Crete Carrier raised pay for Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking drivers on national over-the-road fleets by $.04 per mile effective Aug. 1. This is the second driver pay raise of 2026.
Crete said 21-day over the road drivers have received a total raise of $.07 per mile this year. Starting pay for new Crete and Shaffer national OTR drivers will be $0.68-$0.73 per mile. Pay caps for experienced drivers on the affected fleets will also increase. Top pay for over-the-road drivers is now $0.80 per mile, according to the company.
Drivers on regional and dedicated fleets have also received raises this year. Amounts vary based on specific features of particular fleets, such as home time, Crete said in a statement.
Drivers for Hunt Transportation, a Crete company, have also received two pay increases so far this year. Hunt is the open deck division of Crete Carrier Corporation serving customers nationwide hauling heavy equipment, construction materials and other flatbed freight. Hunt has also raised driver pay twice in 2026. Starting pay is now $0.72-$0.75 per mile.
Crete Carrier is a dry van carrier, focusing on consumer goods ranging from packaged food to home improvement products. Shaffer Trucking is a temperature-control carrier focusing on food products, serving nationally known manufacturers and retailers.
The company said pay raises have been driven by customer demand, particularly for national long-haul service.
Crete said monthly year-over-year miles have consistently grown for more than a year.
Pay raises reward current drivers for the great, safe service they provide to our customers, and help us attract more drivers to serve customer demand to haul long-distance freight, according to Crete.
Additionally:
- Crete/Shaffer pay practical miles which adds between 3% to 5% to driver pay compared to short route miles.
- Crete/Shaffer drivers also receive profit sharing contributions for 401k/retirement accounts. The 2025 contribution averaged $.025 per mile.
Crete Carrier Corporation is a family owned company celebrating 60 years in the trucking industry in 2026. Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking have approximately 5,000 trucks operating throughout the U.S. We operate 16 terminals and 4 dedicated distribution centers throughout the U.S.
