CRETE - A Year in Review

HI All

I have a prehire letter from Crete. Im supposed to start at a ptdi approved school on May 17. Im kinda hesitant to even get into trucking because I like eating healthy. You all will probably get a chuckle from these questions im about ready to ask.

I would probably want to have a toaster oven than a microwave. If a person wanted to broil a piece of chicken in the cab is that possible? How would u go about rinsing it off? How bout refrigeration? Is there enough room in a cab to put one of those dorm type refrigerators in it? Would there be a power adapter to even keep the frig on all the time? If there isnt enough room could a new driver take out the front seat and replace it with a frig without getting fired?

Also, say your driving along and u want to hit a grocery store thats nearby. Will the company even let u divert from your route to go there??

U guys can laugh all u want. I aint eating dhat shizz at Mcdonalds. I dont consider Subway healthy either.

thanks in advance

Crunch

 

I use my GPS.. I also get the directions on Qualcom for the shippers and receivers and then cross reference .. Google maps can sometime help to find out if you can park at the Shipper/Cons. you can also call them and ask most will let you know if parking is available and this can really help save you some time on your logs. as far as the dirs on the original load assingment be careful because sometimes they can get you in trouble. most of the time they are accurate but it only takes once.. When I first started they took me on a route thru a small town once and I couldnt cut a corner ended up having to go around and find my way out .. ended up about 30 miles around to get back on track. Since then I am really cautious about there routes.. just double check your GPS and If the mules are within 10-20 you should be good to go. Hope this helps and Good Luck

 

All companies will allow a 12v fridge. Some companies will even allow the use of an inverter however if not there is 12v cooking equipment available. Most of it is cheap in quality and expensive in price but it sure is better than eating Mcdonalds or Subway everyday. There is not ONE single healthy eating option available for drivers on the road and your desire to place your health above the job is one that should be applauded.

There will always be a Wal-Mart on your route to get what you need. In my case I am able to cook at home, simple rice chicken pasta stuff and bring a few days worth as I only stay out for a few days at a time. Once a month though yea a Big Mac is heaven, I'll never forget my roots even if they tried to kill me!

 

Thanks. I don't have a gps yet and will hold off until I find one that's accurate and not buggy. I'm not concerned about getting from town to town, just that final push into the shipper/con. I have google maps on my phone and use this a bit.

Id like to find one of those windshield mounted note pads so I could write out my directions and look at them without ha ving to take my eyes off the road.

 

Getting to a grocery store is not much of a problem. Once you get to know your way around, you will find favorites (I like the Walmart in Jasper, TN). You can use a 12V cooler that plugs into the lighter. Cooking may be a bit of a problem. You would need an inverter to run a toaster or microwave. Crete does not allow inverters (as do a lot of companies). That being said, a lot of driver set up an inverter with jumper cables and just clip 'em to the studs under the cover on the dashboard when they want to use them.

Rinsing off stuff may require some creativity. Maybe 1 gallon jugs of water? Most truck stops have microwaves, so you can heat stuff up there. Same goes for company terminals.

You will learn how to accommodate what suits your needs soon enough. It pays to be as self contained as possible. The first time you have to wait at a customer for 16 hours, you will be glad you have food, TV, laptop, video games, etc. Good luck.

 

Walmart is good for getting groceries. Occasionally you might find yourself in a small town with a grocery store nearby and some where nearby to park. Once I made a wrong turn on my way to pick up some soup in Maxton NC and ended up near a Piggly Wiggly ,or maybe Food Lion, and was able to get some stuff. Some ,not many,truck stops are within walking distance to grocery stores,eg Pilot in Marianna Fl,is near Walmart ,,Mt Vernon,Il Walmart is within walking distance of 3 truck stops ,Pilot in Cayce ,SC is within walking distance of Piggly Wiggly. I'm sure there are others.

One might run pass a Super Walmart at least twice weekly which allows short term truck parking if you are shopping there. One can get fruits ,raw vegetables ,packaged salads, frozen vegetables and meat. Storage might be a problem. Use a 12 volt cooler. Get 2 glad plastic containers, put ice in one ,put the other one in that one with the ice,and put meat in it and place in 12 volt cooler.This might keep it good for a day without a real freezer. Plan, so that you have time to cook soon after buying meat. Space might be a problem. You could get another cooler (not 12 volt) and a bag of ice for stuff that might not go bad quickly eg some fruits, and use the 12 volt for things that really need to be cold,eg meat,milk cooked food. You could even leave some fruits out,like bananas ,oranges,apples and even grapes out,but close your curtain and turn your bunk A/C up. This will keep them good for a few days. Turning bunk a/c up also makes 12 volt cooler keep a lower internal temp.

For cooking, consider a camping stove from Walmart . Consider also a small grill and some charcoal. Walmart might have grills for under $25 dollars. You can grill meat or wrap meat in foil and place it over hot coals if you don't want too much of a smoke flavor to meat. Understand though,that this cooking has to be outside the truck,so you will be limited to spring,summer and fall. For privacy you could cook on the cat walk between tractor and trailer, under trailer or in back of trailer,if empty. Keep fire extinguisher nearby.

