Two Days on the Road With a C.R. England Executive
Brandon Harrison, C.R. England Inc.’s chief sales officer, recently completed his second trip as part of the carrier’s executive commercial driver license program. The program is designed to give C.R. England's managers and front-office staff a greater understanding of drivers' jobs. Harrison provided Transport Topics with a digital diary of his journey and the lessons he learned along the way.
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The Route:
Harrison and his team partner Greg Homan, a trainer with C.R. England for more than 25 years, picked up a load in Salt Lake City and drove it to Pasco, Wash. They picked up a second load in Richland, Wash., and returned it to Salt Lake City. They traveled nearly 1,400 miles and were on the road from 8:30 a.m. on July 10 to 5:00 a.m. on July 12.
Ready, Set, Go (July 10, 8:30 a.m.)
Meet Harrison and Homan. They depart the C.R. England terminal in Salt Lake City, headed toward their first delivery in Pasco.
Before hitting the road, Harrison checks fluid levels and looks for any disconnections, cracks and/or abrasions of belts, wires and hoses. He also sets his electronic logging device.
(Greg Homan/C.R. England)
Time for a Switch (July 10, 8:45 p.m.)
Harrison and Homan switch in La Grande, Ore.
They also take in the views near Pendleton, Ore.
A sunset near Pendleton. (Brandon Harrison/C.R. England Inc.)
Delivery, Downtime and Delay (July 11, 12:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.)
Harrison and Homan make their first delivery in Pasco at 12:00 a.m. But when they drive to the location of their next pickup in Richland, they're met with a major annoyance for any driver — a delay. They wait out the delay from 1:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on July 11.
Final Countdown (July 11, 9:45 p.m.)
Harrison and Homan stop to fuel in Boise, Idaho. Harrison logs off duty for 30 minutes to take his required break.
Home Stretch (July 12, 12:30 a.m.)
Harrison hands the wheel to Homan to finish the drive to Salt Lake City, gives a tour of the sleeper berth and describes a tiring day.
Finishing Up (July 12, 4:53 a.m.)
C.R. England terminal in Salt Lake City. (C.R. England)
Harrison and Homan finish up the route and drop off the second delivery in Salt Lake City. Harrison says he has had a fantastic three days. "The more time I spend on the road the more appreciation I gain for all of the professional drivers out there on the road," Harrison says.
What's next for the team? They're back to business as usual, and Harrison is due at the C.R. England offices for meetings in just a few hours.
