In today’s fast paced world it is easy to get lost. With so many people focusing on their lives and that second, it is easy to become just another faceless body in the masses. When sitting at a small desk in a large office building do you find yourself fading into the grey color of your cubical? Do you miss seeing the sun or the snow covered mountains? It’s time to get out and live life, it’s time to get a job that makes a difference and become a part of a close-knit community. It’s time to get a truck driving job.

When driving a truck you can see the America so few people get to see, and you can have the job satisfaction so few get to experience. You can get out and explore life and get paid for it. Just think about it, you can get paid for getting out and taking a road trip across the nation.

When you become a truck driver you are immediately part of a strong community, making instant friends who are in the same place in life as you are. Truck drivers stick together and can depend one another, providing support and encouragement during a time when such traits are hard to find. There are thousands of support groups and blogs where truckers get together and discuss a variety of matters from work to family. Indeed, when you get a job as a truck driver, you join a family of truck drivers. Truck driving is a way of life, it’s a way of thinking, it’s a way to find yourself.

When joining the trucking population you will find you are able to make friends and form close ties with complete strangers. You may find yourself talking to great people who you never would have talked to before. Before, you had nothing in common, but now you both have the road.

You will truly be able to find yourself on the open roads of America. Driving toward the bright horizon of a rising sun, you will feel yourself rise as well, finding a new light. From the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate Bridge, the demand for truck driving jobs are high.

Even as the economy seems to dwindle there are always products that need to be taken from A to B, and the road in between holds many possibilities. Join the trucking family and become a part of something.

Each year CR England presents some of their drivers with an award called the Drive Life Award. To qualify for this honor, drives must be with CR England for at least five years and have good operational and safety records.  Before any awards are presented, candidates have their driving records for the year closely scrutinized. Drive Life Awards are provided to divers in 3 areas- Trainer, Independent Contractor and Company.

The winners of the awards for 2011 were announced yesterday by CR England management at a company rally and are as follows:

Trainer: Thomas Richardson

Thomas Richardson has been driving for C.R. England since April 2007 and resides in California. He is currently driving for England’s Dedicated Division out of Los Angeles and has driven over 670,000 perfect miles, with no chargeable accidents.  Richardson’s favorite pastime is cruising around in his 1937 International, hot rod, V8 pick-up truck.

Richardson has been a phase 1 trainer since 2008, training many apprentices who have become successful drivers for C.R. England.   He takes great pride in producing safe and productive drivers and never hesitates in going above and beyond to make sure his apprentices get what they need.  This often includes working with his apprentices on his days off to fine tune their skills. CR England is pleased to present Thomas Richardson as the 2011 Trainer of the Year.

Independent Contractor: Arundell Robinson

Arundell Robinson has been driving for C.R. England for over 14 years, joining the company in July 1997 and makes his home in Massachusetts. He drives in England’s National Division and has driven over 2,200,000 safe miles. Robinson has 4 children; 2 boys and 2 girls, and 3 grandchildren, all of whom are boys.

Robinson began training for C.R. England in June of 2002, and his those who trainin with him have had nothing but great things to say about him and the ways he conducts himself on the truck. He is known for being extremely knowledgeable and patient, turning out great drivers for C.R. England. Congratulations to Arundell Robinson, one of CR England’s IC Drivers of the Year for 2011.

Independent Contractor: Steven Ryan

Steven Ryan is another of England’s drivers who makes his home in California. He has been driving for C.R. England since 1998 in the National Division and has driven over 1,600,000 safe miles.  Ryan’s DM claims he is a fine example to new drivers coming into the business because of his positive attitude in any given situation. Ryan is a fleet mentor to new drivers and is willing to take their calls no matter what time of day to help answer any questions a driver may have.

Ryan has been married to his wife Lilly for 36 years and has 2 daughters and 2 grandchildren. He is a member of the Corvette Car Club and served 22 years in the Navy as a Radioman and retired as a Chief Petty Officer. His great driving record and excellent service are just some of the reasons why Steven Ryan is a 2011 I.C. Driver of the Year.

