Congratulations. I follow 3 Maverick LLC drivers. 2 are flat bedders, 1 glass division. Maverick seems like a good company, especially for those with zero experience. These 3 drivers tell you the good and bad. Just like in any job. Good luck. Enjoying your videos with the new company.
Glad you also watch this Dry Van driver. ;-))) When we were first researching Maverick was one of our top companies if Kevin had decided on flatbedding. 😃
@@TheJoyofTrucking seems like Maverick, Melton and TMC are all close on how they treat their drivers. One of the Maverick drivers son's went to Melton.
@@TheJoyofTrucking these RUclips channels that truckers are kind enough to show their daily lives are great. Helps out people who want to get their CDL's and possibly what companies to drive for. Just like what you and Kevin do. And it's great entertainment for us.
Happy to hear that! Sounds good if you want to be home weekly!! Happy for you!! We are looking to bring these numbers up as Kevin gets some time and experience under his belt with Crete. Marten was our second choice, but Kevin didn’t want to do the zip code miles. It really irked him at Werner. Thanks for watching and commenting Roy…as always…good to have you along! Really appreciate your engagement on the channel and with this community!!
Congrats. It’s good to see you profiting from the change. There are days I still miss doing that job. But I have little patients and my Fleet Managers were horrible to deal with. I had to walk away for my own mental and physical health. Be safe.
Thank you! And just to say…You did the right thing! Health comes first! And if you can’t get a good fleet manager and be at a company that minimizes the BS it will wear you down. And sometimes finding that takes too long. Statistics say 95% of new drivers quit in the first year. They need some major changes in the industry for truck driving to be a more appealing job to more people. Please enjoy the road through our channel and hope you found something more compatible for a happy healthy life! 🥰
Congratulations on making the move to Hunt soon! Glad the video was helpful! Check our channel for other info on Crete. We have a combination of travel and educational content. Hunt will be different, but it’s under the same Crete company, so hopefully there’ll be some good info for you! If you have other questions we might be able to address based on our experience don’t hesitate to ask. And, if you don’t already have a referral please be so kind to use ours, SLOKEV. We’d very much appreciate that! Thanks for watching and commenting!!! Best of luck on your transition to Hunt!!
Thanks for watching! If you are interested in driving for Crete Carrier, you can call Recruiting at 1-800-998-2221. Please give them our referral code SLOKEV and let us know so we can thank you!! We appreciate it! And we appreciate you!!! If you are looking for any product that we use and recommend you can check the links in the description. We also got you a discount for Truckers Path. Again...the link is in the description. Thanks for watching!! We are happy to have you along with us, discovering the Roads of America and learning about trucking!!
As i watch this video I can honestly say he’s not lying. Because i left Werner back in April 2013 and been here every since and I couldn’t believe my pay every week.
Got my CDL last November. I decided to stay local and got a job delivering beer and wine. It’s physical, but nothing crazy like Sysco. I drive a class A half the time and a Class B the other depending on my route that day. About 3 months in, my company gave me a substantial raise to $22.50/HR and they also gave me 10 days PTO which is really great. I am on pace to make 56K this year, have weekends off, and work 45 hours a week on average. This was supposed to be just a starter job for me to get some experience driving so I could move on, but they are making it much more attractive to stay longer term. I know there are better paying jobs out there, but the perks are too good to dismiss especially since I am so inexperienced. Even my boss who drove for years and still does occasionally is fantastic. He did the job and is so helpful whenever I have an issue. Its pretty clear they are doing whatever they can to attract and keep drivers. So if money is not necessary the #1 thing you are looking for, there are jobs like this out there.
Sounds like you found a great job!!! Enjoy! And thanks for sharing about it here!!! Trucking isn’t just OTR. And your example is a great one! Thanks for watching and commenting!
If you have young mouths to feed, this is pretty much the perfect driving gig, as long as you don't get bored or careless with it. Take care of your back and save save save
For anyone potentially thinking about coming to Crete. I would say have some savings built up. You don’t hardly make any money your first few weeks. There’s also a culture of having you pay for things and then them reimbursing you. Try not to run refrigerated. You could be at shippers for hours, literally hours missing out on rest. Reason being is most of it is live unload&load. lotta hassle trying to get trailers, having them cleaned out, having to fuel them up. I’m just giving heads up is all. If you’ve been driving for awhile you know all companies are the same. It all depends on what kinda hassle you wanna deal with.
🤔🤔🤔Kevin had a very different experience. He is Dry Van. There was Orientation income. Then they had a guaranteed income the first three weeks. And this video covers the first 6 weeks running full time OTR. But either way, it’s always good to have a financial cushion. No matter what you are doing. 😃
It’s good to have a financial cushion, not to waste one at work lol. They’re was no guaranteed weekly income with me. This is why I went dry van and don’t give up your empty if you don’t have to.
Great! Who do you drive for now? Our videos should definitely give you insights to see if Crete is a good fit for you!! If it is, please remember SLOKEV. If you have any questions that aren’t answered in our videos feel free to ask us. Happy to help if we can! Thanks for watching!
@@billsargent8290 That’s FANTASTIC!!!! And well deserved!!! That’s A LOT of experience!!! Good for you!!! And it appears you’ll definitely get the miles! So that should work out really well for you!!!!
My other half just started again OTR with Crete. His 1st time with them, he got stuck in truck breakdown land. 60 days stuck without even getting the breakdown pay. (Wont pay until breakdown fixed). I hope this will be a good fit for him this time. He worked for Marten before and got injured on the job.
Thank you so much for sharing this, it truly helps me make important decisions because I am solo OTR with Werner and I will leave after I get a year of experience in a few months. The pay is just garbage.
Hey team blue! Glad you found this video helpful!! Crete is not perfect but we are much happier with the pay and miles!! Let us know if you have any specific questions we haven’t answered in videos.
IT is always good for the first 6 months with a new company then it goes down hill. You always get good long runs then it goes short runs and shag runs.
@@TheJoyofTrucking No Dout better then Werner. Werner wants to run a driver in the ground everyday doing short shit runs from there godzillon drop lots. they want to pick up good long runs for you to go 2 or 300 miles and drop them for another driver? The they try and run you over your legal hrs at the last min then your stuck some dam where for 10hrs with no shower or facilities. U guys will do much better at crete. take the good with the bad thats trucking glad u left werner.
