CRETE - A Year in Review

Well after failing to get me home this weekend as requested Looks like somone in dispatch is on the ball. They have been working with me for last 2 days on pre_plans and now have me delivering here in MI. picking up a kellogs load to Omaha, then over to Iowa to pic up and T-call in St. Louis .. picking up in St. Charles and dropping at Walmart on the 25 to get me home. This is the first time they have been so attentive. I wonder if it has something to do with my conference call between SLC Terminal Manager and Lincoln .. I told them I was tired of getting jerked around every time I put in for hometime.(sometimes not getting home for 2-3 weeks after request) and was advise they were working on a new system to help releive the problem?

 

Well after years of working in warehouses i am just so fed up of being stuck inside. I just got laid off for the first time in my life and at 41 yrs old i find it is indeed a time for a career change. I am going on unemployment and then i am going to ask about them paying for my trucking school so i can get out and get a career in trucking. I have always wanted to go OTR and now my wife is all for it(?) lol. Hey being married for 17 yrs my wife is getting sick of me i think. I have read so much good about Crete and Schaffer and so many negative about those Newbie hire companies i want to drive for Crete.

Ok My question for you:
Since i will be going on my own to a trucking school will Crete take New drivers with no experience but fresh out of school? I know i will have to be paired with a trainer for some time and i am willing to do that so i can be properly trained which i think is a must. I WANT to learn the ins and outs.
I am tired of making only $25,000 a year breaking my back everyday. I have a wife and 2 teenagers to support and i know that otr will be a hardship on us all but we(Family) know about it since my Father-in-law was a trucker.

Well enough rambling and thank you so much for posting all that you do. This has been so helpful beyond what you can imagine to us wannabes'...thanks

 

Crete has a list of schools that meet their requirements and they'll only hire new grads from those schools. All you have to do is call one of Crete's recruiters, tell him the school you're looking at, and he/she will check if it's on their list of approved schools.

As far as I understand it, if your school is PTDI certified, there's a good chance it'll be on Crete's list of approved schools. I'd still check with Crete, however.

And thanks, Evertrucker, for the public journal. I'm changing careers and starting my CDL class next month and reading your posts has given me a few things to think about while I prepare. Crete is one of the companies I plan on applying to before finishing school.

 

thank you for the info.. the company i work for now is good but they want me to run illeagal more than i would like.. meaning the 14hour rule back stuff up move it arround so you can get a load or deliver ect.. very poor load planning..oh well it is what it is for now i just know its only a matter of time before it catches me and i know the company wont stand by me when it does.. it would be nice to run fairly leagal and still make money

 

Ok fellow Cretians, I've had my new Prostar for about 3 wks now. I like it a lot, other than it's quite a bit heavier than the century was. What do you other drivers have to say about it? Haven't got to use the A/C yet, but I really like the battery heater.

 

I've had my new Prostar a week Wednesday. I love the ride compared to my old shaker. I had an interesting glitch yesterday while coming up the west side of Monteagle mountain in TN. My speedometer suddenly went from 55 down to 5 though my speed had not changed. When I got down the other side of the mtn, I had no more speed limiter! I was able to rock and roll! I couldn't tell how fast I was going till I turned on my GPS and I backed off when it got up to 69. I still had lots of pedal. I guess the speed sensor had a glitch and the ECM wasn't governing the throttle. I pulled over and shut the ignition off and back on and it solved the glitch. I am now back to my measly 62. It was fun for those few brief miles though!

 

I love my prostar. I got it in dec. i like it alot better than the pete 387 that i got out of. Its got alot of power, auto headlights. I can fit my 19in plasma tv in here and still have room for a bigger tv. I plan on upgrading later this year. The only problem that i had is it pulls to the right.

 

You will have to "Log it like you run it" Crete is very strict on logs .. but they do plan you well to keep you moving.. we also do alot of drop and hook which helps to utilize your time ..

 

How did you mount your TV?

 

I have it on the cabinet above the table just like a regular tv. I have a strap going over it with tape going over the strap so the strap wont slide off. I have a 19in vizio and it still has a few inches of clearence above it.