Going Great With Crete So Far

Rob D from my experience here (5 years I believe) you have no reason to be monitored. Those being monitored are new here so theres no way of knowing if they're legitimate or not (this came after someone came in during middle of the night and revived 5 year old threads asking for updates) and those who make baseless accusations or intentionally post wrong information. I've had posts deleted and looking back it was for the right reasons. As long as discussions continue without name calling, or making baseless accusations about another member, or their company theres no reason to worry. That's what this is all about. We all have different opinions regarding different issues, but our goal is the same. To help new, and potential drivers sift through all the BS to help them become a safe, productive driver and help change the negative stereotype the public views us as.

It was a little sarcastic as I agree I don't think Brett will delete the post or monitor me. If was more as a means of adding levity to a post by a member of the forum who is "preparing for school," but has balls big enough to get between Brett, the website owner, and Kearsey, one of the most respected moderators on the forum.

I'm sure Brett will let me know where I stand.

Thanks to the preplan they assigned me a little bit ago, I should hit 3k miles this week or be very close.

Qu

We almost forgot about Jamie, the main subject of the thread.

Jaime:

Are you either happier where you are or at least optimistic that you are moving in the right direction?

Thanks to the preplan they assigned me a little bit ago, I should hit 3k miles this week or be very close.

Qu

We almost forgot about Jamie, the main subject of the thread.

Jaime:

Are you either happier where you are or at least optimistic that you are moving in the right direction?

I was just letting everyone have their discussion, was just posting updates for anyone that cares.

So far I'm very happy with Crete, they have been having me preplanned a day in advance basically with every load so no waiting around wondering if I'm going to get one or not, so I'm very optimistic that I made the right decision. I'm looking forward to the future with Crete. I'm also going to a new state which I never been to, Arizona. They also sent me to Florida a few days ago, which I have never been to either as a truck driver, been on vacation there.

Thanks to the preplan they assigned me a little bit ago, I should hit 3k miles this week or be very close.

Sounds great, Jamie~! I may not sign in and post often, but I read daily. My hubby almost went with Triple'C back in his OTR days; seems like a great place.

KUDOS, for sure~! :)

Brett's examples may be dated

Bullsh*t they are. Give me one example of a suggestion I've made that's dated, including working the logbook.

Do you think ELD's have eliminated all cheating? They have not. Most companies are allowing personal conveyance to move the truck, even though it's not personal at all. It's blatant cheating is what it is. One for me!

Most companies allow the truck to move up to a certain speed or distance before it starts logging you as driving. People creep down the road or back up to avoid triggering it. That's blatant cheating. Two for me!

You can also misrepresent what you're doing, like whether or not you're on duty, just like you could with paper logs. For instance, Jamie logged that he was on-duty during his orientation. Surely they told him he had to do that to get paid, and that's fine, but I certainly wouldn't have done that. I would have said I was off duty not driving, preserved those available hours, and kept driving when Jamie had to shut down. If they caught it I would have simply said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I misunderstood." But they wouldn't have caught it, and I would've moved more freight and made more money than Jamie. Three for me!

Even if they had caught it, do you really think dispatch is going to shut me down when I'm rolling down the road making them money? Heck no. They're going to be quiet, be thankful that I was so resourceful, and worry about something else.

Many companies allow people to edit their ELD's after the fact. That's no different than what we used to do on paper. We'd log it as we did it and then go back and change it to something that saves your hours. Four for me!

Understand that the "high performance" things I recommend all went against my company's policies or the regulations at the time. I really didn't care, and neither did my company in the end because I was turning more miles than 95% of the drivers out there and I was doing it safely. So I did it my way and as long as I was turning big miles safely everyone looked the other way.

For instance, when I would type out a fake message on the Qualcomm to trick the guard into letting me take an empty - do you think that was ok? Of course not. I did it anyhow, and it worked every time.

When I called a customer and clearly implied I was in the offices of my company, do you think that was ok? Of course not! My company had a policy that drivers were not allowed to change appointment times. I really didn't care. I did it anyhow, and it worked, and no one ever said a word about it.

I have a well-known story that I was once fired for arriving early to a customer. It's true that my dispatcher never told me I couldn't go in more than 15 minutes early, so I was re-hired immediately and he was fired. What I left out when I told that story was that the directions also said that no Volvos could go into that customer because of the weight of the truck and I was out of hours at the time but I knew I'd get more back the next day and could rework the book. I ignored both of those facts and did it anyhow.

Kearsey said her company doesn't allow them to go look for a trailer and they "attach" a trailer to a truck in their system. What makes you guys think it was any different for me? My company was the same way. Do you really think my company said, "Sure Brett, go ahead and bypass the three trucks that were empty before you and wander the countryside looking for an empty trailer. If you find one, lie to the shipper by typing a fake message from dispatch on your Qualcomm and trick them into letting you take the trailer."