Fleets are all pretty much the same pay. They communicate with each other and try to set the pay as low as the market will bare. There is an “experience” level pay increase and from what I see you have to change carriers in order to get the “experience” pay upgrade. If you stay at your first year carrier/employer it takes longer to work your way up to the .62/.67 cents a mile that ALL the big fleets pay there drivers with experience. After that it’s finding a company that fits what you want to do. Kevin likes trying for 3,000 miles a week and staying out. I do not! I do 2,215 miles in 2 1/2 day team with my wife and we are home 4 1/2 days. It pays .79 cents a mile because it’s only 2,215 miles a week. My goal is to drive the least amount of miles a week.
Thank you for the information. Been anticipating it. Don't think I told you that Crete was my first choice when I returned otr seven months ago. I refused their offer and went back to McFarland, though the pay was a little lower at my old company...up to .65 cpm now. :) Crete insisted on putting me with a trainer, as my current experience was local, Ohio-Indiana-West Virginia. I had several years current local. My recent otr experience was more than three years old. :( Fifteen years overall experience--I thought the trainer concept was ludicrous. I was not willing to jump through hoops for weeks and also nowhere to place my geriatric dog for a few weeks during otr "training". Please. Not that I would leave my dog anywhere for any amount of time with strangers. The emotional shock alone would probably kill her. Still, I have wondered if I am missing out on a bunch of money by not working for Crete. Sounds like we are earning about the same. Meanwhile, Crete keeps calling, trying to get me to come over. Nah. In process of finding my job in Ontario now. Also, I have to procure an AZ license. So, back to trucking school I go over in Hamilton. They said my experience should shave substantial hours off the five week course; but the AZ license is mandatory to drive commercially in Canada as a resident. I also have to get a worker's permit and visitor Visa. Plus, I have to renew my US passport that expired during covid. Oops. The trucking course is $7.8k and can be paid in four installments. Small price to pay for perks of being Canadian, I think. They also assured me there is a trucker shortage in Canada. So, the LMIA should not present a hurdle. Good news. Glad you're doing well. You are finally earning what you deserve. :)!!! All best.
Wow!!! You are really making great strides toward achieving your goal!!! Happy for you!!! We did not know about Crete initially being your first OTR choice. So I guess we picked pretty well. 😁😁😁 We can’t believe they wanted you to go out with a trainer with all the experience you have. Their loss. Truly!! Keep us informed on your progress!!! Will be so interesting to see how it unfolds! 🥰🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
After the first two outs they start paying $15/hour. There’s a form to submit. And yes, they pay! Not like Werner where you kept having to chase your pay. Crete is very good about paying you everything they should!!! On the next paycheck. 👍
Still nothing man my friend OTR solo for first 6 months experience he’s working with small company start 75 c a mile and 1099 tax I think this best thing to make money
Happy for him. The question will be with a 1099 how much he has to pay out of pocket for his ‘benefits’ and contributions. What will he actually keep as a ‘contractor.’
@@TheJoyofTrucking Exactly. Taxes are much higher as well. Many 1099 companies can get very shady! Many of these companies that shut down and leave drivers stranded are 1099 companies.
Kevin Good afternoon Looks good but where are your days off ? Six weeks without rest is not a good deal , you should have at least 12 extra days país. Hope after 90 days you get better money. Day hello to to your wife BEST REGARDS 25 July 2022 14:10 hrs
Congrats. Waaaoooo werner better put their game on. Other wise they will just be a 1 year driver company and I don't know how that is good for business
Mr. Kevin ain't lying about Werner when I was there 2014 it was .37cpm at that time I got a good driver manager and my take home was $1100 and when the DM left that's where all hell break lose I see some cheques $600 to $990 smh and I quit right away. The good thing I love about Werner you plan your own routes and fuel stops I kind of missing that 🤣.
Hard to believe. You would have to drive 4000 miles a week to gross 1800 dollars. Even if that was possible LEGALLY, which it isnt, you would be breaking your back for zero reason
@@Alpha_apex that’s what I get paid before tax is around 1700-1900 on a good week I average 1400 before tax. But I do still get paid for sign on bonus which is only 150 a week for some weeks but yeah I get paid that
I'm curious.. Do they not provide a GPS..? What is the paperwork like..? How long have you been driving for them..? What is the referral code gonna do If someone were to use it..? Do you get a kickback if that person uses it..?
Hey there! Thanks for watching! Here are answers to your questions. 1. They have Co-pilot on the ELD. The Garmin is better. 2. Minimal paperwork. They use ELD and scan the minimal paperwork with the ELD or your phone. 3. Been driving with a Crete 6 months now. Review video coming up soon. Still happy with them and the money. 4. The referral code is for Crete drivers to receive a bonus for any new drivers they refer who join and give your referral code. The Crete driver receives $500 when new hire finishes orientation and 1cpm for every mile the new driver drives in the first year. Ours is SLOKEV. 5. Who are you driving for now? 6. Let us know if you have any other questions. 😃
That is a good question! As far as we know the answer is YES for OTR dry van or reefer. Also a dedicated fleet. But, we would suggest calling recruiting (+1-800-998-2221). They’ll have the most up to date info and can speak to your specific circumstances. Hope that helps! If you have other questions, let us know. If you decide to come to Crete, please be so kind to use our referral code, SLOKEV. It’s a great way to support this channel where we try to help drivers with valuable information and content.
So at swift there are driver managers who call you and message you about when are you ready for your next load and when your clock refills. But there is a separate job title called planner who actually assign the load to the driver. So at Crete the asset manager does both of these things streamlining the process?
Hey there. At Crete there is also still a ‘planner.’ You communicate with your asset manager who can ‘talk to the planner.’ We sometimes think the planner is a computer. 🤔🤔🤔
@@TheJoyofTrucking ok. I have seen the actual people behind the desks ag swift they aren’t computers. Freight is seeming to get low here and money has been below the Werner level. Talked to two Crete drivers and am really considering it but checking out vista trans right now. Crete really seems like they have it together
@@CowboyHickLumberjack We are quite happy with Crete and Kevin is making much better miles and money than he did with Werner. If you have any other questions let us know. We’ll gladly answer them. 😃
I drove for Crete/Shaffer back 2005-2007, they were a great company to drive for! I'd be with them again if they would change their policy about inverters. I'm currently driving for Ashley PNW and I love having a 3000. W inverter because it allows me to eat healthier while on the road! Sounds like the pay is better than it ever was with Crete and they were a great company pay wise then! Thanks for the video.