12 volt cookers might not get hotter than 350 degrees, so you might want to cook for longer than a recipe actually calls for , but you can cook while driving.

Cooking can be a chore, so consider cooking for 3 days and storing in 12 volt cooler. Heating can be in a truck stop or terminal microwave, or 1 hour before you stop for your 10 hour break, put food in 12 volt oven. I don't use mine every day,but my roadpro 12 volt oven is still working after over 2 1/2 years. Just when I was planning on taking a toaster oven with me to do some in cab cooking using idle-aire,they went out of business

One can buy a whole rottiserie chicken ,which can last 4-6 meals. There are some healthy (and not so healthy) salad dressings ,barbecue sauces and other condiments you can use on the chicken each time, so as to give yourself some variety. Instant rice can be cooked using a T/S or terminal microwave. Some fast food restaurants have value menu salads which can be added to your meal.

Yogurt will last quite a while in a 12volt cooler and is supposed to be healthy. Yogurt can be had at subway,but will be less expensive at a grocery store.

Washing up to prepare food and washing up after can be done at the sink that a number of truck stops have. Get your own dish washing soap,as sometimes the T/S won't have. You can store water in gallon water bottles for this purpose also.

Preparing food on the road,and within the confines of a truck ,and cleaning up can be challenging and time consuming,so you may be tempted to use a fast food restaurant more often than you would want to,because of sheer convenience.

Visit the camping section of a Walmart or Target or a camping store. There is a lot of stuff to work with. I have even recently seen a Coleman blender in the Walmart camping section,which ,if I'm not mistaken,is 12volt, so you might even be able to make smoothies in your cab. If you are someone who likes to travel light,especially considering that you are in a company truck,then don't pack up with too many things you won't need. And whatever food you are cooking,make sure its well prepared, for out here on the road is not a good time or place to get a food borne illness.

 

Hey fellas. I haven't been posting on here lately, but I've been reading this thread (I set up my control panel to get nightly emails of any new posts to this thread and a couple others I'm watching).

Since my last post here, I've been busy. I'm more of a "run 7-10 hours a day, average about 8.5 driving per day, and always have some hours" kind of driver, as opposed to Evertruckerr's "run out of hours as fast as possible, get a restart, repeat" style. I'm just not that un-lazy.

That said, I left home on the 28th and I'm sitting in Whitestown, IN...out of hours on my 70. Now I'm wishing I'd spent the last week running more like Evertruckerr

Of course, that was impossible given the way my time out of the gate started, with a pickup by 10am in Chattanooga on the 28th and a live unload with a 4:30pm appointment in Dacula, GA - 142 miles in 6 hours. And Publix absolutely will not even check in a driver at the receiving window until 4pm. Oh well, them's the breaks...

Out of the house, I got a run from Chattanooga to Dacula, GA. After that, I got a load from Athens, GA to Lancaster, TX. Then De Soto, TX to Menomonie, WI. Then Eau Claire, WI to Midway, TN. Then Newport, TN to Lebanon, IN. That last one was where I started having to get up at midnight in order to deliver on time because I ran out on my 70 by midday and had to wait around until I got hours back. I picked up in Lebanon at the same place where I delivered. Gotta be in the Grand Rapids area by 10am tomorrow. No sweat, I get back almost 11 hours at midnight tonight.

I'm seriously considering the purchase of a 2007 Century with an APU when they start putting those trucks up for sale. I've even got my wife *almost* talked into the idea!

Is it just me, or does it seem to you guys like freight has picked back up almost to where it was 3 years ago?

 

Okay...you don't necessarily want a dorm-type fridge in a company truck. I'm not sure one would even fit. What you want, is a Coleman 40-quart 12-volt electric cooler. There's a spot in the truck it will *just* fit into on both the Freightliner Century and the International ProStar. This cooler will last you 6-12 months before the cheap fan on the inside heat sink goes out. When that happens, go to a local electronics or computer supply place (I use Shields Electronics in Chattanooga) and get an 80mm computer case fan, a wire fan guard for it, and a bit of heat-shrink tubing. If you don't have a soldering iron, borrow one. Replace the 60mm fan that came in the cooler with the 80mm fan, putting the fan guard on to keep your food from getting in the fan because the plastic fan guard that comes in the cooler won't fit over the 80mm fan.

Contrary to popular opinion, Crete does indeed allow inverters - so long as it will plug into a cigarette lighter outlet. This rules out anything big enough to run a microwave oven. There is, however, a very pricy option called a "Wavebox" - http://www.thewavebox.com. This is a very low-powered microwave that will plug directly into a 12v outlet. I do not own one, so I cannot comment on its quality or effectiveness.

