Crete Carrier - A Year In Review - Fall 2013 Going Forward

I'm glad I'm not home. I 64 in Indiana

 

One thing I will add. Percentage is great when there is freight and rates are up...but next year, the economy might tank and rates drop. Then, if Schneider does something to screw you over...you're stuck. Either return the truck and take a credit rating hit, or put up with their b.s. sorry....been there, done that. And 20 months of experience? You really haven't had enough time to learn freight lanes...they may be good now, but in a few months those dry up or Schneider loses a bid on a contract.... not that I am picking on ya', but I think a company should require a minimum of 5 years experience before allowing a driver to attempt the O/O program...that way you see how year to year changes happen in the freight business.

 

If rates drop that low then company drivers would be sitting and driver pay would go down also. Same boat
I understand what you're saying but I'm not worried about it. I can bring my truck elsewhere supposedly as long as I keep paying for it.
Don't let my experience fool you... I read and try learning as much as I can always.
Before I even came here I talked to Schneider drivers for oh 4 months or so endlessly. Got drivers numbers, researched markets.. seen other drivers paychecks on this program etc etc.
There's driver with 10 years experience driving for CR England for .35 with their head in the sand the whole time. Experience doesn't tell the full story.
Before I came to Shaffer I stalked these Crete threads and talked to other drivers also. I had Shaffer put in writing my pay before I came to them because I didn't believe I could get .43 with just a few months experience and they did it. Experience means nothing if you don't do homework and research.

 

Repeat : new truck under warranty. I've owned 2 new trucks. First had a transmission failure. Zero cost to me. Second
Had a cracked head and blown head gasket and 2 bad pistons/liners. $8500 bill. I paid $500 for fluids, filters etc.Cat paid $8000.

 

Hey Freightwipper, when you own a truck there will be no shortage of naysayers coming out of the woodwork to tell you that you are an idiot. I know from personal experience.
Keep doin' what you're doin'.

In trucking , it seems, the people who wanna tell you how to do thing are usually broke. Just a little observation of mine.
The more I observed truckdrivers , the more I didn't wanna know what they thought .

 

Freightwipper is telling us his experience with what he is doing . I find it interesting. I don't get the impression that he thinks he's better than others. Though he may be.

Many truckers make a big deal about experience. Just because some drivers have many years of experience doesn't mean they aren't stupid.

 

This goes for most small businesses. I have started 3. 2 were successful and 1 failed. I know my work ethic and i get the job done. I have confidence and ability. People told me i couldnt do what i wanted to do. Well i still followed my instinct and drive and was successful. Being successful at something doesnt mean you are a star or better than anyone. Being successful to me is to take responsibility for yourself and be a productive member of society, not a drain on it. I see most of you as successful. FW is at an age and position that i would have been in ten years ago. My needs and goals are different now so i will be a different kind of driver. But in all truth, if a person has the drive and ability and opportunity to achieve a goal, naysayers wont stop them. I see freightwhipper as someone who has a desire to be a successful trucker and a desire to share his experiences to this forum. I have learned from his experience as well as others here.

 

I just turned 26 years old, no kids, no wife, no car (because I don't need one).
No way I'd be even OTR if I had kids or a wife but whatever I'm free and don't wanna see the same stuff everyday.
It's beyond a job it's a lifestyle, I enjoy picking my loads and going and doing whatever I want when I want.

 

If someone is happy they aren't an idiot and I'm happy here.
Though as far as logical stuff goes these days I don't think an experienced driver doing OTR for anything less than .40 is the brightest of ideas nor is leasing a truck getting paid $1.18 and still having a dispatcher. However that's just my opinion.

Of course whenever I say that someone ALWAYS says (usually someone getting paid low) it's not about CPM if you can't get any miles yada yada yada.
At Crete/Shaffer I don't know anyone that ever complained about miles and Crete is one of the highest paying OTR companies out there.
You might get about about some short loads every now and then but they keep you moving.. they kept me moving when I was there.

I don't even consider myself OWNING a truck or a lease operator or whatever else people label it.
This truck is simply a "tool" I'm paying for enabling me to do what I want to do. It's as simple as that.
Then they'll come out and say oh you should have bought a 20k pre 2003 truck blah blah blah.
Comfort and piece of mind has value also, that's why I got a new Kenworth.
This truck is pretty much my home anyway, wouldn't anyone want to be comfortable in their home?
People don't live in a tent if they don't have to just to save some money, well same goes for a truck.
Idk some people can't see it that way.
Again is why whatever makes you happy is most important.

Also why would I think you guys are idiots? You all recently were my co-drivers at Crete/Shaffer lol
If anything I think Crete is the best OTR company out there for a simple and well the biggest reason of all.. they pay better than most everywhere else and they give you miles.
Sure there's some BS, there's some BS anywhere you go.

 

here's my weekend loads




Like around $1.46-$1.47 all miles getting me out of the Northeast on the weekend in a good area of freight in Ohio.
Could go right be into the black hole on loads going 400-500 miles for $2.20-$2.40 but yeah forget that. Time for a break