CRETE - A Year in Review

SS,
Thanks for the explanation. In my year at the former Dick Simon company we have "personal" dispatchers, but I know the planners are regional. My DM is ok. He isn't perfect, but I am not either. Figure I could have done worse. Is Crete strictly regional then?

 

No offense, but you might feel comfortable doing 40 or 50 mph, where as the next person feels comfortable doing 60 or 65 in the same conditions. I will never give a driver a hard time going the speed they feel comfortable with in bad weather, but it drives me crazy when other drivers tell me to slow down when im driving my truck in inclement weather. I have made it 11 winters with no accidents and when I do feel uncomfortable I back out of it.

I was in the same storm Saturday on I81 in Va. and it drives me crazy when there is a pack of trucks all running together in those conditions. Me personally, I want to get away from the packs. Because if one driver hits his breaks at the wrong time (I.E. on an ice covered bridge, or going under an underpass) and all hell breaks loose I have more time to react.

 

let me guess Navajo?

 

No, May Trucking Company

 

Actually TLeaHeart works for Stevens

But why were you picking on poor ol Rooster again?

 

I agree 100% regarding the pay issues, but there are three things I miss about Load Select --

1) I had the ability to plan my own schedule. If the truck needed "B" service, I could take a load that got me to/thru a terminal and get the truck maintained. When I wanted to go home, I started accepting loads that got me into areas where there was freight that would get me home - it wasn't done by the computer, it was my responsibility to get myself home.

2) I could maximize my hours. Instead of running loads that are 400 miles/day everyday for 7 days, I could grab a load that was 2500 miles in 6 days, RMAO to get it almost there, take a 34-hour reset, and then deliver the load and have almost 70 hours to run. Nowadays, it seems like I might get one reset per month, where before I used to get two or three.

3) I was happier. Instead of being forced to go into someplace, I could look for loads that would allow me to vary my destinations. And, I could take loads that would allow me to travel to/thru various cities and towns and visit friends/relatives. I could accept a load going from Newport, TN to Los Angeles, then call a friend of mine in Albuquerque, tell them what time I'd be going through, and ask if they wanted to meet for dinner.

But they're still a good company, just not as good as they once were.

I think that if they restored some of the programs - especially Load Select on a limited basis - they'd find recruiting new drivers a lot easier.

 

I always like driving I-80 across Nebraska after they've had a good winter storm and looking at the accidents the idiot truckers have had.

You'll see a bunch of trucks jackknifed in the median or on the shoulders - and I know that they were probably running reasonably safely, but just hit a slick spot and lost it, maybe got blown by a gust of wind, I presume from seeing the accident that they were driving fairly cautiously. But every so often there will be one about 200-300 yards off the road, fresh tire tracks in the slow leading out to the unit, and you'll wonder - "How fast was this idiot going?"

 

What you feel comfortable with is fine, so long as you are in control, and can stop before hitting that idiot that crosses the median in front of you.

And do not criticize me when I slow down to let the pack walk away from me, or to give myself more room for the 4 wheel drive going to fast and fishtailing in front of me. I do not want to be the UPS driver on I80 PA that had a 4runner spin across in front of him, and he t-boned them... Or the Pretty chromed truck that passed me in Ohio cussing me out, who was hit head on by a SUV that loss control and crossed the median, and the martin driver who jackknifed trying to stop to avoid it. He did not succeed. I came to a nice gentle straight stop.

I will not tell you, you are going to fast, unless I see your trailer fishtail, and I expect the same respect for me going slow.

 

i for one slow down to a crawl when i feel unsafe . i dont think expierence out weighs safety i mean if u r going 65 an lose control be it ice or snow u potentially can wreak more havoc on yourself n others then i think a slower moving vehicle can an will its pretty much a scientific fact .i think we all can agree if i rearend u at 5 mph it wont cause the same damge as if i rearend u at 65 no rocket science needed here so for those who feel they can handle higher rates of speed in inclement weather .remember accidents happen all the time and can happen to anyone so instead of thinking you r superman . just take a moment to think that maybe just maybe it hasnt happened to you YET . so please for your safety and the safety of all of us out there lets put our pecker sizes back in our pants and just be safe for all involved .i for one will not think any less of you for slowing down . matter of fact i will respect you more have a great day and be safe to all and merry christmas to everyone

 

EWW, I'm shaping up to having an 1,100 mile week. Havn't had a week this bad since '09. I delivered in Ennis, TX on Wed. at 1300. Went up to Wilmer for a much overdue b service. Was ready to roll Thursday at 1100. Next load avail. picked up anytime for a delivery in Searcy, AR Friday at 1230, so I completed a reset and boogied to AR. Was mt at 1345 yesterday and got a load offer from Jacksonville, AR with 3 stops on it: 2 in Il and 1 in Wisconsin with 2 deliveries on Monday and final on Tuesday. I asked if there was anything more productive....nope we're 35 loads short (have not heard that in a long time). Asked for a tcall in East St. Louis, "nope, you have a good load for the weekend" is what the response was. To call 780 miles in 4 days a good load is an overstatement to the point of being absurd.

Oh well, the can't all be great weeks I guess...