Newbie at Crete

Thank you. I was thinking exactly that... git er in writing. Have been following your posts and unhappiness with Crete and see you went to Schneider. I spoke with Schneider and the only things stopping me are:

1) I have to move to where they have openings first, establish residency, and
2) obtain a license in that state... then they will give me an application and look at it.
3) And even though I have a CDL A with all endorsements, and have driven OTR and local and heavy equipment, (not in 4 years) they want me to take their 3 week class for a CDL, then out with the trainer, and sign a contract with them for 2 years.
4) That ain't happening. The trainer is acceptable to me...not the class again. Not doing it twice and get locked in to a contract.

 

Yeah, I got the official job offer from Schneider and acceptance into their dedicated General Mills fleet yesterday after the phone interview and medical screen.
I think with changes going on right now in the industry, there is a drop in driver applicants and there is also higher turnover and maybe even bailing out on the career by older drivers.
For those reasons I think many outfits are tightening their requirements. Crete said they had nothing available for me other than national and Schneider tried to push me towards bulk, but then in discussion they mentioned the GM fleet and I let them know I had experience already running those facilities for Crete, so we both came away happy.
For hiring on Schneider seems to have a slightly different track for experienced drivers for which I'm grateful - nothing huge or unfair to other hires, but a slightly smoother hiring and training (orientation) process.
Ive become more stubborn over the years, I would never relocate to get a job, but would insist that I get the offer confirmed and THEN I would consider relocating. But really, in the age of the CDL, what difference does your residency make? Sure, you need to live near where there is work or at least in proximity to a company facility or along a freight lane, but if you commute, then it makes no difference where you live. I will operate out of Atlanta but that doesn't mean they should expect me to switch from my TN residency and CDL and I would turn down the job if it did.
I am here in Chatt and have no intention of making allowances for other outfits which is why if people like Watkins Shepard or K&B can't give me work near where I live (and where they have equipment), I have turned them down for OTR job offers.
I agree with your stand - I don't understand the CDL retraining requirement if your credential never expired simply because you haven't been in the seat in a while. The trainer makes sense, but not treating you like a total newbie with no experience or training.
I was wary in calling Schneider, like many large companies, and Crete is sliding that way, they have a less than glowing reputation for OTR drivers in regard to home time. That is why even in returning to Crete last month I made it clear the dedicated fleet I wanted was important to my remaining satisfied with the company.
A company really only needs to give me one of two perks - the exact driving I like, or the exact home time I want. I will sacrifice one for the other but will not accept being denied both. Of course after a year I was never able to find ANY company that could offer me both, LOL!
good luck with Crete,bb.

 

My main concern with Crete is miles... but they are the only company that will take me with my AZ CDL, let me go out with a trainer and run from the SE Region without requiring a change of address or license. I just don't get it either... running 48 states...you are all over. what diff. does it make if I have a residence in AZ? Or a license. The license is good in all states. I think they are trying to cut down on the number of applicants and make ot harder to apply. I was hired by Central in Phx., and trained and ran from Georgia. While training I moved to NC but kept my AZ license because I had a house here also. Tries explaining to Schneider and Roehl that my license can be from wherever I collect my mail. I could have several residences around the country. Makes no diff. to them...or shouldn't.

Tough out there...all the people out of work. My business is gonna be dead in a few weeks... so have to do something soon. No jobs in AZ., driving or otherwise. I am thinking I may have to bite the bullet, move, drive for a year or two, and then hope I can get a good paying job with a smaller company, maybe tankers, with more home time. So much for college degrees... lol

Good luck to you at Schneider and be safe.

 

Can someone confirm that Crete offers some version of the 7/7, 14/7, 20/10, where you can be out for a long time but home for a block of days?
and where the operating centers/terminals are located. I'm looking into companies now for a career change (forced I have a home in eastern CT and Brooksville Fl. Normall with those types of schedules, so I'm told, you have to be near a terminal to drop off the truck to the next driver.
Thannks
Dan
Dan

 

FYI, I had my application at Crete accepted, however when they finally called with job details I was surprised to hear that I would need to leave my personal vehicle 400 miles away in Macungie, PA to take hometime....

