Fueled by increased demand, Crete Carrier Corp. is increasing pay for new national drivers by 3 cents a mile and for new regional drivers by a penny a mile at divisions Crete Carrier, Shaffer Trucking and Hunt Transportation beginning July 1.

The higher pay rates will restore some of a rate reduction the company imposed over the past two years.

For existing national drivers, the company is increasing the maximum pay cap to 47 cents a mile for Crete drivers and 48 cents for Shaffer drivers, the company said.

Crete, Shaffer and Hunt Transportation are resuming leasing on owner-operators, as well as hiring team drivers, the company said.

Crete specializes in dry van, Shaffer is temperature controlled and Hunt is flatbed and specialized.