CRETE - A Year in Review

I just got my prostar and to get the aux input to work. You have to hold the band button down for 2 seconds. It should work for the satilite radios if you have the cord.

 

We just have to ignore his comments like that...he's like the "I aint got no panties on" guy on the CB...Commenting on his anti-OTR posts is like the other guy that tells him to "shut up stupid" even though it never works. Silence is the only weapon...And I've been as guilty as any for falling into responding...so yes, I do have three fingers pointing back at myself when I point my finger at others.

You may want to watch saying anything about 'beating a dead horse'. I was going to say that a while back, but I figured the "Association for Deceased Equestrian Livestock of America" might have gotten offended by the though of anyone assaulting deceased farm animals, so I didn't...

As far as you getting to drop your Miami freight in Jax rail yard... Lucky you. I could have used that kind of drop. I wasn't planning on being home for Christmas, but they put me on a load from Obetz to Hialeah that delivers the 18th...only 1/2 a trailer. Thinking that it might be a bit early for dispatch to get me home, and since I really didn't warn them I wasn't planning on being home for the holidays, I was going to wait until empty before telling them to keep me rolling...that was until Thursday night... My wife called and said she was rushing to the hospital. My daughter, who is 8 mos pregnant, started going into premature labor again... She started going into labor 2 weeks ago when I was home, but they got it stopped. May not be as easy to stop this time, buy the way it sounded, I may be a grandpa before the week is out... So maybe this trip was a blessing in disguise.

And as far as the T'call's...I keep getting these 1100 mi, 5 day runs that are 'no t-call' loads. Unfortunately you don't find that out about the "no T'call limitation" until they send you the load info. It's happened 3 times since Thanksgiving.

 

It depends on which SAT system you have. I have an XM Express-Ez (I don't have SAT radio, but I use it as an FM modulator for my MP3 and Slacker) It's the one with a separate base unit that you mount on the dash then you slide the Express into it. It has an AUX OUT port...but in order to use the AUX, you have to go into the Express' menu, and go to the FM frequency and rotate it to OFF...which sends the signal through the AUX OUT port, instead of back out to the antenna adapter... Since I don't have the luxury of an 'AUX plug' equipped radio, I have to use the old fashioned FM modulator. Fortunately I have an older model Express that has an AUX IN and an AUX OUT...so I can plug any thing with a headphone plug into it and play on my trucks radio....wish my radio had the AUX port...would make it much simpler to hook up.

If all else fails, the FM modulator setup for either Sirius or XM is getting cheaper. (same company, different equipment) The worst thing about those, you have to pull the radio and then secure it behind the radio, because the 'antenna out' side of the harness isn't very long and just hanging there sometimes breaks the antenna wire with all the bouncing these trucks do.

 

Yeah, I tried to resist. Thanks to the fella who pointed me to the ignore list, BTW.

I'm in Columbus now, getting unloaded. My load out of York went to Hopkins, MN then I got a load from New Prague, MN to here. Not bad, once I got moving. And yes, jdrentzjr, my delivery in York on Saturday was at Church & Dwight.

Staff: Is there a "light" version of these forums, for use with my smartphone? If not, would a monetary donation help to make one happen?

Good luck to your young'un with her expected young'un, congrats in advance on being a papaw. Sorry to hear about all those 'no T-call' loads...

There's a saying about flogging a dead horse, not appropriate for here so I'll rephrase it: "The horse is dead. Make love to it or walk away, but put away the whip."

 

This is a little off topic, but do any of you know "Tucker" who is a Crete driver and posts on here? He's dropped off the planet and I wondered if he was OK and still working. Thanks!

 

Na, if you'd pizd me off, you'da heard about it...right.
Between my daughters pregnancy problems, my wife's Vista based laptop problems, and my overall down mood (from holidays and from more down miles) I just haven't been in much of a chatty mood.

As far as your Blackberry/laptop I'll pm ya' a website that I use for my BB issues since it's not really a "Crete" related topic. But it almost sounds like what my system did a while back when I installed some new software that fought with my anti-virus/firewall program. Once I entered the software into the 'exception' list on the anti-virus it was back up to speed.

