OK, so you wanna know about Hunt Transportation, eh? First, you need to know that Hunt is NOT a division of Crete Carrier Corporation (both are owned by Acklie, and they have different DOT numbers, and they can NOT pull each others trailers). However, a lot of the policies that Crete comes up with get pushed on Hunt also, so sometimes it feels like Hunt is a division of Crete
Having said that, some of the below might apply to Crete Carrier Corporation, but this is my review of Hunt Transportation:
Two reasons you might not want to work at Hunt Transportation:
1)Hometime (what hometime?)
2)Medical Insurance (what medical insurance?)
There are several others, but those are the biggies.
There is no formal hometime policy at Hunt Transportation (in spite of what you might read on a web site somewhere). The informal hometime policy is as follows:
5 days or more at home is considered vacation, and vacation is only available after a year of employment. There is NO banking of hometime. That is, you cant request extra days of hometime because youve been on the road for several months (if you were). Youll be lucky to get 4 days of hometime after being on the road for 6-8 weeks. (and theyll give you the attitude that they are doing you a huge favor, by giving you four days)
Now on Medical Insurance:
Blue Cross/Blue Shield is a GREAT insurance company. Unfortunately, there are an infinite number of plans available from BCBS, and the one that is offered through Hunt Transportation is truly terrible. A family would have to pay roughly $7,000 to $9,000 a year in out-of-pocket medical expenses before BCBS (Hunts version of it) started covering a significant portion of medical claims. Dont forget the $245 a month in premiums (thats JUST the health portion of it) before you ever make even ONE doctors appointment!!! Then the family deductible (heres the gotcha) runs from 4,000 to 6,000 a year. If you are working as a truck driver, can you afford to pay SEVEN GRAND (or more) a year in medical expenses? While prescription drug coverage is offered, you are forced to fill all prescriptions by mail order. Im still trying to figure out how to get prescriptions mailed to my tractor at (random address that changes daily). (!) Having prescriptions mailed to your home is not helpful, when you are almost never home.
I have other complaints about Hunt Transportation, but these probably apply to many companies, so Im not so sure they are significant, but Ill list them anyway.
Safety. Hunt Transportation goes to both extremes, here. On the one hand, you will frequently be pressured by dispatch to run illegal. On the other hand, the safety department will nit-pick your logs like crazy.
Routing. Id really like to get a look at the program that figures their routes for them. It is seriously flawed (to be nice). Hunt obviously tries to avoid toll roads where possible, and you cant blame them for that. Unfortunately, many of the roads suggested (to bypass tolls) are not fit for commercial traffic (even if they were LEGAL for commercial traffic, which they often arent). Im lucky I didnt rack up some HUGE fines (and maybe points) on my license before I got wise to this situation.
Lies. I caught dispatch in blatant lies, several times. Not sure this is worse than any other trucking company, but my favorite example
I had one load where dispatch told me it absolutely had to be delivered on Monday morning no later than 10 AM. So I busted my (behind) trying to get the load delivered by early Monday morning. (legally, but I still busted by butt). Halfway there, I call ahead to Consignee to verify directions. Consignee asks me when Ill be there. Then he informs me that Monday morning wont work, as they are closed on Mondays. (?!?) But wait! Theres more So then the consignee asks me what Im hauling. When I tell him what the load is, the consignee remarks, Wow, we werent expecting THAT until a week from Thursday. This was the ultra-hot load that had to be delivered by 10AM on Monday, remember?
Timetables truly screwy. Good example I was once scheduled to drop in Baltimore (shipping ports) starting at 8AM and pick up at Tobyhanna (Pennsylvania) at 11AM the same day. Needless to say, I didnt make my pickup.
Another problem if you go into Hunt as a rookie
The training program is extremely challenging, more than it should be. We were working in the hot sun all day (no shade, infrequent breaks), 7 days a week (in training, you will not get Saturday or Sunday off I barely had time to sleep, eat and keep up with my laundry). I wasnt used to this, and complained that the over-exposure to the sun was making me ill (because it was). I was almost kicked out of training for complaining about what any reasonable person would consider to be very brutal working conditions. On the subject of training (for inexperienced drivers anyway), it is eight weeks straight, without a break. I heard rumors of a possible break after four weeks, but this was JUST a rumor, unfortunately.