Independent Contractor: Jim Spina

Jim Spina is an East Coast native, living in Plainfield IL, has been driving for C.R. England over 13 years. He currently drives in the Sterling Dedicated division and has driven over 1,100,000 safe miles. When he’s not trucking, Spina enjoys riding his Harley, and enjoying seeing the country with his wife Susan. He and Susan have been married 45 years and have two children and two grandchildren.

He’s had a couple nicknames over the years. His first one “Hit Man” came to him because he struck a large bird that stuck to his mirror.  The second nickname was “Gas Man,” given to him by his son and C.R. England office personnel who claimed that once he started running, he didn’t stop. He is also known as “Jimbo” by all his friends in Sterling, they say he’s “The type of person that will do anything for anybody”.

He has given people all his food in his cooler and even bedding and clothing out of his truck.  He is the driver that everyone goes to in the Sterling office for advice, tips and directions. He’s got his own “personalized set of maps”.  Spina also recently received the ATA One Million Safe Miles award. Jim Spina is a great example of what every C.R. England driver should be and CR England is proud to have him as as our final IC Driver of the Year for 2011.

Company Driver: Richard "Mac" McDonald

Richard "Mac" McDonald lives in Salt Lake city, Utah and has been driving for C.R. England for over 27 years joining the company in 1984. He runs in the National Division and has driven over 3,400,000 safe miles. McDonald’s driver manager reports he’s a great driver to work with stating "I never have to worry about him. He is always on time and very low maintenance.  He is a model driver that makes my job easy".

McDonald married his wife Doris almost 13 years ago and claims things are never dull around his house. Between him and Doris, they have 11 children, 39 grand-children, and 3 great grand-children. He loves to camp and sit around the fire and tell stories. When he retires, he is looking forward to spending time with his ever growing family, traveling and spending time in his wood working shop. CR England is pleased to recognize Richard "Mac" McDonald as a Company Driver of the Year for 2011.

Company Driver: Vance Vogel

Vance Vogel resides in California and has been driving for C.R. England over seven years. He joined the Intermodal Division in April 2006 and has driven over 410,000 safe miles. Vogel has been a big part of the growth of England’s Intermodal Division over the years and has proven to be an asset from day one.  He has helped train many of their new drivers making sure they have the tools to succeed.  He takes pride in the job he does and is willing to help out if something is needed.

Vogel has been married 37 years to his wife Paula.  They have two grown boys and three grandchildren. His hobbies include wood working making cabinets, desks, book cases, or whatever his wife tells him to do. Great job Vance Vogel for becoming 2011 Company Driver of the Year.

Company Driver: Daniel Finch

Daniel Finch lives in Wyoming and has been driving for C.R. England over 11 years hiring October 20, 2000. He drives in the Dedicated Division and has driven over 1,200,000 safe miles. According to one of England’s night managers, Finch is very knowledgeable and reliable, he is an exemplary driver mentor and trainer for drivers on this account. He has 100 percent on-time delivery on the account and is an example to all.

Finch is married to his sweetheart Donna and together they have five children. One of his most favorite hobbies is trains and his nick name to other driver is “Choo Choo”. He can be seen around the distribution center often wearing his train hat. Congratulations Daniel Finch, CR England’s final Company Driver of the Year for 2011.

Congratulations to all the winners of C.R. England’s Drive Life Award. Great job at setting an example for truckers everywhere.

Game day is fast approaching. That’s right, Super Bowl XLVI  is only 12 days away! With less than 2 weeks until the big kickoff, you have the perfect amount of time to get ready. Now is the moment when you need to gather supplies; chips, drinks, dip, etc.

In the past while you were out shopping and gathering your game day goodies, did you ever wonder where they came from? If you have, and even if you haven’t, we have the answer for you. Most of your items come from a truck.

That’s right, a truck. In fact, most everything on the store’s shelf comes from a truck including your hoard for the Super Bowl. Also, most of the items sold at the football game were on a truck at some point. Have you ever thought about what it takes to build a football arena?

This year, Super Bowl XLVI is being played in Indianapolis, at the Lucas Oil Stadium. To build this stadium in 2008, originally as the home of the Indianapolis Colts, supplies had to be shipped to the location. These supplies included items such as steal, glass and concrete. Each of these items were either delivered directly to the site of the stadium or to a yard by a truck.

