CRETE - A Year in Review

I wish I would have known that, I stopped there this morning to get gas in my car heading back to Kalamazoo.

 

That's really sad that, after 8+ weeks on the road, they can't get you to where you want to be for Christmas. November and December have to be two bad months to be a trucker.

Andrew

 

It looks like things are getting really scary out there, this past week is without a doubt my worst with Crete. After putting in for hometime for the end of November they finally got me there on Dec 12 so I was out for 8 weeks. After taking 4 days off I go back out a week before Christmas, now I didn't have high hopes for miles this week but man it couldn't have been any worse, I leave the house on Wed with a 480 mile run and then I get those Coke loads out of Dallas with the last one delivering to Abilene tx Friday evening and now it's Monday am and I'm still sitting here, just got a message on the qcom to go ahead and DH home from here for Christmas. I live in sw Okla and that is about 200 miles from here. Total paid miles for the week 743 plus $35 shag pay. Good thing I have been able to put away some cash for that rainy or in ET's case snowy day. Just hope things get a little better after the holidays, Merry Christmas everyone:smt111

 

A word of advice from someone who is a frequent stop for Mr. Murphy... Never never never say it can't get any worse....because it will. One bright spot about having to be out during Christmas, the Flying J's are giving any driver out on either the 24th or 25th(not sure which) a free turkey dinner. (sponsored by Volvo)

Sorry to hear your luck has taken a nosedive ET... But by what I have read in my OOIDA magazine, things are expected to start improving some in the freight department in the 2nd quarter of '09. So we just need to hang on a little while longer, and then we'll be in a good position to make up for lost time. It sucks that they didn't work harder to get you home... I thought it was company policy to get all drivers home (or where ever else desired)that wanted to be home for Christmas. This is the 1st time I have ever heard about Crete not getting their drivers home...ever.

I wish I has some witty joke or comment to boost morale, but I woke up this morning, walked outside to start unloading my clothes and junk out of the truck and saw 2 flat tires. So my mood isn't the best. I knew the right steer was leaking, but now the RFO drive was down under what the gauge can read. It did pump up, but there are pin holes in both tire's sidewalls. No damage, cuts scrapes etc, just pinholes. I had been through some serious ice over the last couple days, but it wasn't until Sunday that they started leaking bad enough to go flat overnite. I pumped up both, but by the time I got back from Christmas shopping, the drive was already down to 40. Good thing I am at home and have an oversize air compressor, it takes forever with the glad hand hose.

Hope things improve for ya'.

 

ET,

Sorry to hear that you won't make it home for the holidays.

Let me be the first to wish you and the rest of drivers out here a Merry Christmas and thank all of you for the work you do.

Peace

 

Well i made it to indy on 465 now my alt going out so here i sit...my goal is to get thus load there before the new year..


Have a Merry Christmas all you drivers going home! and of course to the ones that are not,.

 

Finally a slow load I like. Delivers 25 miles from the house, I got 30 hours to spend at home! Merry Christmas.

 

And I'm sure that it's that attitude right there that is responsible for much of your success. When I finally climb into a truck, I hope I can manage to stay as positive and take responsibility for my own decisions. I also hope you aren't tired of training people by that time, or if you are, that I can find a trainer with the same mindset.

Thanks for these posts and have Merry Christmas.

Andrew