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

I've determined that in order to get any problem solved with this company a whole lot of complaining is in order. That old saying about the squeaking wheel getting the grease seems to be kinda important here.

After a couple weeks of getting crappy short-mileage freight I called in a couple of days ago and dealt with the night shift folks. I managed to convince them that I would NOT stop calling in every 10 minutes because I had run 4 consecutive 300 or less mile loads, I was in a place I couldn't stay (A Walmart DC), almost out on my 14 and the nearest parking was 20 miles in either direction on I90 (in NY where it's a toll road). They finally told me pick a spot and wait. Before I even made it to the thruway they had me planned on a load to FL. 1200 miles is nothing to sneeze at.

I got that load delivered and spent the next 3 days running short crap in FL and southern GA. Again, 4 loads with the longest one a 312 mile multi-stop. The last of that bunch was a Pepsi load out of Orlando that took 5 hours to load and delivered (late) in Metter GA. 307 miles, in 25 hours. The planner messaged me and told me it was "more important" than the 1400 mile run to TX they pulled from me. While I was in the dock waiting for the Pepsi people to come back from lunch the SAME idiot planner asks me why I'm still at the consignee 2 hours after getting there and tells me he only thing in the area is a run from Savannah to Atlanta that I can't pickup on time and also doesn't deliver for a day and a half. I called my AM and politely asked for him to inform the planner where he could shove that load because I was out of patience and ready to take the truck to the nearest terminal and walk away. 5 minutes later they magically found me a run from Augusta to Portland OR and Seattle. Longest run I've had here with Crete and my guess is the only reason I got it is because I #####ed and complained enough.

As a side note, in typical Crete fashion they have me getting fuel 8 times over the 2900 miles. First time I've managed to get 2 pages of fuel route info. It just wouldn't make sense to fill up a couple of times, I'll just run 60-80 gallons at a time from coast to coast. Figures. OK I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

Threaten to quit more often. Your 2900 miler is a little over 1000 miles longer than any load I ever pulled at Crete. Enjoy it.

 

Same here, shags for a long time and then long loads for a while, I've been getting 4 or 5 fuel stops too, they must think I get 4 mpg. I usually put in 51 gallons so I get lotsa showers,
OCD won't let me put in an even number of gallons.

Back to work, I got 25 million sticktites to pull off my shoes and shorts

 

If you ever see those words posted by me, please...keep these numbers handy.

phone number 1 - 1-800-I-M-CRAZY. This is for the psyche evaluation I would be in need of, because if I ever decided to return, I would be out of my mind.

Or

Phone number 2 - 1-888-IM NOT ET... this is the alien abduction hotline...because if I'm not crazy, then I've been abducted by aliens, and my Martian body double hasn't been fully programmed because the mother ship's mind duplicating software is only reverse compatible so far, and there isn't a 'neanderthal' setting to copy my brain.

I have a personal rule...never...never...never return to a company I voluntarily left. It things were so unacceptable for me to leave, then leaving and coming back wouldn't resolve them. I'm no where near special enough for a company to radically alter their way of doing business just to get me back.

 

Nice property, I take it that is what you are looking to buy, I recently purchased 10 acres in winnemucca nevada (grass valley area south of winnemucca) we will be selling our house/property 1.21 acres within the next 2 years and building out in Nevada, this will DEFINITELY be our last move.

I have moved on average every 2 years since being in/leaving the military, I really need to settle in 1 place for retirement, that is coming up quickly (55). I would like to have multiple properties around the US but the wife wants to settle in 1 place for retirement. Crete is the 2nd longest job I have had since leaving the military (just over 4 yrs here). I don't usually settle at a job for long I like change and don't put up with BS at all,is why I have a hard time grasping the problems some drivers have here as I just haven't had them and I am NOT easy to deal with ( I am quite confrontational ), which to date I haven't had the need to be here at Crete.

Maybe I'm just mellowing I don't know, it's not like me, wife has always said I was a roller coaster to deal with. We been together just over 30 years ( HS sweethearts )

 

I've been west all week. Lathrop, Ca del...pick up in Santa Clara, del in Indio. Pick up in Redlands, deliver in Loveland, CO.

From there, deadhead 325 miles to Green River for a load to Bryan, TX for Monday. Only 2500 last week after almost 3400 the week before. This one is 1600+, and I go home next weekend.

But now my main AC is totally kaput. I'm due a B service inside of 6k miles, so I'm gonna try and just hold off til then. September has been a little off, at least for me.

 

that makes sense...would be kind of like getting a divorce.....then remarry the woman a second time

 

I haven't been here that long, but I haven't put up with anything like that. Dispatch is the only thing I like here, the rest of the company is always screwing me. I think you need a new asset manager, they're obviously taking advantage of you. Almost all of my runs are well over 500 miles. That's, when this POS maxxfart engine runs for a whole week...

 

ouch, I'm on the Shaffer side and I don't get screwed with short runs much at all.

I just went through my past two months of paychecks to figure out what I average per load.
I'm on 21 day fleet and I average including everything 839 paid miles per dispatch.

The sucky ones come around home time getting me back.. that's why I wanted to be on the longer fleet. I get a lot of long runs here.
Then again I am doing reefer which means reefer BS for .01CPM more. Oh all those lovely set appointment times that I MUST NOT be late for or else DOOM. Can't forget air shoots on trailers torn up that shippers can reject and having to find reefer trailer wash outs, that is always a fun journey.
I average I'd say one bad detention every 2-3 weeks as in waiting longer than 4 hours.
It really pisses me off, so much so I almost wanted to switch to the Crete side but not after what everybody keeps on saying over there.
I might wait longer sometimes than you dry box guys.. but I deal with less shippers and receivers being I don't get stuck with all those short runs. So I guess I'm not going to complain anymore.

 

I was going to say their trailer would consist of Rainbow flags, Obama Memorabilia, The Village People albums and lastly "packed" in there... Fudge




Okay.. next, what do rednecks haul.. besides beer, babes and BBQs?