CRETE - A Year in Review

That explains why I got asked to do a favor load for Cory up in PA. But then was deadheaded over 200 miles to get my next load.

 

What times do they switch? I know they must have a hard job, but I've had so many weird experiences that make me wonder if they even check the QCOM. Recently, they were adamant that I take that Smith System class on a certain day at a certain terminal - even though it was offered over 20 more times upcoming at various terminals. They made me tcal a great load a day and a half before the class even though I had the hours to keep running. I sent them a message saying i could do local stuff, shag trilers, do yard counts or whatever. The very next morning, I got a snarky message on my QCOM: "what are you doing?! This load was sent to you an hour ago. It's very important and we need you to pick it up!" LOL, it was the same load they had just forced me to tcal. Of course once I explained, they said I couldn't take it. But dealing with their constant idiocy is so draining.

 

Day shift usually has an end of day meeting around 16:00. After the meeting, they come back and clean up anything they have going and are usually gone by 17:30. They have a problem log in which they are supposed to enter anything that needs to be looked at. (t-calls, late arrivals, driver breakdowns to name a few) Although the oncoming shift should be checking that when they come on, it does not always happen. They also don't always read the notes made on your truck screen. (this is what probably led to your t-call adventure...)

 

what is a t-call ?

 

A "t-call" is when a load is enroute with the driver that picked it up at the shipper, but he drops it short of the consignee. It is then re-assigned to another driver to deliver to the consignee. Hopefully at the expected delivery time. It can be that the original driver did not have the hours, had a maintenance issue, or even got hometime. Planners apparently are the arbitrurers. If they think it is too much trouble you can be re-assigned other loads. Had that happen to me when they tried to assign a load I could not deliver due to my 70 hour clock. I offered to pick up and t-call to KC yard so I could do a 34 hour reset. Instead, the planner gave me a BS load from OK to MS where I never could get a reset, but it ate up 3 days.

 

Some companies call "t-calls" a "repower".

 

where the heck is supersnack?

 

Last I heard he was having technical issues getting online.

 

Sorry, I can't match SS's flair for the numbers. Just know the facts.

 

Greetings lost comrades.

I have quite a bit to talk about, so this may take a while.

1st of all, I have a little comment to the fine folks at Navistar/International. May you rot in...Well, that is a little harsh so I'll stop there and just say, I hope that the Prostar and Maxxforce engine put your company out of business. Simply because they are putting a financial squeeze on so many drivers paychecks because of all the down time caused by their junk equipment.

3 weeks ago, my Maxxforce started sounding like I had an exhaust leak. With all the drivers I spoke to recently that had exhaust issues, I got a concerned. I started getting real serious about looking for issues in areas that weren't easy to see. And viola, a clamp just dangling in a very hard place to see...in fact had I done Yoga in my past, it would have make the contortion position I had to get into a little easier to see. I took it to the Raphine, VA Petro. They looked at it and suggested the clamp I was seeing was something that held on a heat shield, not a union of two pipes. They could fix it, but it probably wasn't responsible for the symptoms I was reporting, but it would take hours. I messaged breakdown...they said, it's their truck, it's their warranty, or they could get me into Freightliner in a couple days. The conversation was like this - 'Ummmmmmm when did Freightliner take over International??????? '..."Oh, sorry, I thought you were driving a Cascadia".....'I mentioned in my 1st message, the 1st line, that I was driving a Maxxforce POS...Maxxforce is International'...."We can get you into International on Monday"....'It is Thursday, why Monday'...."They're busy, earliest we can get you in "....'Forget it, I will get it thru a company shop, that way if it is days, then they will swap me out'

So, I drove it for a few more days. I pick up a load out of Richmond going to Jacksonville. Enroute, something decided to die hitting my windshield in the middle of the night, thus breaking it. So after I was empty in Jacksonville the following Monday, off to the windshield shop I go. Which is fine, because my Asset Mis-manager says there isn't any freight near me anyway. Got the POS' windshield fixed, and I start having issues with no low end boost. It takes me 5-10 seconds to get moving. I get a load out of Claxton, GA (fruit cakes)...while I was coming around the Jacksonville bypass headed to Claxton, GA...I get into a nasty backup because of a crash on I-95. Now I am a careful driver, give people lots of room, let other drivers in, which I did here. We were just in the beginning stages(or the end of the backup) and were just approaching the start of everything. When I let in a Knight so we could hang that left hand exit from I295 to I95, as he was moving over, a bunch of 4 wheelers cut him off, and he almost went past the left lane and into the median trying to avoid them...which made me hit the brakes a bit harder that I like to...thus tripping the 'Critical Event' warning on the Q/comm... We get thru the backup, and in the morning I chug and sputter my way up to the shipper. The lack of power getting worse. I pull some fuel out of the filter...clean. I pick up 43k worth of fruitcake, and decide I need to get this load delivered and get my junk to the Indy yard. I didn't make it. Coming around Atlanta, my truck had issues getting back up to speed once I hit a hill, or had to slow down a bit...and my Jake brake was only working on low. I decide to take it to Marietta. 3 days later I get out of the shop. The EGR valve went out, and the exhaust leak was one of the tubes or veins had blown out. The weird part, the International mechanic said that the computer said it was functioning. But based on my symptoms, he felt that the EGR was bad. Turns out, he was right...but there were parts on the inside simply GONE. The moving parts hooked to the computer still moved, but the computer didn't know the parts on the inside were gone.