Seemed odd but I do live up in NH, so I get that part and switched from the NE Regional to National. No problem

THEN they called and said that I needed to spend 8 weeks with a trainer at $500 a week. Now I have about 10 months recent OTR experience, but was a cop for 5 years prior that. However, I drove OTR from 1991 to 2003, no tickets, no accidents, blah blah...

So the idea of being re-trained was a little difficult to accept, especially for $500 a week for 8 weeks. I asked, what do you want to teach me to do exactly? Get from point A to B? Do logs? What part concerns you? I offered to drive myself to New Kingston, PA at my own expense and take whatever driving test they wanted if they had concerns.

I think that honestly they were mostly interested 8 weeks of cheap labor, which was honestly disapointing to me, I thought crete was a little different.

I was impressed with the Recruiting department, but pretty surprised at the offer that was made.

Back to square One....

 

Double check that with Crete, as far as I observed in orientation in Marietta, GA last month, they were not hiring for SE regional, only National fleet.
If you simply meant being based out of the SE, then I'm still confused as they have a terminal in Salt Lake that would be more appropriate to an Arizona based driver and I would think you would be brought on board via the Lincoln, NE terminal for orientation.
Miles ARE low right now according to managers, but drivers here on this forum seem to be having no problem getting loads.

 

No, Crete does not have such a program.
You get 1 day off for 6 days out and the stated maximum time away from your truck is 6 days. Vacations, of course, are another matter (I sometimes stayed out 2 months prior to my annual vacation to accumulate 10 earned days off to add to my paid vacation time but it had to be done with the managers knowlege and approval). Last year when I combined earned time (10 days), with vacation time (14 days), and then more personal time (14 more days) that exceeded 30 days and they made me clean out my truck, resign, and rehire!

For CT you would be based out of Macungie, PA (south of Allentown) and have to commute home unless arrangements were made that you could take the truck to a secure place for your time off. In my time with them, shippers are rare in CT and none that I ever went to were over there where you might be able to drop a trailer and bobtail home.
Florida is also a limited freight state, but less a problem than CT, you would be based out of Deland and I imagine the proximity to WIldwood MIGHT mean a manager, in the future, MIGHT allow you the privilege of securing a trailer there and bobtailing home - most likely though, you would have to commute from DeLand.

 

I've done a LOT of job hunting in the past year and that sounds normal to me. Most firms are looking to see that you have at least a minimum of a years time driving in the past 3 years, 10 months would not qualify. Also a gap of more than 12 months since a prior job throws a flag, so your 4 years between prior work and getting back into it means they would treat you basically as a school graduate - trained but not properly experienced.
Usually, from what I hear the trainer has discretion to decided how much of your time with him needs to be done before he submits a report you are ready to take the seat solo. Even if you had years of experience, if you were returning after a years absence, they would require 4-6 weeks with a trainer.
Figure if you went with them, and have the skills you feel you have, your trainer will likely cut you loose halfway through, or about 4 weeks. No, Crete doesn't get cheap labor this way, they get drivers who won't wreck their trucks. They make more money off you as a solo driver than they do paying a trainer to babysit you. Don't confuse your time out with a trainer as "training". You are being evaluated as well as being taught the company policies.

If that is stressing you out, you might do better to stay put for just a few more months so that when you apply, you will have the needed amount of time driving in the past 3 years in addition to your prior experience. I think you will find that strategy worthwhile.

 

Read all this with interest... the recruiter told me, and I have NOT driven in 4 years... that I would be out with a trainer most likley for 2-3 weeks. When I questioned that, I was told it is trainers discretion as to how long, but it "shouldn't be more than a couple weeks". Personally, I didn't believe that. I was also told it is $600 a week while training... not $500. And... (drum roll)... I was told NE & SE Regional are open as well as National from all areas. The website confirms that by the map, but states nothing.

Guess I'll have a little discussion with the recruiter again... Megan. What's the old saying... if a recruiters lips are moving... the lies are flowing? something like that...