Crete driver treatment?

Discussion in 'Crete' started by fuel463, Mar 24, 2020.

  1. supersnackbar

    supersnackbar Road Train Member

    16,903
    38,010
    Aug 19, 2007
    Your Town, USA
    0
    My Spidey sense is offline right now, sorry for the delay...

    Here is the gist about Creaffer.

    On the positive: IF you get decent equipment (and that is a big IF), AND you get a decent Asset Manager, there is money to be made here as a company driver. I came back to Acklie companies after being gone 8ish years, I was a Crete driver before, now I am a Shaffer driver. Shaffer, on average, has a longer average length of haul than Crete. Also, Shaffer drivers make $.02 cpm more, have a lower quarterly mileage to make their safety/performance bonus and have a lower yearly mileage threshold to make their raise. Yes, you have to deal with running a reefer, and all the extra b.s. that goes along with it, but pulling a reefer isn't like it was in the old days. There isn't as much running at night, sleep in the day stuff as in the days of old(unless you want too) We do a LOT of drop and hook...or use to before business increased to the level it's currently at where we are utilizing a lot more equipment now to keep up with demand, which means not a lot of empty trailers waiting around to hook to...but for the most part, live loads don't take all day. Plus, all of their trucks have a refrigerator and a big enough inverter to use most small kitchen appliances. Plus they pay an above average CPM, and have excellent, reasonably priced BC/BS health insurance that you only have to wait 30 days to get.

    The negative: Creaffer management are micromanaging experts...if you hate micromanaging you won't be comfortable here. They send reminders about everything except breathing. Remember to put your lock on, remember to take your lock off, you're going thru a construction zone - don't speed, you're going into an area that requires you to carry snow chains - make sure you have them, here are the hours you're getting back for the next few days, here is your PTA based on our estimated travel time and available hours...and the list goes on, mostly about stuff any 1st year driving school graduate learned their first week in class. I probably delete 150+ unnecessary messages out of my inbox every month to help make the Peoplenet less sluggish. . They use opti-idle instead of an APU, and most terminals watch your idle percentage. I try to keep my idle down as much as possible, but I stopped getting so bothered by the weekly "you're idle time is too high" messages from my terminal after mid-summer. I'm not roasting to save them money when the person #####ing is sitting in a comfortable air conditioned office cubicle, so they can pound sand. Also, the one down side to Crete's trailers is that they are all spring ride, and are staying that way. Shaffer has about half of their spring ride trailers traded and are only getting air ride from now on.

    And as mentioned, October 9 we(OTR drivers) are all getting a nickle more per mile. And a week later I hit my 1 yr anniversary, so in 12 months, my cpm has gone up $0.14. plus they are increasing their trucks governed cruise control speed from 65 to 68 starting this week. And before anyone says they force route you, it simply isn't true. They send you a route 'suggestion', but you don't have to follow it, but they also have fuel solutions that you have to be 95% compliant with, and the fuel stops are on their 'suggested' route... but, there is a Peoplenet option to request a different fuel solution if you choose an alternate route, and they don't ##### about you changing. As for charging you for tolls that you weren't authorized to run, they threaten, but I have never seen one cent taken out when I did. As long as you don't overdue the unauthorized toll roads too much, they let it slide (or don't notice).
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2021
    Rocks, xlsdraw, Speed_Drums and 3 others Thank this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. JiggyFly

    JiggyFly Bobtail Member

    17
    16
    Aug 15, 2021
    0
    I got a micromanagement peoplenet message on friday afternoon at closing time saying that I have been assessed 2 points because I didnt show enough on time to suit them. I sent a response but they wont get it until monday morning. We will see where this leads.
    I'm already pissed off about not making any money and they are wanting me to burn up my clock sitting still.
    Here are my miles for the last few months. Screenshot_20210925-112339_Write on PDF.jpg
     
    JOHNQPUBLIC and Bumper Thank this.
  4. O.Henry

    O.Henry Road Train Member

    1,032
    1,805
    Sep 1, 2012
    San Antonio,TX.
    0
  5. JOHNQPUBLIC

    JOHNQPUBLIC Road Train Member

    1,324
    1,041
    Apr 19, 2014
    Central New York
    0
    What do the points mean?
     
  6. supersnackbar

    supersnackbar Road Train Member

    16,903
    38,010
    Aug 19, 2007
    Your Town, USA
    0
    Safety points, the lower the better. Too many points means no safety bonus or pay raise (if you have sufficient miles)
     
    JOHNQPUBLIC Thanks this.
  7. O.Henry

    O.Henry Road Train Member

    1,032
    1,805
    Sep 1, 2012
    San Antonio,TX.
    0
    +14,and you are terminated for a year,which resets them.
    969FFDC3-F806-40A0-BCBE-84F15756E302.jpeg
     
    JOHNQPUBLIC Thanks this.
  8. JiggyFly

    JiggyFly Bobtail Member

    17
    16
    Aug 15, 2021
    0
    Looks like every drivers miles have taken a nose dive in the last couple of months?
    I signed on to be an OTR driver for all 48 states, but the majority of my loads have been east coast. Occasional loads to Nebraska or colorado to toss me a bone. If I had wanted to make 300 and 400 mile trips around the east coast I would have signed on to be a regional driver with a lot more home time.
    I have no loyalty to Crete at this point. I left my last employer over a threat to deny me a one quarter of one cent per mile .0025 quarterly raise. Threatening to deny my quarterly bonus of over 1k is a no brainer. I dont fair well being micromanaged either.
    We will see where this leads. Already have other employment lined up if this craps out.
     
    scott180 and JOHNQPUBLIC Thank this.
  9. chazbro

    chazbro Light Load Member

    85
    140
    Sep 4, 2021
    0
    I drove for shaffer 14 years ago and everything started out ok. 2009 the same thing, stuck in the north east and no more west coast so I left.
     
    Speed_Drums Thanks this.
  10. JOHNQPUBLIC

    JOHNQPUBLIC Road Train Member

    1,324
    1,041
    Apr 19, 2014
    Central New York
    0
    Why (if you know) would the other driver get 2 safety points for being late on loads. That isn't safety related. Or are they called safety points but other things can cause you to accrue them?
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.