CRETE - A Year in Review

Your welcome Snacky, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. God Bless America!

 

Do any of you know if there is a procedure to "fire" your asset manager and move to a different one? This person they've put me with is about as worthless as mammalian protuberances on a boarhog. I was getting better communication and mileage just going through dispatch and my now closed terminal if need be. I'm sitting at a consignee right now on what she insisted was a live unload that couldn't deliver early that has turned out to be a d&h with no empties on the lot and no empties anywhere around - not even at the nearby terminal. And it was HOT and they'd have loved to have it when I could have had it here at about 1500 yesterday. So I'll probably sitting here for a few hours with my 14 running when I could have probably been moving on something productive. This is the third strike on this kind of thing in the three weeks since she first graced my Qualcomm ...

 

Id think you'll need to talk with your terminal mgr about it.

 

I believe you're right. At the least they'll give you your AM's boss' name. I found out a while back who I had to call, just in case mine didn't work out. I still count my blessings that my A.M. has a head on his shoulders, plus I found out last week that he has been with the company quite a while...not sure what area he was in, but he knows Crete and it's freight/customers/policies. So other than the occasional advice on how to do my job...he is tolerable

 

I saw one of the new Shaffer 75th anniversary stickered blue trucks. I wonder, since both divisions run red and blue, if they are going to 'ugly up' red trucks too. If they handed me the keys to one of those eyesores...I would insist on a different one, or a rental car home. They not only have a huge '75th anniversary' sticker on the drivers side, but stickers going up the front of the sleeper roof. It was going the other direction, so I couldn't see the right side, but I bet it's just as bad so the DOT can enjoy it too, since we don't pass much.

 

I'm out of council bluffs and I've asked for a difference Am, 3 separate times now and my terminal manager has tod me no.. I said fine, its her or me.. my terminal managers answer was, where would you like to drop the truck off. I'm sick of asset managers.. most of these people couldn't teach a kindergartener what a circle is, let alone dispatch us. I'm just getting tired of the lack of interest in our problems.. in my case, its always my fault when I have a legit problem.. its very frustrating. Please do post if you find a way to rid yourself of a am... I'm about to tell them mine touched my secret place at recess and see where that get me......

 

Oh yeah, got a trip from north va to Texas this weekend.. I almost had a heart attack when i seen 1288 miles in 2.5 days time.. it brought back memories of seeing these type of loads more...

 

If my terminal manager said that to me...Lincoln would have been next on my speedy dialing fingers. The problem is, who to call. People have changed positions so much, I don't know who's who up there. I have called other terminals and told them why I was about to ask the next question. I would phrase anonymously like ''if I am having trouble with my AM, and my fleet manager isn't willing to help solve the problem, who's next in line over my fleet managers head? Not that I am trying to cause problems for them but...."...my terminal/fleet manager is one of the best, but still knows, if she doesn't do her job, I don't stop there, I'll go right up the ladder until the problem is addressed. Not to brag, but my FM is fighting w/Lincoln trying to get a driver some sort of compensation for being stuck out west sitting for 3 days w/o a load. Crete has never paid for freight related layovers even when Mr. A was upstairs...but she is pushing for something for this driver.

 

I too got shocked by a good load. Deadheaded from Springdale, AR all the way to Jenks headed for Lugoff, SC(Columbia) for anytime Sunday. 1150 mile and timed right...since I put in for hometime next w/e, I figure they'll offer an unbelievably long run west expecting me not to take it...well they're wrong if they try...'honey, the road home hit a detour'. Even with a subtropical storm bearing down on FL....I'd take it. If it were a Cat 2 or higher hurricane then home i'd go...but a subtropical storm... Just a lot of rain...looks like the Indian Chief's been putting in some overtime on rain dance performances...guess I'll have to go lose some money at the casino to say thanks.

 

I saw one of Schneiders 75th Anniversary trucks today in Alabama. It didnt look too gaudy...maybe the orange deadened it out a bit. Still looking for a Shaffer truck.