CRETE - A Year in Review

Sounds like you landed in a good school, its always easier
to deal with any type training when the instructional personnel are top quality. Good luck in your future endeavor!

later
Stetson

 

Thanks Timeweasel !

 

Hey SSB, did you get a load out of Ohio yet?

 

i think he's doing a good job with what he was left with and i am from the red side

 

Envio friendly tires are the low rolling resistance super singles for fuel savings. Plus as they wear out, the produce oxygen, and when they blow out, the carcass' break down into environmentally friendly simulated dirt.(I'm kidding about the oxygen and dirt but not about the super single fuel saving part)

Opt idle is similar to how a reefer trailer works. It's system within the trucks ECM (engine computer) that is controlled by a thermostat in the bunk, and a battery monitor and exterior temperature control. You set your thermostat for heat/cool and set a temperature, and set a range (4, 7 or 10 degrees) and the unit starts and stops the engine to keep the cab comfortable (sort of - in the summer, in a Century Class Freightliner - under 85 on the bottom bunk is as close to comfortable as it normally gets. I'm not sure how the new Cascadia's and the new Prostar's will do, but their suppose to be insulated, which will help because my Century is only insulated by my vivid imagination) The battery monitor is there so even if you don't need the thermostat to keep you comfy, you set the opti idle, and once the batteries drop below a certain voltage, it starts and runs a couple hours to charge them back up. The outside temp monitor is there so that if the outside temp gets below certain temp in the winter, the truck stays idling to keep the water temp up so the engine doesn't freeze, and it helps keep your fuel from gelling.

I did hear an unusual word in while I was in Lincoln last week. They were experiencing the 'big O'....No, not that 'big O' - get your mind out of the gutter and up on the curb with mine... I mean Overbooked. It seems as though they had more freight than drivers in the Lincoln area over the weekend. I can't remember the last time I heard of such a thing.

Longbow -- Yep, got a load after a couple of hours waiting, out of Findley going to Gouldsboro, PA...Frying pan to fire routine. Now I'm empty over here in PA... Beside 1 other Crete and 2 or 3 Shaffers in a little On The Run fuel stop down the road from the Sears warehouse. That puts me at 3376 mi for the week, and almost 9800 for the month. I guess since ET is off, they needed someone to cover for him. Its my 1st 3000+ week all year. I just hope that I don't get stuck on the Tobyhanna Walmart runs like I did the last time I delivered in this area. I got screwed out of some pay last time, and I won't let it happen again.

 

In case any of you fellow Cretins missed the memo, General Mills is ceasing all dedicated fleet operations as of June 1. According to the QC message I got, it's "strictly a cost-saving measure."

So get ready, all you National and Regional guys - your driver pool is about to get a lot bigger. I guess they'll just put those loads out on the national and regional boards - so maybe it won't be such bad news for you guys. Of course, it's hard news for me to swallow - I've gotten spoiled on this fleet.

 

I got a whopping 1787 miles in this week, my next load picks up tomorrow afternoon, they gave me today off,

 

Dang RB, that is a real bummer for you guys! I hope that some of the freight you guys were hauling doesn't go to other companies but I bet some of it will go to the lowest bidder.

 

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if a lot of the General Mills drivers quit because of this. They seemed to be the only ones getting decent miles lately.

 

The truth of the matter is there are NO schools that prepare you to drive. Once you complete any given school all you have is a license and a very superficial understanding of what a logbook is, DOT, and FMCSA Regs. There is no class that can teach you how to take a semi down a mountain, or up. Logbooks appear straightforward. After 15 years I still get stuck on how to log a given set of circumstances. When it's better to sit and get a 34 hour reset. It's almost an artform and certainly a skill to know how to maintain a logbook efficiently, and the lack of that skill is one of the most common reasons for HOS violations. In my opinion, the best way for a new graduate to get experience is to get on with a large OTR carrier, and a good trainer who can teach NOT how to get the truck from point A to point B, but, rather how to pre-plan that trip and make it as safe and efficiently as possible. Also, how to choose loads, load a truck, scale it, etc. A job wherein you are put in a tractor and told to go for it is, in MY opinion the worst option. That's how you develop bad habits that are hard to break. There is no substitute for a competent trainer sitting next to you showing you the ropes. But, that's just MY opinion. Good luck!