I get done, get an empty trailer, and in the morning tell dispatch that I was ready. I get a sweeeeeeet load. Pick up Friday in Augusta, deliver in SLC Tuesday. 2200 total miles. I almost pull a muscle accepting the load so fast, only to be greeted by a 'Invalid Order Number' message...I put in the right numbers...what gives. My asset mis-manager tells me that they changed the pickup time to tonight, not this morning and sends me a beer load out of Cartersville instead. I tell him I haven't started my day, I can delay my start and as long as the load is done by midnite tonight, I will still have enough time to make SLC, so give it back!!!! After several minutes, and less than pleasant messages I end up getting stuck on the beer load. But now, I can't make the delivery to Alexandria, VA by the 9 am delivery window. They tell me get it there safe and legal. In Alabama, I get a pre-plan. Pick up in Pineville Saturday, deliver in Tyler, TX Sunday(only)...a 219 mile run. My next message went like - 'perhaps you should reconsider a more productive load before my attitude turns negative'....a few messages back and forth, and then..... nothing. It was quitting time, and he has a life, so since he is a former dispatcher, it was sop here at CCC. Leave the driver hanging.

I get to Alexandria, LA Saturday morning...and no one is there. I message dispatch, and after a while, they run me from Alexandria to Gretna(south of New Orleans) to t'call. 220 extra miles...but not enough fuel. I message op's for a fuel solution...and 3 hours later, after numerous messages, nothing. So I just start sending blank messages every 5 minutes until I finally get someone's attention. Another 30 minutes I finally get a new solution. I get over and drop my load pick up my empty, and they keep me on the 200 mile run out of Pineville to Tyler, but now it has 220 mile deadhead to pickup. On the way back to pick up the load, it was raining as hard as I've seen since the last hurricane I drove through. And then another issue appears on my truck. My dump valve switch's LED starts blinking really fast...but while I was rolling, and having never touched it, I find a place to park and check it out...air is up, linkage is good, no leaks...ask breakdown if there is a known issue with this and if there is anything I can do to fix so we don't have to hit a shop....again. No known issues to their knowledge, but since it wasn't an emergency, I would just deal with it as long as it didn't dump my air on the way, and get it into a company shop when I could. I deliver, and the dump valve won't dump...That night, I park, everything dries out...and the dump valve blinking light quits blinking, and the dump valve now works. The next day, I get a load out of Texarkana headed to east of Owensboro for the next day.When I go to pick up the load, with the directions Crete provides...the last part of the directions say, 'just before the railroad crossing, turn left', which I tried...but even though I drive an International, I can't plow through trees...around the block I go and look for my customer again. Since the Thunderbolt fried it's brain...I have no Google Maps to search from...I am at a total loss for finding these places when our directions let us down. I finally find the place, and there are 5 or 6 other Cretes there. Most of them had the same issues finding the place. We picked up the partially processed paper that they bail up and ship to another paper mill for processing and finishing. The place looked like an old run down abandoned small warehouse complex. 1 worker who does it all, load, paperwork...everything. He said that he did the same thing when they 1st assigned him to work there...and he lives 2 miles away and didn't know that anyone still used that place.(this is where I saw Redbeard)I get loaded and deliver the next day...then off to Owensboro, pick up a load out of Kimberly Clark headed to Pittston, PA..I bust my tail and get that load up there by the next day...and bobtail out to the Pilot. Now, I try to keep op's informed as to my intentions to bobtail out since the Pilot wouldn't have parking for a trailer, and the customer didn't have an issue with me doing it, then pick up an empty(or a load right back out of there) in the morning. After I tell them the plan, our buddy Cory asked..."they don't have empties???"...Cory....read the message....

