Question:
I am trying to decide if I should go back to Crete or to their sister company Hunt transport wich is an flatbed equipment hauler.I have been doing equipment on flatbeds for the last 16 months over in Iraq and I kinda like it.I have nothing bad to say about Crete but I would not miss the grocery whse and wally world and other things that van drivers have to put up with.I have done a search but I get so much JB stuff back it would take foever to sort thru.Anybody work or have worked for Hunt? how about some insite on hauling equipment here in the states? I know it would be somewhat different then what I have been doing. Thanks for any help.

Answer:
Do you have any contacts back at Crete that could help you?
I hear Crete is going to practical miles, how about Hunt?

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Hauling equipment in the states is going to be somewhat like what you do now. As long as you have the correct securement need for the equipment or load then you will be fine. Remeber, to secure safetly and use the correct securement device for the weight or type of load.
Hunt transport: I have seen them out there. I havent had a chance to talk to any of their drivers in depth. They seem like a nice bunch of guys. I think they do haul more heavy equipment than regular flatbed loads.
Have you considered anyother flatbed companies? Such as: Maverick, TMC or Boyd? Check all your options before making a choice. Good luck

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my old manager is hot to get me back into one of his trucks at crete.If I had not gone to Iraq to make a bunch of money I never would have left crete.the majority of hunts loads are equipment and a VERY small amount of their loads are standard flatbed type.I put out my application on this site and a couple of other boards and the phones have been ringing off the hook. I have gotten responses from most of the other flatbed companys but I really like the way crete ran things and I am hopeing that hunt is at least on par with them.

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Crete's adverts on the radio say that the mileage change is to all three of the companies, Crete, Hunt, and Shaffer. They advetise a lot on XM, at least on Nemo's show, which is about the only thing I can tolerate there. Satellite Cowboy, my As$....

Answer:
Not sure how long you have been away from Crete, but I think they changed things after the hours of service changed. I have not been to a grocery whse in a long time. As far as walmart goes, most of that is drop/hook. It seems more loads are drop/hook lately.
I have a packet from Hunt, and the pay is not any better for all the extra work. If you like flatbeds that much then go with them, but I personally am happy over here at Crete.
I am really looking forward to the practical route miles pay in a few weeks. Yes, Hunt will get it as well.
Hope this helps.

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I have been away from crete for 17 months. I was with them for 3 years before that.The new practical miles sound good especialy if they still don't pay the tolls on 80 in ohio and ind.As far as the pay goes I think that I would get a few pennies less per mile with hunt then with crete.Chaining down in Iraq didn't seem to bad and I kinda liked the challenge of going from a generater one run and the next run haveing to tie down a tank.that is why I am over here trying to get any info on equipment hauling.I have a meeting monday with Bill the terminal manager down here in Deland Forida and allready over the phone he his pushing me to come back with him.I wasn't here in the states much after the change of hours went into effect before so it will all be new to me.

Answer:
The new HOS are pretty straight forward. I will give it to you with the new rule that takes effect 1 Oct. In about 3 weeks. As a solo you can drive 11 hrs then you must take 10 off. That can be 8 in the sleeper and 2 off duty. Must be consecutive. No more splitting sleeper berth for all practical purposes. Your work day is no more than 14 hrs. You must do all line 3 and 4 within the 14 hrs. Also any breaks during that 14 hrs do not stop the clock. They just did away with that.
You could probably find a way to split it, but I like to keep things simple. Just run a 14 hr day or less. Drive no more than 11 hrs then take the required 10 hrs off.
With Crete I have not run into any problems with the new hrs. I especially like the 34 reset provision. Shut down for 34 hrs combination line 1 and 2 and you get a new 70 hr pool to work from. I have made more money using it than not. It also gives you a chance to take a break and do laundry or other things. Hope all this helps. I am sure others will try to add to my HOS explaination, but I think I covered the main points.
Take care

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I worked for HUNT.....................pulled every type of trailer in their inventory and ABSOLUTELY LOVED THAT JOB!!!!!! I would probably still be there if my family situation had not changed.
It has been almost 2 years since I was there,but I still have contact with a few of the hands that I ran with.
LOTS of equipment,and a big majority of it is preloaded(John Deere and Case/New Holland are some of their biggest accounts) which translates into lots of drop and hook
Also quite a bit of multi-stop freight(which you are paid for) I personally enjoyed the 15 stop loads of mini-tractors or loader attachments,cuz you set your own deliveries and dealing with the little mom&pop implement dealers was usually pleasant(always gonna be an (edited) somewhere )
I discovered that learning the strong freight lanes and staying in those lanes i could stay quite busy and get home fairly regular.........on that same note,I live in N. Texas and would usually get a swing by the house on a run to S.Texas or back up into the heartland. We did have some Florida freight but not a whole bunch,and I can remember deadheading out of Florida to Dublin,Ga.(big New Holland plant) to get loaded on several occaisons.
They operate on a "regional dispatch" so whatever part of the country you are in is who you will be dispatched by and only had one operations/fleet manager that oversaw the drivers and IMHO Dave was a pretty straight shooter and did not hold hands with drivers,and he didn't tolerate whining azz crybabies either. He expected you to do a job,and as long as you did that job all was well,and if a situation went bad,get Dave on the phone and he would make it a little more tolerable(read $$$)
I could probably go on and on about these folks,but I will let you gather more info..................If you want to talk further shoot me a PM or an email.recovering dweller..........oilfield trash division

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Much thanks to both squarepeg and chilidawg.I am having a real hard time deciding on wich way to go.on the one hand I was treated so well by the crete side and I always made over 10,000 miles a month. Out of the 4 years I spent at Crete Bill my terminal manager put me into 2 brand new trucks.And whenever I needed an extra day at home he always gave it to me. But doing the equipment hauling is somewhat different and I have enjoyed doing it this the last 16 months. I know that either way I go will be a win/win situation.The pay will be within a couple of cents of each other.It might just come down to what kind of tractor hunts going to give me.The last year before I left Crete was putting some new peterbits on the roads but they went to the guys and teams that had over 10 years with crete.

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The practical route is down I-80 and thats the way you will be paid,but still have to run the side roads.
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Like i said it has been right a 2 years since I was there,but did get to experience the Acklie buyout of Hunt......................Used to get all kinds of remarks from Crete/Shaffer drivers when we would pass them(albeit we were governed 3mph faster) We also were allowed to run whatever toll roads we wanted to. As far as what kind of truck........when I left "Dave" had lost yet another battle with corporate to keep buying the cornbinders(internationals) and was being told that the Freightliner Columbia was going to be the new truck for Hunt company drivers recovering dweller..........oilfield trash division