My first couple months with Shaffer / Crete

I reviewed Stevens a while back, but quickly:

Enormous classes. Probably 100 classroom students at a time in various stages of training.

Trucks are good. New driver support is good.

Pay is bad. Their constant efforts to convince you to be a contractor when you know nothing about trucking is worse than bad, it's predatory.

Stevens is a great place to learn as a company driver. Once you have been there at a minimum 6 months, move on. If you can stay a year, that might be better.

I cannot speak to the cost of their training program. I got mine at a dedicated school on the government's dime because of how my prior job had beem offshored, then joined Stevens with my CDL and did a 3 day orientation and 8 weeks on the road with a trainer.

 

100 total between all the classes. That's all the normal classes, the grad classes for people who finished their driving time with their trainer, and orientation students who entered with CDLs frim other schools.

Stevens really is not a good place for experienced drivers unless you want to be a trainer. The pay per mile is very low, and they pay by zip code miles.

 

Their business model is heavily based on training. In fact, I am pretty sure Stevens intentionally keeps new driver wages low to encourage new driver turnover. That way they constantly have trucks returning to be used for new graduates.

 

Back to discussion about Shaffer / Crete.

Worked about 90 hours the last week to drive about 3200 miles.

Now I have a sweet week set up if nothing changes.

First, Hattiesburg, MS to Grand Island, NE. Deadhead. @1100 miles.

Then Grand Island, NE, to Brea, CA. @1500 miles. Maybe more - if the load is 40k+ heavy or the Vale looks ugly, ill shoot down to I-40 rather than cross the Vale. I'll have plenty of time on my 70 to get a decent load to finish up strong for that week.

Yes. An 1100 mile deadhead. I did call and verify. Longest deadhead I've personally seen or even heard of. I suspect there's a trailer shortage in NE and not much freight for us in MS.