My next load came out of Williamsport PA going to Enid, OK...1417 miles. Pickup Thursday, deliver Monday...ok. Thanks to the extra 400 miles that 1st beer load screwup caused, I had 2800 miles...and a good start for the following week. I get to shipper...Hazmat load, the concentrated bleach that they make Clorox out of...not a problem, I'll haul any legal load anywhere I legally can...especially a 1400 mile run that has enough time to get yet another 34. I pull into the Columbus terminal late Thursday night, and planned a 34, leave Saturday, deliver Monday. Plus I can get my dump valve moisture problems resolved. The mechanic said it is a known issue, there are solenoids under the truck off the bottom of the frame that have issues. Plus I was now due for an A service.. a couple hours later, I was done...WOW, what is up...I found out...Tonn was coming into town for the OSU/Nebraska game, and was planning a visit to the terminal...Well, before I could get out of the terminal...he showed up. When he walked into the TV room, and started meeting drivers, when he came to me...his exact words were 'you look familiar, I have met you somewhere before'. Now, the only time I have ever been around him was in the lunch line in Lincoln...and that is what I told him. It didn't occur to me until that night, perhaps my face might be printed on a 'wanted' poster up in High Command, or maybe it is on his dart board...(just kidding, but maybe that is why he knew me)(more about our meeting later)

I get to my receiver early...the guy tells me to back up in front of a dock, but open my doors, and let the trailer air out for 30 minutes before backing up against the dock bumpers...I didn't understand until I opened the 1st door...and couldn't get close to that side of the back of the trailer from the fumes...imagine opening a bottle of bleach, dumping it into a hefty bag, then sticking your head in the bag and taping it around your neck(with your head inside)...that is what my trailer smelled like. They say they have a special room, with a separate ventilation system to store it. An hour later I was empty. Head up another dog food plant (not Norman or Edmond) and pick up a load to Pueblo, CO...another load with good timing on the miles. I get to Pueblo on Tuesday morning...sitting at 2000+ miles and hours to run. Now most drivers would be like me and think that a 3000+ mile week would be unavoidable...except for my asset mis-manager. I get a load out of Golden, CO headed right back to Enid, OK for Thursday. 700 miles, 2 days...(can you hear the mileage motor starting to sputter?????). I get to Enid, deliver and head to the spit-hole of a fuel stop on the south side of Enid. There I wait, and wait, and wait. I get a message from Lincoln, 'freight short, check back in a couple hours'. A couple hours later...I beep them. I am informed that I will be going to Bartlesville and running for Walmart for a week. NOT HAPPENING!!!!!! 1, because I already did my Walmart duty this year in July...2, I don't have a usable cell (I have a prepaid, but it is 200 minutes for 20 bucks...being married...200 minutes I'm barely able to chat a little while a day with the real boss let alone doing any company business for Walmart). After several less than complimentary messages about a total mismanagement of the company's asset(us). I am told that I have no choice and that they have no record of me doing any Walmart duty this year. I don't hesitate to skip my AM and send messages to my Fleet Manager about getting off this guy's board and need immediate intervention in being forced into another Walmart duty this year. My AM promptly sends me a message asking me if I am aware of the fact that he see's all messages to-from my truck and that he saw the messages to my Terminal. I tell him I am fully aware of that fact that he can see it, and that I am not attempting in any way to hide the fact that I am totally unhappy with his efforts thus far, and that if I have to, I can get veeps involved. I then get a message from the Op's manager asking 'since I claim that I did Walmart, when and where did I do it.' I not only produced dates and trip numbers, but was willing to produce store number and locations once I get to a phone (my prepaid was out of minutes so I couldn't call home and get that info). Now I wasn't happy in the least, and was VERY hesitant to deal with my AM....the next load they eventually offered was out of Supulpa to College Point, NY....which happens to be in Queens, 1 exit over the bridge from the Bronx. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! Punishment, I'm guessing, for not doing Walmart. I normally don't say a word about Long Island, but that close to the city...NOT...when I started here, the 5 boroughs of NY were non-forced, so I told them no way, and that I was heading to a truck stop about 45 miles north of there(Love's just south of the KS border) where there was a phone, and showers and food....I don't care about the deadhead or OOR miles. The Golden to Enid was more than 80 miles off due to them running me to a KS fuel stop...if they can do it, I can too. 5 minutes go by, and I start rolling. BEEP - a new message has arrived-- now, since I have that new q/comm system that talks to you, I can at least hear if it's a load or just someone else who wants to complain at me. A load, that picks up in Enid going to Rogers, AR. It picks up at noon on Friday and delivers at 2000 on the same day. But not enough miles to get me to 3000(none of the other loads I was fighting about would have done that either)...but since I was rolling, and couldn't just stop...I headed to the truck stop. Another beep...my AM telling me to accept the load(so the computer lady said when I pushed the nag-button) I get to the truck stop...accept the load, and send him a message that I couldn't stop in the middle of the road to accept before this.

