CRETE - A Year in Review

I'm due in Indy Sunday, but I'm coming up Texas so no weather issues yet.

 

...meanwhile, the idiocy returns to Packardland. Yeah...I want to run 100 miles empty across virtually all 2-lane roads in the dark after snow and ice. Nope. Not for a 500-mile run that delivers Monday. All Ive had the last week are 400-Milers and Ive been to OH six times this month. And AMs can not do anything until its time to get a driver home.

Circling the drain.....

 

Errrkkkk; hasn't anyone on your "support" team ever even been IN a truck!? Or are they actively trying to kill you?

 

I can't really complain (right now, lol). I came back from my days off (had to park the truck at a hotel near the drop yard). There was a team dropping a load (with 100 left) and another Crete pulling in to hook up to a Shaffer load. I was expecting to be reamed, but they deadheaded me all the way to LA for a load going to Denver. I just hope it's not snowing too bad over 70, otherwise I'm pretty happy with it. Of course I pass through Vegas which is a MAJOR temptation for me.

* LOL, my load ended up being a Shaffer load in LA!

 

Well, I got out lucky this time. They took the load to pick up tonight off of me. Got a load picking up close to the first one and heading to Grand Island, NE...about 1080 total miles. Spending the night in the Kroger bullpen in Delaware, OH....

 

Unfortunately, the way Crete has this thing structured now, the Asset Manager is nothing more than a hometime coordinator. As far as managing any assets on a day-to-day basis, their hands are tied. AM is a huge misnomer in concept and execution.

 

What is a 'support team'? Crete doesn't support anyone who sits behind the wheel. The only people that Lincoln cares about is the dead presidents that stuff their wallet. If your face isn't on a green wallet size print with lots of numbers...you are nothing here.

 

You're lucky you weren't in Indy this morning. I got to my consignee, the roads were dry. Shortly after bumping the dock, it started snowing. By rush hour, the roads were a skating rink. It took me almost 3 hours to get from the east side(1 exit south of the I70/I465 jct) to Gas City to pick up a load. I69 had so many cars in the ditch, in the median and into the cable barrier that the cops were only putting 1/3rd of a dayglow sticker on the window to show that the vehicle was checked. Just before my exit to pick up my load, anything over 1/4 throttle would cause the truck to dirt track.

Then I get to my delivery in Jacksonville, IL...no empties until sometime tomorrow. Plus, after the yahoo's in the Indy shop replaced my fuel pump(that wasn't leaking) I now have a constant smell of diesel and I see drips on the ground when I stop for 5 minutes. That shop is a bigger joke than Marietta or Ottawa.

 

Meanwhile in Volvoland, I went to NYC on the 22nd, then deadheaded to Edison, NJ for a 1300 mile run to Lincoln that was supposed to deliver at 2000 yesterday. Weather and traffic spoiled that and my 11 was completely burned up by Avoca, IA. Start off this morning, get rolling... I'm 20 miles east of Council Bluffs when the QC beeps. Get to the rest area on the other side of Omaha to check the message - it's a preplan for a 1200 mile run from Lincoln to Allentown, PA - with a window of 1/27 0001 - 1/28 1200.

Then I get to Council Bluffs for fuel, and discover that my warning buzzer has gone dead.

Guess what that means?

No low air warning.

Guess what that is? Oh, yeah, an out-of-service violation.

So now I sit for my break at the Wings of America off I-80 at the 40 in Avoca, IA.

 

I'm sorry guys, I cannot read this thread as much as I used to. There is wwwaaayyyy too much crying on here for me to keep reading. It also seems to be contaigous as everyone is doing it now.

To you guys that have been whining for the last 15 or so pages.. Put in your 2 weeks notice. Some guys cry just for the sake of crying, that's why I don't hang out in the trucker lounge. Seems like this turned out to be the Virtual Lounge!