OK, so far Ive said mostly bad stuff about Hunt Transportation. But they arent all bad. If you dont need medical benefits, then the pay is decent, compared to many companies (especially the ones that will hire rookies!). Miles are good. Not as good as the recruiters say. But if you are willing to work hard, 2800 miles a week on average (some weeks more, some weeks less) is a realistically attainable goal at Hunt. From what I can tell, most of the good loads go to owner/operators, and they seem to have many happy O/Os, so this might be a good company to consider if you want to lease on with someone. On the subject of pay, they seem to be reasonably prompt in processing trip settlements. I got shorted some miles here and there, but nothing terrible. For the most part, miles dispatched are pretty close to what you drive, and pretty close to what you get paid. From what Ive read anyway, that seems to be better than some companies.
[FONT="]OK, any questions on Hunt, feel free to e-mail me if you need to. I wont pull any punches. I will tell it like it is. (Good, bad or indifferent.) [/FONT]
Hunt Transportation DAC
Discussion in 'Crete' started by flathead, Dec 23, 2007.
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Sorry Hunt wasnt up to parr for you... I do have a couple questions though, how long have you been driving and are you still driving for Hunt? Do you have other companies to compare to with your driving experience? Thanks for your words about this company, im in the process of getting on with Crete! DRIVE SAFE
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I've been full-time, OTR for nine months. I really wanted to stay with Hunt, but needed SOME hometime (as opposed to almost none), and medical bills were piling up to the point where I couldn't afford to work for Hunt anymore. I'm now pulling reefers regional, earning more money for a lot fewer miles. I'm also home -most- nights, and two full days a week as well. I'm averaging 5 nights a week sleeping in my own bed, which is awesome. Please don't ask who I'm working for now as first, I'd prefer not to say. Also, they aren't listed on this board anyway.
As you mentioned crete, I checked crete benefits, and realized that I mis-read the health insurance deductibles that I listed earlier for Hunt (they are lower than I stated). But it appears Crete has the same benefits package. So I can tell you from experience that if you need medical insurance, Crete is not the way to go. Or, you can look at it this way . . . if you need health insurance for your family, you might drive roughly 18,000 miles at Crete each year just to pay for health insurance. Ouch. I figure that at 245/month, plus 3000/year, or almost six thousand, at about 33 cents per mile.
WATCH YOUR ROUTING. I've talked to several Crete (not Hunt) drivers who have the same complaint. The suggested route sent to you by Qualcomm with your load assignment (the route that you are not allowed to vary from) often includes roads clearly signed in some manner to prohibit commercial traffic. You can risk your license or get in trouble with your employer. Some choice, eh? Some drivers I talked to just choose their own route. I eventually started doing that myself. That seems the wiser choice, as Crete isn't going to clean up your DAC for you if you follow Crete's suggested route through areas where you shouldn't be. The DRIVER bears the ultimate responsibility for choosing a safe, LEGAL route. So do so. -
Would really like to know the name of the company you work for because I have plenty of reefers before.
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hunt is horrible to work for.everyone in dispatch will lie to your face,as well as the fleet manager.I quit them and taken a local job.they did not want to get me home when i needed.my wife had to have emergency surgery and a week and half later finally get me home and tell me i can only take 3 days off.they did not produce any miles for me and pretty much sat every weekend.Well as Todd in dispatch put it to me if I want to go home that bad take a bus.(from Washington).About 2 months prior my wife had surgery (2 in about 2 months) the night before her surgery that had me out swooping trailers.These people don't care about drivers family.I talked to another driver,when his brother died that did not get him home.Said his brother was not immediate family.But if some thing happened to the office personels family they would be out the door immediately and be given as much time off as needed.people make discisions for themselves.I decided to come home and take a local job because of both me and my wife's health.But when i told them the next day someone came and got the truck.I guess when i decided to wuit i should have gotten everything out but Dave Galley (Fleet manager) had a understanding i would get my stuff out the next day and take the truck to the crete drop yard and secure it for him.Well before i knew it Dave's assistant Chris Pool called me up and told me they have the truck and all my stuff in it.If i wanted it i would have to go to omaha to get it.Sounds like a good company?well i am now driving local and going to start school to get into a different field of work.anyone who decides to go to work fot this company well "good luck" and watch your ###!
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WOW! Viewed this thread to see if to get around the haz-mat requirements for Crete I could go flatbed with hunt. But now I'm thinking I'll go get that mouse out of the trap and suck on it for awhile, Just to get the bad taste out of my mouth.
