Some questions for the current Crete drivers

Discussion in 'Crete' started by lcfd15, Oct 1, 2014.

  1. OFTOTR

    OFTOTR Medium Load Member

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    Currently Crete and some other big companies are kissing recent veterans butts (superficially) because they get some money from the Government to hire and train them. That could change.

    You don't really know enough about trucking to be asking many valid questions. I'd get my feet wet somewhere, keep a clean record, then make some decisions.

    I would not work for a company that does not have a terminal near where I live, or within a few hour drive,and has a maintenance shop there.
    If you go into this with the attitude your time is not valuable, many companies will be happy to waste it for you.

    The way the cameras are set up at Crete, you do not have to do anything stupid to trigger them. They go off during normal driving situations, where you are not doing anything unsafe, or unusual, but the idiots sitting at a desk who review the videos do not have the experience to understand that.
    They also trigger when the GPS system that the camera is connected to says you are speeding, and quite often, you are not.
     
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  3. lcfd15

    lcfd15 Medium Load Member

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    As it stands, I was driving trucks prior to my Army career for a few years and am not "naive" to the games that are played. I may not be as versed in the "almighty" trucker ways as you are with 28 years of experience, but I am by no means a brand new, no experience having, first time in a truck, noobie. I show the proper respect to people here and do know what "VALID" questions I need to ask.

    I am sorry, but if I can ask these VALID questions prior to starting my career, it could lead to me actually liking a place more than another therefore keeping me at one job, with a better work history record. I am the type of person that rather do all my homework before my decision rather than play catch up after a hasty decision.

    Last time I checked these forums can be used for imformation gathering to help out new people and people getting back in to the industry as well as the veterans to come and enjoy a good read and interact, is this not right? So when I am here asking questions to some of the drivers, I don't need people coming in here and judging me saying "You don't really know enough about trucking to be asking many valid questions", because quite frankly, you do not know me personally and can not vouch for what I have and have not done in my past.

    I do want to thank you for contributing what knowledge you do have to the conversation after insulting my experience.

    As for the government giving money, yes this goes to companies that offer the initial licensing of new drivers to get them into the industry. They also get a tax break if they employ a certain percentage of veterans and hire a certain number of new veterans each year. This also comes along with some title awards to make the company look better, as in "2014 Veteran Friendly Employer".

    So I see your comment of "This could change." Do you know something that nobody else around here knows about veterans given a chance to jump into the industry? I have been communicating with a lot of new vets on here recently that are also awaiting to find a career, and this knowledge would be helpful.
     
  4. Gordob

    Gordob Bobtail Member

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    To clarify a misconception, the cameras are triggered by what your GPS system considers a critical event, say you take a curve fast enough to trigger a critical event on your Qualcomm then that triggers safety to check your camera, the sucky part about that is, it goes back 15 minutes prior to the critical event. So if you were on the phone or doing anything distracting 15 minutes prior then safety will see that. I talked to a driver in Lenoir City who was going out with a trainer because 2 times he triggered a critical event & both times he wasn't wearing a seat belt. Those cameras were supposed to be in all trucks by end of year but they changed that, only going in problem trucks. Talked to another driver recently who had 2 preventable incidents close together so they put a camera in his truck, an old Truck.
    Icfd15 you are asking very valid questions, hard to get good info out here, I have learned to leave my cb off. Sometimes I meet someone at a customer or truckstop intelligent enough to have a sensible conversation but more often than not, I start planning my escape as soon as the conversation starts
     
    lcfd15 Thanks this.
  5. lcfd15

    lcfd15 Medium Load Member

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    Thanks for the info. That clarifies some of the info I have been told about these cameras in the trucks
     
  6. OFTOTR

    OFTOTR Medium Load Member

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    Let's see, you are talking about going to CDL school in January, then going to work with a company that will train you?
    It's kind of hard to insult that high level of experience.
    :)

    You are probably better off getting answers from the 'experts' here who can tell you how many packages of mayo they give you with your sandwich at orientation.

    GordoB is passing on more false information in his attempt to clear up 'misconceptions'.
    It's almost hilarious, but this is what happens in trucking. It's like a bunch of old ladies gossiping, and the truth doesn't exactly mean much.

    I'm not anti-veteran. I served with the Marne division, myself.

    (Usually some idiot pops in and says 'he weren't no marine! He kin't eben spell marine!')

    Things change in trucking, and have since I started, and are changing a bit more rapidly now.


