CRETE - A Year in Review

Hey There,
I am glad things are going well for you at Crete. I was leased to them from 98 to 2005. I sold my truck and have been driving local since then, Loved it, but we lost the contract. I called Debra, and asked if I could put a truck back on, and was told freight is slow, I will let you know.
I enjoyed my time at Crete, and made a fine living. I just got a great offer for a privatr carrier, just starting out to haul his own product, I am helping him get the trucking side of his company up and running, then I will drive for him, if it doesnt work, I will buy a truck and hopefully get back on with Crete.
I enjoy your posts very much, and I know you will succed with bussiness because you understand it IS abussiness, and not just driving a truck.

I wish you well, and tons of safe liles.
Larry
ps, If you speak to Debra, tell her I say Hello

 

Greetings gang...it's been a while, but I'm back. I got the parts installed the next day at the Columbus shop...or as I now call them, the backstabbing gutless cowards. What happened you ask....well in keeping with my positive and negative on things...lets just say I'm having an Einstein moment, and I'm not talking about a genius move, I'm talking about the theory of relativity...for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Last month I had positive things to say...especially the efforts of getting me home for my grand daughter's birth. Now the equal and opposite. While in backstabbing central (Cols shop) they made some accusations about some alleged alterations to the truck, namely they claim I drilled a hole in the floor under a cabinet, and installed a urinal that dumped under the truck. Not only was it disgusting to be accused of this, but very-very insulting. Yes, I have a drain, but it's knee high, right next to the place I store my food...I use it to rinse a coffee cup, or after I wash and rinse the occasional bowl...not dump food, or garbage - that goes in the trash can, just a quick rinse so I don't have to haul my bowl's in to a truck stop just for a rinse. It goes through a Freightliner hole, that is pre-drilled for alternate configurations...or what ever, but it has a rubber/plastic plug, that is right under the floor mat at the bottom of the cabinet. I even rinse it with my MRSA bleach mix so it doesn't smell like a garbage dump, and is harmless to any parts of the truck, or anyone who might come in contact with it in any way...that way I don't rinse and toss out the truck, and accidentally splash on someone else's truck. I mean, how many times have you walked in to the truck stop, and toss out the previous remnants of whats in your coffee cup as you're walking in to get you a refill? Same difference here, only it's within the confines of my truck, since I do my own coffee brewing in the truck, the coffee cup never leaves my cab. And the coffee pot needs a rinse since I go sometimes a day or two between brewing.

Well, the gutless cowards part is, after completing the work to my truck, they waited until after I left, hours later, to call Lincoln, instead of asking me while I was there and resolving it on the spot. Sorta' goes to what I've accused many different departments in this company - stick it to the next guy...I don't know if they are afraid of confrontation, or what - those that have met me could confirm - this is unlikely, unless provoked, I mean really provoked, I'm a big hairy teddy bear. That was until they did this...now there's gona' be trouble every time I go there.

When my terminal manager beeped me it was 5 minutes before going home on a Friday...initially I thought that she was trying to avoid a confrontation, but once I thought about it, and talked to her, I realized, she was a middle man(or woman in this case). She informed me that she would be in on Saturday if I wanted to discuss what was going on. If she was trying to avoid me, I don't think she would have given me that option. Once I called, initially, she had a accusatory tone, but after talking to her for a bit, that tone changed. I had to report to the Wilmer shop after I got empty in Ennis, and have the shop boss verify - to satisfy Lincoln -that I hadn't altered the truck, and it wasn't what they claim it was. The mechanic went out, and in 3 seconds, knew that I had used an already existing hole(doesn't say much about the shop in Columbus, they didn't even walk to the next bay to look under another truck or know that these predrilled holes exist), and 3 more seconds inside (did sniff test) verified that it's was what I said it was. I mean, they must think I am very well endowed if they think I can reach something that is knee high to pee... maybe I should call and thank them for the compliment.

And on top of that, when I shut down the next night after I got out of the shop, my APU tripped the reset...I guess they didn't purge the coolant lines that run back to the sleeper heat from the 'T' on the APU. If it weren't for an O/O had a similar problem, I wouldn't have even known about the reset.

Then, just about the time I got into KY, I started smelling coolant again. Stopped at the rest area by Florence, sure enough, another leak. The bottom radiator hose was dripping, not a little drip, but a fast drip. I could have tightened it, but...if they're going to accuse me of doing stuff, and I'm presumed guilty until proven innocent, I beeped breakdown. It cost the company $49.87 to have a clamp replaced (could have been tightened but it only cost $3 more to replace). If they want to play their games, so be it...

Like I told my wife, I stand a better chance of getting hit by lightening, twice, while waiting to cash my winning Powerball ticked than ever get an apology from my accusers...not that it would mean much...I have 0(zero) respect for those *Bleeep* *bleep -ing* son of a *bleeps* in that shop.

Plus my vacation time message kept being either removed from the system, or totally ignored (either is possible) I kept having to remind them I was to be home by the weekend...turns out the pump on our well died, and my wife was living like it was hurricane season and using buckets and bottled water. Thankfully my son lives 10 min away so we can get a shower and fresh water. I worked 2 days finding parts to replace, but my well is so old, and so shallow, they don't make parts for it anymore and any rigged system would fail due to the crappy water at my well's level...so this years income tax refund is going down the hole (a 4" well that is).

 

MRSA bleach? What kind of concoction is that? Just getting over a MRSA infection from a spider bite myself.

 

Basically it's just a mild bleach solution and I use in a cheap spray bottle when ever I use a company terminal's showers. Strong enough to kill any MRSA left by a previous driver, but not strong enough to cause any ill effects to skin. Similar to the recipe on the back of the bottle for mopping. This was the advice of my doctor, after we came to the conclusion that I had most likely picked up MRSA (or CA MRSA in my case) from one of our company's "clean it when we get around to it" shower stalls. Since they get cleaned about 1/20 as often as most truck stop showers(I being generous with that estimate). So he said to just spray it down before and after with the bleach water mix.

In fact, the 1/4 bottle of bleach mix I had left, was removed from my truck by whomever was inside replacing the heater core. Maybe since the heater core is in such an awkward location, perhaps I didn't get it out of the way far enough and they squashed it... But that would be giving them more credit then they deserve. So now I have to buy more, and another m/t gallon jug so I can get the mix ratio right. I mean in the old days, we use to use bleach for traction on ice, but I carry salt/sand for that...that they had to move to get in through the passenger side to fix my truck.

 

So what would be an approximate ratio per gallon of water/bleach?

 

1 gallon of bleach=hazmat placards!

 

around 1/2 - 3/4 cup (4 - 6 oz) of bleach per gallon of water,...if your skin feels slick then use a little less bleach...I spray a little heavier where the spray of the shower hits, let is stand while I get out my stuff, then rinse, then hop in for shower...I spray a little lighter where I can't rinse. And a spray bottle with an adjustable spray works best...so you can mist rather than stream.

 

Crete in slow at the hiring process!

 

Frankly i'd just be glad to have a job in these harsh economical times

 

You forgot: Truck Drivers Love All Law Enforcement Officials!