CRETE - A Year in Review

I would have to say that being jostled from a deep sleep to have your trailer serviced is the last thing you will ever have to worry about at a Crete terminal these days. As a matter of fact, shop hours and personnel have been cut back so bad the they can't keep up with what the drivers are throwing at them. I have actually given up on trying to get a trailer service. Unless something is seriously wrong with one I can't even get a trailer in these days.

Someone at Crete needs to realize that there is a thing called a "point of diminishing returns" and there is no place it is more evident than in the shops.

I have had the unfortunate experience of being told to drop an empty trailer while in a Crete yard (namely the Atlanta yard) while doing a reset because they were short on trailers. One another day I had my lock taken off of an MT trailer by the shop while my truck was being serviced. That one really got my blood boiling, especially when I sent a message the next day that I was ready for a load and they wouldn't give me one until I found an MT trailer.

I still haven't forgiven them for that one. Unless I'm loaded I won't even go into that terminal anymore.

The number one complaint I have about Crete is its new attitude toward truck maintenance. You really have to plan it out to avoid loosing time. It's not uncommon to take 6 hours for a basic B service, and that doesn't count the time spent waiting to get it in the shop in the first place. One time it took 30 hours to get a tire change on a trailer. Fortunately it was during a 34hr reset.

 

Maintenance will become a thorn in your side. This has been a common problem for me at any trucking company I've worked for. It wasn't that way when I started with Crete in mid 2006. At that time a number of their shops were open 24hr. Recent budget cuts brought an end to that. Every trucking company is feeling the pinch and have to do what they can to cut costs. I can't blame them, but they may be taking it a little to far. However, if I were the one paying the bills I might have a different opinion. Couple that with a mechanic staff that seems to have zero motivation and you end up with a less than efficient process.

The maintenance issues I'm referring to are things like oil changes and tractor repair work that you are required to have done in company shops.

The tire repair I referred to was a preloaded trailer that I had picked up near by and had stopped in the yard for a 34reset. Therefore, I assumed that would be more than enough time to get it fixed. It was, but barely. Under normal circumstance I do, and have bypassed terminals to get tires fixed due to the time issue. I don't even call breakdown for authorization, I just have the work done and charge it to my credit card and transflow the receipt in with my tripsheet and am always rembursed w/o question. Crete now allows repairs up to $100 w/o prior authorization. That way I don't have to worry about being heldup at the shop waiting for someone at Crete to come up with a PO#

Absolutely, $1000/week is a cake walk. That part that I love is that can turn into $1500-1600 every once in a while.

That was a big challenge for me when I started with Crete too, not the keeping it straight, but just learning to slow down and run legal. I didn't think I could run legal and still get miles. After a few months I stopped getting worked up about it and learned to relax. It's amazing how much more relaxed I've been since I've started driving for this company.

I hope thinks continue to go well for you at Crete. Best of Luck and drive safe.

 

First off, if what you say about getting far less miles is true the longer you are with the company(not once have I EVER claimed that this is not true, it very well could be. I'll make that judgment when the day comes) I will be gone long before then. I won't be on this board griping about not get miles anymore. But then again, maybe by then I'll be ready for that cozy little regional gig and more home time. I am just as proactive in career choices as I am in my driving. IF a company treats me well, I work hard for them. If they let me down I will react accordingly. If you are so unhappy you are as free as anyone to move on. Don't sit around and complain, do something about it.

A new truck, you got me on that one too. It was brand spanking new with just over 387,000 miles on it. I'm now sitting at 595,676 miles. Who cares if its a new truck. They are all the same bare bone models. It's not like we have top of the line equipment around here. Everyone knows that. I've also stated on this board that I fully well expect to get a used truck when this one is taken out of service because Crete is out of new trucks at this time. Unless they stick me in one of those trader blue models.

As far as what Crete/Shaffer trucks are pulling who's freight. Again, who cares. It's all the same company. I've pulled refers and I've seen actual Shafer drivers pulling dry. That just means they were MT before me. That's just the way the company works. I knew that before I started working here and am not about to start complaining about it after the facts where presented to me.

One last point. If in fact the new drivers on the lower end of the pay scale (like me) get all the miles, how is it a bad thing to recommend the company to other drivers. Wouldn't it be a prime situation for them. Especially new drivers that are looking at 25-30 cpm at other companies. You seem to want to ward off any new comers. Your logic is anything but.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a 2000 mile run over to Kansas City to get to. Even if I had to sit for 2 days to get the dumb load. I had a funny feeling I was going to have a problem after unloading in mid-state Washington. My first ever layover in almost 1 1/2 years. Hope it's not a sign of the times.


Drive safe all,

And SuperSnack, find a new job and enjoy life a little.

"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son."

Name that Quote.

 

You will find that most OTR companies reserve their regional positions for in house drivers. You should not be surprised if Crete is now doing this also. Freight is getting tight for everyone and the hiring standards for all companies will start to reflect this. Just a sign of the times. It's called paying your dues. Something many people no longer think they have to do. Some call it being spoiled. I've worked my share of substandard jobs to get to where I am (not that I claim to be on the top of any pile, all I'm saying is that I'm content).

You may call it a bait and hook. I look at it as a website that hasn't been updated (on purpose? I'll give you that one) But at least they tell you upfront before you show up for orientation unlike JB does. And unlike JB, you will make a good living over here. As a matter of fact I'm looking at my worst week ever and will still gross $1000+. Ask any JB driver what they make. Are you so naive to think that the whole world is fair. We are bombarded by misinformation every second of our life. You have to take the responsibility to look out for yourself and stop expecting the world to be "NICE".

Sorry, don't know where that rant came from.

Just keep saying Crete is good, Crete is good, Crete is god, oops, good.

Concerning Roehl, I've heard they are a fine starter company. A far cry above Werner. You might also want to check into Decker, based in Fort Dodge, Ia and Millis Transfer.