[bluebeetle]

This is probably the closest thing that I know of. There are several drivers on here that drive fro Crete and I am a Driver Marketing Specialist - otherwise known as a Recruiter.

[lucky]

There is a group at yahoo groups called crete_drivers also. Seems that you don't listen when told that newbies do terrible at Crete so maybe someone there can help. Maybe there will be a suggestion that you will listen to now and again and that may help you.

[bluebeetle]

Lucky - Would you please explain why you feel that newbies don't do well. Shucks I would even go so far as invite you to Lincoln to discuss this face to face over lunch or breakfast. I am also sure that the Noel Stanley, Director of Driver Development would like to chime in on why his program is failing.

According to Noel, for the fiscal year last year we had a 47% turnover rate amongst our Students. This is just a little higher then our overall turnover rate of 37%. Drivers spend 8 weeks with the trainer and then run on Mr. Stanley's board unitl they meet some requirements. Drivers on the fleet must average 2200 miles a week before they are assigned a terminal. After they are able to do this they are turned assigned to a terminal and away they go.

So please give me your definition of failure. There are several of us here that would like to know.

[lucky]

Well I guess Blue that if you think a 47% turnover rate is great then why worry about my opinion? The last time I heard a Vice President tell it, he was proud and satisfied about the turnover rate of the company and when I asked him to repeat it he said it was impossible to do better than that. Well with that thinking then thank God I am just a little ole Driver and not someone who thinks that there are always room for improvement no matter how good "numbers" look. But then again all them years in my past life as a corporate puke and training in quality assessments was just a passing fad.

Now us drivers have said many times our opinions and complaints and we talk about how we have tried amongst ourselves. The usually opinion (trust me we all have opinions) is that seeking our opinions is just a feel good thing for the office personnel and that as soon as it is over it is soon forgotten.

The consensus among many drivers is that Crete is not a "training" company. If y"all feel different then ignore the opinion. I figured that I was allowed my opinion and that I did not have to just say positive stuff and exclude the negative stuff. The people here are looking for opinions and will make their own minds up. If you just want a good little driver that says positive stuff then here goes.


Ok all you drivers and newbies looking for a Fantastic company to drive for come to CRETE. We excel at all facets of the industry and have no faults that need to be worked on at all. You have any questions at all then just imagine the most wonderful thing possible and you will find it at this unblemished heavenly company. Come on newbies get on in and forget the malarkey about a fifty percent chance of making it. No way. You will not fail or become disillusioned and will succeed for sure. 100 percent guarantee.

[Ridge Runner]

Sorry Blue, but i have heard this too many times from too many drivers and it was one of the reasons that I chose USX over Crete. Matter of fact I heard it so much that I wondered if there was an effort from older drivers to discourge newer drivers from coming in to keep wages, ect... higher. I was contacted by Crete as well as was my school for my GPA and got an offer from Crete. I thought about this and then I realised that EVERONE of these people ALSO said : " after you get some miles behind you then you will NOT find a better place to work. Soooo I have to assume that Crete is a great place to work , but! only if you know what you are doing. I don't and I can't put a trailer in a hole if there ain't a orange cone to show me where to pull up to to set up ops: So there is something there, now "how to find it and how to fix it? Thats why you make the BIG BUCKS :lol:

[bluebeetle]

if you think a 47% turnover rate is great then why worry about my opinion

Because if you are going to come out here and "blast" our training program I want to know what you basing your opinion on. You made the comment that Crete wasn't for newbies and that they don't succeed over here, I just wanted to know what you were basing it on. I don't have the industry average for newbie turnover, but if it is anything close to what experienced drivers is, then just like our company turnover, we have one of the lowest in the industry. Is Crete for everybody, NO, but being new or experience, a 47% turnover rate for new drivers compared with a 37% turnover of all drivers, is still pretty dang good.

there are always room for improvement no matter how good "numbers" look

Guess I agree with you on that, and I wouldn't be inviting you in for lunch if I didn't care. I joined this board to educated people about what Crete has to offer. You will not find me though outwardly recruiting drivers very often, because I am not here to fill trucks with anybody. I want the quality driver, who has the stable work history, good driving record, excellent background and has a grasp of what this industry is about. Ideally I want the driver who isn't looking for a new job, because if I can interest them in something that Crete has to offer, they won't leave over here, if I can tell them honestly that I have something that fits what they are looking for. If we are able to continue to do this, then our industry leading turnover rate goes lower, we can charge more to haul loads simply because of our professional drivers reputation and turn around and give drivers better pay.