Thank you! Yes, a better inverter would be nice. Good for you to prioritize healthy eating! We manage that with our small inverter, but had to buy a couple new appliances. Thanks for watching! Bon Appetit! 😉
Hey there! Crete pays practical miles. In other words the shortest route they suggest. You can drive differently, but unless there’s a really good reason they won’t pay more miles. And you’d need to ask for new fuel stops along your route if it meant not getting to the ones they generate with their route suggestion. Hope that helps!!
@@aKEPsoul WOW! Terrible! So sorry to hear that!!! That’s even worse than Kevin had at Werner. He lost 10% of his miles and got very upset about it. It’s one of the big reasons he chose Crete. Good luck with your research. Let us know if you have any other questions. And if you decide Crete is a good fit for you we’d love it if you used our referral code, SLOKEV. And thanks for watching our video!
Hey there. This is Tanja. Thank you for the idea. Many viewers have suggested it and wonder why I don’t drive. Truthfully it’s just not my thing. I’ll leave that to Kevin. If we team drove we’d need a third person along to do RUclips. Lol!!
Hi there! Yes, they do! It’s still trucking 😆 so it’s not perfect, but we are very happy with them. Do you have any specific questions we can answer for you?
Just give it time.. The first six weeks is great really the first 90 days when they have you on your intro asset manager but after that you’re sure they’re gonna watch your miles dwindle… I just left them because all they wanna do is offer 8500 miles a month and that’s staying out for six weeks and I have all the proof to back it up… It’s absolutely grotesque and they don’t care and I’ve got that prove two for management all the way to the top and they don’t care…
money was always good when I was there but the loads weren't where you always wanted them to b,I was told from the recruiter that being I lived in TN. I would probably stay in the south n Midwest,not a bit true n the biggest problem I had was the lying S.O.B terminal manager.....I see they did away with the Spartenburg terminal,that was one of the oldest terminals they had n it showed it what a dump,I don't think I was to any truckstop worse then that place
Crete is a good company to work for. Day better werner and schneider. Day pay 67 cent on the miles. And day got good account. Do Crete do hazmat load? Do day go to the border?
Yes. Lots of people are saying that we made a good choice with Crete. So far 62cpm plus 2cpm surge pay plus there will be bonuses. Kevin has had one hazmat load so far. He has all endorsements. Don’t know if they cross the borders. Good question.
When Kevin started with Crete they were offering 62cpm for the 21 day out OTR account. And they still had a pandemic bonus pay. Now they start drivers at 60cpm.
Well, under the current circumstances, being and OO, would seem to me to be not very smart. Just not worth it. Unless, you want to be an OO so you can just drive part time. Best Wishes! Oh, I bet you are bringing in the drivers for Crete, be interesting to know how much you are raking in for the driver referrals in say 1 year.
We agree! This does not seem like a good time to go O/O. And if you go O/O to drive part time I think you’d work more to make the payments. As for referrals, we tell it like it is. The good, the bad, the ugly. Just like we did at Werner. Countless people went to Werner because of our channel. We never received one dollar. Now Kevin is at Crete. We continue to do the same on our RUclips channel. We think coming to Crete has improved a lot of things for Kevin. So we share that and wish that for other people. And if Crete pays a referral for someone joining them because of our channel that’s great. It’s not the motivation for sharing our experience here, but we’ll certainly take it. And as you say…it will be interesting to see how many people will choose to come to Crete AND give the referral code. Time will tell. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Does Werner have a CDL training program? I'm looking for a company where I can get "free" training (where they take it off my first years paycheck). I already know about Prime and Swift. Any other recommendations?
Swift and England also have in house training. Think they require you to work there 1 year after to pay it off. Many companies have training. But they pay for it by paying driver horrible first years
Yes. Werner owns Roadmaster so they also have a program like that. It’s a good option if you have no other way. But we have also heard some stories about this method. One viewer said that she left early and owed them the whole amount. So read the fine print very carefully. And those programs tend to cost a lot. And there might be interest rolled into it. Maybe other viewers can comment on this issue. Kevin didn’t want to be beholden to any company. He found a school for $4,000 and then got tuition reimbursement from Werner (which a lot of companies do). It wasn’t a great school, but properly a credited and recognized. A lot of the schools only teach the basics to get you to pass the CDL test. So if the school costs a lot be sure you are getting your money’s worth! A lot is learned once you go out with your trainer (at Werner three weeks) and later on your own (a reason we started this channel). There are also programs through community colleges that are longer, teach more and can cost less. In Broward Country, FL there was one for (not exactly sure but something like) 9 weeks for $2,000. And I think the ‘unemployment’ office had special grants for it as well. If you are a vet there are also programs. Walmart started a program promoting from within. Amazon has a training subsidy after a year. Yellow Corp., XPO Logistics, Old Dominion and other less-than-truckload carriers offer dock-to-driver programs to attract workers at their terminals and eventually help people obtain a CDL if they want it. Here’s an article on that:www.freightwaves.com/news/how-to-obtain-a-cdl-if-you-cant-afford-trucking-school/amp So be sure to look around. See what options you have. Be clear on what they actually entail. Choose what works best for you! That was a ridiculously long answer to your question 🤣😆😂🤣 but we hope it helps!!!
@@jonblablabla1014 Us too! And very low pay!!! Werner has issues, but we still believe it’s a good company to start with. Check some of our videos in that!!
@@TheJoyofTrucking Oh wow, long comment indeed!!! 😁👍 Thanks for the info, very helpful! I will definitely look into those! How did you get Werner to do reimbursement though lol, you didnt pay them upfront and they accepted you?
Just out of curiosity, was that $940 with your previous company including tuition reimbursement? How does Crete handle personal conveyance and idling while sleeping? Are you getting shag runs? How often? Thanks Kev
@@wolfsquared thanks! But looking for a bit more detail.. like is there a limit to PC use?, does the company discourage it?, will they 'coach' you if you're not using opti-idle or is it no big deal, just suggested?
