CRETE - A Year in Review

Evertrucker, Just wanted to thank you for some very informative, if not entertaining, posts. I skipped about a hundred or so pages so I could see what your current loads are looking like.

Wondering if I could ask a favor. I just completed my first of five weeks at Napier Truck Drivers school and todays lessons were all about map reading and trip planning. I was wondering if you could maybe include some details about your trip planning in one of your posts? I was just wondering how you plan your trips out so efficiently.

I've really enjoyed your posts, as well as those of the others who have detailed their adventures with Crete, both good and bad. I'm not real sure which company I want to go with, but Crete is definately at the top of my list. My school has given me an application for Crete and I will be getting it filled out this weekend for them to fax on monday.

Thanks!

 

For someone coming into the business, they may be able to swallow the ######## of working for an Acklee company. Quality experienced drivers won't want to put up with all the constant nagging and whining and babysitting. I left in March because it got worse every month and there was no freight.

The worst thing is that they can't stop tinkering, constant changes to this and that. And too much compliance nonsense. That being said, I went to another company that I had worked at before and it was a lot better. I made better money and they left you alone. But I finally came to the conclusion that it's not gonna be long before there is no place decent left to work. Trucking has gone to hell in the last 2 years. The worst thing for me is ####### customers that make you sit and put up with their #### and then they don't want to pay you for it. It drives me to the verge of violence sometimes. I hate getting ripped off, and that's what these ######## are doing, ripping you off. Just sit there driver for 8 hours while we count your frieght and relabel it and go to lunch and call our boyfriends.

Sorry for the rant, but that one always really frosted me. Some dock flunky that makes a third of what I do has that kind of control over me. Screw that. After 9 years, I got off the road. I am amazed at the improvement in my temper and my health after only one month.

 

If I remember correctly Phil was the jack***who got himself banned for busting into ET's personal photo acct and posting material inapproriate to a trucking forum. He got the banhammer for that. No big loss, he never had anything to say worth listening to anyway. You must be him, eh?

 

I'm thinking you probably didn't have the temperment to be a Freight Relocation Specialist in the first place. Not everybody does, so no big deal. Just sayin'...

FRS is not a job, it becomes a lifestyle. And it requires a great amount of patience. Some can adjust, some can't. Again no big deal.

I will agree that the industry as whole has changed drastically over the last five or so years. However, many of the changes are due to companies having to CYA ( cover your arse) because of law suites by the general public, special interest groups (CRASH, etc...), as well as drivers, and also because of government regulations.

The situations many of us FRS find our self in is that we aren't spring chickens any more and can't restart a career path that will afford the same level of income ( many of us come from small towns that have no industry that offers a decent pay check), or we have no other skills (for whatever reason ), or because diesel smoke makes us horny and we can't get it out of our blood. So, we CHOSE to have a good attitude about our occupation/lifestly and make the best of what we have.

It's all about ones attitude, a good one, that will help any driver succeed in this industry. Some have it, some don't. It's not for everyone. Again no big deal.

I wish good fortune in your future endevers.

 

I've heard about "CRASH" many times, can someone tell me more about them?

 

Funny, Karnajj never had anything worth listening to anyway either,though I admit it could be a bit funny at times. He by the way isn't the only one.

I thought Phil got banned for getting into a little debate with Karnajj. I always wondered what relationship Karnajj had with somebody which caused him not to get banned also.Talk about a perversion. He gave as much as he got in his little discussion with Phil. Which is ironic, because his posts contained quite a few choice words which had to be replaced by asterisks( a similarity you two share),&,yet he seemed quite the religious man when he got in a huff about the sinfulness of adult shops.

No I'm not Phil. Wouldn't have the energy to waste on somebody like Karnajj. I just find it interesting that two persons with the same habit of complaining about every thing & who seem to hold almost identical views could come out of the same terminal.Must be something in the water or air. I actually enjoy going to the Columbus terminal. Some of the cleanest showers & a variety of restaurants nearby.I just dont drink the water. I,ll probably start bringing my own oxygen with me when I go there next. Don't want to risk getting the whine flu that Karnie boy & others seem to have.

How are the miles by the way, my friend Longbow. You haven't been complaining as much as you usually do although you did get in one about the on guard system. I remember you saying your miles have improved. Any 2000 mile runs ,3600 mile weeks or multiple load offers lately? Karnajj used to boast about the many California runs he got, And he used to blast anyone who expressed the slightest doubt about the truth of his claims about multiple trips to the West Coast. Maybe you could have your terminal manager put you two in touch with each other & he could tell you his secret.

I have been averaging in the 2500 miles region .I know by brother Karnajj's standards ,as well as others, that is nothing ,but that's okay by me. Miles could be better , but unlike karnajj & company, I have no evidence of a conspiracy by the world, or crete, to get me, so I'm not getting bitter over it. I might add also that I have not been waiting too long after emptying to get a load offer.

 

Seems like yesterday was Crete day in Minnesota. I usually never see any Crete trucks around here, but yesterday I saw two of them. One was a Shaffer/Crete combo and the other was all Crete. Both spotted on I35 between Northfield and Elko.

 

CRASH....Citizens for Reliable and Safety Highways

 

Their idle limit is 30%,right now after a terrible week, my idle time is 41% and climbing. So what. I've been real comfortable all week, The truck has been 74-78 degrees all week, I stopped by home 1 night and found another "cool" place to hang out another afternoon and evening. Wink,wink.

 

Nice house ET, I think.