FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CRST TO BUILD NEW TRAINING CENTER IN CEDAR RAPIDS
New facility will incorporate classroom space and sleeping quarters

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA (April 24, 2007) – CRST International, one of the largest privately-held transportation companies in the country, announced today that is building a new training and lodging center 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 being in June and last five to six months.

CRST hosts between 50-75 people every week for orientation and driver training. The majority of drivers who will utilize the facility are participants in the company-sponsored training program through Kirkwood Community College that enables new drivers to receive the education they need to obtain their commercial drivers license. 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, which will enable new drivers to experience over-the-road, behind-the-wheel driving conditions. The facility will offer a recreational facility including pool tables, a theater room, an outdoor patio and a BBQ pit, designed to make the drivers’ time in training a pleasurable experience.

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, these buildings will be raised and developed into a greens area that can potentially be used for future corporate expansion.

For more information, please visit www.crst.com

CRST International
Cedar Rapids, Iowa –based CRST International is one of the largest privately-held transportation companies in the United States.  Through its six divisions, CRST provides a broad array of transportation solutions, including Van and Flatbed as well as Brokerage and Transportation Management Services.  CRST’s Operating Divisions are made up of CRST Logistics and CRST’s asset-based Carrier Group, which consists of CRST Van Expedited, CRST Malone, CRST Premier, CRST Dedicated Solutions and CRST Capacity Solutions.  For more information, visit www.crst.com.