CRETE - A Year in Review

I really don't understand many of the so called 'professionals' we have around us myself. I mean, how many times have you had a truck come up behind you and stick their drivers side headlight out and just sit there until you move over to block being blinded...then they'll use their turn signal to pull out and pass you like you're running backwards, just barely over the dotted line, then get 50 feet in front of you, and without a signal, cut you off...Are they trying to see if they can make your governed truck go faster by blinding you? I've even had them just about hit the rear end of my trailer because they neglected to change lanes completely until the last second...To these people I do one thing...park my trailer tires on the dotted line...1/2 that line is mine, and I'm using it!!!!

Had a couple fools yesterday do exactly that, then 2 miles up the road, I caught them...doing 55. When I switch lanes to pass, they gas on it and go...up hill or down they could out run me. I guess either some of these idiots are fresh out of the short bus seat warming academy, or spend most of their time with their head up their butt and don't realize that Crete drivers (at least company drivers) aren't going this speed just to get in the way...

 

I have noticed a few changes on the E-log now that we are getting closer to the new reg's. The ability to add a comment after you "ok'd" a duty status change is helpful. And when you do an actual change(like you were on duty doing an unload/load or a drop-hook, and then just were killing time shooting the bull with another driver and forgot to switch it back when you were done) it now asks you 'reason for editing'...

 

Sitting on the Denver drop lot after a detour from Phoenix all the way to Las Cruces before heading north on I-25. There must have been a really high pass in I-17 because I was told three times not to take I-17 and was even given a fuel solution in Las Cruces to make sure I followed instructions.

I'm watching the rain delayed end of the Nascar race.

 

I've just been sitting around, less than 1500 miles the past week. I'm in 'punishment' mode because I need time off for a wedding. I have enough hours to run east several states (I'm in Cali), but every time I get offered a decent load, my AM intervenes so she can keep me close to where I need days off (not for another week). I'm convinced they go overboard on this for their own convenience. I don't just lose the income from days off, but they always make me lose about a grand with this bs during the days leading up. I've been spending all this down time at these casinos up and down I-5. Very nice places, but devastating to my wallet, lol.

 

I don't think I could be any more frustrated. I thought Target was the vendor where you could not drop early or be fined. My pplan says appt 0001-0300 so I was sitting around for a whole day. I get there and there is no activity, no other trucks around of any kind. I ask the guard and he says I could have delivered at any time. It's 0200, my 14 is running and sure enough dispatch sends me a ld that picks up at 1100. Sat for over 24 hrs, drove 130 miles, and now have to sit at least another 8. This has been my worst month yet, and all because I just wanted to attend my sister's wedding.

 

Well THAT was a knock-down drag-out.

Arrived at the cons at 0215 for my 0230... they put me right in a door, no waiting. Things are looking good, right?

At 0415, I take a stroll to the dock...trailer is empty except for one damaged box.

At 0545, my light is still red. Finally at 0600... I feel a forklift go in and out of the trailer, then...green light.

Lumper comes up, takes my check, hands me a sheet for a certain number of damaged cases. Seeing how it's 0500 central, there's obviously not anyone there yet. Dispatch tells me to go get some rest and call OS&D at my earliest convinience. Being unable to find my flashlight, I jump in the trailer for a quick glance with what little (basically none) light is available and yeah, there's product on the trailer still. Not much.

So I head over to the truck stop, sleep for 6 hours, then call OS&D. That's where the fun starts. They signed for less cases than the total on the bills. And there were the exact number of the cases they described on the trailer, some punctured, some crushed. There were more cases of a different product, in similar condition, that were not on the OS&D sheet given to me by the lumper. However, the number of cases in the trailer was far less than the discrepancy in the number signed for vs. number shipped.

OS&D tried for awhile to get answers from the consignee and got nowhere. Finally, 2 hours later, they told me to go ahead and toss the product.

 

So why keep putting up with it??

ALOT of companies would LOVE to have yall experienced guys in their trucks!!

Crete may pay more per mile then other OTR carriers but I wouldnt put up with the crap they put yall thru............

 

Because I'm a rehire with 5 years out of the business. There is no way for me to move to a decent company until I finish my year back. I am laying the groundwork now for that to happen in 3 or 4 months.

 

With the way freight has been most of the year, they're probably affraid to run you too far for fear of not being able to get you back in time....The 'better safe than sorry' system

 

Most of us stay because at the end of the year, even with all the b.s. we get to shovel, the bottom line on the w2 is still larger than most, or at least as big. To work elsewhere would be working harder for less. Plus drivers like me can't afford to lose the health insurance, or more precisely the prescription coverage. Since the beginning of the roll out of Obamacare my wife's actual cost for her script's went up to over $1000/mo. W/o a prescription coverage plan, we couldn't afford 3-4 months of out of pocket increases like that. So it's a true rock-or-hard place situation.