Last week, I was available at home on Monday...after a wait for freight(it was Monday, new freight hadn't been booked yet), an 1175 mile run appeared, that didn't deliver until Friday in K/C...another one of those ''no t'call'' loads, and the receiver wouldn't take it early. So I didn't hurry getting it there, that way I missed the worst of the snowy weather that moved through, although I did get a bunch of the cold...but the Airtronics heater kept up, even at 5 degrees, my cab stayed toasty. Then, after sitting all day in K/C Thursday waiting to deliver, they beep me with a "when empty, take truck and trailer to the K/C shop for service" message. Which shocked me, my truck is 6000 mi under an 'A' service. Although the trailer was a little over due, it wasn't that over due. Friday morning it only took GP in K/C 2 hours to unload 7 rolls of paper. Then, instead of letting me head to the terminal, they had me run over to N.K/C to pick up a 3 stop to Aurora/Aurora/Denver load and bring it back to the yard before having the trailer serviced. The head mechanic wasn't too happy about having to do a service on a loaded trailer(the mechanic that closely resembles comedian Jeff Dunham's "walter" puppet)...but I told him to talk to dispatch, I'm just a steering wheel holding robot incapable of independent thought just doing what I'm instructed. I could've gotten snotty and mouthed off, but I just didn't feel like it.

This week hasn't been as bad...once I empty out in Hialeah Friday afternoon, I will have in the neighborhood of 2700 miles...above average for me. But, south FL, on a Friday afternoon, a week away from Christmas... I may be fighting my way out---both traffic and dispatch. I haven't said an unkind word to anyone in Op's lately...Trying the silent but deadly approach......will see if that works, but I may be breaking my silence if my daughter needs me at the hospital and I get an attitude from op's about routing me home. After all, they gave me problems when Grandma died, why should I expect anything less in this situation.

A word of advice for all Cretins...I've been talking to an increasing number of experienced drivers here that are being rerouted through the 're-training' program because the company is starting to watch the over-speed's on our trucks more closely(I'm guessing it's because their watching more closely, I don't think that many drivers are deciding to turn it loose on the hills all of a sudden). So don't let it roll too much on the hills. You might be being retrained by ET...if they've let him back in to that program now that his ticket's court case is settled, that is.

 

I use a blackberry curve...as long as there isn't a need for a Flash player, it access' most sights, including this one...I just have such pudgy fingers, I find it hard to type my sometimes lengthy posts without screwing up the spelling.

Thanks for the wishes on my daughter...I just hope there isn't an emergency rush for me to get home...Op's has given me problems in the past in that area, and the last time I was closer to home than I am now. But after the last 18 mos, I may just go...sometimes it's easier to receive forgiveness than permission.

 

Thanks. Just tried that and works great!

 

Well all good things must come to an end. After a drop and hook Tuesday afternoon in Fairburn,GA I had to wait till 1000 Wed. morning to live load in Kennesaw,GA delivering in Greensboro,NC the next morning at 0600. Not the best but it did have an extra stop in route at the Gwinnett County Jail, so the extra $60 stop pay for thirty minutes work was a bonus.

Thursday I live loaded on a drop trailer in Winston Salem for a short 217 miles to Newport,TN that delivered the same day at 1700. Well due to the gorge being closed the trip totaled 250 loaded miles and what was supposed to be a 1700 unload turned into a 1915 unload because recieving said that security did not notify them that I had arrived. BS!!!! I watched the officer make the phone call at which time recieving told him to tell me which door to go to. Once unloaded I had enough time to drive to Knoxville for the night before heading onto Etowah,TN where I will be picking up my load home. Well Laredo, then home.

This is where it all went wrong. I arose at 0800 ect and called shipper to see if load would be ready early. It was scheduled for pick up 1300-1700. Shipper said it was preloaded and ready to go. I arrive at 1000 ect only to find out it is not ready and won't be until after midnight. It was decided that Crete would cancel the load and charge shipper for truck ordered not used and reschedule pick up for tomorrow. It was also decided I would wait to pick it up tomorrow since it was a load to get me home. I will was told there would be no detention but that I would get a portion of what Crete gets on the trk ordered not used billing. The last time something like this happened I got $100 for my trouble.
So, over the last three days I've logged 700 miles, and will finish the week with 2500 miles for the week. Still not bad considering the delays.