    As far as the federal money going away to train veterans, that just kind of happens, sooner or later.

    Maybe the next funding package will be to train ex-cons to drive trucks?
    Crete could pass out 'Jailbird Fleet' stickers to put on the trucks.
    (Maybe a pigeon behind some bars?)

    The door to enter trucking is a revolving door, and it doesn't take much to get through it. It just takes some timing to avoid getting run over by the people leaving.
     
  7. lcfd15

    lcfd15 Medium Load Member

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    Yes as I am talking about going to a school in January, it is due to me giving up my CDL before because I figured I would not need it with the almighty Army dream of staying in for 20. 4 IED's later, that changed. Now what I was referring to was you insulting my experience and saying I did not have enough to even ask any valid question, in which it would be smart to urge more people getting back in to it or just initially getting in to it, to ask more questions. But than again that is just my opinion. I mean, wouldn't you rather be surrounded with other drivers that actually want to learn rather than just be handed the keys and get behind 80k lbs and trying to ask questions later on down the line every 2 seconds?

    As of him being wrong, if he is so please enlighten us with your first hand knowledge of how these systems work. Like I said before, if you have first hand knowledge of how these systems work and not just what "trucker joe" had told you during your meal at the iron skillet last night, I would be all ears. I had raised some valid questions about your theory as how the cameras worked, but have not heard a better explanation or a more technical explanation.

    What part of what he said is wrong?

    If it is wrong, please correct it and let us all know so future people coming through here can just reference your infamous wisdom in the thread rather than asking it all over again.

    I mean everyone is entitled to their opinion, by all means but, don't treat people as if they are the scum of the earth just because they are new and don't deserve the right to ask questions.
     
  8. OFTOTR

    OFTOTR Medium Load Member

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    i don't have theories about how these cameras work. I temporarily have to live with one.
    I am stuck in a truck that has one, not because I am a bad driver, but because I was assigned a new truck that had one installed in it.
    You are probably happier getting information from somebody who has no idea what they are talking about, though, so I'm happy to let them answer you.
    I've posted about the Drivecam systems installed in Crete trucks in other threads on this forum. If you feel like being insulted, you can find them.
     
    Livininabox Thanks this.
  9. Gordob

    Gordob Bobtail Member

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    icfd15 you are using your head researching companies, hopefully you'll land at one you can at least tolerate for a year. Averrett might be another one to check out, I've heard good things about them. When I chose Transam as my 1rst, I didn't have access to forums like this so it was pretty much spin the bottle for me right out of school. I started asking around a lot once I got settled in with driving & heard the least amount of complaints from Crete drivers so here I am 9 years later with no regrets about my decision. They aren't perfect but when I look around & ask around, I don't think I could be doing better anywhere else. You'll hear a few valid complaints at terminals & many more invalid complaints. My only real complaint is how breakdowns are handled.
     
  10. lcfd15

    lcfd15 Medium Load Member

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    Thanks for the advice. I have found one that will start me with training (as I was going to go the tech school route in January but bills and holidays are now starting to sink in so I have to make a move now). Won't post in here as this is a Crete thread, but thank you all for your advice. Maybe later on down the line I will see you guys at Crete, but I will be starting with another carrier. Just got the call today and all set up to start on the 10th of November.
     
  11. Livininabox

    Livininabox Light Load Member

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    You sir can be my wealth of knowledge,

    We have had this discussion in the past about cameras in trucks, I wanted more info at that time and went to safety for some answers, in light of the recent message by Ray in safety I to think cameras are coming..to all trucks
    When they do I am gone, I recently found the camera thread here in the inside scoop area (somehow I missed it) one of the comments from Alaska76 was about how it records, it brought up a good point about recording which somehow I missed thinking about.. it records a few seconds before and a few seconds after according to the letter BUT that is horsecocky, it HAS to record ALL the time otherwise the past few seconds could NOT be saved.

    OFTOTR please explain how it actually works and what parameters it is ACTUALLY set for..I think they are playing word games..between record and save or they don't even know how it works themselves.

    I'm thinking it loops with whatever card memory it has 1 hr 5 hrs 8 hrs I am not sure, IF an event triggers, the RECORDED video and audio is SAVED and that SAVED event is sent...my issue is don't tell me it doesn't record all the time..it HAS to..if no event the past video is RECORDED over with new video..the issue is WHO can see what is being RECORDED even though it may not be "SAVED" ie..spying eyes and ears

    Am I on the right track here OFTOTR ?
    Thanks in advance
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2014
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