CRETE - A Year in Review

These new rules suck. The way things worked out today, I would have had to take 2 30 minute breaks to use all my available drive hours. The way I read it before, you only had to take a 30 break in the 1st 8 hours...not so I guess because I drove 10 minutes from truckstop to receiver, then drove 5 miles to the address Crete was given to pick up my load to Covington, GA. The I drove another 15 miles to the other plant across town that was where my load was produced (both plants produce the same stuff, it depends on how urgently the product is needed, if urgently needed and one plant can't make it in time, the other does). Anyway, I was there getting loaded around 1.75 hours...so minus the 30 minute on duty for my "load", then my 30 minute break was met. But, as I was rolling, the log book was counting down too fast...so I shut down earlier than I wanted to. When I looked at the graph, I should've been able to run until 2145...but the logbook clock was on 30 min available at 1900...now it just gave me the extra 2 hours while I was sitting here typing. This is gona negate the need to get as close as possible to the customer to delay starting your 14, otherwise you'll have time to squeeze in 2 30 minute breaks... I hope Ray LaHood and Ferro have their own little corner of Hades where they are run over by a Swift truck every hour for all eternity!

 

But, on a happier note. With this little snafu on this load...I thought it was going to be another week like last week...nothing but problems....but my new A/M came thru for me. He got with the CSR for Graphics Packaging, and, got it fixed so I got paid a 2nd stop since they sent us the wrong plant where my load was being made...so, for the 20 miles I ran within the city limits of Fort Smith chasing after this load(thinking that I wouldn't make anything since I unloaded in Fort Smith as well) I ended up making the $30 stop pay for 20 miles... This guy is all right!!

 

Man I had that happen once. I was sent over to this really small place. Was told to back into one dock then they changed me to the small dock out back. Had to pull into the alley (or small side street) then down into the ramp a bit blindsided. Not sure if I got paid

 

So they arent doing rental cars anymore to Lincoln?

 

i dont know, It was just easer for the wife to drop me off i didnt give him a choice. its easy for us go through there on our way back from WY, then the wife is going to stay the night with me in lincoln

 

slight misread of the new law there super....

You can work and drive up to 8 continuous hours without a 30 minute break. You took your break in the first 4 hours, which will not let you drive out your 14. The only way to use the entire 14 hour clock, is to take your break between 5 1/2 hours and 8 hours. 5 1/2 hours start your 30 minute break, which is over at the 6 hour mark, then you have 8 more hours to drive.

and yes it sucks.

 

LOL, typical trucker scenario: my appointment is for 6pm July 4. I called the customer and they said they aren't open July 4. Tried to reschedule for earlier appointment with dispatch/CSR. Said they are "working on it" and then I never heard from them again for 30 hours. Customer told me that they might take me early if I can get there by 0630 on the 3rd (but at that time I estimated earliest eta as noon). I arrive today at 11 am and the guard says "they don't open until 3 pm. Come back then". I go check in to enter the holding area and the guard says "that dept opens at 2pm".

 

I smell layover pay if they don't unload you today. Crete said the 4th, you attempted to deliver when they said...and they weren't open.

 

I tell ya'll what. I am considering a career change. After I delivered my load to Covington, GA this afternoon. I was told to grab an empty...done...offered a goood load. Pickup asap on the west side of Atlanta, deliver 1400 Friday in Grapevine, TX. 800+ miles. Add that with the decent week I was having miles wise plus the 800 mile load I screwed the paperwork up on last week(I'll comment on that in a minute) and it'll give me over 3700, plus 1 extra stop plus a 191 mile shag bonus. Since I screwed up the paperwork last week, it's miles only added up to 2100. So with the carryover, it balanced out. I get to the shipper...and my load has already been picked up. Arrrrrrrrrrghhhhh! (actually @%#&$ #&%%!&# &#&%&&#**@&$&#**!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Was more like it) go back to the truck, pick up q/comm...inform dispatch...and wait....and wait....and wait. I get a "still working on it" message. Then nothing. After a while I start getting a bit impatient, and start pretending I'm 5 yrs old...are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Nothing. So...every 5 minutes I sent a confusing message. I started out with 1 full line of ???????. 5 minutes later, 2 full lines...and so on and so on. Finally, I get a reply."we're waiting just like you, when we hear something, you'll hear something"...to which I responded "30 minutes!!!, you have 30 minutes to resolve this or I'm deadheading home and taking as much time off as I feel like. These constant screwups day after day, week after week month after month are unacceptable. My patience account is drained, and I'm closing Crete's line of patience credit"

While waiting, I notice the trailer number my load is suppose to be loaded on sitting right there. I go back to the guard shack and point that fact out...but the guard blows me off like I'm telling him how to do his job. So, I pose the question to op's that the driver somehow got my paperwork by mistake, but picked up the loaded trailer listed in his q/comm...never verifying the trailer or seal number, then hauling arse. 2 hours of waiting for nothing... Shortly after I send the message, the guard comes and gets me. Apologizes for not listening to me about the problem, says "there -was- a mix up on the bills like you said. The other driver has his load on another trailer, but the wrong bills. They're reprinting your bills. When you see the yard jockey come over...your bills are ready. Then come in and sign and pick up the trailer you said was yours"..then apologized again.

So, either someone in the shipper's office sent in 2 different loads with the same pickup number or when the paper pusher in Lincoln entered it in the system they duplicated a number...but seeing how different the load numbers were on the loads that hadn't been picked up, it's unlikely that the driver just wrote down the wrong number. However! He did fail to verify the paperwork, seal or trailer number between the b/l and the load info. So, when he gets to where he's going, he'll have a shock...wrong bills...tisk tisk tisk. At least when I screw up...I only screw myself and my family.

As far as the paperwork screw up I did. I did it right this time, and sent it in last night. At 709 a.m. this morning I get a message from someone new in Lincoln telling me to send in the missing paperwork. I replied that it was sent in last night, and if we'd have checked before sending a message we would have seen it...but if it's still not there, let me know...I'll send it in a dozen more times just for good measure.

 

Well they finally caught me! I was assigned this truck in December and was told to make it by a terminal for elog training. I made it by Cheyenne today to watch the video So i am now elog training.