A seeded free jet of CO was crossed perpendicularly with a second free jet of collider absorption of a tunable IR diode laser beam was used to measure relative cross sections for translational to rotational energy transfer (RET) in low rotational states of CO. Multiquantum rotational transitions populating abroad range of final J states were demonstrated to be important. The relative, net depletion rates of CO(J=0) and CO(J=1) were measured and used to estimate the total RET cross sections. Subject to inaccuracies of +/-10% in the measured flow rates, the relative, total, RET cross sections sigma(He):sigma(N2):sigma(Ar), were found to be 1:1.7:2.0 (+/-20%) for CO(J=0). For each collider gas, the total CO(J=1) RET cross sections were estimated to be lower than the CO(J=0) cross sections by approximately 11-15%. The experimental technique demonstrates sufficient sensitivity to both continue such crossed jet measurements to higher rotational states and/or different species, and to apply direct IR laser absorption in the more elaborate, but better characterized, skimmed beam environment.