CRETE - A Year in Review

Did anyone get that long message about communication this week? I did, the problems is, that I was pulling a load out of Ohio to Ardmore OK, and P/planned on my home load from OKC to Jacksonville, FL.(I guess they didn't have any FL freight out of Ohio...yea right)About the time I got off the OK Tpk, and onto the little 2 lane, I got a message about my PPlan getting cancelled...I immediately fired off a message about what was going on, and why I timed my delivery the way I did...nothing....30 min later I used the other canned msg to dispatch....nothing. After 2 hours, I finally checked off the ops vp/ops manager and sent another less than subtle message about being out almost 8 weeks, home time scheduled for today(Friday)and why was my home bound load cancelled... Which finally got a reply, "news to me, first I'd heard anything about it, I'll msg the CSR and find out"...they claim the load had been cancelled. Once empty, I picked up a non-plate trailer (composite lined, not plywood) and got a load offer from Supulpa, OK to Cartersville GA, and a promise that I would receive a pplan for my home bound load as soon as things slowed down in the office a little....but when I got the info, the load required a plate trailer, and not recognizing the shipper, I asked if a composite lined trailer is acceptable to this customer, or do they consider it the same as a plywood lined, and require a plate trailer for the extra wide pallets?(some do, some don't...but I figured I was hauling glass bottles, or aluminum cans for the brewery) I waited....and waited....and waited. After 45 minutes, I decided I couldn't wait any more, and switched to a plate trailer, sent in a message about the new trailer number I picked up, and went on my merry way. 2.5 hrs after I sent in the original message, I got an answer...but since I was almost to the shipper...it didn't matter. And no one bothered read the 2nd message to swap trailers in the system. I got loaded, sent in load info...and beep...wrong trailer location.....argggggggggh!!!!!!!! I didn't say a word, I wanted them to freak out because a load call was never made, then I could say "read the Freakin messages I sent in ya' yahoo's!!!!!!"(or something subtle like that)but it never happened. Then that evening, we get that general broadcast message about 'with freight on the increase, communication is more critical then ever blah blah blah".....ha...I guess that only works one way then...or else they are training to be politicians...(on either side of the isle) and want us to do as they say, not as they do. Once I got to Cartersville, a day and a half later, I reminded them that I had sent a message about swapping trailers, and need to get it straight before I do a load, arrive at cons, and empty call...I don't want to miss out on another Pplan'd load home....(un)Social Circle to Jacksonville FL...for Monday...only 3 days late, but a little more miles than the OKC to Jacksonville...so it ended up ok, I guess. But still, communication is vital to the suck-cess of Crete.

 

Unfortunately they are that stupid. If I take 3 days off now and 3 days off in 3 weeks, the truck will still be sitting for 6 days. But if I stayed out 6 weeks and took the 6 days all at once, they would only have to worry about getting me home once instead of twice. But that makes too much sense for management to grasp. So I made 'em get me down to Miami every 21 days.

It actually helped my miles cuz they usually had to deadhead me to Auburndale and the loads were usually pretty long outta there. Texas or Michigan. And that's another thing. A 235 mile deadhead every time I left the house. But instead of 235 once every 6 weeks, it was 470, cuz we can't have that truck sitting.

 

Hi all, from the non-Crete world, 3700+ miles for me last week. Seems at least some portions of the economy are improving.

I had an interesting head butting session last week that I thought I'd share. I wound up with a couple of industrial air conditioning units to deliver to an address in Arkansas. I arrived on time at an address that turned out to be a major chain grocery store being remodeled.

I parked in the front parking lot and checked in with the general contractor who told me that the refrigeration contractor was working directly for the chain (who was listed as the consignee) and not for him. So, I hunted up the refrigeration contractor and the fun began.

I asked where he wanted me to park for the unload. His answer was "around back." I walked around back to the store loading dock to find the paved area crowded with stacks of equipment and pallets of material to the point where there was no way I could turn around after I got in there. So I explained that I couldn't get in without some illegal maneuvering. To get to the back docks I would either have to back in from the street, in front of an elementary school, facing the opposing traffic or I would have to back out into traffic after unloading. I suggested several options, such as unloading roadside where I had room to pull off or in the front parking lot where there was plenty of room and the forklift could carry the two skids around back.

Right away the refrigeration contractor let me know who was in charge. "That ain't happening," says Mr. Bigshot-I'm-in-Charge. "I want you parked right here," he says, indicating a spot about the size of a dime at the back docks, "or I ain't unloading you."

Maintaining my professional demeanor I politely explained that I wasn't going to risk damaging company equipment or a hefty fine and points to get into that spot and couldn't we work something out?

Mr. BS says, "If you don't put it right here you can sit there all day for all I care." Hmmm. So, I get on the Qualcomm and tell dispatch what's going on, and the high level discussion between customer and company starts. In the meantime, Mr. BS tells his rented mobile crane to park close to me and there it sits idling. Obviously this is all to pressure me.

