CRETE - A Year in Review

I wouldn't hold my breath at NK. Last time I was there they were only working on the sold trucks unless you had a DOT issue. Might want to give them a call to see.

 

How long ago was this, and weekend or weekday?

 

I'm in Austinburg, OH at the Pilot. But only because I've got 45 mins left on my 70....on paper.


I've got 90 mins left on my e-logs! Unfortunately, I'm not officially on e-logs as yet.

Coming off a day (yesterday) that can only be described as "irritating". Nothing big. Just one niggling delay after another...I think I got behind every car in NY state running a donut spare. Accident on the Mass Pike. Western Express camped out at the fuel island (I've also come to the conclusion that Western Express van drivers are, by observed percentage, the most ignorant and inconsiderate on the road). I get to my pick-up yesterday with about an hour-and-a-half on my 70. And it's right near that Pilot at I-88 and I-90...the one that is always full at 4 in the afternoon. I'm thinking "great...gonna be stuck". But NO!

The load was pre-loaded, I was in and out in 20 minutes, and made it an hour down the road. It was a nice finish to an otherwise aggrivating day. I deliver in Lansing, MI at 0900 Wednesday, which will put me around 1500 with pretty good hours to run through Friday.

 

Was on a weekend, probably almost a month ago now, I'm sure it's okay by now.

 

As ok as New Kingstown could get...sometimes hard to tell when they're on or off a break.

 

Well...3rd shift and I are not getting along. Offered a good load, but since my hours are light on the 1st half of the week and heavy towards the middle and end...I am still using hours in the morning to deliver. Today's delivery I started at 1 am, delivered in Breinigsville, PA (which is a total joke to get in and out of right now) only to have 3rd shift offer a load out of somewhere near Chester PA (a town called Aston, that doesnt appear on any map I own) but it picks up this afternoon (after 1300) headed to Memphis by noon Friday. She told me to take a break, then go pu, but since I don't have a sleep disorder, I can't fall asleep at will...and since I had only been up a couple hrs, I most likely won't be sleepy until this evening... But you can't explain it to them...so now we're having a Mexican stand off(which beats a Mexican hat dance, since I look like I am having an epileptic seizure when I try to shake it on the dance floor...ok, sorry for that visiual) so now I sit waiting...hold on, update....they just blinked. Pplan cancelled...they found some earlier freight(that they swore they didn't have) Blandon, PA to somewhere in MI...another -not on the map- town...I may never get my truck fixed!!! They refused to let me just head to New Kingstown...so looks like I will be waaaaaaay over on my B service...I wonder how far over we can go before it screws up the warranty.

 

As of this morning, I am officially beginning my quest to leave this industry. I just can't take anymore.

Now, about 10 days after getting this truck, I have an air leak AND the Qualcomm backlight has failed. I've been dealing with idiots, work zones up the wazoo, and other standard BS for the last 10 weeks, and I've had it. Time to get out before I do what another driver apparently did, that being punching and breaking his OnGuard unit in his tractor. Been up since midnight and I just don't have the stamina to put up with the BS that has become trucking any longer.

Also....let me tuck in here that due to all the breakdowns, I've yet to hit 10000 miles in a calendar month.

 

Time to get out before I do what another driver apparently did, that being punching and breaking his OnGuard unit in his tractor.

I made a cardboard shield and placed it in front of the onguard sensor and it effectively shut it down. Turns the dash unit red. It also shuts off your cruise control, but all you have to do is turn it on and off 3 times while your moving and then hit set and away you go. I just couldnt stand that beep anymore.

 

I got lucky and got a load I can t-call in Lincoln, so I'm hoping when I get there tomorrow they can just swap out the driver-portion of the unit. The main backlight is dead....we've done all the possible resets. Unit still works...receives messages just dandily. So, given this SHOULD be a quick swap, we'll see how it goes.....wonder why I'm not so optimistic.....

 

I started fresh out of school with Swift in 1987 and worked for them for 5 years. That was before Knight and Swift were separate companies. They were much smaller then and as they grew I began to feel like they didn't much care about their drivers so moved to Ace Hardware and delivered regional for 5 years. Hard work but good pay and benefits. Felt like a number and needed a break from trucking so I got out of it for 4 years. Started driving again in 2002.

Worked for a small LTL company and enjoyed being home at night and on weekends, but in 2008 the economy began to force them out of business. Went OTR in 2010 and worked for May Trucking out of Salem Oregon for two years. I was treated with respect and my driver manager very professional and knew the trucking business well. Unfortunately I was only making 36 cents a mile and averaging 1800-2000 miles a week while being out four weeks at a time.

I moved to Heartland with much reservation because of the size of the company and I don't like switching jobs. Unfortunately, I like to stay out a month at a time and run at least 2500 miles a week. Heartland is set up to have their drivers home every weekend with 1800-2000 miles a week. Also when I got a pre-plan I always got a phone call from my driver manager telling me how to manage my hours, when to leave and where to break. Irritated the hell out of me. I know how to manage my hours. If I needed help I'd ask.

Crete has offered me 3 cents a mile more. I don't expect things to be much different in the way they treat their drivers. They are bigger than Heartland. I will be running 48 states and out four weeks at a time with four days off. Crete has better pay, benefits and miles. I figure if I have to put up with the impersonal treatment that is inevitable with a big company I might as well get paid for it.