Hell no!!! They expected me to sit there like the other trucks and wait for their instructions. But when I found an empty and told my dispatcher I was ready to roll, do you think he chastised me for being proactive and figuring it out? Hell no. He told me, "Great job!" and assigned me a load. I was down the road making us more money and no one ever brought it up.

Do not make the mistake of underestimating me. You guys think you're dealing with challenges I never faced or that trucking is so different today that I just don't understand? You're sadly mistaken if you think I'm that simple-minded and out of touch. Not only did I drive for 15 years but over the past 13 years of running this website, I've learned more than you can imagine about how this industry works on the business side. I regularly speak with company owners, safety managers, recruiting directors, operations managers, and school directors. I've gotten to know the people who do the hiring, run the schools, and run the operations at some of the largest carriers in the nation. They have an immense amount of respect for what we do. They know who gets it and who doesn't.

So if anyone thinks they've accumulated enough knowledge and experience in a few short months or years on the road to leave me in the dust or have the gall to call my advice dated you're sadly mistaken and you've seriously underestimated me. I'm far from some simpleton redneck has-been driver. I have nearly 3 times more experience than the most experienced moderator we have and 13 years of working with big carriers beyond that. The reality is that no one here has even 20% of the knowledge and experience I have in this industry, nor will anyone here come close to matching me in this lifetime. Trucking has been my entire life for 26 years and counting. How could you possibly think you have a grasp on the scope of my knowledge and experience?

Keep up the great work Jamie. Of course we care

You can also misrepresent what you're doing, like whether or not you're on duty, just like you could with paper logs. For instance, Jamie logged that he was on-duty during his orientation. Surely they told him he had to do that to get paid, and that's fine, but I certainly wouldn't have done that. I would have said I was off duty not driving, preserved those available hours, and kept driving when Jamie had to shut down. If they caught it I would have simply said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I misunderstood." But they wouldn't have caught it, and I would've moved more freight and made more money than Jamie. Three for me!

I understand the example you was giving but figured I'd say they made sure we did paper logs during orientation, we actually did it first thing in the morning and just wrote it out for 8 hours each day from 6 to 2 or whatever, and then he took them all up. So there was no getting around it at Crete.

But nonetheless, even on ELD you can do a lot of things off duty and then log the minimum needed regardless of how long it actually took you.

Thanks to the preplan they assigned me a little bit ago, I should hit 3k miles this week or be very close.

Sounds great, Jamie~! I may not sign in and post often, but I read daily. My hubby almost went with Triple'C back in his OTR days; seems like a great place.

KUDOS, for sure~! :)

Thanks! They're a good company from what I have seen, the drivers I've talked to have all had good things to say as well. I actually met a guy in orientation that used to work for Crete awhile back and said he was coming back since he knew it was a good company, etc after a short break from trucking due to some injuries I believe.

Keep up the great work Jamie. Of course we care

Thanks!

...they made sure we did paper logs during orientation, we actually did it first thing in the morning and just wrote it out for 8 hours each day from 6 to 2 or whatever, and then he took them all up.

As I recall my regulations... THAT is a clear violation!

As you probably experienced at Schneider Jamie, we filled out paper logs in class only untill the next "duty" or "status" change.

I believe pre-filling a full day in advance is a big no-no!

Do not make the mistake of underestimating me. You guys think you're dealing with challenges I never faced or that trucking is so different today that I just don't understand? You're sadly mistaken if you think I'm that simple-minded and out of touch.

Brett, the only thing that I know about trucking is what I have learned from this website. The other websites I have reviewed have too much "noise" to filter through to learn anything. I have spent less than a month in a truck my entire life. So I have no basis to underestimate you.

So maybe I should have said may be dated, because I don't know.

This is your website and your livelihood. I come here to learn. And when I think that I have something to contribute in the forum, I post something. Sometimes its helpful, but maybe many times its not.

My only reason in sticking my neck out to comment on this thread was that you and Kearsey are arguing about the specifics but missing the fact that you generally agree: you have to know the system and be creative in using it. And bending the rules is very much part of being creative.

I'm far from some simpleton redneck has-been driver.

That thought never crossed my mind. I have been extremely impressed with your sophistication and intelligence. I am extremely impressed with your website and how you maintain an excellent resource for prospective and new drivers. To be honest, your level of energy exhausts me.

If I'm no longer welcome here, that's fine. Just let me know. But even if I'm excluded from the forum, I will continue to use your website as a resource.

Rob.