Crete Carrier - A Year In Review - Fall 2013 Going Forward

Home at last,
After asking if they had a great load that picked up on Saturday or I needed an empty trl, I get a 338 mile preplan that delivered tomorrow, that got cancelled

I finally asked who my asset manager, as I never have the same person message me. Someone named Darin, that I never heard from before.

 

Another one of those days....
I had to start at 00:15 this morning. I got to the cons around 04:30 to find out they don't open till 06:00....even though my appt said 05:30. As luck would have it the lumpers actually get there at 05:30 so by 05:45 they had dropped the plate on my trlr. that's where the good news ends. I had an overage and a shortage. So by 10:45 they had decided to keep the overage

Meanwhile they had sent me a pre-plan picking up at 12:30 about 60 miles away. I turned it down because even if they started loading me during lunch time I would only have 1:45 to get loaded and make safe haven (45 minutes away). So it's two hours after I declined, two messages and one phone call to my AM they had not cancelled my pre-plan. Now I'm MT and my 14 is ticking away. I call again and my AM is at lunch. The fill-in said he would send a note to planning but it takes time. I told him ideclined the load 2 hours ago...how much time do they need? by this time the cons people were wanting their dock so I head off to the Loves on 84 east of Portland. Sho enuff as soon as I hit 84 they chime in with the cancellation. by the time I reach the Loves they still had no pre-plan. I go in and trans flo the paperwork and come back out to a load from St. Helens to Santa fe Springs (LA), I can do that because I knew this shipper had overnight parking. So I'm sitting in St. Helens all stocked up from the Wally World just down the street. I know where there's a free scale just up the road and since my schedule is all wacked I can start around 04:00 to beat Portland traffic. Hit the Loves in Corning, CA the first night. Then the FlyJ in Frazier Park, just before the Grapevine the second night. then into LA early on the 16th for a 08:00 delivery. That will put me around 3400 miles this week....easy breezy!

 

Eastern Virginia is worse than New England for truck parking.

 

I could never get around to putting myself in a hotel room unless I was reimbursed. I guess I am too cheap.

 

Back in Nogales tonight. Around 7 of us all loaded out of Spanish Fork, UT yesterday. I got there first. All had listed delivery dates of Wednesday, FCFS 0800-1600.

My my fuel,stop was here at the Pilot in Nogales, but knowing how this place is and also knowing I had to come right back by here, I elected to skip it and risk it at the consigned.

Good gamble (what am I now, like 2 outta 147??). Not less than 30 or 40 minutes after I arrive, three more Cretens do also. I get empty, head back to the Pilot, find a 3-wide spot in the front row in front of the pumps (50 gals in the morning), and I'm sittin' fat and happy with 56 minutes left on my 70. Pick up in Tucson around noon tomorrow and head to KS. Won't make it home by the weekend, but it's all good this time. Didn't have to sit waiting I-80 in WY to open. I can live with that.

 

Pay ya for a visit to the cat house?? They figure they won't pay drivers back for that since they're screwing them for free....oh wait, you're talking about detention pay....my bad...sorry

 

It was cold and snow all over the place. So I decided to be comfortable in a nice hotel. I paid a hunnerd bux for two nights. I spend more than that on stupider stuff

 

Several years back I delivered in Round Rock, Tx. the day after Thanksgiving. Crete told me I wouldn't be getting a load till Monday so I said what the hay I'll get a room for one night. No sooner had I walked in my room dispatch called me to tell me another driver had broken down and would I re-power his load? Fortunately the motel clerk was willing to give me a refund.

 

I agree. I've spent the night pulled over on the side of the road on hwy. 29

 

29 is in central Virginia, but is not much better. Shame, because it's a beautiful drive. I take 81 instead of 29, fuel stops be ######.