I have a 12v "oven" such as those sold in truckstops for anywhere from $20-$30. Do not buy the tins for it at a truckstop - they're half the price at WalMart and are called half-size loaf pans. I get precooked Uncle Ben's rice dishes, also at WalMart right close to the regular rice. It comes in flavors like "Roasted Garlic & Butter" and "Rice Pilaf" and "Chicken Flavored Whole Grain Brown", etc. etc. I also get canned, pre-cooked white-meat chicken. Mix the contents of the pouch with the contents of the can in a tin, insert into the 12v oven with a little water in the bottom of the oven to kind of act as a double boiler (prevents sticking/burning, and also steams the food). Plug in the oven, wait 45 minutes. Dinner is served. I also do a lot of Progresso soup dinners. Of course, I also will occasionally remind myself that Flying J, Petro and T/A get the worst, cheapest, toughest cuts of steak on the planet. I remind myself by going in and ordering one. If you ever do, order it well-done so you can chew that stringy gristle they call a steak before your 10-hour break is up.

Celery with a little peanut butter is a good snack, as are fresh fruits. The peanut butter also goes well with just about any kind of cracker (but not Triscuits, as I found out the hard way). Carry bread with you. Also carry jelly - PB&J isn't just for kids anymore!

I also have a 12v crock pot. Stew meat at Wally World, plus some packaged broth, baby carrots, a cubed potato and part of an onion equals some fine beef stew. Make sure you use the rubber band thingie that holds the lid on, and find somewhere you can strap the thing down while you drive. When I make stew, I generally get the stuff prepped at night, dump it in the crock pot in the morning, plug it in and it's ready for dinnertime. Mind you, the smell of beef stew will permeate your truck and you will snack yourself silly all day while salivating over dinner if you're not careful.

You can also snack on just raw baby carrots (make sure to wash them first, of course) and ranch dressing (optional).

Take a walk through the precooked/frozen foods section of Wally World. Those precooked frozen chicken breast things will keep a few days in your cooler if it's working at peak efficiency. Be prepared to throw the remaining ones out after no more than 72 hours though - but hey, even with 50% waste it's still cheaper than eating at the truckstop!

A small propane camping stove and a wide saucepan with a lid will greatly improve your cooking repertoire on the road. Make sure to open your bunk vents and crack open your windows when using it in the truck. A wide saucepan can double as a frying pan. With it, you can get the Zatarain's jambalaya stuff, add some boudin or andouille (or just about any smoked sausage - even the Johnsonville Brats they sell at Flying J) and have a fine meal. You can scramble eggs, fry bacon, boil pasta, brown hamburger meat, even make corn pone (fried cornbread)! Brown some hamburger meat, put it in a tin in a 12v oven, dump a jar of Ragu in there, stir, close, plug it in. Clean the saucepan (see below) and start the pasta. Spaghetti, anyone? If you want to get really fancy, once you've finished with the oven, butter a couple slices of Italian bread, sprinkle with garlic powder, wrap in foil and place in the oven for a few minutes.

There are whole cookbooks full of recipes for the 12v portable oven. There are even more "1-pot" recipes that will work on a propane camp stove. The crock pot is a luxury, really - just the oven and the camp stove take care of about 1/5 of my meals (it would be more if I were less lazy and less enthused about fried chicken at truck stops, both of which are readily apparent if you ever meet me in person and see my massive girth).

Get a couple spray bottles. Fill one with water, the other with a sanitizing solution - 1 tablespoon of chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Make sure you have plenty of paper towels. I buy them in packages of 8 rolls from Wally World, and use about 4-6 rolls a month. To clean your dishes, wipe them clean with a dry paper towel, then spray a little water on them and wipe them dry again. Then spray with your sanitizing solution, swish the stuff around in them, and wipe dry again. Dishes are done.

On the subject of dishes, the big paper bowls from Dixie are just big enough to hold one can of Progresso soup. Plastic spoons are your friends. Think disposable as much as possible to minimize the cleaning chores. After driving 10 hours, cooking and eating, you won't want to have a lot of cleaning to do before bed.

Water - Get gallon jugs. Do not get the bigger container (I think they're 2 gallons) at WalMart that have the sort of spigot on them. That spigot *will* pop open while bouncing down the road. It *will* drain 2 gallons of water on your insulated coveralls that are stored right next to it under the bunk. This *will* happen just before you get to a chain-up area...in Colorado...in February. I'm just sayin'...

Get a bathroom-sized wastebasket. Put it behind the passenger seat, where you can reach it from the driver's seat. Garbage goes there, and it gets emptied daily. You don't want rotting chicken bones stinking up your truck.

Wow, I've typed more than I meant. Carry on!

 

Oh...Crunchyknees...you might luck out and get a truck with an APU, at least for a while, until they sell it off in a year or so. In that case, it's worth it to buy a cheapie microwave, even if it's only gonna be useful to you in the truck until it's time to trade in your truck.

 

Great ideas! I forgot about the 12 volt stove cuz I gave mine away when I got my mcrowave. Crock pot is a great idea too. My friend cooks up some great meals on the road with one. He's a diabetic and has a controlled diet. A side note on the dish soap. Keep a small bottle in the pocket on your drivers doors. Truckstops rarely maintain the windshield cleaning water any more. Put a few drops in the water and it makes a helluva difference. In some cases you may have to change the water first at some of the nastier places.