After I delivered Friday night, I parked and scanned. Saturday I am sent a load that picked up in Muskogee going to Gas City for Monday. Then, after that, a same day load that picked up in Greenfield, IN headed to Fairfield, OH. Then headed to N. Vernon to pick up a load going to Blytheville, AR. But the N Vernon D/C was running behind, and they neglected to tell me that my load was ready, and 30 minutes before my 14 was up, I went to Seymour. I came back after a break, but now the load was going to use most of my 11 to get the delivered. After that, I was sent to Memphis to pick up a Minooka load for the next day(or should I say night...1 am which is technically 2 days). Since the load delivered in Minooka at 1 am, I asked for a preplan out of there so I can deliver and pickup at the same time. He told me that there wasn't anything productive and to wait until after I deliver and get something. Something real productive alright. Romeoville(not off the yard, but right next door). Appointment pickup, deliver in Mason City, IA. For Friday, which put me at 2400 miles for the week. Now, if the beer load to LA hadn't gotten screwed up, that week would have been in the 2400's. The next week was a 2900 mile week, and a 2400 mile week this week....After Mason City, they put me on a load out of NE Iowa headed for McCook, NE for a Saturday delivery. I ask for a preplan out of there ahead of time since we haul back out of the same place, only to be told that I most likely would be heading to N.Platte(little did he know) I get to the delivery, and since they don't work on the weekend in the receiving department that handles the reel's they put hoses on, we just drop at a door and grab an empty. When I went to slide my tandems, I pull the pins, put the truck in 1st gear and as I ease out on the clutch to slide...my truck takes off hard, but I was only 1/4 way off the floor so I matted the clutch to the floor...but it didn't work...the truck was still pulling the trailer with locked brakes. I shut the truck down and I pumped the clutch....and it squishes and goes limp....so I work to get the pins locked, and used the key to quick start(in gear) to ease it to the dock (start, shut off, start, shut off so I don't push the trailer thru the dock) unhook and pop the hood...no leaks, no runs, no broken parts, but no clutch either. So I send in a message to breakdown...we messaged back and forth and finally they ask me to drive it to N.Platte....not a chance with all the red lights coming thru McCook...so they send the hook. Now I still don't have a cell other than my prepaid, I don't know N.Platte and I am at International, which is closed for the weekend. They tried to get out of paying for a motel...but the International is a ways from anywhere, no food, no shower, no bathroom, no phone for 2 days....they gave in and said get a motel for under $75/night and to call them....DUH, no phone!!!! They said get a cab and get to a motel and call them....DUH, NO PHONE!!!! how do I call a cab without a phone!!!!!. I am now in the Ramada Inn across from the International dealer for the rest of the weekend and into Monday. 3 problems in 3 weeks, 2 of the problems will cost me days of down time. I HATE INTERNATIONAL'S!!!!!

Our meeting in Columbus with Tonn was professional and polite(as nice as I can describe here)But of the 10 or so drivers in the room, 1 was happy with their AM...the other 9 had major complaints...we also voiced our problems with the preplanning of loads, equipment issues, speed of which shops repair our vehicles when management wasn't expected to make a visit....and the overall lack of miles since the AM program had been started. Now, to say the least, he listened and interacted with us...but my personal feelings about the whole deal is, things will still be run the exact same way as it is now...nothing will change. And by what he told me, Internationals are still on the plan for purchase until sometime next year when they have to start producing motors that are more compliant with the EPA's reg's.

All in all....I am so discouraged about my future here...more than ever. But, my wife needs our insurance, now more than ever. My daughter just got out of the hospital for gall bladder issues, and my wife's gall bladder is in worse shape than her's was...so she will be next. Hopefully it'll wait until I have 2 weeks vacation so that I can take time off to take care of her once she is out of the hospital. My daughter isn't allowed to pick up her kids (actually nothing heaver than a 5 lb bag of sugar) for 2 weeks. If anyone has a medical problem...pray to whatever Supreme Entity you pray to that it doesn't happen in FL...it took a month for them to go from exam to surgery(partially because of the enzyme readings that my daughter had)...

Best wishes all...once I get out of the motel Monday, I won't have WIFI until the next time the POS breaks down.