Crete or US Express

I would pick Crete but then again I have heard they are not what they used to be. USX is probably okay. I'd say they are probably about the same, it is mainly what you put into it on what you get out of it. If I had other choices I would go with someone else or even pull refer. Seems to be more refrigerated freight out there than dry loads.

Good Luck with whomever you choose.

 

I've read alot on this forum in the past couple weeks looking into Lease purchase and if Crete treats their company drivers as well as they treat their lease purchase, I'd say go to Crete....plus you will have an opportunity to lease from them if you want to in the future...I agree with the last post....you will get out of a company what you put into it (most of the time)...
The first year of trucking is the most difficult, you're learning, getting used to the lifestyle change and figuring out that although you can make a great career as a truck driver, it takes a bit of getting used to....
You will get upset cause you're sitting instead of making money some times, that receivers generally don't care how long you sit at their dock because they are getting paid by the hour, that time away from home and friends can be tough for some but like I said, If you can take your time, stick it out through the first year and keep your wheels under you, you should be fine

 

I have driven for both and neither company is what they used to be but then again neither is trucking. I drove for two years at us xpress and trained for the best part of both years (2008-2010). I enjoyed the first year but the second not so much.
I worked for crete for 6 months (the shortest I've worked for any company) and hated every minute of it.
If I had to pick I would go with us xpress. They have newer equipment. Some of their trainers are good men and women. They have nicer terminals and as you said they will hook up your power inverter and don't get on you to bad for idiling. They also treat you a little better at us xpress too (but that's just my opinion)
Get a year under your belt and pick up and deliver on time and your options will be a bit broader. Good luck and I hope this helps!

 

At us xpress u will have an assigned fleet manager/dispatcher. When I left they were making students team up for six months after they competed training (160 hrs. 150 driving. 10 backing) after that you could go solo.

I'm not sure how crete does their training but I do know how dispatch works so here's the scoop and my opinion on it. At crete you don't have a dispatcher. Its all centralized from Lincoln NE. The fellas on nights (and this is my opinion and experience with dealing with them) are royal a-holes. But you can ignore their snide rude remarks and go on about your day. You will have a fleet manager at your home terminal and he/she will be the one who puts in the system when you want to be home and they are who you contact if you need to change a fuel stop or if you need breakdown pay or have a question about payroll.
Their trucks are in good condition and some have electric heat/a/c some have optimized idle (truck engine stops and starts on its own while parked to keep the temp comfortable in the cab). Some trucks have apu's. Some trucks have a combination of the above features. Some of their trailers have seen better days (I've pulled a few 15 years old) but they are getting new ones. 99% of the time after I got unloaded I had my next load before I could put the qualcomm down. If you are over weight or have a thick neck you will probably have to do a sleep study kthey pay for) and if their doctor diagnosis you with sleep apnea you will have to buy a 1000 dollar machine from them and then scan a chip every week so they know that you are using it every night (actually 5 hours a night 4 nights a week will keep you in compliance I think).

When I left us xpress I was fighting to get miles (even as a trainer) because they gave all of the good loads to the lease trucks or put them on the train. I would spend weeks going from PA to NJ to CT to NJ to NJ to NJ to NJ to CT to NJ. Running local stuff from train yards to customers and vice versa.
So to me both companies suck. If you don't think sleep apnea will be an issue go for crete. If it is go to us xpress and get your experience. Good luck. Soryg I kinda vented there at the end.


P.S. Werner, and Swift also do the sleep studies. Not sure about Schneider tho.

 

Crete, no question.

 

The automatic trucks at USXpress are a bit of a downside. Say, you put a year in with them, then decide you want to go with another company. If you're just out of school, you may think you've got shifting down, but you don't. You take a road test for another company, and you end up grinding gears, missing gears, and so forth, that's going to be a big red flag against them hiring you. So those automatics could end up becoming something of an Achille's heel for you.

 

TMC does have nice equipment. Really don't know much about them, though. They're the ones who told me I'd have to shell out $2400 for a 40 hour refresher course if I wanted to come work for them, when I've been driving (and pulling loads heavier than what their trucks are allowed to gross), and all I really needed was a logbook class.