CRETE - A Year in Review

I agree that more drivers need to research their prospective companies a whole lot better than they do.

Besides percentage and mileage, there is salary and hourly too. Hourly pay, by definition, is the only true way to be compensated for all of your time. Salary does the same but on a sliding scale (see first reply above).

Percentage and mileage pay leave a lot to be desired. There is so much that is out of the control of the driver. I think we all know what any number of those instances could be.

 

Its fun readin supersnackbar's posts, poor guy getting worked up when we all know the grass isnt greener anywhere else. And if it is its prolly artificial

Seems like i been running alot of hauls under 500 miles this week and im fixin to go to bedford Pa from Ft Wayne in, Makes me wonder where im going from there?

Im tryin to get back on track on the hours i like to run (3am to 2pm) but its not working out the way i want sence i had my hometime, And when i gotta sit theres never a truckstop close when you want one...sheesh
Good thing my wife over packs the truck with food

 

This is ET's thread, and I did not intend to get into a full discusion on driver pay. So, my final words on this subject, on this thread is this... no one denies that an hourly wage is always best to be fully compensated for all time worked. However, otr is NOT a regular job, it is a LIFESTYLE. This is why it's not for everyone, especially local teamsters!

This subject has been discused at lenght on other threads in this forum, do a search and you can continue to argue your point there.

 

I'm sitting in Midway, TN right now, but I can't complain much. I delivered the Socorro, TX to Dekalb, IL load in 46 hours (1523 miles) and then got a choice of drop & hooks from Spring Valley, IL to Midway, TN (726 miles) or Shelby, NC (846 miles). I elected to take the shorter load on the reasoning that I could get it off earlier and get a better load out than in Shelby where an afternoon empty call more or less guarantees a quick trip to Pennsylvania or some other Northeastern hellhole if not an out-and-out "no freight" message. I second guessed as soon as I put it in and here I sit ... But ... that's 2249 miles in 3 1/3 days. It can still be a good week if I get something decent out in the morning that will allow me to start with a fresh 70 on Monday.

Funny about ET having a "bad week" at around 2500 miles. That's about what I've been averaging since last spring using pretty much the same trip planning style. From talking to numerous other Crete drivers, that's about what most get with this company, but I'm gonna find my way onto that "A list" with ET one way or another.

Addendum:
Looks like a good week after all. Just got a load from Morristown, TN to Carrollton, TX (930 miles). That'll be 3179 for the week with a fresh 70 on Monday. Now I just need to find out if the consignee has overnight parking. I should be able to get in a 34 and then move over there and have my 10 in by the time I get through with the 0730 live unload. It would be nice to just t-call it in Wilmer and take a short one out to finish off my 70, but the load assignment expressly prohibits that.

 

Evertrucker, I don't think any curse has found you. There must be a glitch in the system. If anyone looks back on all of your posts, they will say the same thing. You have the gift of doing the right thing. You always make out in the end. Just the way it should be. I hope it gets better soon.

 

Another great set of posts...by both Super and ET...thanks

 

Evertruckerr, If you were to be and owner operator for Crete, which option would pick and why.
Second, new or used which truck would you get. Thanks.

 

Any other input from you guy's and gal's would be appreciated.

 

Beeeeee careful associating yourself in any way with me. They (the Crete management) know exactly who I am. And after a sit down with management about my internet posts in this forum. It has come time for me to publicly apologize for going overboard with some of my criticism, that sometimes turned personal. We had a face to face meeting.(Kerry Kearl, Travis, and -forgive me, I can't remember the name of the 3rd person there ...besides me that is...(sometimes I forget my own name, and have to dig out my Drivers License to remind me...see, memory is the 2nd thing to go)) I knew something was up, when Thursday nite, I received a msg that I was to report to the Thermo-king dealer in Omaha after getting empty Friday morning for an APU install. But before I could leave the customer, was directed to head directly to Lincoln...and no one could tell me why...which is a telltale sign that somethings up. And I knew something was up when I was leaving the document imaging office and Travis (someone I don't remember ever meeting in person before this) recognized me, and in a friendly tone gave me the heads up on what was going. And I knew they knew, because they had printouts. Thinking that someone squealed on me, I questioned how they linked it to me, and after hearing their CSI explanation....It truly wasn't too hard to figure out who i was, simply based on my posts of where and when I have been traveling.( Wouldn't make a very good crook, would I)

I have to admit, this caused me a bit of nervousness about it, but after the meeting, I have gained a new level of respect for the people that are running things here. To say the least, most companies would have simply helped me clean out my truck, and gave me a bus ticket to the house. But instead, we had a very civil and informative meeting, now both of us now know what the other is thinking. And I am still here.

This will have a definite effect on my posts here. Not that I won't bring to this board any informative happenings that come my way. Good or bad. I will, to the best of my ability, try to keep it from getting personal. Unless I have undeniable proof of a personal involvement.

And again, I owe everyone that I have insulted unfairly, a huge apology...Not because I am in fear of being excused from the service of Crete, but because I see what's happening from the other side of the business, and that my post were wrong. And when I'm wrong, I admit it. Most of these posts were solely effected by emotions and frustration.

Now on to better things. Even after all this, I still was able to get my truck back to Omaha, and get it into the TK shop for an APU....Yeeeeeeha. I am finally going to be able to get a good night sleep all year long, not just during those few months that mother nature allows me to shut the truck off all nite. And, I had a 2600+ mi week to boot. So now I'm sitting in HoJo - Omaha, eating chinese takeout, and watching cable tv, while they take care of my truck.

And ET....Give me back my curse....Unfortunately I can't afford to pay a reward or finders fee for it, I'll just owe ya' one. Just drop it at the next terminal, and I'll pick it up the next time I am through.

You aren't the only one having mile problems. I was talking to a couple drivers in Council Bluffs while I was doing clothes. One, spent 3 days in OH, and another spent the entire weekend in MI. You know freight is slow when OH is out of freight that long.

C'yall