Going back OTR with Crete

I have considered Crete, they called the other day but I gotta go west..i regularly go thru Montana, Oregon, Washington etc.Love those places, wish I went to the southwest more.

 

I’ve been running east a lot,but the wheels on the truck,go round,and round.Getting good miles.

 

So right out of orientation you are assigned a truck that hasn't been cleaned and isn't roadworthy?

That sounds like a winner right there.

 

Many times Crete drivers have to go and do a 'retrieval' of a truck a former driver abandoned. Guess what those trucks look like inside. Plus...you may have spend a night in it. Nice. But I know Crete isn't the only one that "cares" about its drivers like this. The new hires who've just completed orientation may find themselves being asked to retrieve a rig. That's how they get their assigned trucks. In all retrieval cases, my advice is to REFUSE. I've seen almost new Crete trucks sitting in yards, like the yard they have in Denver, with open windows, trashed interior, and snow blowing in. That tells you how pissed off the drivers were when them left them sitting wherever they happened to leave them. If you see enough abandoned trucks, it'll make you wonder if you're going to be the next pissed off driver.

 

You're going to see I-80 a lot with Crete. But not the western part. You're gonna see mainly Pennsylvania. Silver lining: Crete has a new terminal in New Kingstown.

 

That is not always the case. After working for Shaffer for 15 months, I was averaging about 2700-2800 miles per week, though, admittedly, the drop and hook rate was low. Less than 50% in even the best week. I also had a lot of live unloads at slow receivers.

However, I stayed on my toes, doing my best to avoid idle time and keep my miles up.

Eventually I asked to switch to the Crete side for a little less CPM, but more drop and hook. I had asked for that a few months back but I allowed myself to be talked into staying with the Shaffer side a bit longer.

The day after I made that request, I was offered a position on an account on the Shaffer side. I took that position.

I am no longer technically OTR. I am now running a drop and hook loop in a triangle, with each leg between 600 and 900 miles.

In the last 21 days, I have driven a little less than 11,000 miles. Every single load has been drop and hook except one.

I still have not yet managed a 4000 mile week, but it will eventually happen. Then I'll have to raise my goal again.

 

I'd say you hit the gold mine. I hope it remains golden and doesn't end in 6 months. If it does, you then go to Crete's dry box.

 

PS--The "Honeymoon Period" is a driver's first 3 months. The CCC management want to take it easy on you those first 90 days, give you good runs, mostly drops and hooks to easy places, no big cities, so you don't leave before somebody somewhere gets his bonus on your hanging in there. After your 3 months is up, then the real Crete comes out. Say hello to Amazons, a lot more grocery warehouses, and drops and hooks that aren't as common.