CRETE - A Year in Review

Wanted to thank all my fellow Veterans for their service to our country.quick update just spoke to a gal in Lincoln sent some more paperwork. Was told me that she would get back with me today for a start date with the trainer. Also I would have to leave a vehicle in Wilmer for hometime to many deadhead miles I guess. Probably will not get with the trainer till after Thanksgiving. Will know more later.

 

Does Crete run only teams?
Also, do they drivers fresh out of Driving School?

 

Crete mostly runs solo.
Crete hires from some driving schools.

 

I hear they are looking for 10 teams to run walmart..most part they are solo drivers

 

I bet this local driver sleep every night in his bed can back better than your whiny steering wheel holder #####

 

It seems odd to me that somebody who claims to like their job, would find it necessary to post such foolish statements here. Perhaps next time, before you click the "submit reply" button, take a few seconds and think about how you look to everyone that reads your message. If you then decide to go ahead and post that message, entertain the idea of making complete sentences. These simple steps will prevent you from looking uneducated to the very group of individuals you intended to insult. Have a nice day.

 

So, just like bduke, you missed the whole point of that post...it was done in such a biased offensive manner to show how his otr comments offend us, the otr community. But since you opened that can of worms... I'll accept your challenge, because any short bus CDL license school reject can back a one-stack-mack with a window in the back. Let's see how that same driver can back a road truck! I don't think you could put a 70', sleeper-equipped tractor trailer(with a 53' trailer)in the hole, blindside or otherwise, any better than most us. In fact, if you are truthful about your experience on your post heading info...I have more miles backing up, than you have in your entire career, forward and backward.(to the visitors of this thread that are currently attending or are recent graduates of driving schools - see footnote for an explanation of a CDL license school before taking offense to the 'license school' comparison)

(just a little fyi for any daycab drivers that don't know-blindside is on the passenger side...daycabs don't really have a blindside since they have that big window right behind the seat that they can look out of)

But WinNC, be careful, if your mommy finds out you're talking like this, she won't pack that special desert in your 'hello-kitty' lunch box tomorrow, plus she will be so mad, she'll forget to pin your milk money on the front of your shirt before you leave..

In case no one noticed, Snackbar is in a dark and dreary mood. In fact over the past week or so, I have had several, less than cordial, interactions with operations...one of which got an Op's manager involved. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't hear from Deland sometime soon. So I won't stir the old shine-ola any more on this thread...today at least.

(footnote)- the difference between a CDL license school and a regular driving school... A CDL license school teaches you how to pass the test and get your license, that's it... A regular driving school teaches you (or should teach you) how to properly maneuver a commercial motor vehicle, along with many of the other skills needed to become a skilled member of the trucking community.

 

Do they do Northeast regional and how much home time do you get. Thanks for the data very cool TiredTrucker

 

Well you guys talked me into it. After sitting home for 3 months and collecting Mr Obama's unemployment that he is so happy to give out to every Tom , Dick and Harry I decided to come back on the road again with Crete instead of my old company CFI/ Conway. Once trucking is in your blood its hard to sit around much in one place. Like ET and SSB ill try to give weekly updates on how the company is treating me. If anyone reading this is contemplating driving for Crete or Shaffer and would like a little more details Ide be happy to tell you what at I know . Just email me at mdtruker at yahoo dot com. Keep in mind that not every driver is the same. What some drivers like doing , other drivers hate.
Keep in mind that not every driver is the same. What some drivers like doing , other drivers hate. Other than my mortgage IM DEBT FREE <Dave Ramsey> And my mortgage is lower than alot of peoples car payments. And my wife did a pretty good job of screwing over her first husband and gets a big chunk of his retirement.I say this because money isint the big issue in my life. Of course im not going to come out here and drive for free either. So if I get a few 2000 mile weeks im not going to be calling up dispatch complaining. I also stop my truck everyday for an hour or so and do an intense workout and that sometimes can cut back on my miles. I say this just giving you a good idea on how I run a truck on the month or so I stay out on the road. Enough of this already , let me start on my first week and a half here at Crete

I started my orientation in New Kingstown PA on Monday Nov 9th and finished up late Wednesday afternoon. They put you up in the Carlisle Motel which is comparable to any Super8 or Motel 6. The diner accross the street Middlesex Diner is a great place to eat and the company will give you a $10 voucher to eat there every night. Orientation was as pleasant as youde expect orientation to be. The instructor < Mr Huey> managed to keep somewhat boring topics interesting and made the 3 days go by pretty quik. The man giving the road test was an old fart like myself and very easy going. No trucks were available in New Kingstown so in a rental car myself and another driver go to get trucks. Mine was in Columbus , his was in Indianapolis. I wasnt too exciting seeing that my truck was a blue shaffer truck , but my attitude changed once I saw my truck. A Cascadia with only 100,000 miles . No APU but I can live with that. I recall looking inside this truck for the first time , thinking how things have changed from the trucks I started out driving. My first truck was an older JB Hunt cabover with no jake and a doghouse to crawl over to get in bed. Yes my new Cascadia was going to workout just perfect !!!
My first load picked up about a 100 miles away and was going to Lakewood NJ .Not too excited about going to Jersey but later I come to realize this was a dedicated customer <Church & Dwight> that I would be spending the rest of the week on. Talk about gravy... You reload right were you drop off..drop and hook both ends. no waiting on a load..SWEEEEEEEET !! I send my empty call at Lakewood and POOF , before I can do my logbook the qualcom goes off with my next load. A short run over to Church & Dwight in york PA that can deliver whenever I get there . Its Saturday night when I drop the load in York and recieve good and bad news on the qualcomm..Im reloading at the same place , but the load isint scheduled to pickup till Monday morning , going to Madison Alabama..ggrrrr...Just for the hell of it I decide to walk into shipping and see if this load is ready a day early..

 

oooops accidently sent that last blog without finishing it...

Low and behold my load was ready so I take off for Alabama.. I tried to T-Call the load in Knoxville since it didnt deliver until Wednesday morning but no such luck ggrrrrr.....I guess thats what you get for picking up a load a day early.. Its no biggy though because I still havent really got moved into my new truck and I could spend the extra day doing a reset and hooking up my CB , unpacking etc..
So here I sit , Tuesday morning at a Pilot in Georgia waiting to head to Madison AL for my 6AM delivery appointment. Ill have 4 more days to run on this paycheck when I drop this load and ill be sitting at about 1650 miles . At this rate im guessing ill end my first week off with Crete at about 2500 to 3000 miles . Which I will post later.
Overall my first week out with Crete has been great. Im not to big on this opti idle Crete uses , but in todays economy I can see why they have it installed. The OnGaurd system is going to take awhile getting used to , but its a minor inconviniece.. This is the first company ive ever been with that you acually run legal , which also is going to take awhile getting used to. My advise to anyone concidering driving for Crete would be to give them a call. But Crete is somewhat picky on who they hire. A bad driving record , numerous jobs and minimal experience will be a disqualifier.