Crete Carrier Corporation reviews

For 21 years Crete Carrier has given me everything I need to be a successful truck driver.I have made a MILLION and A HALF dollars while driving top quality trucks and trailers.I never worry about my next load,it's waiting for me write now,it always is.I never have have anyone looking over my shoulder or second guessing me.Crete Carrier gives me a job to do and then they get the he'll out of my way and let me do it.If you want respect drive for CRETE CARRIER,Thanks.

I was with Crete 18 years. 

The best ????

Well, if you are comparing them to Swift, Schneider, etc. I guess they could be the best in that group. 

Crete : Nowhere near what they used to be, but not as bad as some others.

You can make $50-$60k / year with Crete,but you will be on the road most of the time. 

Lots of short hauls. Sometimes with too much time to haul them. 

Example : pick up a load today . 300 miles. Deliver tomorrow evening.

CCC at one time, like most compines was a good one. However, they started to change like most compines. Y'all know hiring anyone too fill a seat and make that profit for the company.

The driver who mentioned of a driver who gross around 84,000, it's possible...if you're a trainer. I spent eight years with CCC. Did I make great money? I sure did but, at what cost? Too much time on the road. Went, too a smaller company in Lincoln, out five with two days off or more if, I want the time off. Company with 75 trucks, top of the line trucks and drivers that want too be there...don't make as much but, happier. Be safe drivers.

I'm with Schneider but on choice, there is a lot of drop and hook freight here. Company trucks are bare bones.

Crete's trucks are slighty better. Pay is .45 a mile.

I worked at Crete but as a Reefer driver there, pulled Vans sometimes. They have a lot of drop and hook freight also.

Schenider has a lot more drop lots and Operating centers though.

If they offered you a good dedicated run it might be worth it.

OTR though I'd go with Crete

I really like Crete but when I tried to rehire on with them in 2014, I failed a stupid strength test where I had to press 78 lbs against a device that was 61 inches high. I easily passed all the other tests, but because I am so short, I failed this one due to having very little leverage. (The reason I was told they did this test was to prove the driver could secure freight.)

I did lots of push ups, ate extra protein, and was ready to take that test on again in March this year, but right before orientation, my recruiter, Todd, called me and said that they stopped the pre-work screenings. So that was something less to worry about! I didn't have any trouble getting back on with Crete.

I know for a fact that plenty of drivers have not been able to pass that particular test that gave me trouble. Spread the word that that hurdle is GONE.

Crete driver cameras

Q: Can any Crete drivers explain how the driver cam works and what all can trigger it. I read somewhere here that it will go back 15 minutes before an event. Does it include audio as well?

A: Hard brakes, etc will trigger it or you can push a button to trigger it yourself.

Runs in a ~30 second loop, driver facing and includes audio. So it's 15 seconds before the event (not 15 minutes)

~300 out of 5000 trucks have them, troublesome drivers will get them or if you're chosen as a "control".

Glad to help, and thanks! I'm doing pretty good. Still very happy I chose to come to Crete. I feel like I'm really getting into a rhythm. Getting home has been pretty easy. I have been getting between 2200 and 2700 miles per week depending on when I go home. I hope you like it here. I'm from Oklahoma so I tend to get thru the Wilmer terminal fairly often. Maybe I'll see you there. Good luck, and stay safe out there, driver!

Q: Im looking at Crete and have read through everything here and on their website. They look to be pretty good for Mega so I am putting them on the list. actually a better fit than the other two. My only two questions after my study...

1. Do they let you take the truck home during hometime?

2. Do they allow you to take home time away from home, say like Vegas or DC or Florida (i live in Florida but wouldn't mind spending hometime in a different part)? and if so can you take the truck just to park it safe like at an RV park and take bikes or Uber where you want to go?

Yeah that's three, I know.

They have the rider policy and the miles, I want. The pay is good but the trucks are 62 so that's a trade off. Inverter installed by them is no big deal. All in all I think this might rise to number one on the list. If I can get those questions answered. I'm looking to be a road warrior with the occasional time off to see America, save for Retirement, enjoy the company of a good woman who may share my passion.

Crete has my attention, I'd like to ask a few questions:

Q: There hasn't been a thread about this company in quite a while - hopefully it's because you guys and gals are staying busy! I'm looking to go back to OTR but only with a company that isn't catered to the lease purchase scam (I refer you to my thread when I drove company for KLLM, was a total nightmare) - so naturally Crete landed on my radar. So far my recruiter seems like an honest fella so I put in my app and got a prehire at the max starting rate because I have nearly 5 years experience (4 local and the ~1 year with KLLM), but I want to get the opinion of the current & former drivers. And for the trolls here, yes I know it's not the best and a big governed carrier and blah blah blah, so please spare us the drivel.

