CRETE - A Year in Review

I had a fun bout with the wind in Nebraska a couple of weeks ago and was getting about 4.5mpg. I had been riding on empty long enough to sweat bullets. I'm not sure just how much fuel these trucks will hold now that we have the anti siphons tubes installed. Prior to that I did pump 182 gallons once, but the foaming fuel in the anti-siphon tube won't let me get as much fuel into the tanks as we were once able too.

To anyone with 2-100gal tanks (with anti-siphon). What is the most fuel you have ever pumped into your tanks?

 

I'm not sure I understand your point. If I'm reading this right you are saying that a productive driver lost out on $2000 a year in bonuses if they meet the requirements.

From what I understand of the quarterly bonus days, (I started after they had been eliminated), the bonuses were discontinued and a .03/cpm (not .02/cpm)across the board payraise was introduced in place of them.

Therefore, using your number of 33,500mi/quarter would result in 134,000 miles for the year. 134,000 miles at 3cpm payraise would result in an increase of income of $4020. Isn't that better than $2000 in lost bonuses? Not to mention all the drivers that didn't reach the bonus requirement would also be enjoying a higher pay rate.

On top of that they changed the mileage calculation to Practical miles from HHG(short miles). That alone bumped your pay on each run by 5-10%. Don't believe me? Just ask anyone that gets paid based on HHG miles.

 

No worries, I can assure you that I couldn't possibly think you are any crazier than what I already did prior to that fine afternoon.

 

I know how you feel, I'm currently sitting under a load that dispatch won't Tcall and there is no reason not too. It a great run that still has 800mi on it and had plenty of time on it for a re-power when I asked. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't hooked a Shaffer trailer. So now I'm in an actual company terminal and I just can't understand why they wouldn't Tcall it and get it under a Shaffer driver. Now I have to put up with Shaffer freight and all the headaches that go along with trying to get rid of a Shaffer trailer once empty. All live loads with no chance of a drop and hook until I get to another terminal, at which time I will in all likelihood still be under a different load and have to fight with dispatch to Tcall somewhere down the road. I'm thinking I may not have such a great weekend.

As far a slow freight and extended delivery schedules, I'm afraid we will be seeing more of this for the first quarter of 2011. I'm still getting miles, but I'm having to putt a little more effort into it than I would like. According to one of my students who went through orientation prior to getting on the truck, the company's line is that they expect freight to pickup after the first of the year, but I'm not quit as optimistic. I've just seen too many "no freight" messages. Granted, Its nothing like it was last year, but there have been enough hiccups along the way to make me leery of the near future. The economy just seems too unstable to me at the moment. Let's just all cross our fingers.

 

It's not just the windshield that is leaking in my '11 Cascadia. Before getting this truck, all I heard was that the new trucks didn't have the air leak problems around the doors when driving down the road. Well, I will admit that they are quiter, but as far as having a tight seal. NOT!

I was driving across Wy the other day being blasted by 40-50mph cross winds. Every time I came across one of those sections of blowing snow like this:


It started snowing in the truck. Yup, that's right. The inside of my truck looked like a $125,000 snow globe. Little silver flakes of fine snow started flying all over the inside of my truck and I actully had to drive with one hand while I was constantly wiping off the dash, armrest and my left arm. It wasn't just a little snow, my arm was getting soaked by melting snow and small puddles were building up at various spots in the truck. Oh Yeah, the windshield wipers still suck too.

OK, it doesn't look that bad, but this was only after a couple of minutes, and don't forget. It was SNOWING INSIDE my truck.

 

I typed this up a while back and forgot to post it so I'll go ahead and throw it up along with the miles for the last few weeks



WEEK FORTY SIX
Monday, November 15th through Sunday, November 21st

Home time was short lived this time around and Monday morning found me at the yard waiting for my first load. I assumed I would be getting something that would run in the general direction of Dallas to start me on my eastward way, but it was not to be, much to my dismay. Instead of Texas I was looking at a repower load that was sitting in the yard.

I wasn’t really that thrilled about getting a 180mi run to start the week off with, but then all I had to do was run it on down to Nogales anytime before 5pm and make the live unload delivery. From there I assumed I would be picking up a load of plastic tubing or wiring harnesses as I usually do from them parts to get me out of the area. Both are light loads and both such loads usually have a decent amount of miles attached to them. So what the heck, a shag load every now and then is no big deal.

Until today that is. I arrived at the consignee to find another Crete driver being unloaded and had to wait about an hour for my turn. Once the other truck was empty I got my self situated and by the time I had the truck shut off the other driver was standing at my door to inform me that her MT call was followed by a “no freight” message. This did not please me in the least bit and the mood only got worse from that point on because I also received the same message when it was my turn to put in an MT call. An hour or so after that I was horrified to get a load offer that didn’t pickup until the following day 10am.

I did make an attempt to get a different load out of dispatch, but according to them there was some kind of Mexican holiday and no one was working today (other than the place that just unloaded me that is). So there wasn’t any freight moving out of the area until the following day. Of course, I did try to pickup my load early, which entailed me walking across the street to another building from where I had just delivered. But that was a no go and I was told to return at 8am the following day. At least that’s two hours earlier than my original appointment. It really hurts to spend the night in a Kmart parking lot when I’m less than 200mi from the house.

