Starting Driver Pay Increased

Lincoln, NE — Crete Carrier Corporation is pleased to announce a $.02 pay increase for new drivers at Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking. The pay increase will take effect on May 1, 2011, and will restore starting driver pay to the 2007 levels.

As many other carriers were cutting their drivers’ pay, reducing benefits and cutting back in other areas during the recession, the Crete Carrier family of companies did not reduce existing driver pay. Crete Carrier maintained and added to the valuable benefits important to our drivers and their families, continued to make profit-sharing contributions, and invested in new tractors, trailers and facilities. Due to our financial strength and strong customer base, we made no across the board driver lay-offs and continued to pay our drivers based on practical route miles.

Effective May 1, 2011, we are restoring the remaining $.02 of the starting driver pay reduction for new drivers and existing drivers who were hired at the reduced rate of starting pay. In addition, Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking also have recently increased pay for owner operators and team drivers.

The increase in demand for truckload capacity from our committed customers has increased miles for our current drivers and is allowing us to back fill trucks that were lost during the recession. Drivers are needed immediately for all three divisions of Crete Carrier Corporation. Crete Carrier is the dry van segment; Shaffer Trucking is temperature controlled; and Hunt Transportation is flatbed and specialized. Restoring $.02 to the starting rate of new driver pay will help us provide the drivers needed to increase to meet our customer’s needs and continue to increase overall miles for all of our drivers.

 “We appreciate the tough job our drivers do each and every day. Our drivers and our employees are our most valuable resource. Our desire has always been to provide our drivers the opportunity to earn a good living for themselves and their family. Restoring pay to 2007 levels will help attract and retain the drivers needed to increase our commitments to customers, which in turn will improve overall miles and total pay for all of our drivers,” says Tonn Ostergard, President and CEO of Crete Carrier Corporation.

About Crete Carrier Corporation
Founded in 1966, Crete Carrier Corporation, along with operating division Shaffer Trucking and wholly-owned subsidiary Hunt Transportation, Inc., ranks as one of the largest privately owned trucking companies in the country, offering a full range of transportation services to our customers. For more information about Crete Carrier Corporation, please visit www.CreteCarrier.comor email Andy Brabec at abrabec@cretecarrier.com.

Comments

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I've told myself I'll never complain about a pay increase.