delivered to Monday am 11/13/17.

My trainer had a family emergency and had to leave for Jacksonville 11/10/17. My driver manager told me on 11/10/17 later that night I have a bus ticket set for me to leave Georgia on Saturday 11/11/17 at 2pm and will be arriving in oklahoma 11/12/17 at 5pm, 27 hour bus trip!!! I was then told to pay for hotel for the night and travel expenses and to save my receipts for reimbursements. I informed them I had no available funds to cover such expenses and will need an advance which I they can garnish from my paycheck once I make one again. I was told no to pay for expenses and save my reciepts.

My trainer left for Jacksonville, I stay with him since no options was giving to me or any word on what to do, my driver manager never called me like he said he was going to. I stayed in the truck Friday and Saturday, on Sunday I walked 3 miles to Lake City GreyHound used my last $30.00 to purchase a bus ticket to Orlando to come home, my ticket was for 11/13/17 Monday at 12:45pm. I contacted the Lake City police dept and asked them if I can spend the night in the lobby till morning and head to the bus station, the sargeant said yes no problem, I asked him if i can have a cell he laughed and said no, what if you get forgotten about and they wont let you leave.

I made it to the police dept around 4pm, set up a chair and little area in the lobby, I left around 7am Monday saying my farewell and thank you's to the sargeant and 911 staff for there hospitality. Waited at the bus station caught my 12:45pm bus home to Orlando. The worst part of this story is my co-driver texted me on 11/14/17 saying hes in Oklahoma just made it from California, he cant wait to meet me and to let him know where im at so he come meet me. CRST did not care about me, didnt know I never showed up, had no clue or made any attempt to contact me. Thanks CRST for the learning experience, job security and feeling like a valued member of the team, Thanks for putting my safety first and treating me like a human being!!!