CRETE - A Year in Review

Well, my first year is in the bag. Nine weeks with a trainer and 43 weeks on my own. Not counting the training miles I racked up 97,630 miles in those 43 weeks. Plus from the first of the year to date I have 72,175 miles thus far this calendar year. I need to step it up a bit I guess.

 

If you keep going the way you are you'll have aprox. 108-110k for the year, not bad for a new guy.It'll get better as you go.

 

Thanks for the info. I don't think that you'll find the micromanaging asset manager at Crete, but might be possible. I have found in my 20 months that they leave me alone mostly, because I make my deliveries on time or early. If I have problems, I handle with as little uproar as possible and tcall if necessary. I am on the 6 week rotation with 6 days hometime. Crete has been good about having hometime at locations other than home of record. I have family in the midwest and have made reunions and visited grandchild as well. I think you will find it refreshing at Crete.

 

If it was him, something sounds a bit fishey...by the way the picture on the internet looked, the truck was moving forward when it went over and the headlights were still on. He must have missed the part of orientation that went something like, unless you're truck is broken down, DO NOT park on the shoulder of the highway, or on a ramp. The story Bones told us to emphasize the point, a driver had just stopped on a ramp shoulder and was exiting his vehicle to set out his triangles because his truck had issues...before he could open the side box, he was rear ended by ma and pa Kettle that were discussing what was for dinner and weren't watching the road as closely as they should and crash. When I was a Landstar O/O, it didn't take a rollover to lose your contract, just being reported on a shoulder of the ramp w/o triangles was grounds for termination of your lease agreement...they gave you 5 or 10 minutes to get stopped and put them out, then call for a service vehicle.

The only time it is o.k. to hit the shoulder of the traveled road is if you're being pulled over by law enforcement, if your vehicle cannot make it safely to a safer location, or if sudden illness strikes and you have no other alternative other than passing out or losing control while moving. In my almost 20 years, I have never been forced to park on the highway...I've always been able to limp it to somewhere safe. And I also have never had to sleep on a ramp, and only twice in 2 million + miles spent the night in a rest area. I have never been so tired that the shoulder was the only option, and I use to run mega miles compaired to todays trucking. 125k miles was an unacceptable year...150k + was the happyness goal.

 

I'm curious why you dislike rest areas so much. I know some seem to have parking slots that are too short and also seem to get ridiculously jammed up late at night. But some of the more modern ones appear to be designed very well.

 

http://www.ketv.com/news/local-news.../16043512/-/2w1tvk/-/index.html?absolute=true

 

I personally feel that a rest area is a place to stop for a bathroom break, a quick stretch of the legs or even a quick nap but not for a long term break unless there is no other option. I still hesitate to spend the night at many of these new huge service plazas that are being built on the toll roads.

 

If this was the same guy, and unless the truck slid down once it was on its side, then it would appear that if you imagine where the truck would be just before it rolled..the truck was completely off the hard/paved shoulder and in the grass

 

Well, guess flippin' what friends???


I AM BROKE DOWN AGAIN....THIS TIME I NEVER GOT OUT OF THE LINCOLN TERMINAL!!

Given a load to IL for Sunday at 0600. At least it starts me in an easterly direction to get me home by Tuesday.

I hook up, do the PTI. Notice the brake lights on the trailer are only working periodically. Hmmmm...check the pigtail...seems good. It's 0530...shop opens at 0700...I'll have 'em check it out. Quick test with the test light reveals the problem is in the tractor, and it's NOT the pigtail (in other words, something simple). No..it's the SIM computer or some such #### thing. So now, I'm heading to the FL dealer at noon in an attempt to get me fixed later today.

This is now 9 breakdowns in 11 weeks, 3 in the last three days. A garbage can in the driver's lounge is feeling the affects of my boot this morning, and I have a good mind to purposely get myself thrown out of here.

Absolutely unbelieveable.

 

Ok, it is official, you have topped me for bad luck when it comes to equipment... Holy Crap...but whatever you do, don't say the phrase "what else could happen".