During the game, there are always thousands of screaming fans. Some of them are painted the colors of their teams, some are waiving large foam fingers and others are simply wearing their team jersey. Each of these items was delivered by truck at some point in its life somewhere between its manufacturing date and when it came to you.

When you are at home watching the football game think about the things around you; your favorite arm chair, the bowl your chips are in, even the TV you’re watching the game on! Each of those items came on a truck, and to take it even a step further, each of those items was delivered by a truck driver.

There are plenty of other examples of items that you use daily that were brought to you over the road by a truck driver. Every day trucks deliver the nation one mile at a time and now they are delivering your Sunday game of the year.

Hopefully, you enjoy watching the Super Bowl XLVI and all the great Super Bowl commercials that go with it. While you are watching, just remember that this and every Super Bowl experience was brought to you in part by truck drivers throughout the nation.

There is an old adage "The grass is always greener on the other side." In our industry, it often means that everybody’s trucking job is better than yours.

In recruiting and retention, we often hear this from our former drivers now returning to CR England.  We hear their stories of why they left, including fancy advertisements, slick truck stop recruiters, promised local runs, and more. However, once they get out on the road with their new company they find that there are problems everywhere. The sweet talk and promises that got that driver away from England were empty, used only to get them in a truck.

Once a driver finds that these were just methods used to get them away from us, they anxiously look for a way back.  This year alone we have seen a return of over 500 drivers.

While we hate to see our divers leave, many returning drivers come with a greater appreciation for what an opportunity it is to drive for England.  We have good experiences with our returning drivers, and those who continue to meet our hiring criteria are always welcome back.  Returning drivers are great a great asset for informing others that instead of searching for greener pastures, it is best to stay here and succeed. 

Typically, when a driver change jobs, he will lose about 3 weeks to 2 months in earnings, not counting lost time and seniority.  A truck driving job can be difficult at times, but remember, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

C.R. England has some of the best training and operations staff in the industry and we are committed to constantly improving every aspect of our operation. Be encouraged that we know "your success is our success". Be safe, patient, professional, and know that you are appreciated.

CR England recently announced that they will be switching things up a bit with new management. Zach England, former Vice President of England’s Intermodal division, has accepted the position as Vice President of the Dedicated division.

As a part of England’s new responsibilities with the Dedicated division, he will be responsible for some of the company’s most prestigious accounts. This division is responsible for more than 20% of the company’s revenue and includes more than 1,150 trucks and 1,500 employees.

CR England Dedicated helps truck drivers have a more meaningful life off the road with ample home time, while also providing drivers with more responsibility while on the road. With the Dedicated division, truckers can still live the life of a trucker, but they don’t have to make the same sacrifices that over-the-road truckers do. Driving Dedicated also means you know what to expect from your freight. With an OTR truck driving job, you can be hauling freight for one company then switch to something completely different with your next load. With Dedicated, you know who you will be hauling for this time and every time. You are Dedicated to that customer.

Taking Zach England’s place as Vice President of the Intermodal division is Coby Bullard. Bullard comes to England from BNSF Railway where he held multiple positions such as Sr. Market Manager, Director of Operations Support, and Director of Domestic Intermodal.

C.R. England’s Intermodal division is similar to Dedicated in that there is consistency. However, with intermodal trucking, you are hauling containers to and from a shipping yard and the customer you are hauling for varies. Intermodal routes are not usually as long as over the road or dedicated routes, and drivers often have the ability to be home most nights.  Under Bullard’s supervision, the Intermodal division of England is expected to grow and develop, bringing both opportunity and employment to CR England.

With the changes of leadership, the company is hopeful of the future. Of the change, England’s COO, Chad England said the following, "Today’s leadership announcements are significant as they indicate a continued commitment to strengthening the leadership of the company with a broad base of capable and talented individuals. Zach represents the strength of the fourth generation of family ownership that is now stepping into major roles in the company. Coby brings to C. R. England a talented, new perspective that will help us grow our intermodal presence."

CR England is indeed growing, and will continue to grow as time passes. While there may be many changes in the company, such as management changes, one thing stays the same and that is trucking. From the beginning England has been dedicated to the trucking industry and to their truck drivers and that is one thing that will not change.

To learn more about C.R. England and how you can start your truck driving job with them, visit http://www.crengland.com/truckingjobs/index.jsp