Crete is next to turn back their trucks
 

Just got a message over qualcomm that Crete is turning their trucks back to 62mph. It just keeps getting better and better. Waiting for them to announce how they will make up our lost income due to this decision. :roll: :roll: :roll:

It's getting bad out there, man.

It's hard to get up and work every day when you constantly have thoughts of finding a new occupation or when the next "paycut" is gonna come from.

During a week, month, or year how many miles per day do you average? Maybe 500. Maxing out at 62 isn't going to really change that. Spend a half hour less a day sitting in some truck stop complaining about your job, the economy, and gas prices. Bingo - there's your extra 33-miles.

Or maybe the dispatchers and Salesmen could work through their lunch breaks for free and book more freight.

You know that's not how it works. They sign on for a salary to do a job, just like a driver does. No sense in eating yourself up with jealousy. Don't see any drivers volunteering to drive a hundred miles for free to make the dispatcher look good, or help the company.

If more threads like this continue to appear on the forum, I'm going to buy shares of stock in Vagisil. I bet their product sales are going through the roof right now!

Well, if you don't have freight to move, then it really makes no difference how fast your truck goes, does it? Last time I checked, when I was sitting still, my vehicles was moving at "0".

If people are upset over a difference of a whole three miles per hour (or is it four? I've never seen a Crete truck moving particularly fast), I'd hate to see the reaction when something which will actually make a difference occurs.

But enough of this. I've a plane to Suomi to catch tomorrow 8)

I am sure Jevic's drivers would have appreciated the chance to run at 62mph versus losing their jobs. Count yourself lucky that you still have a job, paycheck and an employer. There are thousands of people being laid off every day in this country right now with little employment prospects. I am sure they would have little sympathy for anyone still employed.

There's a reason I chose a private company with essentially no debt; so I don't have to wonder if I've got a job in the morning. Sure, it's no guarantee, but it certainly helps.

Karnajj failed to mention that they are also installing APUs, which I consider a bonus.

My complaint about dispatch? The ******* don't even attempt to read messages on the system from the drivers. Or to understand that 'just take your 10 hour break now' doesn't work for me when it involves going to sleep at 3pm, unless you want me to be useless after the next load, cause I'm loopy from lack of quality sleep. (And similarly, don't complain about me not getting my truck serviced when you won't route me through/to a terminal, even after I've told you several times I need a service)

I run local and I did a little experiment to see what the time difference is between running 55 or 65. Every once in a while I will have to run to Charlottesville Va, and thats the run I did this experiment with. Heading out From Virginia Beach Va, to Charlottesville took me 3 hours and 16 minutes. Thats running 65, on the cruise the entire way, no restroom breaks, just slowing down for exit ramps. On the way back, the traffic was the same, ran 55 on the cruise, took 3 hours and 21 minutes. 5 minutes difference. But the biggest thing I noticed running 55 ( and 65 also) is when I get blown by the container guys that do 75, 80+ a few miles down the road I catch right back up to them; running 65 in my truck puts the motor at 1500 rpm, 55 puts it about 1250 rpm. So there is a fuel savings there also. I know running 55 seems way slow, but time wise I was even surprised that there wasn't much difference.

There is a difference, but at the end of the day it's nothing. Running 62 isn't going to hurt you in the long run.

I'm really surprised :shock: I thought I'd see nothing but P/O Crete drivers slammin Crete, WOW was I wrong. Being turned down won't bother me to much I would like to get compensated for it but I'm also glad to have a job! Not just a job but one that I enjoy and don't have to listen to crap. I run almost 600 mi a day 5 days a week(same run day in day out) so it will impact my time off BUT only by about 1.5-2.5 hrs per week, big deal I can live with that and hope they make it up when things get better

Hmmm....55mph to 65mph. Driving those speeds CONSTANT seem to me like the difference between 65 and 55. 10 MILES(per hour) 10 times lets SAY 0.43CPM is $4.30. On a normal 10h day thats $43 dollar. In either LOST time or money. However some spin this here, IT IS A PAYCUT! :?

And this is from some guy who has never driven OTR in his life. :roll: So tell me mad dog or whatever your name is, how long have you had your cdl? Way less than a year I bet.

Didn't fail to mention squat. APU's have no bearing whatsoever to this discussion.

So when is enough, enough? How much more do we have to take? Using your skewed logic slaves in the 19th century should have been grateful that they had a job and could feed their family!?!? How far are you willing to let things get before you get fed up? I stay away from the house for 4-5 weeks at a time in order to pay the bills. Last year I was home for a total of 66 days! Now I find out that I can't make as much money as I am used to because Crete is turning down the speed on my truck? On top of that I get a message from my terminal manager saying that I idled too much last week?
I spent two days in Houston with the temps in the 90's because there was no freight due to the holiday. What do they expect me to do? Go sit in the truck stop and stare at people for entertainment? Get a motel and not get compensated? Hook up to idle air and pay for it out of my own pocket? I don't think so.