1) Honest, what can I expect for miles here? My expectation is approximately 2300, which is above what I had at KLLM.

2) I got behind a Crete driver the other day on I-12 through Baton Rouge, was driving 62 so I'm assuming thats the governed speed? My local gig I have runs 65 so it won't be that drastic of a change.

3) Cameras - as I passed the CCC truck I took a quick glimpse in his windshield and didn't see any cameras. Are these standard in the trucks now or still just a handful of trucks as was stated in another thread? I have them in my local truck and don't really mind it because it's saved a couple of my coworkers necks in court already. Louisiana has a slew of sue-happy anti-trucker lawyers looking for a quick $.

4) Hometime - I'm not expecting much nor do I want much aside from holidays. I'm kind of in a pickle financially and need to work. My question is how good are they at getting drivers home for holidays? I don't have a wife or kids, but I do have mom/dad/sister/niece that I would love to see on Thanks/Christmas.

5) Who are their frequent customers? I'm assuming with having dry and reefer that there's a wide variety, especially since I see Crete trucks with Shaffer trailers through here rather frequently.

6) dispatching - how good are they at preplanning to keep you rolling? One thing that really irked my nerves with KLLM was that I rarely got a preplan because they were new to the elogs while I was a company driver and they had no idea how to work the preplans due to the shippers and receivers taking 5 or 6 hours to unload, causing the driver to burn up the clock.

7) Courtesy - I've seen a few comments that some people are rude to the drivers, but I honestly just want to know how dispatch treats drivers. I hated the night dispatchers at KLLM (misserable bungholes) and I don't take kindly to people talking down to me like dirt. One of the reasons why I love my current job is that I'm treated with respect by everyone in the company. And yes, I know the logo on the sides of the trailers. Spare me, trollls.

8- Terminals - I've seen the map of their terminals all over the country, my question is this - if you show up with a load and are just looking for a place to rest for the evening, do you have to surrender the paperwork to dispatch with the likelihood that they'll give that load to someone else? That was KLLM policy and it SUCKED, mostly because company drivers were treated like stepchildren in comparison to the lease op and trainers.

9) Load planning - are drivers allowed to refuse loads? I know its rude to do so and will piss off your dispatcher and customer service reps, but sometimes it's necessary. There's a couple of places I remember from my former OTR days that I would likely refuse to go to (US Foods - Atlanta being one).

That's all for now, if I have any others I'll pop in and ask.

A: I quit Crete 18 months ago but on good terms (to go lease elsewhere actually lol).

I actually was a Reefer driver for then (Shaffer driver) but sometimes pulled Van loads.

I got 2700-3000 miles a week for every full week that I was out.

Never had a problem getting miles BUT what sucked were the appointment times which messed up my sleep Schedule a lot however that problem comes with Reefer... not real much with Van.

Supposedly Reefer drivers got longer runs, Van drivers there got shorter loads but more drop and hook.

Take that for what it's worth.

A: You won't get home on most holidays. People taking vacation time will get priority on holidays.

I have seen drivers stay out over Christmas and sit somewhere for 3-4 days waiting to deliver or get their next load. So, not home AND not earning money.

But " we need drivers on the road over the holiday to service our customers ".

A: Go with Crete. You'll rarely go West. If you don't do well with your dispatcher ask Brent Brown for another one. Forced Dispatch. When I left they had cameras in a small % of trucks. Less than 10%. No diesel apus. Some other Mickey Mouse cooling system.

Crete - Lower 48 or Regional?

Q: For you Crete drivers.... Do you have a regular regional areas that you run or do you run anywhere in the lower 48. If regional, how big is your area? States you run?

Thanks for all relevant info.

A: There are some Regional fleets in most areas of the country that pay a little less than the OTR. The OTR guys run alot of Midwest and Northeast. The OTR drivers that live out west are required 45 days out because they have to run their fare share of the high paying (to Crete) Midwest/Northeast freight. Hard to say true 48 cause most of us don't get to touch the Northwest at all and rarely get to Cali. When I ask to run out West, the response is always "you got to be the in the right place at the right time cause we need to use the Western freight to get our Western drivers home".

I am doing it with Crete Carrier. I am happy with it. At the end of 36 months I own truck outright. No balloon payment at end. Decent settlements but he won't be home much for 2 years