The one consolation to this fiasco was that my next load that didn’t pickup until the following day had soooo much downtime on it that I would be able to get loaded the next morning, drive another 3hr north back to Phoenix, park the truck in the yard and spend another night at the house. All I had to do was alter my routing through some back roads. It would mean a lot of two lane roads up to Denver, but it would actually cut the trip short by 90 miles or so. And that’s just what I did, giving me a bonus night at the house, although it didn’t come without a price because my mileage total for the week was getting off to a very shaky start with a something in the area of 1200mi by noon Thursday. Ouch!

The extra night at the house was worth it though and I got a fresh start bright and early Wednesday morning, enjoying the more scenic route thought the back roads that I had chosen for the day. It began with a stroll along Hwy 87 out of Phoenix through what can only be called a Saguaro forest.


By the time the day came to a close I had made my way through Durango and climbed over the top of Wolf Creek pass which already has a good 3-4 feet of snow covering everything. I would have loved to snap a picture, but by the time I made it that far the sun was long gone and I was left with only the moon light to show me the sights. I was actually going to spend the night on top of the Pass, but couldn’t help but notice the air was a bit thin at the 11,000+ foot mark and I figured I would have myself a nice headache by the time I woke up. I felt it would better served my well being to head on down the other side and find somewhere else to park for the night.

As the sun came up the next day I had already been on the road for some time and was fast approaching Denver. The view was amazing and I was truly enjoying the drive.


When I arrived at the customer at 8am on Thrusday morning, they actually thanked me for showing up so early, (I had an 8-noon window). They must have needed the product because it was off the truck in a matter of minuets and I was awaiting my next load. I was all but sure I would be pulling a load of Bud out of Ft Smith and that’s just what I got.

A fine 792mi run going to Ft Dodge, IA. I was thrilled about this one because my routing would be taking me directly through my Grandmothers home town and I would be able to stop off and say hi without adding a single out of route mile to my trip.

Picking up this load of beer was the usual run around. These are always drop and hook loads, but if I can get in and out in under one hour I consider myself lucky. Today I was not lucky. It started with a 20min wait in line just to check in. From there it’s the standard drop your trailer, return for a bobtail weight (that line was another 20mins) and then go back and get your loaded trailer. Guess what I get to do then, yup, get back into another line to get a final weight. Ugh! It was a good 90mins before I was rolling again, but once out of the place it was smooth rolling.

While on my way to Iowa I also got a message from the training department that they had someone waiting for me at the Council Bluffs terminal. Looks like I’m going to have a 10day short term student on the truck to keep me company.

The delivery of this beer load went much smoother than the pickup did and I was putting in an MT call in short order and I was looking at a nice drop and hook run that would take us over to the Ft Wayne area for a drop delivery whenever I could get it there. That load was delivered Saturday and shortly there after I was off and running on yet another wonderful drop and hook with a 200mi deadhead up to the Chicago area. Either freight rates are improving to justify the extra deadhead or I was the only truck in the area that could deliver this load on time. Either way I was thrilled because not only was it a drop and hook delivery, I was headed to Oklahoma with a wonderful 1000mi run instead of some undesirable northeastern destination to finish off the week.




WEEK FORTY SIX
Monday, November 15th through Sunday, November 21st
Miles include deadhead

Phoenix, AZ to Nogales, AZ………………………………………………...181mi
Nogales, AZ to Lakewood, CO……………………………………………1013mi
Ft Collins to Fr Dodge, IA…………………………………………………...792mi
Carlisle, IA to Yoder, IN……………………………………………………...606mi
W. Chicago, IL to Pauls Valley, OK……………………………………1041mi

Total Paid Miles…………………………………………3633 Miles
Actual Miles…………………………….3564 Miles

3633mi x .45 = $1634.85 + $15 short haul + $53.57 training pay = $1703.42



WEEK FORTY SEVEN
Monday, November 22nd through Sunday, November 28th
Miles include deadhead

Clinton, OK to Kennesaw, GA……………………………………………...1089mi
Fairburn, GA to Monroe, LA……………………………………………….....537mi
Crossett, AR to Zanesville, OH……………………………………………...920mi
Reynoldsville, OH to Des Moines, IA……………………………………….710mi

Total Paid Miles………………………………………..3256 Miles
Actual Miles……………………………..3395 Miles

3256mi x .45 = $1465.20 + Training pay $125 = $1590.20



WEEK FORTY EIGHT
Monday, November 29th through Sunday, December 5th
Miles include deadhead


Ft Dodge, IA to Modesto, CA……………………………………………..1937mi
Modesto, CA to Fontana, CA….…………………………………………...362mi
Redlands, CA to Boise, ID…………………………………………………....879mi
Burley, ID to Burlington, WI(first leg)……………………………………161mi

Total Paid Miles………………………………………….3339 Miles
Actual Paid Miles…………………………..3361 Miles

3327mi x .45 = $1502.55


WEEK FORTY NINE
Monday, December 6th through Sunday, December 12th
Miles include deadhead

Burley, ID to Burlington, WI(last leg)………………………………….1551mi
Belvidere, IL to N Kansas City, MO……………………………………...544mi
Kansas City, MO to San Bernardino, CA………………………………1581mi

Total Paid Miles…………………………………………….3676 Miles
Actual Miles………………………………….3702 Miles

3676mi x .45 = $1654.20 + Training pay $53.57 = $1707.77