In Any Case, Follow Your Gut...

That stinks, however, keep looking, there are a few decent companies out there.

Unfortunately, most new drivers seem to ignor all the warnings !!! Many of us try to tell them what to expect, but they all think they'll be ifferent !!

Best of Luck !!!!

 

Rember the words of Dr. Phil (I don't agree with all he says but this is good) "you teach people how to treat you".

 

All companies big and small are trying to pull the same crap. They keep lowering the rate per mile as cost in the Truck Stops continue to rise. It seems every time you turn around some one has their hand in your pocket wanting to take your hard earned money. Today on line Celadon says that they will start you at .30 cents per mile for one year of experience. What a joke. Crete Carrier right now is .31 cents per mile, for student drivers. This is a poverty wage offered by both of these companies. 2500 miles equals 775.00 gross and about 500.00 net before expenses and they expect you to work 70 hours a week, what a joke. No wonder no one wants to drive a truck any more.Crete does not pay to drop and hook or secure a load. All of this takes time, that you are not being paid for. Low miles...lol... It is time to take a stand and demand better wages and say who the companies are and what they pay. Trucking is a profession, not a hobby.. grow something between your legs and start to speak out or it will never change.....

 

Crete has announced that they are raising that $.31 back to $.34, I believe on July 1st. And everyone that was hired at $.31 will be raised to $.34 also. I believe that student drivers get a $.05/mile raise on their 1-year anniversary, maybe that has changed, not sure. I wouldn't consider that a bottom-feeder company. Most of the bottom feeders pay $.10 less than that. I realize it's not ideal, but neither is the economy at this point.
I have worked for Crete for almost 2 yrs, and have been very happy. I'm getting miles, get home when i need to and have had pretty good luck w/ the equipment(knock on wood). It could always be better, but I knew what was the job was when I got onboard. If everyone would investigate and really know what they are getting into, these companies wouldn't be able to get away with what they do. Just my $.02

 

Amen!

The good jobs are going by the wayside.
Most will never see one of these jobs.
Too many drivers willing to work/haul for peanuts.
They undercut the drivers making good $$$$ for their time and effort.
Nothing but a race to the bottom...

 

There's another side to this story that hardly ever gets addressed.

The guy I pull for has nine trucks of his own and a bunch of trailers. Every time I go to his yard he has one or two trucks in the shop getting unecessary repairs that are due entirely to driver neglegence and driver neglect.

Torn up tires, Bent bumpers, Bent wheels, scratches and dents in cabs, Broken tie down straps, Ripped shredded tarps, Torn off mudflaps, bent and otherwise damaged side rails...And that's just on the outside!

The interiors are filthy and stink of sweat, Old socks, Piss, Old rotting food and about anything else unpleasant that you can think of.

This guy has pretty decent equipment and maintains it very well...He doesn't run recaps and will give a driver anything he wants for his truck if he takes care of his truck.
Most of these losers don't even clean their windows!

I see lots of late model trucks running around out here for various companies that are trashed! I see brand new tractors with smashed fairings and torn off body parts that are so filthy and nasty that I wouldn't get in them in a chemical protection suit much less the shorts and flip flops that seem to be the clothing of choice for the (So Called) Modern American Trucker!

I agree that there are some pretty bad companies out there that seem to have a very low opinion of drivers.
The question that you must ask yourself is, "Am I one of "those" drivers that created the problem?"

 

To Crete Driver, You are almost right. We as students get an anniversary raise but it isnt a nickle.The raise you speak of on July first will also come on the students anniversary. For instance I started March 22nd of 2010.. I will not get that .03 cents until my one year is up. What that means is I will get the full amount then( a total of .06 cent). The paper we seen address new drivers only... It leaves STUDENTS out and again we are students for 1 year.I do not think that this is right or even fair. It cost me just as much as anyone to live in that truck. They say suffering builds character but you know what? I have suffered enough.Ostergard is not suffering any. We say its the economy but it isnt. Why do we punish labor(the driver) when he is the back bone of the company. The rest of the company is the skeleton, we are the ones that make it stand. All I want to do is make a decent leaving and I tell you .33 is NOT a decent one. I talk to drivers in the different terminals and they are sick of it. 3 out of 5 say they are looking for different jobs. When Crete went from 65mph to62mph that was a big pay cut for everyone. The only people that it benifit was the company.. You have to many bean counters. What we are doing is taking the HUMAN FACTOR away from this equation.. You never really hear any speak kindly towards Ostergard but you never hear of any one talking bad about the owner.We again cut the people who drive in the crappiest weather while others sleep at home in there beds. Crete talks of home time, the average driver gets 48 to 55 days off a year, while office people get 96 to 110 days off...Whats wrong with this picture.. So I say to you, please do not try and justify the wages to me...lol

 

Sparky, you like many other drivers seem to be confused about pay scale/level. You (and me) can not compare our pay to the owner or upper echlion of the company! Why some people do I have no idea, Did you lay out millions of dollars for the co. or spend your life building it or even inharite it? I've been on the owner side ( very small) and had employees complain when I took a long lunch and went to the gym. Never mind the nights I worked late to make sure I could make payroll.

OK lecture over!!
I've been with Crete for about 4 yrs and have no complants, Why? I've been around and the grass isn't any greener any where else! I've got a good gig here and am planning on keeping it. My advise just put in your time do your best, and stay on good terms with your mgr and dispatch. Things will get better day by day.

 

THATS WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG , all trucking company's are alike , they could care less about the driver they are no better then big brother who is going to make things better, yeah wright.
but as long as they have the caliber of driver they have today , another soul to sit in the seat they don't care and they never will.

and drivers say I'm crazy for having so many old trucks well they are my trucks and i don't lose as much money as you drivers lose when you work for a company and i don't take any abuse period and i can always get in my truck and just drive away.

there is no such thing as a good company. southernpride