Crete Carrier - A Year In Review - Fall 2013 Going Forward

I'm at the Pilot in Punta Gorda, FL for the night after delivering my load at the Wal-Mart DC in Arcadia, FL late this afternoon. I'm watching my Saints in a close one with Philadelphia right now. Got a load picking up at Star Distribution in Plant City, FL going to Nestle Distribution in McDonough, GA. I think it is water. However, I can't pick it up until 1/6/14. Not to mention that I was supposed to be home by the 7th and home is in Southwest Louisiana. At the rate it's going, hell I won't be home until the 10th.

Oh, by the way, I'm finally using my opti idle tonight to run the AC as the temp is in the high 60s over here, and I must admit it is working beautifully. If it continues operating like this, then I will be able to deal with this truck.

Yea...for the Saints. They just won it!

 

It's not water..it's Juicy Juice...and unfortunately they don't open until after 1800 on Sunday. But it may already be preloaded. You may want to give them a call to see. From McDonough they always sent me to Social Circle. Maybe they will send you there and head you to Robert, LA

 

Well Crete has done it again! I didn't realize how good I had it here until yesterday. It's like they can read my mind! I was thinking that I could really use some time to browse job postings and fill out applications when, like magic, they tell me there's "almost no freight" here in the Hermiston, Or. area. They did, however, find a load out of Toppenish, Wa. going to Lathrop, Ca. that doesn't p/u until Monday and has until the 9th to deliver. I've been told in the past, in no uncertain terms, that you can NOT refuse freight if you have the hours to do it. I accepted the load and asked them to please keep an eye out should something else come up that will keep me from waiting 2 days to p/u. They said they would (yeah, right!). Of course just a couple of hours later, another Crete driver who delivered after I did, was given a p/u in Lewiston, Id. that was ready to go, but he had to wait to go there because he was out of hours for the day (I had 52 available).
So like I said, what a GREAT company!!! I've never worked anywhere before that was so helpful giving drivers time to improve their job status! Thanks Crete,,,WELL DONE!!!!

 

After a very frustrating start to the morning dispatch came through in the end!


There were seven Cretens at the same cons this morning. Me and another feller were around front at 0700 like we were told to be. Turned in our paperwork and assigned doors. I was first up. I had the last door so once backed in the next guy could back in see-side....or so it was supposed to be. This lady Creten decided she would cut in line and cuts off the other guy. She forced him to back in between her and I which is normally no problem. However the place had NO room between the bldg and the snow bank. So after some effort and a few snow drifts moved by the front bumper the guy gets backed in. Now this place is weird and wants to see you cut the seal. So once backed in he had no room to open his doors. The lady driver couldn't either so she had to pull up and over. The guy next to me pulls up and over. I managed to get his door open by having him back up as I opened the door as it slid into the slot between my trlr and cab! it all worked out in the end though.

Once unloaded I sent in my MT call and waited....and waited...and waited. At nearly an hour past my MT call they send me a preplan that they missed yesterday. Accompanying the preplan was a PRIORITY note that I am to hurry to the shipper ASAP! I sent them a note that they had waited an hour to make me hurry....wait it gets better! Once I arrived at this new customer (no directions in the qcomm) the doors were locked and nobody was home. They're closed on Sunday. I got a somewhat snippy reply to their vacancy from OPs that I should look for the spot trailers as it was to be pre-loaded. OKAAAaaayyyyyy. Nobody home, chains on the only gates and no trailers in sight! Canceled off that load.

Preplan #2 was a three day 630 mile run ending in NJ at 1700 two days before I am due to be home in Dallas. My request for something heading to Texas was met with "I was not due to be there for five days" Well three days to NJ means two days to get me home. I got no reply to my second message about how to read a calendar and do math (hey I wasn't rude!..no I swear!!). A quick call to a more intelligent and very well mannered and helpful (can you tell he hooked me up) person netted me a 3 day 1100+ mile run to Lancaster, TX. Due anytime on the 8th

A very big plus was my trailer, which wasn't due till 1900 tonight was ready before 1400'ish when I picked it up! Sitting in Glendale, KY scamming the free wi-fi from Micky D's! Waiting on the cold weather to catch up to me

 

You are new, right? You can legally leave a customer/private property that doesn't allow overnight parking with an MT trailer when you do not have enough hours to reach the Closest and Safe Haven. I have been instructed by DOT directly ona couple occasions that I have been Required to leave. Perfectly legal.

 

I hope for my sake that you are correct.

 

Dang, I've used the off duty driving to pull loaded trailers short distances several times, I highly doubt even our log department will ever catch it. I've pulled trailers with flat spotted tires across several states to get them replaced at one of our terminals, no spare tire hanger and the cores were still good. Relax, stuff happens. I wouldn't wait at a customer to get a trailer fixed while the truckstop fills up, the service guy can come to the truckstop just as easy. Or that butt heavy load I had from Idaho to Florida.....
Made it home last night, Michigan to Whiteland, IN heavy snow, rained all the way to Owensboro and started sleeting while I dropped and hooked, it was a slow trip the 45 miles home. It's 0 degrees outside now.
A friend called and wanted to know if I "blew" by him on I 64 today in my Crete truck????? seems he was driving slow in his pickup due to the icy road.

 

Man I saw a BUNCH of Crete trucks headed east on I40 near Memphis. Some had little stickers over the Crete on the doors. Thing is they looked fairly new. All were Prostars and they all had the black bumpers and skirting. Maybe they've had enough and are wholesaling them...haha

Made it to my fuel solution in Nashville...the one out on 155. I get to the pump and start things off when I noticed the right side nozzle wouldn't stay clicked. So no fuel in the right tank! I asked the manager if she knew about it when the maintenance come running up. He had been told earlier but failed to block off the pump or that nozzle. To top that off the Bud-dumber guy was making a delivery and decided to block the first pump. Not in the fuel island but just before. I showed her a bobtail having to back into the fuel island. She was fixen to take care of a few things 'round there!..haha

Finished fueling in W. Memphis where I had planned on taking a shower. No dice. The entire city was without water. One pipe busted and the rest were frozen. So I'm sitting in Earl (that sounded funny) at the T/A where they have plenty of high pressure hot water

Hitting the cons tomorrow and maybe home or do some local runs for a couple of days. I wanna see some playoff foosball this weekend.