Understandable. It’s so hard to compare companies because there are so many pieces that make up the pie. I (Tanja) don’t recall right now if it included the tuition reimbursement. Probably. $225 per month. We have not been spoken to about PC or idling. We don’t know at what point they might. But we don’t feel micromanaged in that. Very few shag runs. There’s good extra pay if you do them. And you can turn down loads if they are ‘not productive.’ Hope that helped!!!
@@sweetness2689 chemical pays better than fuel and is often less dangerous. Lots of high paying jobs but you will have to obtain the right certifications. I live by the ocean so I work the ports. Very easy job.
Hi there! You need at least six months ext (and then you’ll still go out with a trainer). No trainer after 10 months depending where you come from. Pay varies by time out and account. Kevin makes 62cpm. Reefer might be 68cpm??? You can call recruiting and ask more details. Number in description below. 😃
They have ‘fuel solutions’ telling you where to stop and how much to put in. There are ways to ask for new solutions, but it’s definitely not the freedom we had with Werner. Crete gets very good prices at certain places. That does come back to drivers via bonuses and profit sharing. But frustrating as we like to go to Love’s and have to go to other truck stops to fuel, endangering the status that gives us unlimited showers and coffee at Love’s. And super clean bathrooms. 😃
@@TheJoyofTrucking is it like something I'm going to have multiple fuel solution just to get a few gallon or do they tell you to get enough fuel to make it to delivery/pu
We found other videos like that helpful when Kevin started out. So we decided to be transparent about it too. Helps others know what to expect. But we understand where you are coming from.
Huge pay increase, very happy for your success! Congratulations 🎊 👏 💐 🥳
Thank you so much!!!!
Congratulations. I follow 3 Maverick LLC drivers. 2 are flat bedders, 1 glass division. Maverick seems like a good company, especially for those with zero experience. These 3 drivers tell you the good and bad. Just like in any job. Good luck. Enjoying your videos with the new company.
Glad you also watch this Dry Van driver. ;-))) When we were first researching Maverick was one of our top companies if Kevin had decided on flatbedding. 😃
@@TheJoyofTrucking seems like Maverick, Melton and TMC are all close on how they treat their drivers. One of the Maverick drivers son's went to Melton.
I try and follow a wide variety. Flatbed, Dry Van, Glass Division, Owner Operators, and Heavy Haulers.
@@michaeldavenport5034 Lol! That’s exactly the three we were looking at as top choices. 😁🤩
@@TheJoyofTrucking these RUclips channels that truckers are kind enough to show their daily lives are great. Helps out people who want to get their CDL's and possibly what companies to drive for. Just like what you and Kevin do. And it's great entertainment for us.
That's identical to what I make with Marten but I do my 34 at home every weekend. Good stuff Kevin congrats...
Happy to hear that! Sounds good if you want to be home weekly!! Happy for you!!
We are looking to bring these numbers up as Kevin gets some time and experience under his belt with Crete. Marten was our second choice, but Kevin didn’t want to do the zip code miles. It really irked him at Werner.
Thanks for watching and commenting Roy…as always…good to have you along! Really appreciate your engagement on the channel and with this community!!
I get the same as a LTL driver! Home every day and weekends!!
Congrats. It’s good to see you profiting from the change.
There are days I still miss doing that job. But I have little patients and my Fleet Managers were horrible to deal with. I had to walk away for my own mental and physical health.
Be safe.
Thank you! And just to say…You did the right thing! Health comes first! And if you can’t get a good fleet manager and be at a company that minimizes the BS it will wear you down. And sometimes finding that takes too long. Statistics say 95% of new drivers quit in the first year. They need some major changes in the industry for truck driving to be a more appealing job to more people. Please enjoy the road through our channel and hope you found something more compatible for a happy healthy life! 🥰
@@TheJoyofTrucking thank you. And I have.
Ah nice. Been at Crete for 2 1/2 years now. Not bad.
Good job. I knew you could and would do better. They are letting g you apply your skills. Very happy. Have a good day tomorrow and stay safe.
Thanks Jim!!! You have been a steadfast support along the way! We appreciate it!!!
Im glad I found this video. I will be going to crete pretty soon but running flatbed under Hunt Transportation.
Congratulations on making the move to Hunt soon! Glad the video was helpful! Check our channel for other info on Crete. We have a combination of travel and educational content. Hunt will be different, but it’s under the same Crete company, so hopefully there’ll be some good info for you! If you have other questions we might be able to address based on our experience don’t hesitate to ask. And, if you don’t already have a referral please be so kind to use ours, SLOKEV. We’d very much appreciate that! Thanks for watching and commenting!!! Best of luck on your transition to Hunt!!
Good to see that you're getting good results for your hard work! 👍💪
Thank you!!
Sounds like you are doing well for yourself..... keep it doing this way..... 🙂👍🙏👏👏👏
Thank you Lawrence!
Thanks for watching! If you are interested in driving for Crete Carrier, you can call Recruiting at 1-800-998-2221. Please give them our referral code SLOKEV and let us know so we can thank you!! We appreciate it! And we appreciate you!!!
If you are looking for any product that we use and recommend you can check the links in the description.
We also got you a discount for Truckers Path. Again...the link is in the description.
Thanks for watching!! We are happy to have you along with us, discovering the Roads of America and learning about trucking!!
Happy it's working out for you. Go get em.......
Thank you so much!!!!
Sounds like you made the right move. Stay safe out there
Thank you!!! 😃🎉
Welcome aboard!
Thank you so much!!! We are pretty happy here!!! 😃👍🤩
As i watch this video I can honestly say he’s not lying. Because i left Werner back in April 2013 and been here every since and I couldn’t believe my pay every week.
👍👍👍😃😃😃
Got my CDL last November. I decided to stay local and got a job delivering beer and wine. It’s physical, but nothing crazy like Sysco. I drive a class A half the time and a Class B the other depending on my route that day. About 3 months in, my company gave me a substantial raise to $22.50/HR and they also gave me 10 days PTO which is really great. I am on pace to make 56K this year, have weekends off, and work 45 hours a week on average. This was supposed to be just a starter job for me to get some experience driving so I could move on, but they are making it much more attractive to stay longer term. I know there are better paying jobs out there, but the perks are too good to dismiss especially since I am so inexperienced. Even my boss who drove for years and still does occasionally is fantastic. He did the job and is so helpful whenever I have an issue. Its pretty clear they are doing whatever they can to attract and keep drivers. So if money is not necessary the #1 thing you are looking for, there are jobs like this out there.
