CRETE - A Year in Review

Well after a couple days of trying to get my new truck right, I'm finally out of the New Kingstown terminal and am now pulling General freight. To be honest about it, I'm pretty excited over it. After being on the Container Fleet this is going to take a bit of adjustment, but in a positive way.

 

You're a better man than I am. I would have been a bit more, shall I say...Snackbar like... I don't pass up on too many chances like that to remind those folks in Lincoln about their inability to do their job. After all, they don't pass up a chance to remind me, it's only fair that I return the same type of reminder to them. They started it...I don't mind being the one to finish it.

 

Now don't forget...there is 53' of trailer behind you ...although having had to back my 12' utility trailer around...I'd imagine (since I have never pulled a shorty container) it'll be a pleasure to back a 53' trailer instead of trying to back some of those little mini-trailers. Some of those containers are only about as long as the truck...sorta' like backing a hinge.

 

Well I am still a reefer hauler...I had mentioned to my wife that I would probably be pulling this thing into next year, and it could quite possibly happen. I picked up at a chicken plant in northern AL going to IA. Man, I forgot how much I hate the stench of a chicken processing plant. It brought back nightmares of my earlier 'rookie years' of trucking. Since I am driving a blue truck anyway...I fit right in with the regular Shaffer drivers...no one even knows I am really a Creten. I am glad I have the truck that I do. This truck, with all it's issues, is a better balanced truck when it comes to hauling a reefer trailer. There was an older Cascadia(and it's driver) trying to pick up at the same place, picking up the same weight load (more of less) delivering to the same place, only a day earlier...and he couldn't get it scaled...he was either over on his drives, or over on his tandems...and he was sitting with around a 1/2 tank of fuel. I came in, hooked up, scaled out with over 3/4 tank...and I was right on the money... The shipper wouldn't reload him, and Shaffer wouldn't let him haul it until it was balanced and legal. So I saw him winding the landing gear and, I'm guessing, getting a different load. I hightailed it outa' there before they asked me to haul it...I would have had to t'call it because it would have had to be rescheduled a little later in the day. It was a 700 mile run for me(with deadhead) and I couldn't have made it anyway.

So, with where I am delivering there isn't a terminal, once again, for me to swap trailers unless they deadhead me over to Ottawa. There might just be a trailer or two since it's New Years weekend. So unless they pull off a surprise miracle, I am under a reefer for another load.

They did surprise me with all that B.S. last week. I did get paid more than I expected on the load that had the bad trailer that had to go to Lenoir City, then the bad delivery that got t'called. I was all bent over and relaxed for this weeks paycheck to be short.

 

Just remember, here at Crete, any specialty or dedicated fleet takes a per mile pay cut. The advertised pay is only for the National OTR fleet. (I didn't think we still had a Kelloggs fleet, or am I thinking of the General Mills fleet...I'm confused - more than normal, I guess it's hauling this reefer trailer around...I am getting out of sync, or I froze my brain when I was putting in my load locks)

 

LOL i use to pull reefers for cheap ##### marten, Crete told me about Kelloggs when i called them 35 to 38 cents and 2400 to 3000 miles

 

Ok so my first load was from Harrisburg Pa to near Richmond Va. Let's just say I'm really glad I got that one behind me. 5 hours to get loaded, and hour oor to scale....which dispatch recalculated my miles, and I really appreciated that. So my window was 1100 to 2359. I finally arrive through the Harrisburg-Baltimore-DC traffi at 2100...only to be told that my appt was AT 1100 and there was no window. Grrrrrrrrr. They were gracious enouigh to let me stay on the property for my break...and they'd unload me first thing in the am.

So that's my first day back off of dedicated.

Btw the 53' is much much easier to park than the 20'rs. Those small rigs can be torture.

I'm now sitting outside JAX for my delivery at 1730 tomorrow. Nice being in shorts and having the ac running.


Have a great New Years....go Ravens!!!

 

Well, it looks like they are killing our 34hr restart, it was nice while it lasted. How will the new HOS rule affect you guys. The only good thing I can see is that it does not go into affect for 18 months. This is going to hurt the pay checks of the guys that run hard.

 

No one runs that hard at Crete. Those that do run that hard do it because they don't get paid well, either as a company driver or owner operator. Therefore, it will have no affect on those who receive a good wage or know how to haul for a profit.

 

Thank you JD. A true statement if I've ever heard one. Keep the left door shut, stretch your legs every 5-6 hours, pick up & deliver on time and you will stay more than busy enough.