Hi, I have been offered a job with Crete but am not too thrilled with the opti idle, I have enough problems sleeping and don't need that thing waking me up. I have 20+ years of driving, 7 or so OTR, and need something with similar pay to Crete. Thanks in advance for your help and keep safe out there.

 

With that many years of experience, provided a steady work history not much job hopping and a clean MVR--you could do almost any thing.
You have your haz-mat?

So if you're looking at pay close to crete's--

you're looking at .42+ mile?

with the exception of the usual suspects that pay mid-high .40's but no miles
JBHUNT
Heartland


have you looked at these:
New Century
Wal-Mart
Poly Trucking
Schnieder
Gordon Trucking
A.D. Transport
Shaffer(division of Crete)
LandStar

The ever popular, highly recommended:
Tanker Yankers:
Superior Carriers


Rumor is next year( because of the new California idling restrictions) Crete/Shaffer/Hunt will be going with the battery-under the bunk A/C system used by JBHUNT, and possibly the fuel heater system......so OPTI-IDLE seems to be on the phase out.
If you already have a documented Sleep disorder that you're been treated for- and require a breathing machine--then you could have an inverter wired into your truck--and that would pretty much make your truck idle continously most of the time.

 

I do have my haz-mat and tanker. Only 1 moving violation from Oct '05. I have applied at Poly but haven't heard much from them, I have left several messages and emails with no reply. As far as Crete and their other companies, which would be better, Crete or Shaffer?

 

depends on what floats YOUR Boat;

do you want to pull a dry van- crete

or are you willing to pull a reefer- shaffer (and be one of black sheep of the family) for a penny more a mile.

they both still have opti-idle right now

I work for Shaffer- so my knowledge of them is more in depth with them.

We run into Houston, Conroe, New Caney, Sugar Land all the time- can't see getting you home as much of a problem.

I got my application in at Poly too----still waiting on that as well.

 

Talked to a US Express fellow at the docks and he told me that

thier trucks computer will compensate for idle times...

In other words if you can idle all night but the computer will

reduce the speed down from 68 to 65 in order to get back

its fuel mileage.

 

I prefer dry van but reefer doesn't bother me. Why do you say that being with Shaffer is being the black sheep of the family?

 

because the red trucks(Crete) is the big parent company- and they-the drivers mostly have an attitude many times at THEIR terminals---of "superiority".
If you went with crete- you'd have the advantages of more regional work-or dedicated fleet- Where as you'd have to be national(OTR) with Shaffer.

 

With your experience....get a good-paying local gig and sleep in your own bed everynight. Forget opti-idle, noisy truckstops, buzzing reefers, panhandlers/lot lizards/DOT (one in the same) banging on your sleeper, newbs backing into you, etc.

 

Kbraut832- CFM has a very good point- You live close enough to Houston( Spring,TX) with your experience---why not a local gig?
I could understand- if you lived out in the sticks like I do- or is it
personal choice?

 

Pretty poor reason to work for a lousy company like USX. :roll: