Crete or JB Hunt

[Superkid]

I have an offer from Crete and JB Hunt. Which is the better company for me. I have 2 small kids and would like to be home on the weekends, and stay in the southeast. I have 3 1/2 yrs exp. I live 25 miles south of Charlotte NC

[Evinrude]

If you call your truck Home than those 2 companies will work great for you

[Clay51]

Can't speak for JB, but with Crete, unless you are lucky enough to get on Southeast Regional, you can expect to spend a lot of time running between Pennsylvania and Illinois, with some runs to the west, and be out 3 to 4 weeks at a time.

If you want to be home every weekend, forget Crete.

[Malaki86]

What about their Mid-Atlantic Regional?

[Geeeeeezer]

I drove for both..... with Crete, I was out ALL the time. I did drive Souteast regional for a year, and it was home every other weekend. Not Tooooooo Bad, but still out longer than I wanted.
I started driving for the dreaded JB HUNT a little over a year ago with 1 goal in mind....... get on to a DCS route.
I live in North GA and drive for a DCS account out of Chattanooga, TN. I am home almost every nite, and am home every weekend no later than 13o on Friday after noon. I don't usually return to work until early am on the next Monday.
Now I will admit, I had to SUFFER thru the first year with JB to get to the goose that lays the golden eggs, but it was well worth it.
Between the 2 companies, I would definately go with JB HUNT. You should be able to get a DCS job relatively close to Charlotte.
Another good point for JB over Crete is their equipment. I know the trucks are much slower, but the trailers are in EXCELLANT condition. I have only had to take my 10 pound hammer to 1 trailer during the last year. When I was with Crete, every damn trailer I picked up required a hammer and a steel rod to slide the tandems, and usually added 30 to 45 additional minutes for a basic drop and hook.
Anyway, just thought I would let you know my opinion since I have driven for BOTH of them.
Good Luck with which ever you decide.

[Bumper]

Did ya know that Crete bought all new spring ride trailers this go around?

Mangement probably gave themselves a big bonus for saving $$$ on spring trailers......

[Double L]

Ugh why are they going to spring ride trailers? I thought the switch to air ride trailers was to protect freight from damage. It seems like they want to lose money from damage claims now.

[Superkid]

thanks Geeeeeezer, I will call JB back Monday. The last company I drove for our trucks ran 58 so the slow speed doesn't bother me. I started with that company in 2003 and they didn't turn there trucks up to 66 until 2005. I want to be home to see my kids grow up. I thought about Heartland but i think i will go with JB

[repete]

I drove for both..... with Crete, I was out ALL the time. I did drive Souteast regional for a year, and it was home every other weekend. Not Tooooooo Bad, but still out longer than I wanted.
I started driving for the dreaded JB HUNT a little over a year ago with 1 goal in mind....... get on to a DCS route.
I live in North GA and drive for a DCS account out of Chattanooga, TN. I am home almost every nite, and am home every weekend no later than 13o on Friday after noon. I don't usually return to work until early am on the next Monday.
Now I will admit, I had to SUFFER thru the first year with JB to get to the goose that lays the golden eggs, but it was well worth it.
Between the 2 companies, I would definately go with JB HUNT. You should be able to get a DCS job relatively close to Charlotte.
Another good point for JB over Crete is their equipment. I know the trucks are much slower, but the trailers are in EXCELLANT condition. I have only had to take my 10 pound hammer to 1 trailer during the last year. When I was with Crete, every damn trailer I picked up required a hammer and a steel rod to slide the tandems, and usually added 30 to 45 additional minutes for a basic drop and hook.
Anyway, just thought I would let you know my opinion since I have driven for BOTH of them.
Good Luck with which ever you decide.

I have had just the oppisite experince I worked for JB on a Walmart account (reefers)and hated it and was going broke too. Now drive for Crete and like it very much, as far as sliding tandems, rarely have I had a problem

[Geeeeeezer]

The key word there is "Walmart"........

[txdrvr]

Drive for Crete over 6 years now and hometime is something they have always since before I came on board Crete has had probs with. It is like the last thing they try to do but usually I do get home. Weekly though forget it. Maybe with the regional they can but I would be leary of it as their company policy is freight comes first.