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To the guy thinking of flatbed to get around hazmat, I'd say this:
1) Forget about trucking. That's not personal, so don't take it personally. I've been an OTR driver now for three years, pulled just about every load you can think of in open deck, van, reefer and liquid tanker. I've concluded trucking sux. At best, you make a little more than minimum wage for the hours that you work. At best. And the hours suck.
2) If you insist on staying in trucking (see 1) definitely go get your hazmat endorsement. Even if you don't want to haul hazmat, many companies require it to apply. Even if you will NEVER pull a hazmat load at that particular company. Not having hazmat is a real handicap in a job search for a truck driving job.
3) (might conflict slightly with number 2...and see number 1) Open deck is definitely the way to go, if you want to be a truck driver. If nothing else, the hours are better. You are usually loaded with fork trucks or cranes. Operators of loading/unloading equipment generally work daylight hours. No 2AM appointments at Wally World Distribution centers!!! For those that say, "but what about tarps?" What about them? You don't have to tarp every load, and it's not a big deal even when you do need to tarp a load. Beats the HELL out of sitting at a distribution center for 24 hours waiting to be loaded. Pulling open deck, you rarely wait more than an hour to be loaded or unloaded. Typically, your loading/unloading starts immediately on arrival.
But if you are going to pull open deck, stay away from Hunt. Try Roehl or TMC, in that order. -
this is from a hunt driver with 13 years experience in response to flatheads comments...your a rookie it seems like after reading your so called training experience with hunt which they do not do...8 weeks straight..give me a break..they are closed on weekends..there medical insurance is pretty good..the deductible is $500.00 up to $2500.00 per year depending on if your single or have a family...i pay $80 month for it..my last employer the medical was $150 month with a $4000.00 deductible and thats for being single...so they have pretty good insurance...the owner ops dont get priority on loads its first mt first loaded unless a driver there needs to get home then of coarse they will give him the load going his direction...home time is just like every other company ive worked for in my career..one day off for every week out..why would you want to bank days off..you dont get paid sitting on your butt at home so 4 days off for 4 weeks out is fine with me and i havent had any problems getting home..as to the dispatchers being liars ect...im sure there are some at every company out here and as the fleet manager goes he is great..he works for the driver not the dispatcher..he doesnt sit there and lie to ya..i think the problem was you and all your complaining and whinning...thats why you went to reefer because flatbed is hard work and not everyone can do it...so my answer to ya about what you said is that i disagree about all you said about hunt...as far as the trucks go they have the same quality trucks all other companies have..2 guys in my orientation class got 2009 internationals which were real nice and i ended up with a 2007 freightliner with an apu on it..trucks run at 62 mph which sucks at first but i look at it this way you will get better mpg and that equals to better bonus pay so big deal you cant run 70 mph...as far as the fleet managers go dave and chris there both great and tell you how it is and work with you...jeb1964 makes them out to be drill seargants but there not..there laid back and friendly and talk to ya when your there and if you have a problem they will take care of it...im new to the company but ive been around the block a few times and i researched hunt and compared them to other companies and they rank number 1 in my book...i wouldnt be working for them if they were a bad company..shop guys get you in and out to...there a small company and everyone there knows me already...well be safe
Last edited: Dec 23, 2009
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You're entitled to your opinion, but your experience greatly differs from mine. Unless Hunt has improved drastically since I was there, I wouldn't recommend anybody work there. -
I have a question folks.
I am a recent CDL school graduate.
I attended a Crete certified school.
I have my class A license with hazmat, doubles and tank with no felonies, DUI or any medical condition.
I applied for a company driver position at Crete but they have been dragging their feet to accept my request to get on board. I have been calling daily for two weeks now, often multiple times a day just to let them know how bad I want it. As a result of my relentlessly persistent attitude, they have been very good at updating me stage by stage on the seeming slow progress of my application.
Today, I was told my application checked out great and they have sent it to the training department for approval. I guess I should be getting ready to head that way pretty soon. Can you fellas tell me what to expect as far as training is concerned. I plan on sticking around with them for at least a year if accepted. I realize I will probably doing reefer or dry van; but is there any possibility of gaining some specific experience, ie Flatbed or Tanker experiences or do I have to cross over to any of their sister companies for that sake.
Any helping tip to a newbie will be very much appreciated. Thank you.
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