CRST International will soon start work on a new training and lodging center to be built on the CRST corporate complex in Cedar Rapids. The three-level facility will encompass 36,000 square feet and will be large enough to accommodate more than 110 people. Construction on the $2.5 million building is scheduled to begin in June and last five to six months. CRST hosts between 50 and 75 people every week for orientation and driver training, the company stated in its new release regarding the expansion. The majority of drivers who will utilize the facility are participants in the company-sponsored Commercial Drivers License training program through Kirkwood Community College. The program lasts two to three weeks, and students are lodged at the CRST facility during this training period. Lodging and training space will also be used by drivers from other parts of the country who visit Cedar Rapids to attend safety and other company seminars.

“We are one of the few large companies in the industry that offer training to individuals who want to become professional truck drivers,” said Dave Rusch, president of the CRST Carrier Group. “With that responsibility it’s important to have a state-of-the art training facility that will enable these new drivers to learn in the best environment possible. This will be one of the nicer training facilities in the industry, and will provide our drivers a strong foundation to launch their careers.”

The new training and lodging center will feature state-of-the-art video and electronic equipment as well as a driver simulator. The facility will offer a recreational facility including pool tables, a theater room, an outdoor patio and a barbecue pit.

The new facility will replace a company-owned motel and a set of buildings that have been used for lodging and training purposes for the past 45 years. Once construction on the new facility is complete, the buildings will be raised and developed into a greens area that can potentially be used for future corporate expansion, the company said.