Sounds like you found a great job!!! Enjoy! And thanks for sharing about it here!!! Trucking isn’t just OTR. And your example is a great one! Thanks for watching and commenting!
If you have young mouths to feed, this is pretty much the perfect driving gig, as long as you don't get bored or careless with it. Take care of your back and save save save
For anyone potentially thinking about coming to Crete. I would say have some savings built up. You don’t hardly make any money your first few weeks. There’s also a culture of having you pay for things and then them reimbursing you. Try not to run refrigerated. You could be at shippers for hours, literally hours missing out on rest. Reason being is most of it is live unload&load. lotta hassle trying to get trailers, having them cleaned out, having to fuel them up. I’m just giving heads up is all. If you’ve been driving for awhile you know all companies are the same. It all depends on what kinda hassle you wanna deal with.
🤔🤔🤔Kevin had a very different experience. He is Dry Van. There was Orientation income. Then they had a guaranteed income the first three weeks. And this video covers the first 6 weeks running full time OTR. But either way, it’s always good to have a financial cushion. No matter what you are doing. 😃
It’s good to have a financial cushion, not to waste one at work lol. They’re was no guaranteed weekly income with me. This is why I went dry van and don’t give up your empty if you don’t have to.
I like your video thinking of coming to create keep it up
Great! Who do you drive for now? Our videos should definitely give you insights to see if Crete is a good fit for you!! If it is, please remember SLOKEV. If you have any questions that aren’t answered in our videos feel free to ask us. Happy to help if we can! Thanks for watching!
@@TheJoyofTrucking a small company out of pa
Talk to the recruiter they said they're going to start me out at 71 a mile
I have 34 years of experience
@@billsargent8290 That’s FANTASTIC!!!! And well deserved!!! That’s A LOT of experience!!! Good for you!!! And it appears you’ll definitely get the miles! So that should work out really well for you!!!!
That's awesome Kevin it looks like you definitely made the right decision. Congratulations. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you!!
I'm a OTR driver for Crete as well and my bring home is just about the same.
👍😃😃😃
Really nice! Be safe man!
Thanks!!!
My other half just started again OTR with Crete. His 1st time with them, he got stuck in truck breakdown land. 60 days stuck without even getting the breakdown pay. (Wont pay until breakdown fixed). I hope this will be a good fit for him this time. He worked for Marten before and got injured on the job.
Very happy for you Kev!!! Hope the gravy train keeps on rolling for you!! That's awesome 👌!! Anyway, have fun, be safe and enjoy Happy Trails 👣!!!
Thank you so much!!!
That’s awesome Kevin keep up the good wrk👍🏾💪🏾
Thank you so much!!
Thank you so much for sharing this, it truly helps me make important decisions because I am solo OTR with Werner and I will leave after I get a year of experience in a few months. The pay is just garbage.
Hey team blue! Glad you found this video helpful!! Crete is not perfect but we are much happier with the pay and miles!! Let us know if you have any specific questions we haven’t answered in videos.
Goog for you!!
Thanks!!! 😃
Thanks for the information Kevin and thanks for another great video. You stay safe out there and keep on trucking
Thank you! 😃
IT is always good for the first 6 months with a new company then it goes down hill. You always get good long runs then it goes short runs and shag runs.
We’ll see. We are very optimistic and hear great reviews from drivers who have been there a long time. Stay tuned. 😃
@@TheJoyofTrucking No Dout better then Werner. Werner wants to run a driver in the ground everyday doing short shit runs from there godzillon drop lots. they want to pick up good long runs for you to go 2 or 300 miles and drop them for another driver? The they try and run you over your legal hrs at the last min then your stuck some dam where for 10hrs with no shower or facilities. U guys will do much better at crete. take the good with the bad thats trucking glad u left werner.
Nice to hear you are actually getting paid close to what you are worth now. instead of survival money.
Yes!!! Much better than that first year with Werner! Amazing how fast you can move up with trucking!!
That's a huge jump in pay. Congratulations
Thank you!!! 🤩
Great video
Fleets are all pretty much the same pay. They communicate with each other and try to set the pay as low as the market will bare.
There is an “experience” level pay increase and from what I see you have to change carriers in order to get the “experience” pay upgrade.
If you stay at your first year carrier/employer it takes longer to work your way up to the .62/.67 cents a mile that ALL the big fleets pay there drivers with experience.
After that it’s finding a company that fits what you want to do. Kevin likes trying for 3,000 miles a week and staying out. I do not! I do 2,215 miles in 2 1/2 day team with my wife and we are home 4 1/2 days. It pays .79 cents a mile because it’s only 2,215 miles a week. My goal is to drive the least amount of miles a week.
Sounds like you two got something good figured out!!! Happy for you!!!
Great vid!
😁😁😁🤩
keep it going 👍👍🍺
Thank you!! We will!!
Thank you for the information. Been anticipating it.
Don't think I told you that Crete was my first choice when I returned otr seven months ago.
I refused their offer and went back to McFarland, though the pay was a little lower at my old company...up to .65 cpm now. :)
Crete insisted on putting me with a trainer, as my current experience was local, Ohio-Indiana-West Virginia. I had several years current local. My recent otr experience was more than three years old. :(
Fifteen years overall experience--I thought the trainer concept was ludicrous. I was not willing to jump through hoops for weeks and also nowhere to place my geriatric dog for a few weeks during otr "training". Please. Not that I would leave my dog anywhere for any amount of time with strangers. The emotional shock alone would probably kill her.
Still, I have wondered if I am missing out on a bunch of money by not working for Crete. Sounds like we are earning about the same.
Meanwhile, Crete keeps calling, trying to get me to come over. Nah. In process of finding my job in Ontario now. Also, I have to procure an AZ license. So, back to trucking school I go over in Hamilton. They said my experience should shave substantial hours off the five week course; but the AZ license is mandatory to drive commercially in Canada as a resident. I also have to get a worker's permit and visitor Visa. Plus, I have to renew my US passport that expired during covid. Oops. The trucking course is $7.8k and can be paid in four installments. Small price to pay for perks of being Canadian, I think. They also assured me there is a trucker shortage in Canada. So, the LMIA should not present a hurdle. Good news.
