CRETE - A Year in Review

I wish ya' the best of luck. The part that they claim takes 6 months(getting on enough agents lists so you get better paying loads) was the downfall for me. Most BCO's I spoke to said 12-18 months is more like it. But that was their old system, with their new system things might be better, plus freight rates have jumped considerably since I left there. A friend of mine started there years ago right before Florida got hit by 4 hurricanes in a row. He got lucky and got on the FEMA water loads that went to south FL...that got him in good with several agents, and the last I heard was on a bulk mail run from the Atlanta area to south FL, then had a regular run out of central FL back to Atlanta. 2 loads each way per week, and he lives in N. FL so he makes money, gets by the house, and doesn't have to run hard. Sometimes better lucky than good I guess.

 

One of my Facebook friends was a Crete O/O for 8 years and left 4 months ago. He went to Landstar and has averaged $1.62/mile to the truck since, pulling their trailers, and he figures it on hub miles including deadhead. That's about $0.30/mile more than I am getting here. At that rate I can afford to only run 2000 miles/week

 

Well, I am shocked. Empty in northern IL, this close to Chicago, and I get the dreaded curse words...no freight for today....It's July for crap sake...this blows chunks!

 

Just once I would like to meet a dispatcher that wasnt a liar. They must have a Lying 101 class in dispatchers school.

It wont be long and they can all kiss my arse.

 

I am right here with you snackbar. Delivered in University Park and nothing supposedly until tomorrow at 1100. Ain't going to be long hopefully before I can follow the other folks over to Poly. Tired of getting these no freight messages everywhere I go.

 

I suppose since Poly hauls their own freight you don't see a 'no loads' message.

 

There's no freight for you. There's probably plenty of freight out there for us noobs making 34 cents a mile though.

 

Day three since the fourth fix of the bunk AC....and guess what?

WRONG!

It's still working! Not only did New Kingstown do this work, they also gave me 4 new drives (would have done all 8 but were short, so they did the worse of two axles), and killed the "orange triangle of death". It's regenning like it's supposed to, and...well, I'll be home tomorrow.

If this will stay working, I'll stick around for a bit. I really need to get a few doctor things done before I bail, and I've developed some, shall we say, home issues....not great miles, but I had over 2600 last week with a day out for the AC, and 2400 this week as of today. Not terrible. I will say that if I've been available, I've run.

Now about that idle policy....that's still the kicker for me. But Poly has shown me nothing in the way of business courtesy thus far....

 

I managed to get a load. P/u in Plano, IL, del's asap in Eau Claire, WI. Puts me at 3050 for the week. Still freaking hot. Central WI and was still over 100 at 1900.

 

Day 2 with no A/C at all. Nine and a half hours of driving with 100+ temps today (west I might add). man I drank nearly 2 gallons of water today! What an adventure. At least they didn't take away this load. I should be heading to Lincoln from here.