CRETE - A Year in Review

I drove for Crete in 2003 and came back 4 1/2 years ago. The difference is night and day. S/S is correct in wanting to leave.
I myself would have to drive 110 miles round trip everyday to get a local LTL job, but at this point am SERIOUSLY considering it.
There is no good reason for the "hurry up and wait" we experience everyday.
It is unfortunate that such a good company has gone to the dogs, but weak leadrship, ultimately, is the only reason for it.
Back in 2003 you would see Mr. Acklie out at the fuel pumps in a pair of overalls, fueling trucks and talking with drivers.
I've only seen Ostergaard once, and that was the BRIEF moment he popped in at orientation.
It was obvious he had no interest in being there.
If you are considering Crete as an employer, I suggest you speak to as many drivers as you can and take the time to read through these posts.
From what I've read, there is no exaggeration, because I go through it everyday.

 

Don't believe the rumor on sleep study...I was just informed by my a'hole manager that after my hometime this time, I am suppose to work my way to Wilmer and do one. Funny, my doctor said I didn't meet the criteria for one...they must have had a doctor do a new physical by transcendental meditation because I never saw him. I messaged my Fleet Manager about the best time to call her and discuss my dim future and my pending departure...it went in too late for her to see it today, but she'll get it tomorrow 1st thing.

I spoke to another Deland driver when I was picking up in Richmond, IN today who just had one done. They screwed up his mask fitting, his nose looked like he might have been punched...the tech said the test results were fine and wouldn't need a cpap but then a doctor looked at his data and put him on one...he faxed his info to his personal doctor and even he said no possible reason he should be on a cpap...he is trying to get home so he can get in writing, and then to his lawyers office...I didn't get his name before he left, but I would sure like to be a part of bending Crete over the judicial bench and letting the lawyers break it off inside them!!!

Sorry if that was a bit graphic, I get emotional and lose my head in times like these.

 

After my walmart experience, I did finally get a load. 2 pickups. 1 north of Milwaukee at 1pm Monday with a "not more than 30 minutes early" warning, the 2nd pu in Janesville, WI going to the Dot foods just west of Richmond, IN. A whopping 495 miles by noon Tuesday. I get to 1st pu, and am told that they aren't suppose to load -that- Dot location on Crete...so out to the truck. 15 minutes later I get a message that Dot assigned this load to us. So, back inside, get a door and they load me. I informed them that there was a 2nd pickup...but did load me right...heck no. Get to 2nd pickup, and there isn't enough room. So, he was nice enough to unload 3/4 of stop 1's screwup, and load it w/o any pallets singled, then load his freight on. It still only took him an hour and a half. Hat's off to Seneca foods in Janesville...good people!!...so off I go. After all that, I had 1 hour to spare, so I figured I would stop close and finish in the morning. Until.....I got to Lebanon, IN. Turns out they were tearing down an old overpass and shut the road down for 20 minutes, then open it for 10 minutes and let a little traffic thru, then close it again. The only warning was a couple portable signs saying 'left lane closed'. 1 hour and 15 minutes later I get thru it, but now my 14 is screwed, and I can't make it close Monday night, and won't be able to get a break in and make it on time tomorrow. Dot still took me, I only ended up being 15 minutes late. Then over to Richmond, IN to pick up to Ottawa, IL - Petsmart for 530 am Wednesday... Putting me not only in a real foul mood, but I will have a whopping 1007 miles for the week(unless they pay me miles from Walmart). It was as I was leaving to go pickup my Richmond load that I was informed about my sleep study request...needless to say, I wasn't too kind to my A/M...like it was his fault. "honest Your Honor, I didn't mean to kill the messenger, but the sender was hiding his cowardly butt behind him"

 

Profiteering at its worst. For some reason, they opted me out of the sleep study. Don't know if it was because of my high compliance of CPAP usage, but I made my feeling clear that I was not going to be buying their machine.

I'm back at work tomorrow, this after I got a call from Spartanburg yesterday while I was on the campus of East Carolina University with my son at his orientation.
"Hi, Ken...we were just checking in because you've got two different PTAs listed".
"No, I don't. I knew I was coming back on the 12th. I've listed the 12th since I got my last load to SC. "
"Did your asset manager know that?"
"Uh, yeah...I've been putting the 12th in since last Wednesday. Not my fault they actually got me home a day-and-a-half early. This is one instance I needed those particular days due to scheduling and travel."
"Well, apparently she didn't know that."
"Not my fault. I put the info in...it's supposed to get read."
"OK. I'll make a note that you'll be back on the 12th."
"You do that."

I wasn't happy, but neither was I surprised. My AM seems cool, but does not seem to quite have it all together. It's her first go-round in this position, so I'll cut that much slack. But I'm staying out enough. I think this last time, I was out five weeks and ended up with six days off. Awwww......

 

I unloaded fast in Ottawa - Petsmart. I don't know that I have ever had a bad experience with any of their facilities...I was done by 0545. Then comes the waiting game. By 700 I began asking questions, like "does this freight hauling company have a lack of freight to haul again? And looks like another wasted day waiting". I got a quick response from my A/M..."there is freight, but we just got here, give us a few minutes to plan it"...and "do we need to be so negitive this early in the morning?". To which I replied..."what, the last shift isn't dispatching loads any more....I've been empty well over an hour....if there was freight to move, I should have been on it and rolling before dayshift hit the snooze the 1st time. Some of us have been working since 430 am"...and "after the last few months, there is no positive, unless you consider 'I am positive that nothing good will happen to me as long as I am working here' as a positive statement ". Glad I can start his day with a good jab in the soft underbelly, that way his day goes more like my typical day here.

He did end up getting me a decent run. Pu west of Galesburg IL going to Covington, GA...920 miles that del's asap. Except, I get to the shipper...load will be late getting loaded, the fumigation guy was late coming in yesterday, so they're running behind. If I ever deliver, I will likely get a load out of Social Circle to FL. For some reason he thinks that the only place to get FL freight is out of Social Circle.

 

Exactly why I blocked all the calls from Lincoln (402 a/c). Also have insisted that my cell phone never is used unless it is a vital life threatening emergency...and then they have to leave a message on my voicemail to get it to me.

 

LOL, classic.

 

I have been given a reprieve on my sleep study...turns out that my truck number was entered by mistake. It took me going to Deland, and at first it was ''if you're told to go, you have to go", but when I asked for the Fleet Manager to find out when and where they wanted me to drop off my truck because Crete's doctor said I didn't need it 11 mos ago, and I won't go because some desk jockey in a cubicle says so, I don't have to go until a physician says it's necessary...suddenly the attitude is "we'll look into it". This morning, Deland told me to disreguard it, the note is removed and you're good to go. The funny thing...after I mentioned it to my A/M and that an accurate pta would be put in once I do my load call on my homebound load...he messages me saying he heard that I was a regular internet blogger, and to be cautious because my employer might read it...I told him I've been in to see 2 vp's about it, and that I only blog my experiences...good or bad. and that any rumor or info from conversations with drivers is qualified as such...so any termination from it would be subject to legal action and bad publicity...the 2 thing they hate after losing money....So, they still must paroose these pages from time to time. With all the post's with similar stories here, it would be hard for them to find fault with any of my tales of woe since these posts only validate things.

 

crete made you see 2 vps over your posts on ttr? You must be a real threat ssb!

 

Real SOB when I want to be...nicest guy in the world any other time...we just had to discuss why I was having issues here...and an offer to fire me. After 45 minutes, I walked out with my job, a free lunch and we all had a better perspective on each others mindset...didn't solve things for long but it was good while it lasted.