CRETE - A Year in Review

Not to be the bad guy here...but if I had to live in LA or any of it's vast spread of surrounding suburbs...I would have to make more than that. I mean, after federal, you pay an increasing state tax, local taxes, higher property tax, higher fuel for your personal vehicle...just an overall higher cost of living, so that increased gross pay looks good on the w2, but once you get done paying out all the extra, it isn't worth it in my humble opinion.

 

I too had a down June, but my June's always are down. I did manage 9800 and 5 days at home, so not the worst month I've ever seen. July is improved as well. Pulled a 1/2 empty trailer out of Clinton IA to just north of San Antonio, then they sent me 135 miles sw of there to a little hole in the wall town 40 miles from Mexico to pu a Del Monte load going to Rochelle, IL. 2 loads this week by Thursday, and I will be just under 2700 miles, and in a good freight area. Although it hasn't been w/o a fight. When I get to the shipper yesterday, Crete provided me with the wrong pu number. There was another Crete with a later appt that they did the same thing to. Only he got his correct number, and was put to the dock early. After 15 minutes, I hadn't heard anything, so I rebeeped them. After 30 minutes I beeped the op's manager. At 45 minutes I rebeeped the op's manager with the option of responding to me in 5 minutes, or I was going to deadhead the 1200 miles home. 2 minutes later my A/M beeped me and said they messaged the CSR, an hadn't heard from her...Excuse me...she is in the same building, call her, or go knock on her cubicle wall and wake her sorry butt up. I could have been loaded and gone by now... The shipper will load me early, I can be productively moving instead of sitting on my butt wasting my 14...again! 2 minutes later, a new number. Now, in my opinion, why would it take a driver to go to the attitude level I did just to get someone to do their job. I mean, how long would the average Crete driver be employed if he/she did their job the same way and had to be forced to do their job in order to get freight moved...the answer...they would be here long enough to make it to the nearest terminal, and given a bus ticket...

The somewhat down year probably has something to do with it being a presidential election year. Things usually cool a bit until they know what the political side of things are going to be like for the next 4 years, then business' decide on what pace to produce and distribute

 

That is understandable with Wal-Mart. Pleading the 5th Amendment about Crete.

 

To listen to some small groups of WM drivers chat when they're together, it certainly isn't always all it's cracked up to be. Better than most, sure...but not without the micro-managing we're all enduring in these wonderful mondern times.

 

Well, I managed to get to Wilmer before I quit last night. Went to take off and had a brake chamber with a minor/moderate air leak, but only at full pressure. Checked in, and they couldn't find the leak until I suggest we pump it up....bingo, air leak. Now I am getting it fixed, but there goes my 34...but in the heat wave up in the area I'm going, maybe it's for the best.

 

Agreed. I wouldn't drive for Wal Mart. Perfectly fine where I am at.

 

The items on my 'TO DO LIST' while at the house are being checked off in a productive manner:

1. I Faxed off driver application to Poly today, I will email them Thurs to see if it has been reviewed, I am prepared for the process to take awhile. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can turn this truck in back to Crete sometime this month.

 

I talked to another driver this morning that was having as good of luck as 48 with his bunk a/c. He was in one of the last cummins powered '11 prostars, but had the aero fairings. He was getting upgraded to a brand new midroof because he was having endless problems with his bunk a/c. Not sure which terminal he was out of, so 48, there's hope if it keeps up...just gota push the right buttons.

 

I was at Lincoln today, just did laundry and left. I'd say there was a dozen drivers with air conditioner issues, I picked up the outside air filter for my Prostar at Ottawa monday and mine is freezing me out again. Knock on wood. Kenny got me a load from Minooka to North Platte, a nice run. That's the furthest wes I been on I 8o with Crete. I might get lost.


What do you call a blonde dispatcher at Crete??





OVERQUALIFIED

 

Talked to a happy driver this morning comming down us15 in PA. said he has 2 weeks left and they can go ## themselfs (lmao) he's been trapped in the NE. pick a load up in buffalo that was already late and had to drop it in NK to get a new delivery time.. i said well lest u might score a hershey load... nope they lost that account (omg) . sad to see a company i thought was decent going to hell