CRETE - A Year in Review

Well, I got to New Kingstown for service a morning late. Got up this morning in Hagerstown, MD, and the truck just wouldn't crank. It's been slow to crank for about a week now, but usually after 2 or 3 tries it goes...not today. Had to jump it. Anyway, got the load delivered, then over here. They won't be able to get to it until the morning, but that doesn't worry me too much. I won't get a reset, but I'll pick up some hours to hopefully even out my coming days....too many streaks of 11...6...7....12...5....hate those.

And the service writer here in NK is a prick. Ironic that they have a tractor outside the shop with a big "We CARE" sign in the windshield. This guy came off as not being able to care one single iota less than he already does.

 

I call the whole area the axis of 'a' holes. The whole phrase goes: OH, IL, IN, OH are the axis of 'a'holes, and PA's membership is pending approval. There are more 'a'holes per capita in this axis than in any other region of the country, including CA, OR, and WA.

And this is coming from a former OH resident w/family still living within the axis boundries. Some may be senior members or high level recruiters.

 

Well my unload went fairly quick. Still not too sure why we live unloaded at a normally 'drop/hook' customer. There were empty trailers there.. Maybe it's "who the shipper is" that they determine live or drop because a 2nd and 3rd Crete were back there with me. I know at least one was from the same shipper. It was also a 'no charge'(to Crete) lumper unload. Amazing how much faster they get done when someone else is paying. Now I am sitting north of Columbus waiting on a customer to put me to a door on a load that was suppose to be ready between 8am and 1500. There is another Creten who showed up not long after I got here, and he is doing the same thing. My load is headed to the SC warehouse that 'Jacksonville' load was to be picked up. So I may be picking up there to deliver after the holiday. We shall see.

 

Are the Cascadia's like the Prostars where you have to hit the clutch pedal in order to start, or are they like a normal truck that is suppose to start w/o it?

 

My cascadia requires the clutch pushed in.

 

On a slow boat to Chine or Iowa by the 3rd. At first offered a load to Maryland. T-call in Columbus and deliver on the 4th. Had to remind that I am trying to be home by the 7th and Maryland is not close to Washington state. They did cancel the original preplan, but now will have 34 in hawkeye state.

 

I always thought that if you showed up in a red truck at NK you were treated as a second class citizen.

 

I drive a blue one....same thing.

As far as the clutch in to start...I've never tried it without pushing it in...old habits die hard, I guess.

Freight is slow. Pick up a load in York, PA headed to IN for Tuesday, about 600 miles total.

 

I finally got my load loaded. It only took 4 hours to load a load that was suppose to already be ready...which just about killed my 14. So my delivery to Greenwood, SC took most of my Saturday. I got to the delivery, dropped and the Crete that loaded right beside me in OH was sitting bobtail like there wasn't anything to pull out of there. But, when I asked the security guard about loads out, there must have been 30 or more ready and they were needing empties to load. So, I was given a load to Springfield, IL for Tuesday that will allow me a 34 and give me mid 1400's for a holiday weekend and in a decent area for a load heading in the general direction of home...but if they delay me getting home this time, I am as much to blame for it as Lincoln is...just as long as my week ends up with decent miles it'll be worth it.

 

I didn't mind giving up a day for my servicing. I needed 8 new batteries and, as it turned out, a new air governor. I too will get a 34, but have to go back to NK and find an empty in the morning. I decided to grab a motel room this evening, and ordered a pizza from Al's....and it was awesome. So, miles not too great, but it'll all work out.