An hour later Mr. BS stops by to threaten to dismiss his crane and leave me stranded indefinitely if I don't go to the back. I stand my ground and politely mention that detention charges would begin shortly. Meantime, the Qualcomm says the customer's general office says no one else has had any problem (of course!) and that there's no reason why I can't deliver. I tell dispatch that's probably true, but not with all the junk currently piled in the way now. I stick to my guns.

Shortly afterward I see the forklift appear in the front parking lot headed in my direction. "Ah," I think, "He's seen the light and I'm going to get unloaded." Nope, but the forklift does unload the FedEx truck (dry van, like me) that had pulled in next to me. So, he obviously has the means to unload me if he wants to. I ask about my unload and Mr. BS says I can "sit there and rot" for all he cares. More messages on the Qualcomm about this interaction.

I'm not getting this guy. His livlihood depends on him installing reefers on the roof, but he seems to be totally focused on showing me who's boss. So, I politely explain that the company won't leave me sitting indefinitely and that his load would be put into storage to get me back on the road if I didn't get unloaded shortly. His response: "Fat chance."

Shortly afterward, without saying anything to me he dismissed the mobile crane, piled his crew into his truck, and left the site. And there I sat. More work on the Qualcomm on what had transpired. I guess he confused me with an independent who would have been in a tough spot in a situation like that. Perhaps he was going to teach me a lesson by having me sit there all night under load and I would be nice and compliant the next day.

In any event, the Qualcomm beeped with a dispatch to our terminal... over 100 miles away!... to put the load into storage. About this time the general contractor stopped by the truck and mentioned that I had been sitting there a long time. When I explained what had happened and where I had just been dispatched to, his face registered stunned amazment along with "holy $(*#, I told him not to do that!"

In any event, the grocery chain will almost certainly be charged with extra cartage miles, storage fees, and a construction schedule losing day-for-day while the reefer units sit in storage. I ran through the same terminal several days later and my trailer was still there. I wonder whether Mr. BS still has a contract with the grocery chain?

If you know you're right, stick to your guns folks. Sometimes there is justice.

 

WOW..I bet he cursed himself after he found his load was gone..Does Crete run alot of loads into NYC?

 

Good for you for not letting that smart ##### treat you like that.

 

Supersnackbar hits the nail on it's head with his posts and info about Crete. I was there for 5yrs before I could retire. Towards the end of my time it could'nt come fast enough.Dispatch got more noncaring,more rude then when I first started there. Crete is the most driver unfriendly, nonpersonal company I ever worked for, and I been truckin for 19yrs and a few companies so I been down the street and around the block, I know good and bad companies. Keep puttin your posts out there supersnack, so people thinking about coming to Crete are gettin true and good info to make their decision.

 

Well I finally made it home...only 3 days late, but living in FL, I'm use to a fight to get home, regardless of where I work. Even when I was working for a company based out of Jacksonville, I had to fight to get home.

I may be switching trucks soon. My air dryer has been going out, my A/C is beginning to fail again, I still have the altitude chug, and the pneumatics on my range selector is leaking worse than ever. I asked my terminal manager for info on how many days in a month is acceptable for down time...because 3 out of the last 4 weeks I've been in the shop, and would be open to dropping my truck and getting into a different one rather than sitting for days...I got a call from here saying she had 2, a Cornbinder (but previous driver was a heavy smoker) and another T/K APU truck (red this time)....and she asked if I was interested in either one, if she could get it cleared w/Lincoln...so I said the APU one since I don't smoke, and you can never get the smoker smell out of the interior of a truck...so now I'm waiting to hear back to see if all the approvals cleared Lincoln. At this point I don't care whether my next truck is an APU or not...I only use it for the A/C-Heat when I sleep, so it doesn't matter to me any more.

 

Hello everyone, I am about to apply here. Been driving for 7 years, with my last company for 4 years. Working for a great small company, but just got a divorce and was living in Central Texas, moved back up to family in SLC. Didn't like any of the local OTR options out of SLC, England or Central no thanks. I have been looking at this post and others for a while, along with other companies. Every OTR companies has thier flaws, but kept coming back to the good parts of Crete, like the $$$$. Coming from a "family company" to a big company that doesnt use driver managers is going to be something new, oh well learn and adjust.
Hope everything works out in the end, see you all down the road.

 

With your experience don't even think starter company. I talked to every Crete driver I saw that had a few moments. I ensured the one that gave me the most time got the referral. That is $1000. $500 when you are hired and $500 after 3 mos (I think). I know he didn't start to recruit me. I approached him and after our conversation told him I was going to apply and use him. He gladly gave me his information to put on the application so he got the reward.
I too was leary of going larger and the regional dispatch. Have much more positive vibes (the corporate environment seems much more positive) and despite some unhappy folks the overall was an improvement for my situation. Finally, yes the money is better too. Good luck.

 

Where has ET been lately?