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

No company owns me, I choose to work for them. And that should be everyone’s thoughts.

 

Can tell you've never worked for a Mega...most Mega's will tell ya, it's their way or the highway...worked for Crete 10 yrs., and spent a lot of my life in the NE...

 

Well I picked OTR not Regional. AND I have 150K in the bank from OTR with no bills, not to mention the local positions at my finger tips that will keep me home every night. Of course it helps that my parents are rich and I don’t need a 401K. I just enjoy OTR, whether it be Crete or someone else.
When a driver is in a position like that he or she can afford to walk away. There’s PLENTY of other carriers out there that will keep you out of the NE.
BUT your right, I have never worked for a Mega. It doesn’t mean it’s my permanent home if things go wrong. I like them so far.

 

During your first couple months with the company, your asset manager is not a typical asset manager. Those first couple months are spent working under an asset manager who is watching how you work and making sure you are behaving professionally. They also are better trained to be able to handle questions that a new Crete driver might ask about our canned messages, policies, procedures, etc.

I am rather confident that the first couple months for almost all OTR drivers will be heavily weighted to the NE regional area because, quite simply, that part of the US is the least truck-friendly. If you can manage to run in the NE regional area without being late for no reason, while also not screwing up your hours of service, then you will probably do fine anywhere else in the US.

I do not know this is the case, but it seems to match the experiences of most new Crete/Shaffer drivers, and more to the point, it makes sense.

If they keep you in the NE region AFTER you get out from underneath the new hire asset manager, then yes, I would definitely complain.

 

First time at the New West Memphis lot. If you drop a loaded trailer there make sure the legs are on the concrete strip. Somebody had a nasty surprise last night.

 

Are you going to SouthLand and bet on the dogs?

 

Ah no, got up early and picked up in Memphis and dropped in Lewisville, then got a short one going to Houston in the morning. Besides, I don’t want to give my copilot any big ideas.

 

Last time I was at the Waco Flying J was a couple of years ago. I remember it because as I was leaving a pretty girl stopped me to ask for gas money so she could continue her trip to Key West. Somehow I felt guilty saying no but did anyway. Yesterday as I was pulling out a pretty blonde woman in a nice car flagged me down. I expected she was going to ask for directions but no, just gas money.

 

2nd update:

2738 miles this week with Crete and this is my 2nd full week with them. Asset mgr and TM were both made aware that I’m not one to sit still. After more communicating with Asset Mgr we are on a better playing field. I feel like we are working well together. Banged out 646 miles today and many days I can do 600 even with my lil red 65mph truck. There not perfect but who is. I like it.