Glad you're doing well. You are finally earning what you deserve. :)!!! All best.
Wow!!! You are really making great strides toward achieving your goal!!! Happy for you!!! We did not know about Crete initially being your first OTR choice. So I guess we picked pretty well. 😁😁😁 We can’t believe they wanted you to go out with a trainer with all the experience you have. Their loss. Truly!! Keep us informed on your progress!!! Will be so interesting to see how it unfolds! 🥰🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
Hey, how much is detention pay with Crete? Is it reliably paid?
After the first two outs they start paying $15/hour. There’s a form to submit. And yes, they pay! Not like Werner where you kept having to chase your pay. Crete is very good about paying you everything they should!!! On the next paycheck. 👍
Still sounds so weird Kevin saying "Solo OTR for Crete Carrier" I'm glad you seem to be enjoying Crete more.
Lol! Yeah…I think he really has to concentrate when he says that! 😉😁😄🤣😆And Thanks! So far so good! Is your dad driving now?
Good job driver
Thank you!!!
Question Kevin; DO you have in-facing camera?
Here’s our recent video on the topic.
The 'Evil' Driver Facing Camera on my Truck | Yes or No?
ruclips.net/video/C0dA4fkK9Mk/видео.html
Still nothing man my friend OTR solo for first 6 months experience he’s working with small company start 75 c a mile and 1099 tax I think this best thing to make money
Happy for him. The question will be with a 1099 how much he has to pay out of pocket for his ‘benefits’ and contributions. What will he actually keep as a ‘contractor.’
@@TheJoyofTrucking Exactly. Taxes are much higher as well. Many 1099 companies can get very shady! Many of these companies that shut down and leave drivers stranded are 1099 companies.
Kevin
Good afternoon
Looks good but where are your days off ?
Six weeks without rest is not a good deal , you should have at least 12 extra days país.
Hope after 90 days you get better money.
Day hello to to your wife
BEST REGARDS
25 July 2022
14:10 hrs
Hello back! :-))) Kevin drives with resets once a week. Yes…paid days off would be nice. Some companies have that. Many don’t. 🙁
Congrats. Waaaoooo werner better put their game on. Other wise they will just be a 1 year driver company and I don't know how that is good for business
👍😳😁😁😁😃
Question? How is the owner operators? My boss wants to take his couple trucks over from forward air. Do they treat them equally?
The ones we’ve spoken with seem quite happy with Crete. Looks like they take care of the owner operators. 😃
@@TheJoyofTrucking ty I like your channel. Been teaming with my hubby 10 years.
@@2krazybeagles Nice!!! Kudos to both of you!!!! Glad you like riding with us too! 🤩
Mr. Kevin ain't lying about Werner when I was there 2014 it was .37cpm at that time I got a good driver manager and my take home was $1100 and when the DM left that's where all hell break lose I see some cheques $600 to $990 smh and I quit right away. The good thing I love about Werner you plan your own routes and fuel stops I kind of missing that 🤣.
Yes. That was nice! But the money just wasn’t cutting it. Who did you drive for after Werner?
@@TheJoyofTrucking I drove for Heartland and I wasn't making it there either so I went to Hoovestol that's where I start making money
@@jujujones2501 Good for you! Happy you found a company that compensated you properly for your work!!!
Thanks for sharing! Did home time get calculated in with the average pay numbers? Assuming there is no pay when going on home time.
No home time pay. You are correct. Kevin took resets but no home time during those 6 weeks.
That’s crazy I’m with werner and getting paid the same at 47¢ a mile but I’m in the tcu account real good mileage in that account.
Hard to believe. You would have to drive 4000 miles a week to gross 1800 dollars. Even if that was possible LEGALLY, which it isnt, you would be breaking your back for zero reason
@@Alpha_apex that’s what I get paid before tax is around 1700-1900 on a good week I average 1400 before tax. But I do still get paid for sign on bonus which is only 150 a week for some weeks but yeah I get paid that
Hmmmm. Good for you. Though not sure how you do it. Lots of stop pay? Bonuses?
I'm curious.. Do they not provide a GPS..? What is the paperwork like..? How long have you been driving for them..? What is the referral code gonna do If someone were to use it..? Do you get a kickback if that person uses it..?
Hey there! Thanks for watching! Here are answers to your questions.
1. They have Co-pilot on the ELD. The Garmin is better.
2. Minimal paperwork. They use ELD and scan the minimal paperwork with the ELD or your phone.
3. Been driving with a Crete 6 months now. Review video coming up soon. Still happy with them and the money.
4. The referral code is for Crete drivers to receive a bonus for any new drivers they refer who join and give your referral code. The Crete driver receives $500 when new hire finishes orientation and 1cpm for every mile the new driver drives in the first year. Ours is SLOKEV.
5. Who are you driving for now?
6. Let us know if you have any other questions. 😃
@@TheJoyofTrucking I'm glad you replied. I will email you..
I’m about to move to Seattle temporarily, will Crete hire me for otr from there?
That is a good question! As far as we know the answer is YES for OTR dry van or reefer. Also a dedicated fleet. But, we would suggest calling recruiting (+1-800-998-2221). They’ll have the most up to date info and can speak to your specific circumstances.
Hope that helps! If you have other questions, let us know.
If you decide to come to Crete, please be so kind to use our referral code, SLOKEV. It’s a great way to support this channel where we try to help drivers with valuable information and content.
So at swift there are driver managers who call you and message you about when are you ready for your next load and when your clock refills. But there is a separate job title called planner who actually assign the load to the driver. So at Crete the asset manager does both of these things streamlining the process?