Come one now 30-45 minutes to bang pins on a trailer? Get real. If it takes you that long then something is wrong with you and not the trailer. Have not heard of or seen these so called spring trailers and in fact any new trailers have still been air ride.

To answer the question though and to anyone else. If hometime is a over riding concern then Crete may not be for you. You will get home but on Cretes timeline and not yours.

JB Hunt on the other hand. I have heard of one happy driver in all the years I have been driving out here. I am sure there are some happy ones but they are very quiet and never seen out here on the road.

[Geeeeeezer]

Now I realize things have changed over the last 2 years since I drove for Crete, but I am pretty sure there is nothing wrong with me, and it did indeed take 30 to 45 minutes to slide the tandems of most of my loads. I will grant you they were mostly on the General Mills account and that those trailers weighed over 40k usually. They were always loaded with canned goods or heavy, heavy, chocolate cookie dough.
As far as a happy JB Hunt driver, you are right, they are quiet. I very seldom tell anyone in public I drive for JB because of the rep they have gotten over the years.
The majority of JB drivers that you hear complaining most of the time are the ones that signed those moronic lease agreements.
As I stated in a previous post, I did have to suffer through a few episodes of idiocy with dispatchers and load planners in order to get to the DCS account that I have now, but in the end, it was well worth it and I would not go back to Crete for any reason.
Anyway, that's just my opinion.

[Copperhead]

Haven't driven for them, but Barr-Nunn has a southeast regional with home weekends division. I think they have a terminal in NC.

Check the regional companies out of the southeast. you can usually do better with a regional/small outfit than the mega carriers. I gave up on the large carriers over a decade ago and went to small carriers (two) and have never regretted it. More family atmosphere, more consistent miles, and more consistent (i.e. can plan things to do) home time. You might have to "beat the weeds" to find them, but there are literally dozens of smaller regional carriers out of the southeast.

I heard a good story the other day. A driver was researching which company to apply to. He just spent a lot of time at the nearby truckstops and did a count of the carriers that had the most trucks coming thru. That way he figured out which carrier he have the best shot for getting thru the house more regularly. Not a sure thing, but that might help you out.

[Superkid]

I am going to check Barr-Nunn before i make my final decision

[Superkid]

do anybody know anything about Ozark

[Barrelburner]

Crete recently cut the "shag" or local pickup and delivery pay.

Crete's pay scale has stagnated over 10% since 2000 when adjusted for inflation, raises, the "practical route" mileage pay, and eliminated bonus.

Crete recently "updated" the practical route computations, which dropped the miles on trips I've taken. The practical route is better than the 'short miles' previously used-it probably split the difference between the 'short miles' pay and the actual miles you will drive.

Crete dispatches loads with a route given, and fuel stops to use along the route. However, the "practical route" that the trip pay is based on is frequently computed over a different and sometimes substantially shorter route. For example, the first trip I took was Ogden, UT to Minneapolis, MN...the route they gave me was I-84 to I-80 to Des Moines, IA and up I-35...but the route they paid me for was apparently through Rawlins, Wy, up through the Black Hills, across I-90 to MN, and US 169 up to the Twin Cities....over 100 miles less paid miles than the route and fuel stops I was given.

[Bumper]

Rumor has it that they quit paying "Practical Miles" about 3 weeks after they started bragging about paying them....its HHG miles again.

[Barrelburner]

Rumor has it that they quit paying "Practical Miles" about 3 weeks after they started bragging about paying them....its HHG miles again.

Wouldn't surprise me.....when they change something in the drivers' favor they sure crow about it, but when they make a change that is not in the drivers' favor, it's up to you to figure it out.

[Superkid]

I have a offer from a O/O. He's goign to pay me 50/% of what the truck makes. Should I take it. He going to let me run it as if it was my truck

[Evinrude]

I have a offer from a O/O. He's goign to pay me 50/% of what the truck makes. Should I take it. He going to let me run it as if it was my truck

Ask to be paid by the hour, that takes the unforeseen problems away.