CRETE - A Year in Review

Read back a few... I'm currently stuck with an appointment time that requires me to have a truck that goes faster than 62 to make on time delivery.

 

I saw that. How did they work that out?
We seem to be on opposites of the poor load planning spectrum. You, impossible to cover the miles. Me, no miles to cover.

 

Does Crete still have the option to hire on and run a Southeastern Regional route ?

Thanks

 

Nope. They have 6, 12, and 21 day trips now. I think they've got a northeast regional gig going now, but living in SC, I'm not real sure about that. The SE regional disappeared a few years ago.

 

Crete has always had funky appointment time issues. Sometimes it's almost like they're just throwing a dart at a dartboard shaped like a clock

 

Does Crete do the thing where you empty out ...go to sleep ,get up the next morning,sit ALL day,get dispatched in the evening right as your getting tired and thinking of sleep again ,and then be expected to run ALL night until sun up in order to arrive at a customer?

 

This woman in the night dispatch was trying to push me to run to New Kingstown when I was dead tired. I had planned to sleep well into the afternoon, pick up the load and run as far as I could through the night...but when I got woke up around 0700 and couldn't get back to sleep...that plan went out the ####### window.

I explained this in a prior message, but we all know those at night dispatch can't be expected to read prior messages. That's too much work, I guess. Told her sure, I can try to run to New Kingstown, but the truck will probably end up in a ditch before I get there.

So now I'm off the load. Another driver called me at 0730 and informed me he was coming after the load. Just gave the trailer to him.

So now I'm expecting to get some absolutely #### load...but I explained to my A/M that there was nothing I could have done to get it in on time, short of strapping a Rocket Booster to the truck so I could go faster than 62.

 

I used to do this with Heartland Express often. And that is why I spent just seven months with them back in 2001.

However, I've spent 20 months with Crete, and one positive thing I can say about them is that this scenario seldom if ever appears. I never wait for my next load more then an hour. However, I have had several "debates" with my AM in the last few weeks about certain loads and the scheduling combined with my available hours. I got into a streak of starting my days between 2 and 3 in the morning for about a week. I couldn't get it through their collective heads that starting at 3AM to make it on time for a 9AM delivery would preclude me from being able to make a pick-up at 1700. Yes, 1700 would be right at my 14. But it delivered 650 miles away the next evening with routing that was 90% (literally) non-interstate driving.

I'm simply at the point where if I can't safely do the load, I'm not doing it. Fire me. Fine.

But I'm carrying the very same thing every load. Every load.

Stuff. Just stuff.

 

Sometimes...since most of the time you don't see a preplan, the preplanned load could have been on your truck all along, but no one sent you the info.

 

Hey folks....gonna be a grandpa again! Stepson and his wife (who just had their first in July) are expecting again next year! #4 for Papa Packard!