Hey there. At Crete there is also still a ‘planner.’ You communicate with your asset manager who can ‘talk to the planner.’ We sometimes think the planner is a computer. 🤔🤔🤔
@@TheJoyofTrucking ok. I have seen the actual people behind the desks ag swift they aren’t computers. Freight is seeming to get low here and money has been below the Werner level. Talked to two Crete drivers and am really considering it but checking out vista trans right now. Crete really seems like they have it together
@@CowboyHickLumberjack We are quite happy with Crete and Kevin is making much better miles and money than he did with Werner. If you have any other questions let us know. We’ll gladly answer them. 😃
If company does not have the miles the pay does match what you should or could be getting
Exactly! Always need to know what kind of miles you’ll be making with the cpm. 😃
I drove for Crete/Shaffer back 2005-2007, they were a great company to drive for! I'd be with them again if they would change their policy about inverters. I'm currently driving for Ashley PNW and I love having a 3000. W inverter because it allows me to eat healthier while on the road! Sounds like the pay is better than it ever was with Crete and they were a great company pay wise then! Thanks for the video.
Thank you! Yes, a better inverter would be nice. Good for you to prioritize healthy eating! We manage that with our small inverter, but had to buy a couple new appliances. Thanks for watching! Bon Appetit! 😉
Are you paid hub miles or zip to zip? If paid hub, does Crete dictate what routes you take?
Thanks for the info
Hey there! Crete pays practical miles. In other words the shortest route they suggest. You can drive differently, but unless there’s a really good reason they won’t pay more miles. And you’d need to ask for new fuel stops along your route if it meant not getting to the ones they generate with their route suggestion.
Hope that helps!!
@@TheJoyofTrucking thanks a ton! I’ve lost a total of 11k miles in 4 months being paid zip to zip. Just trying to do my research! Thank you
@@aKEPsoul WOW! Terrible! So sorry to hear that!!! That’s even worse than Kevin had at Werner. He lost 10% of his miles and got very upset about it. It’s one of the big reasons he chose Crete. Good luck with your research. Let us know if you have any other questions. And if you decide Crete is a good fit for you we’d love it if you used our referral code, SLOKEV. And thanks for watching our video!
Have your wife get her license and you could go to fedex ground. Home every week. Average $1,800- 2,000 a week each, terminal to terminal.
Hey there. This is Tanja. Thank you for the idea. Many viewers have suggested it and wonder why I don’t drive. Truthfully it’s just not my thing. I’ll leave that to Kevin. If we team drove we’d need a third person along to do RUclips. Lol!!
Im thinking about switching from CFI to Crete. Do they treat you right?
Hi there! Yes, they do! It’s still trucking 😆 so it’s not perfect, but we are very happy with them. Do you have any specific questions we can answer for you?
@@TheJoyofTrucking sure. How are they with keeping loads and miles on you? Do they regularly take loads off you to give to other drivers?
Just give it time.. The first six weeks is great really the first 90 days when they have you on your intro asset manager but after that you’re sure they’re gonna watch your miles dwindle… I just left them because all they wanna do is offer 8500 miles a month and that’s staying out for six weeks and I have all the proof to back it up… It’s absolutely grotesque and they don’t care and I’ve got that prove two for management all the way to the top and they don’t care…
money was always good when I was there but the loads weren't where you always wanted them to b,I was told from the recruiter that being I lived in TN. I would probably stay in the south n Midwest,not a bit true n the biggest problem I had was the lying S.O.B terminal manager.....I see they did away with the Spartenburg terminal,that was one of the oldest terminals they had n it showed it what a dump,I don't think I was to any truckstop worse then that place
😮😮😮😳😳😳
Kevin for President in 2024 🎃🎃🎃
Lol!!!! I think he could run the country from the cab of his truck! 🤣😂😁😆
Nice
Very very nice. :-)))
@@TheJoyofTrucking yup stay safe stay hydrated
@@Jeff250lbc 👍😃
Congrats. He many years of experience do you have?
16 months driving experience. Pretty awesome to make this kind of money already. :-))
Crete is a good company to work for. Day better werner and schneider. Day pay 67 cent on the miles. And day got good account. Do Crete do hazmat load? Do day go to the border?
Crete carries some hazmat, but not enough to require endorcement or placards
We do very few thst require qn endorsement or placards but there are some.
Yes. Lots of people are saying that we made a good choice with Crete. So far 62cpm plus 2cpm surge pay plus there will be bonuses. Kevin has had one hazmat load so far. He has all endorsements. Don’t know if they cross the borders. Good question.
How are you getting 0.64 only having 1.5 years experience? They told me you need 5 years verified experience to make that
When Kevin started with Crete they were offering 62cpm for the 21 day out OTR account. And they still had a pandemic bonus pay. Now they start drivers at 60cpm.
Well, under the current circumstances, being and OO, would seem to me to be not very smart. Just not worth it. Unless, you want to be an OO so you can just drive part time. Best Wishes! Oh, I bet you are bringing in the drivers for Crete, be interesting to know how much you are raking in for the driver referrals in say 1 year.
We agree! This does not seem like a good time to go O/O. And if you go O/O to drive part time I think you’d work more to make the payments. As for referrals, we tell it like it is. The good, the bad, the ugly. Just like we did at Werner. Countless people went to Werner because of our channel. We never received one dollar. Now Kevin is at Crete. We continue to do the same on our RUclips channel. We think coming to Crete has improved a lot of things for Kevin. So we share that and wish that for other people. And if Crete pays a referral for someone joining them because of our channel that’s great. It’s not the motivation for sharing our experience here, but we’ll certainly take it. And as you say…it will be interesting to see how many people will choose to come to Crete AND give the referral code. Time will tell. Thanks for watching and commenting!
This pay is after one year experience?
Yes. One year experience got Kevin the job at Crete. 😃
Does Werner have a CDL training program? I'm looking for a company where I can get "free" training (where they take it off my first years paycheck). I already know about Prime and Swift.
Any other recommendations?
Swift and England also have in house training. Think they require you to work there 1 year after to pay it off. Many companies have training. But they pay for it by paying driver horrible first years
@@wolfsquared I've heard many bad things about CR England
Yes. Werner owns Roadmaster so they also have a program like that.
It’s a good option if you have no other way. But we have also heard some stories about this method. One viewer said that she left early and owed them the whole amount. So read the fine print very carefully. And those programs tend to cost a lot. And there might be interest rolled into it. Maybe other viewers can comment on this issue.