The usually opinion (trust me we all have opinions) is that seeking our opinions is just a feel good thing for the office personnel

Your probably right. But then why don't have the security guards, locked doors and plexiglass between our drivers and the office personnel? Because, believe it or not we do listen and care about our drivers. We also care about our customers and the other employees in the company. One of the biggest things that the president of this company is trying to get across to everybody is we need to change our image for not being able to get drivers home. That is the biggest concern we have to face to be successful and we are working at it. We hear it from him at every meeting. Your might be right though, saying he listens to drivers might make him feel better, because for the last several months, he has been greeting every driver that comes into orientation personally.

consensus among many drivers is that Crete is not a "training" company. If y"all feel different then ignore the opinion. I figured that I was allowed my opinion and that I did not have to just say positive stuff and exclude the negative stuff

I agree we are not a training company. 10 years ago the hiring criteria was minimum of 2 years experience. Then they changed and if you had less then 2 years of experience you had to go with a trainer. Now we require at least 1 year. We only have a limited number of trainers. We don't run our newbies like a team for the first several weeks like many carriers do. Only until everybody is comfortable do they start increasing the miles on the truck. We only hire the best students from the best schools. Several years ago, we introduced a training fleet where the new hire was assigned to a development fleet. To get off of the fleet, they have to run a certain number of miles (2200 consistently), idle time must be under 30% and no log problems before they are assigned to a regular terminal. This cut our turnover down on the newbies from 70% to 47%. Nice improvement if you ask me. But like you said there is room for improvement.

If you just want a good little driver that says positive stuff then here goes.

Don't want that at all. Just want to know what you are basing your information on. If it is just your opinion, then state that. I like to refer prospective drivers to our current ones and where I don't know your name, want to make sure I don't send a newbie to go talk with you.

The offer though still stands, if you want to stop for breakfast or lunch then hope to see you soon.

[Uturn2001]

Sadly, a 47% turnover rate for any company in this industry is something to brag about, regardless if it is new or experienced drivers.

There are many companies that run 80-100%+ turnovers in the 1st year of employment and well over 50% within 2 years.

[bluebeetle]

ridgerunner - Sorry you didn't come directly to Crete, but I also hope that with US Express, you have found something that works for you.

If you feel though that after a year, you are ready to come to Crete, please give us a call.

[Ridge Runner]

Bluebeetle, Thanks and so far they have been good. ( But you can't tell much just from a 3 day orientation). If things don't work out I will be calling.

[lucky]

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

Sadly, a 47% turnover rate for any company in this industry is something to brag about, regardless if it is new or experienced drivers.

There are many companies that run 80-100%+ turnovers in the 1st year of employment and well over 50% within 2 years.

Sadly you are right Uturn. Hopefully you are not the only one that realizes how pathetic this actually is.

My point was and is that I actually think that Crete is the best company out here for an OTR company for EXPERIENCED drivers that live in MOST areas. I think it would be a shame for a Newbie to come in and get disillusioned and leave for another company that is to me second rate. I think it should be the other way around. After someone learns the ropes and gets comfortable out here and find it is for them then Crete is the place to step up to if they like OTR and have experience and live in an area that Crete gets to now and again. I think it is wise to move up in the world and not down.


Blue. Sometime i will come through and I will buy coffee or a bite to eat but after the horrible treatment I got from the driver appreciation lunch last year I usually stay away but will make time.

I really thought though that we were allowed OUR opinions though and these are mine and a FEW other drivers. If the Newbies listen to just my opinion and no other then they will have a short career in this industry.