CRETE - A Year in Review

Probably chillin' in phoenix.

 

My truck got a 'all drivers' message about needing trainers...they're probably working the crap out of him.

 

Looking for some honest answers:

My husband is in the process of applying at Crete. The most important thing to him (and the reason he's thinking of leaving where he is now) is regular time at home. Currently his time at home is hit and miss. We never know when he's gonna get home and when he does, he gets called in and his time gets cut short.

According to what we've read, Crete has a 'one week out, one day off; two weeks out, two days off' policy. How good are they at getting you home for your scheduled time off and making sure you get the full time off? He just wants to make sure that he's not jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire!

 

If you live in a high traffic lane it will be easier to get home, and once your home they leave you alone. That being said, getting home consistently is another story. Good luck.

 

Why does he permit this? Tell them he is on his home time and say no. If he can't do that, then just don't answer their calls. I don't mean to sound cranky, but this is how things got this way in this industry. Driver's just put up with crap and don't stand up for themselves.

That being said, when I was at Shaffer, I was never coerced into going out early. They would occasionally call and offer something earlier and give me a story about how freight isn't looking too good for the rest of the week. You mean I might have to spend a week at home? You're breaking my heart.

 

We live between Milwaukee and Green Bay/Appleton/Fond du Lac. Is that considered a 'high traffic lane'?

 

Nope. Crete is advertising "Home Weekly Fleets", not sure that would apply to your area. Would need to ask a recruiter or check the web site for better info. If your not in a HWF then prepare for at least 3-4 weeks out. Remember Crete is an irregular route carrier. You are expected to go wherever, whenever.

Besides, living in the area you do, why not call Schnieder? They would probably have some type of dedicated gig that would get him home more often. Also, I have a cousin who drives for Debor and likes them. They do a lot of WI and back runs.

 

Ayerish, Crete pays good,but don't get you home like they say!!! I was there 5yrs, the last 2yrs hometime requests were missed,late or rescheduled, even though you give em' 7 to 10 day advance notice when you wanna be home. The load offers will be in the opposite direction of home when you should be going there within 1-2 days. You will hear "that's all we have,will get you home after that load" So you will miss doctor appts. and
graduations,birthdays, all because Crete is noncaring,driver unfreindly, and only concerned about getting their freight moved,and not about the drivers who make that happen daily!!! Bottom line,Crete for good money,not for hometime.

 

millis transfer has a terminal in black river falls,wi. remember almost all trucking companys do not go buy full days off they say it but only go by hours off, say you get home friday at 7pm your 1 day off is over at 7pm saturday, (two days off) get home friday night and your load deliverys monday morning so back to work sunday afternoon, day and a half, did it for 11 years

 

Well, like ET, I'm officially no longer a Creafer...(Shaffer truck, Crete driver). It was decided that I should drop my blue APU truck since it was having multiple breakdowns a month and jump into a red APU truck. That way the shop can go through the laundry list of problems on the old truck, take all the time they need to make sure it's fixed(until the next driver takes it 3 miles down the road and it starts acting up again) and I can keep driving. Now the problem I'm having is when I pulled the registration to fax off to Prepass to switch trucks...only the 2010 registration was in the permit book, no 2011 to be found, and my IFTA is a 2010 as well. So, now I'm sitting here at home, waiting on my terminal to research where it went, and what to do about it...I guess it could have been worse, if I hadn't had Prepass, I probably wouldn't have noticed the registration snafu until I was out on the road and would have had to sit tight until a new one could be ''next day'd'' to me. It seems to be a decent truck, and even has a AUX/USB plug equipped radio, which must have been added by the previous driver, I didn't know that they ever replaced the old radios with this style in the Century Class trucks.