Kevin didn’t want to be beholden to any company. He found a school for $4,000 and then got tuition reimbursement from Werner (which a lot of companies do). It wasn’t a great school, but properly a credited and recognized. A lot of the schools only teach the basics to get you to pass the CDL test. So if the school costs a lot be sure you are getting your money’s worth! A lot is learned once you go out with your trainer (at Werner three weeks) and later on your own (a reason we started this channel).
There are also programs through community colleges that are longer, teach more and can cost less. In Broward Country, FL there was one for (not exactly sure but something like) 9 weeks for $2,000. And I think the ‘unemployment’ office had special grants for it as well. If you are a vet there are also programs. Walmart started a program promoting from within. Amazon has a training subsidy after a year.
Yellow Corp., XPO Logistics, Old Dominion and other less-than-truckload carriers offer dock-to-driver programs to attract workers at their terminals and eventually help people obtain a CDL if they want it.
Here’s an article on that:www.freightwaves.com/news/how-to-obtain-a-cdl-if-you-cant-afford-trucking-school/amp
So be sure to look around. See what options you have. Be clear on what they actually entail. Choose what works best for you!
That was a ridiculously long answer to your question 🤣😆😂🤣 but we hope it helps!!!
@@jonblablabla1014 Us too! And very low pay!!! Werner has issues, but we still believe it’s a good company to start with. Check some of our videos in that!!
@@TheJoyofTrucking Oh wow, long comment indeed!!! 😁👍
Thanks for the info, very helpful! I will definitely look into those! How did you get Werner to do reimbursement though lol, you didnt pay them upfront and they accepted you?
Kevin, who's your new AM?
Hey there! They shall remain nameless so we can talk ‘smack’ if needed without getting anyone in trouble or getting sued! 🤣😁😆😃😂
Just out of curiosity, was that $940 with your previous company including tuition reimbursement? How does Crete handle personal conveyance and idling while sleeping? Are you getting shag runs? How often? Thanks Kev
You can PC to go shopping.. most there trucks have opti idle that starts and stops the truck as needed to maintain inside temps
@@wolfsquared thanks! But looking for a bit more detail.. like is there a limit to PC use?, does the company discourage it?, will they 'coach' you if you're not using opti-idle or is it no big deal, just suggested?
@@wolfsquared Basically trying to discern if they're cutting costs elsewhere to increase CPM and get an apples to apples comparison with prev company
Understandable. It’s so hard to compare companies because there are so many pieces that make up the pie. I (Tanja) don’t recall right now if it included the tuition reimbursement. Probably. $225 per month.
We have not been spoken to about PC or idling. We don’t know at what point they might. But we don’t feel micromanaged in that. Very few shag runs. There’s good extra pay if you do them. And you can turn down loads if they are ‘not productive.’ Hope that helped!!!
@@TheJoyofTrucking Thanks!
If you yank a tank, you can make that and be home every day with a 5 day work week.
Yes!! That’s what we’ve been hearing. Not what we are looking for right now but good info for other viewers. Is that what you are doing?
Is that as a fuel hauler?
@@sweetness2689 I haul chemicals.
@@pointnIaugh nice! any good companies you recommend for tanker? i have my eye on Highway Transport, Kenan Advantage, foodliner and oakley Transport
@@sweetness2689 chemical pays better than fuel and is often less dangerous. Lots of high paying jobs but you will have to obtain the right certifications. I live by the ocean so I work the ports. Very easy job.
Hello can I use your full for reference?
Yes! Please do! Kevin Sloan, SLOKEV. We really appreciate it! Best of luck! Let us know if you have any other questions. 😃
Hello does Crete carrier pay rookies 68 cent per mile?
Hi there! You need at least six months ext (and then you’ll still go out with a trainer). No trainer after 10 months depending where you come from. Pay varies by time out and account. Kevin makes 62cpm. Reefer might be 68cpm??? You can call recruiting and ask more details. Number in description below. 😃
Nice! You’re making some good money, Kevin 👍
What is your truck governed to by the way?
Thanks!!! 65/68mph. :-))
Crete pays .64 cpm for Otr?
62cpm for 21 days out. There was a 2cpm surcharge during the pandemic but that has stopped. There are also quarterly bonuses and profit sharing.
Is that 1800 gross weekly?
Yes, and 1400 bring home.
Do you get to pick where to fuel
They have ‘fuel solutions’ telling you where to stop and how much to put in. There are ways to ask for new solutions, but it’s definitely not the freedom we had with Werner. Crete gets very good prices at certain places. That does come back to drivers via bonuses and profit sharing. But frustrating as we like to go to Love’s and have to go to other truck stops to fuel, endangering the status that gives us unlimited showers and coffee at Love’s. And super clean bathrooms. 😃
@@TheJoyofTrucking thank you for information. That does kinda suck you can't fuel whenever.
@@TheJoyofTrucking where do you fuel the most
@@joshua-ih6nw Crete sends you to all. We favor Love’s. ❤️
@@TheJoyofTrucking is it like something I'm going to have multiple fuel solution just to get a few gallon or do they tell you to get enough fuel to make it to delivery/pu
What is your weekly pay take home???
It’s in the first minute of the video.
$1,893 gross and $1,430 take home.
Congratulations Kevin
2900 miles and 1800.00 a week without home time ?
Yes. Reset once a week but no home time.
@@TheJoyofTrucking oh … you guys don’t get home time at all ??
Thanks
@@hectorv.trucking
Yes. We do. After 3 weeks. But that time we ran for 5 weeks straight. So actually we did take one home time in there. Sorry.
@@TheJoyofTrucking thanks for explaining guys
Thanks
How bout that?!!? A driver who gets paid for driving! What a concept...🤦♂🙄😏
😳😆😆😆😆
werner, crete whats next
Lol…stay tuned. 😆😆😆
👍👍🤜🤛🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you!!! 🤩
Personally what I make on my job is private business but to each is own it’s crazy why people wanna know what’s in your account.
We found other videos like that helpful when Kevin started out. So we decided to be transparent about it too. Helps others know what to expect. But we understand where you are coming from.
6 weeks pay for driving over the road. Wow that don't sound good to me not for Note 6 weeks pay
An average of $1800 gross per week comes out to $93,000 gross per year.
🤔🤔🤔 That’s pretty good income compared to many jobs you can do with 1 month school and 1 year experience.
Your standards are way too low if you think Crete pays good
😳😳😳 What are your suggestions?