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

Yea, who needs organization, miles, better pay, a lack of overbearning micromanagement, no idle restrictions, 68 mph trucks, inverters w/o a note from Dr. Dolittle, less restrictions on hometime, paid for every mile driven, oh, I almost forgot...a better paycheck & a better paycheck...did I mention a better paycheck?

Come work for Crete where we'll hold your hand, wipe your nose, put you in a truck that can't get a speeding ticket...and for spits and giggles, we'll put a camera in your truck to make sure you're doing your job, and an OnGuard unit, just in case you forget what your short-bus seat warming instructor taught you about which of all those peddles makes the truck stop. And who needs that time consuming task of actually having a choice of where to go next, or where to fuel...At Crete, there is none of that...we tell you where to go and where to fuel...Here at Crete...our management thinks the only difference between our drivers and trained monkeys are opposable thumbs...if we could get chimps to float shift...we'd replace all of you. So come get underpaid today!!!

 

Were these just the opening arguments?

 

At the Loves in Greenville, LA for the night. I picked up a Quaker Oats load in Atlanta yesterday evening going to Quaker Oats in Dallas for a noon delivery tomorrow, after being first assigned a Social Circle, GA to Winter Haven, Fl load. However, when I got to the shipper at Social Circle to pick up the load, they were running 4 hours behind. They told me to go drop my trailer and park. I said I had to go somewhere first, which I did. I drove to the rest area on I-20 and sent my AM a message about the situation and he cancelled that load and gave me the load I'm currently on. So it worked out.

 

I hear Winter Haven is quite nice this time of year. Atleast that's what my wife said when she went and checked the mail. You made the right choice. Making money trumps nice weather.

 

You're already spoiled, besides I don't have Onguard, I have the Mobile Eye, not tied in to the jake or brake. I have no idle restriction as long as I use my broomstick to increase the rpm's.

 

I was at Crete. I fueled wherever I wanted. Took as much time off as I wanted (sometimes 3 or 4 weeks). Qcomm not connected to speed sensor (could read messages without stopping). Non-forced dispatch. No camera or onguard. 550 horses. Top speed 90 mph plus. Of couse, I owned the truck (and still do).

 

You still have idle restrictions. No more than xx% in winter and xx% in summer. If you exceed them, they BMW at you...

Mobile Eye, OnGuard...both mean the same thing...they don't trust your skills and judgement to do your job

And if by being spoiled you mean that I am finally being treated and paid like a professional, and being trusted to do my job w/o having them following me around to verify I did it right...then yup, I'm spoiled

 

I almost forgot...why bore yourself with visiting only 1 or 2 customers a week...with our ever shortening length of haul here at Crete, you get to visit 6, 7 or even 8 customers a week. Think of the joy you'll have making new friends.

 

still had to deal with the micromanagement and disorganization...plus the underpay they offer was 2nd to none. I was an O/O years ago, and thought about doing it again while I was at Crete...but the disorganized bunch of college educated Cornhusker braintrust members in that office and the pay rate they offered coupled with the crappy runs didn't warrent taking a pay cut just to drive my own again...I ran a whole year thru a spread sheet comparing company to O/O for the same runs...the difference in my adjusted gross as an O/O compared to my gross as a company driver wasn't high enough to offset any really major catastrophic repair cost that would eventually come along. I mean, it's a machine...no matter how you maintain it, sooner or later it's gona wear out.

 

I didn't really deal with micromanagement. But I did deal with lack of communication and occasional incompetence. I did have some major repairs. Fortunately, my $8000 engine repair CAT paid for because I spent $900 on an extended warranty. And I got a transmission rebuild and didn't even sign a piece of paper. But I did pay for a differential because I was beyond 5 years and the warranty had expired. I would not have been able to tolerate Crete in one of their trucks. In the early '90's Crete was a lot like Poly. Long haul. No micromanagement. Polite dispatch. How things have changed.