CRETE - A Year in Review

Florida does suck for trucking jobs unless you want to work cheap. Rock buckets and log haulers are the majority where I live. If you did reefer freight, there is a s/e regional company called Davis Express out of Starke, FL. The down side with them is a lot of their freight runs at night. They do a lot of the Publix store deliveries. I've heard they aren't bad to work for and pay decent. Raven as a company wasn't that bad, I later found out that it was my dispatcher that was the problem. As far as national trucking companies, living in FL(or showing it as home) makes it tough, although north FL is easier than anywhere south of the Wildwood - to - Daytona line. The one advantage though, no state income tax, so even if your next company doesn't pay as much as Crete, at least having a FL licence and showing home in FL saves you that.

I use to work for Arnold(before they were part of the UselesS Xpress family.) They weren't that bad, I thought they were the most disorganized company on the planet...before I worked for this 3-ring-circus. Now I have a new respect for them. I left them after the 911 attacks when the economy slowed, and I was an O/O. Now that they're part of the US family, they have a larger freight base to pull from.

I've heard that May trucking out of the panhandle is decent and run all 48, but again reefer freight. I'm sure most places could have any letters like your insurance or pay stubs sent to a different address rather than changing your licence with the whole hassle of background checks, CSA, and all the red tape that you'd have to go thru

 

I got fed up with Crete back in march, and left went to interstate dist, lot better, brand new kw t680. Dedicated fleet manager and the only time i sit is when I had to do a 34 they treat thier drivers so much better hear, i just wish they woukd replace these trailers.

 

This is what happens when you choose to drive for a company that micro manages there drivers, and treats you like you have not one ounce of common sense. Why put up with it? SMH

 

so precious

 

Sadly, things just keep going down the crapper at crete. 10 years ago, drivers aspired to have a career for crete. Multi load selection, nice trucks, great benefits and stability. The only thing you can count on now is being screwed time after time.
I havent worked for shaffer since early last year and I dont regret leaving. I left to go local but that fizzed out and I went to a factory as a temp and STILL didnt regret leaving shaffer.. and factory work sucks. Lol, now I work at interstate. Its kinda like the better upgraded version of crete. Our trailers are old but we just ordered 400 new ones.
It sucks too, I was so happy to be hired at crete and then in my first week, I had to deal with cory and my terminal manager told me I was just a butt in the seat, I could be replaced in 30 minutes. The rest of my two years just got worse. .42cpm aint nuffin if you sit all the time and deal with mass amounts of stupidity daily.

 

I have a few friends that drive for Freemont Contact Carriers out of Freemont, Nebraska and from what I see and hear the outfit is GOOD. I will list the Upside/downside as a company driver (based on My Own Conclusion)

Upside
- Driver selects cheapest fuel stop on route
- Drivers to Driver Manager ratio is very low
- Newer Equipment
- Governors set at 65mph
- Treated like a Professional
- Operations is NOT understaffed
- Breakdown is quick to respond
- Dry Van
- Miles 3200-3800 weekly

Downside
- Elogs
- Not alot of Drop/Hook (Small Company)
- Pay tops out at 38cpm
- No cell phone allowance
- Limited Hiring Area

 

I'm not having the best day....short version: t-call load at Council Bluffs, inform them I have a few hours to run but no empty trailer. They give me a 91-mile, 2-stop shag. Great!

Until I get to stop one and find there is no one to unload til 1600 Sunday. It is 24/7...for drops. So, here I sit, waiting for direction.

 

My day turned interesting as well. Spent the night in Corbin, KY. Got up and headed to London, KY to pick up a load going to Minooka for Sunday. 1st load in a week that was loaded in a reasonable time. Slid tandems and rolled w/my 24,000 lb load. On the way, not once but twice the OnGuard bounced me off the steering wheel for no reason. Once west of Lexington, and the second time north of Indy. 5 minutes after the 2nd time, I was trucking along fat, dumb and happy(well, at least less p/o'd than normal) and all of a sudden, my seat back's adjuster breaks the bolt...putting me in a somewhat relaxed layback position...scaring the poop out of me....so now, not only does my truck suck oil(a gallon every 5000 miles on a Maxxfarce w/116,000 miles), it smokes so bad when it's doing a passive regen(along with a smell of diesel), the OnGuard is either parking me or red'g out, but now the seat is in a flopped back position....I haven't said it in a while, but International's suck...they oughta stick to what they know and build farm equipment...the bunch of cow tippin yuck's

 

My seatback went south suddenly last month going through St. Louis. Hate it, but dealing with it. For now.

 

I left Shaffer after 10 Mths, now work for Ashley Furniture driving one of there big black trucks, with a 1800 watt converter, built in frig and freezer (yes freezer) and a real apu, and no idle time resrictions, and drive days only and home every weekend-----Life is a lot better, weekly gross is about 1200-1500, I am a lucky dog Did I mention drop and hook and I live in Florida market.

They are going to be expanding shortly have said they will need about 300 more ptp drivers (Drop and Hook), and more LTL drivers, they are expanding there new plant in Advance N>C> and they do have openings in there market in the USA>, not all the time but now and then.