CRETE - A Year in Review

not a rumor, just got a msg from my mgr confirming that

 

Spartanburg, SC is also going away, shop and all. Hope they don't mind me bobtailing home...that's my home 20.

One of the reasons I went to Crete was the close proximity of S'burg to my home. I"m sure not commuting to Greensboro, NC.

 

It seems pretty rare when these large 48 state carrier companies completely give up real estate. Usually when operations are ceased they keep the property as a drop lot. Only bad thing is parking your personal vehicle unsecured if they don't have a security fence.

 

It's a very small facility, and frankly won't be too great a loss. It is fenced and locked after hours, though, so it's relatively secure. But getting back out onto the four-lane two blocks down can be a real pain sometimes.

I think they've had that little place for somewhere around 25 or 26 years.

 

I'm sorry but Spartanburg was more of a terminal that council bluffs,ia has been in quite some time. I don't understand why they haven't closed down council yet.. at least you could do the first orientation at Spartanburg.. plus so many good places to eat within minutes of there... I could care less about macungie or tiffton.. I have only been to the pilot in tifton Ga.. love the steak and shake there. I wish they would just close council bluffs, move everyone over to hunts terminal maybe and leave Spartanburg alone.

 

I thought everything but the yard was shut down at Council Bluffs. Last time I was there all that was there was an empty building. Darn shame too, was one of the best shops.

I was shocked that they closed Tifton and kept Deland. I would have thought it would have been the exact opposite since we have such limited travels into any part of FL south of there since we send the majority of south FL freight via rail now. I figured that they would have put a real building on the Tifton property and just closed Deland. Not that I wanted that to happen, I think my peeps in Deland are one of the best bunch in the whole company.

As far as moving everyone to Hunts terminal(office staff/drivers) I don't know about that. When I spoke to a Hunt driver recently, it almost seemed like they(the management of both Crete and Hunt) are not happy together...it is as if they are step kids from a couple of bad marriages being forced to live under the same roof...each parent brought in their own kids and everyone has to put up with the other step parents kids.

 

Since leaving home last Friday, I have been fairly productive. By Thursday evening I will be in the 27-2800 range. I haven't heard anything from my asset manager though. I hope he didn't leave. Even though he was new to the business, he was doing a decent job, both keeping me productive and putting up with me when I grump off. E-log still sucks, q/comm still screwed up, truck is still a POS, but still managing to produce miles.

 

I guess council bluff is still there... My dm and her assistant is still there.. I guess, I haven't talked to them in around a week. I guess, if council didn't wanna move over to Lincoln, they could just put us out of Lincoln.. I dunno, but I really like Spartanburg.. what's next.. Ottawa? They cant take my 2 minute walk to cracker barrel away...

 

The Crete portion of Council Bluffs has been gone for a few months. Drivers were moved to the Lincoln fleet. Shaffer is still in the office, but the Crete personnel are gone. I think they are at Hunt, not sure. I still park there occasionally.

 

I never cared much for Ottawa(even before I had a battle of witts w/one of the mechanics...I know, I shouldn't fight with an unarmed man, but he started it!) It's a pain to get in and parked...even before they built the wally down the road. And the people in the office have no sense of humor...went in to take a random pee test...announced that 'I was there to pee on them', but got told that I wasn't suppose to pee "on" them....to which I replied, ''oh yea, that's right, ya'll aren't dispatchers, my mistake"...if looks could kill...they just didn't get the sarcastic side of my humor at all. Guess I shoulda tried a few knock-knock jokes to warm them up.