C.R. England adds six military-themed trucks to Honored Veterans fleet

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Updated Jun 24, 2015
C.R. England adds six new trucks to its Honored Veterans military-themed Fleet. (Left to Right) Drivers: Darryl Wright, Josh Smith, Hardrick Crawford, Chris Yates, Jeremy Jellison, Steve Calder; C.R. England Chairman Dan England (PRNewsFoto/C.R. England, Inc.)C.R. England adds six new trucks to its Honored Veterans military-themed Fleet. (Left to Right) Drivers: Darryl Wright, Josh Smith, Hardrick Crawford, Chris Yates, Jeremy Jellison, Steve Calder; C.R. England Chairman Dan England (PRNewsFoto/C.R. England, Inc.)

C.R. England is honoring its military veteran drivers and employees with the addition of six new military-themed trucks and two trailers to the company’s “Honored Veterans” fleet.

“Our veterans mean a great deal to C.R. England and we are pleased to honor them,” said C.R. England Chairman Dan England. “C.R. England is dedicated to honoring and recognizing our veteran non-driver and driver employees and independent contractors. We recognize the need to ensure the honored men and women coming out of the military have great jobs, and we consider it a privilege to hire these individuals. Last year, C.R. England committed to hiring 350 additional veteran drivers. I am pleased to say that we met our goal, and we will continue to be even more aggressive in our hiring efforts.”

In June 2014, C.R. England introduced five military-themed tractors and trailers into its fleet. Last November, the company introduced five additional tractors and trailers, and each year, it will add additional military-themed equipment.

During this month’s event, the new trucks and trailers in the “Honored Veterans” fleet were unveiled. The trucks are 2016 Freightliner Cascadia Evolutions (all with automatic transmissions). The trailers are manufactured by Utility with the new Thermo King Precedent S-600 Trailer Refrigeration System.

CRE Vets-1England also introduced the drivers who would drive in the “Honored Veterans” fleet. Drivers who were candidates for this honor must have had a clean safety record and at least one tour of duty in the military.

Steve Calder – Calder was a Master Sergeant and served in the U.S. Air Force for 22 years. He was awarded three Meritorious Service Medals (MSM) for developing training programs for the Air Force. He completed tours in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Germany. Calder has been with C.R. England for a year working in the National division.

Darryl Wright – Wright was a Machinist mate First Class (MM1) and served in the U.S. Navy for 18 years. He was awarded the Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal for repairs to equipment while on deployment aboard the USS Arctic. Wright has been with C.R. England for eight years in the Walmart McCarren Dedicated division. He’s a safety ambassador and qualified trainer.

Jeremy Jellison – Jellison has been with C.R. England for a year and a half and runs in the National division. He was in the U.S. Marine Corps for 13 years and ended his career as a Sergeant. Over that time, he had four deployments – two to Iraq, one to Kuwait and one to Norway. He was awarded the Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal to include the Presidential Unit Citation.

Chris Yates – Yates was a Sergeant and Tank Commander in the U.S. Army for 12 years. He had two deployments, both in Saudi Arabia, during his service, earning a bronze star during each deployment. He also was awarded the Army accommodation medal. Yates works in the National division.

Josh Smith – Smith has been with C.R. England since 2007. He was a trainer for seven years before he became a solo driver for the Georgia Pacific Dedicated division. Smith was a Corporal where he served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years. He completed tours in Yemen, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was awarded the Service Deployment Ribbon and National Defense medal for his tours.

Hardrick Crawford – Crawford served in the U.S. Navy as a Seaman Apprentice. He served in Canada and the Philippines. He was awarded the National Defense Ribbon for serving in the Gulf Ward.  He drives in the National division at C.R. England.

England also noted significant program enhancements the company has implemented in the past year to assist veterans become drivers, as well as groups who have recognized the company for their efforts in hiring veterans.

The Veteran Recruiting Team – This team handles all of the company’s veteran applications. This is a team comprised of veterans who work with veterans looking to work at C.R. England. The team answers questions and discusses career options.

Veterans Support Network – This team is comprised of all branches of the military and all ranks from Lieutenant Colonel and Command Sergeant Major to Private First Class. Many divisions and departments have representation to assist our drivers throughout their career with C.R. England. This includes personnel in operations, recruiting, schools, and training throughout the company.

Career Counselors – They are introduced to drivers from the first day they are in a truck. Their goal is to help drivers find their ideal career that suites their needs. There are veteran career counselors that work with specifically with our veteran drivers.

The company also continues to offer tuition incentives. Currently, military veteran drivers who finish the program and drive with the company for a minimum of six months receive free tuition.