CRETE - A Year in Review

Did they get you a load out of MA today?

 

If they give you a choice stay the he** out of Ohio. No freight here whatsoever .

 

Doing your job in a workmanlike manner doesn't suddenly make you smart

A regular Mother Teresa that ET fellow. Trainers are also evaluated. If ET releases a student that can't do the job it comes back on him

For problem solving you will find that vice grips and a big hammer come in a lot more handy than differential calculus.

Sorry for being a wise butt.

 

If i understand correctly (haven't had time to thourougly read the whole thread) you are contemplating stopping reporting.

If this is true, then NO. i insist that you continue because the information is just too valuable and informative.

Or at least someone else with the thouroughness and attention to detail the evertrukerr has would please continue.

i may be able to set up some kind of sponsorship deal to anyone who reports their mileage/trips and work events in diaries such as this one. i'm not exactly sure how, but it may be possible as i take these diaries very seriously---i am "shopping" for a good OTR carrier.

 

First week over 3000 in forever!!!! Previous 4 wks: 2673 / 2203 / 2194 / 2505 > Not spectacular numbers but Im not complaining...Hello fellow Cretins! Ps: Redwings just eliminated the ducks in game 7 w/ a 4/3 win ....WOOT!

 

ET created a thread that I feel is one of the most interesting, informative, and useful sources of information for drivers, regardless of experience. Fellow Crete drivers have made this thread much more comprehensive.

My feeling is that we have to realize that ET has a life of his own and should be afforded the opportunity to gracefully step down, should that be his desire; and, others should step UP, and fill his shoes.

My thoughts were this: A proposal to the truckersreport for the introduction of a interactive report form (similar to that used to register), whereby drivers from various companies could effortlessly (to a degree) enter their miles. Once up to speed, this would give us the ability to see, by company who's getting miles; and where freight is (and isn't). Of course, it would need to be broken down relative to type of haul, i.e., flatbed, reefer, etc. Participants would need to be validated to prevent misrepresentation of miles in order to skew the results so as to make one company or another to look especially good.

This is just a thought for y'all to kick around, refine, expand, or dismiss as not do-able. By the way, I am NOT a Crete driver, just a fan of this thread and the many interesting posts by Crete drivers. Keep up the good work, and thank you for your efforts.

 

Sorry it took a while, been another one of those weeks. As for a load out of MA...kinda'-sorta'. Once I was empty, Cory said to check back in 5-6 hrs, so I told him I was heading to the nearest t/s which was 40 or so miles away. He suggested the one in Shrewsbury...and since the only other ones were in NH, on the toll road, I took him up on his suggestion. 10 minutes after I got there, a load offer - Jay, ME to somewhere near Springfield, MA, then before I could answer the offer, my phone rang and it was Cory saying never mind, I was now too far away to make it to the pick-up in time, and he was wondering why I drove so far to find a place to park....duh - you just messaged me about it an hour ago. Then around 1600 an offer from Andover, MA to Browns Summit, NC. And then out of Browns Summit, NC to LaGrange, GA(drop and hook all the way) Then a Pplan out of Covington, GA to Lakeland, FL so I can see home, if I can still find it - been so long, I may need to call for directions. I am in Lakeland now, and as sure as I'm sitting here, they'll offer me a killer run out of central FL that I'll have to turn down....even if you count my end of March pass thru, I've been out 47 days...I've had enough for a while, I need home.

As for the Andover load, it's P&G, right off the interstate, but the directions say 'follow the signs' well the biggest sign (and last sign) pointing you into the shipping, is tough to see at night...in fact I didn't, and found myself at the end of a single lane road that is there for the fire department's emergency access to the interstate, and no place for a big truck to turn around. I ended up backing up almost a mile until I found a place to pull in and turn around. Finally got into the place, thanks to having to wait for a train to pass, and his lights lit up the sign, or else I would've missed it again. Then, once I got the load, I had a top marker light out on the back of the trailer. I decided to do something stupid and toss my flashlight up and try to whack it into working...the problem, my luck. I missed the back of the trailer, and my square, rubber coated flashlight landed on top of the trailer and stayed there. This thing will roll any other time I set it down and need it to stay put, but when I need it to roll, it stays. I didn't know inanimate objects has such a stubborn mind of their own. I drove all over that lot, backing up, hitting brakes, zig-zagging. Nada. Finally I drove out and parked in they're little parking area, unhooked, and drove around back. I ended up climbing up the back of my truck like a monkey with a load lock to push the thing off the top of the trailer, oh and try to fix the lights while I was there, which were hopeless. Major wiring issues, so I wrote a note on the inspection sheet and will let it get fixed the next time it's T-1'd.

I did see a nasty crash in CT... I'm not sure of how it happened or how it started, but needless to say, two big trucks tried to become one. The back truck was 'seat - deep' under the rear of another big truck. I later heard that the back driver was killed in the accident. No telling what started it, but it was in a construction zone, and speed must have played a part when someone runs under another truck that far.

 

Great idea. A form to post trips, paid miles, and actual miles.

 

I stopped visiting this site because it started to go haywire with crazy comments, I'm sure ET got tired of this as well. However, I hope someone else continues this diary even if its another carrier. It makes for very informative reading and alot to learn about a carrier!

 

I, for a long time, visited many threads, primarily the CB, and a few others. I stumbled across this one and got stuck. My first thought was, "Oh boy, here we go,some company driver who going to bless us with an opportunity to see how a 'real' trucker does it! Aren't we just the lucky ones?" Then I started to read it and thought, "Wow, is this guy? Some accountant, playing at OTR Trucker Guy?" But, I kept on and after awhile, this was the ONLY thread I visited! I've learned a great deal from his posts, and the posts of many of you who have contributed to this thread. And I have been driving for around 15 years. Probably the most valuable lesson I've learned is: You can make good money AND run legal! The problem was; whenever ET was absent for any length of time the thread just meandered around and lost all focus and I, like Knighton5, lost interest and went back to bouncing from thread to thread.

ET took on a project that, in my experience, usually began with a well-intentioned person that stuck to it for awhile; only to fold under the weight of a commitment that was far greater that it was initially believed to be. ET never flagged and in the process drew others who made this the place to be. Heck, Crete was just a name to me, you all made me a believer, I even applied to them based solely on what I read in this column (got turned down because I haven't driven for the last year and a half, but was told to re-apply later). This thread has generated 227 pages and almost a quarter-MILLION views! Quite an accomplishment! Now, where is it going to go from here? I feel it would be a real shame to see it end, or turn into another mediocre thread of no real interest.

So, basically, I'd say this is a Crete thread. Is it going to remain a Crete thread? Or, is it going to evolve into a hodge-podge of companies posting a hodge-podge if comments, ideas, and who knows what else. Sorry to say, I'm not a Crete driver, just a spectator hoping to continue spectating an interesting thread. Good luck!