CRETE - A Year in Review

Not shabby, I've had that same run myself a couple of times. I finally learned from a really old (late 80's) former driver why the one stretch of road in Oregon is called cabbage. It seems 35-45 years ago a truckload of cabbage tipped over and that's where the name came from. Hows that for usless trivia? Keep the shiny side up brother.

 

Anybody ever just lose a mudflap? Right side on the drives. Looks like it just got ripped off the bracket. Reflectors are there but scrunched to the right. I drove over a real rough stretch looking for a parking spot. Could that be when it happened?

 

If I had a nickle for every mudflap I lost on a rough road I'd need a wheelbarrow to carry them. LOL

 

Been there done that, but at least you can keep going unless you need to bobtail

 

Thanks for the responses. It is amazing how quickly stuff can happen when the situation appears benign. I hate all the fiberglass aerodynamic fluff. So fragile. They have lowered the clearances for aerodynamics that even a parking block can ruin your day, or an uneven crossing taking out skirts. You can hit stuff without actually doing anything unsafe.

 

It's the sad truth but the companies, all the big ones anyway, are trying to save as much fuel/money as possible. When you add up 1/10th of a gallon for having a skirt and 1/10th of a gallon for slowing the truck 1 MPH and times it by the number of trucks, all of a sudden your talking big money.

 

The problem is, the cost to equip a truck with that, then the cost of replacement of damage from normal objects that have now become impassable roadblocks due to ground clearence...the bottom line isn't all that improved...plus most companies don't count the cost of lost productivity for the driver down time, and rarely care how much the driver looses in pay while waiting to get parts and repairs. I guarantee if the Suits that run most companies had to sit for days in a waiting room while there Mercedes or BMW was in the shop...the lawyers phone would be ringing off the hook...but us lowley 3rd class peasants can lose weeks of down time...and are expected to just suck it up and live with it, or as the unofficial slogan of Crete goes...'if you dont like it, leave'

And yes(for those who are wondering) I am in an unusually deep 'snackbar' funk. I have had another bout of 'we cant fix that, or find whats wrong' with the cow tipping capital of Acklie's shops...Lincoln.

 

Remember Snacky, there are no shortcuts to Tonn's new Mercedes....

 

This is pretty informative and the spreadsheets you made is similar to what I did with Werner. I can say you got very lucky with 0 breakdowns and consistant mileage. My mileage was highly inconsistant with many lost days (average of 5 days per 6 weeks out) due to breakdown. Currently looking for a good company with reliable equipment and the likes. Will be reading through the thread to get a drivers eye view of these guys and make and educated choice and where to go from here. Thanks for the info driver.

 

I counted 51 days home all year, that is no life my friends.