I read that and you took a page right out of the book of my life..

Whats a fellow to do ?

Good question...

Go to work at the Home Depot and suffer once more under some 'Manger Puppet' who will in some way find a way that will also intrude on your existence for the betterment of himself and the machine that feeds us all.

Dude...this shit is turning out to be some sort of existential philosophy for 2008..!!! :P

Revolution Calling !

:lol:

I have boiled the 'Trucking Life' down to 2 things...

2000 miles a week...and an APU to get a cool nites rest....and this is a long reach :wink:



I have sat in Texas for 3 days and had my dispatch tell me basically I will not have a job if I keep idling the truck....and a week earlier Safety broadcast a message about a driver having a heat stroke and that we all need to be conscious of staying cool...go figure :sad:

The APU notification was in the same Qualcomm message. It has bearing because in addition to dropping our speed, they are installing APUs to help keep costs down in the long run. 2000 APU installs is a not insignificant expenditure.

That is pathetic , I feel for you . OTR Driving is a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs with LTL it's smooth sailing or a total disaster , no in beween . But once your in , it's the way to go . Yellow in Cincy is hiring city drivers and casual dock workers if your interested . Also try indeed.com and search for cdl drivers , there are a boatload of good jobs in the Cincy area . Good luck and hope things get better at CCC .

[quote="JeffTheTerrible"]

If more threads like this continue to appear on the forum, I'm going to buy shares of stock in Vagisil. I bet their product sales are going through the roof right now!

"Vagisil", Jeff??

More like "Vasaline", "AnalEze", and "Preparation H"!!

Yes I have driven OTR, and I have used my cdl for 3 years now and going.

So want to try your little games and remarks again :wink:

Wow. At this rate, Heartland will be able to pass everybody. :P

On a more serious note, though, it's all about changing and adapting. The trucking industry is going through some of the most difficult times ever and companies are folding right and left. Those companies that survive will be those that make changes and adapt to the changing conditions in the industry. Those drivers that remain drivers will also be those that adapt.

Dropping the speed of the fleet is a move designed to reduce fuel expenditures and keep a company in business. I'm not going to get into the whole pay-cut argument because I don't buy into the claim that it is a pay-cut. What I will point out, though, is that you're an employee of the company. You are not in management or on the board of directors and you don't fall into the category of someone that is going to be consulted about just such a change. Complaining about it will avail you nothing and your choices are pretty clear.

1. You adapt to the changes, just like your company is adapting to the changes.

2. You quit and look for another driving job, keeping in mind that most other companies are dropping their truck speeds, too. Some guys might get lucky and land a job that is better than thier current one. But the majority will only find themselves in a similar or worse situation.

3. You leave the industry.

The trucking industry is currently in the midst of a pretty serious storm. But storms do eventually abate. Where you will be when the storm is over is really up to you.

You just don't get it. It has nothing to do with them turning down our speed from an income point of view. If you would have actually read my first post you would have figured that out all by yourself.

Karnajj....he did answer it.....drivers are going to lose about 30 minutes of productivity a day if they are willing to work a full 10 hours. I would say that as long as I had a job tomorrow morning I would be happy. Even if you only drive 450 miles a day for 6 days that is still 2700 miles for the week no matter how you slice it. The thing is, getting a driver to want to be productive during his available hours.

If they possessed any sense of decency, they would have footed the bill for a hotel. Of course, that is out of the question. Now that the price of diesel fuel is finally a concern, these charlatans are finding it increasingly more difficult to mask their indifference to the driver's welfare.

The days of irregular-route coolie OTR trucking are quickly coming to a close. The end of artificially low fuel prices are forcing these coolie operations to take a REAL look at efficient logistics operations, or quickly fail.

Wave goodbye to the days of yuckin it up around the truckstop all weekend with a 500hp motor idling just to power your AC, CB. Or chasing empties for hundreds of miles. Not feasible any more.
It's over. The battlefield is already piling up with victims. The writing is certainly on the wall. Get out now.

You couldn't be more wrong. :roll: On the contrary, short to medium haul irregular route freight is what makes the best money...always has and always will. However, when fuel was cheaper, you could pull a profit from the long haul stuff. Now you cannot.

You're right, though, in that carriers have to look at becoming more efficient. And that's why you're seeing so many companies reduce truck speed.

Ask a long term Jevic driver if they could have been given the option several months ago to drive a 62 mph truck?

I just want to quote Paul Harvey......."And now the Rest of the Story....."

And 2700 miles a week is a joke. It is completely unacceptable and doesn't even come within a long shot of what I need a week to make it worth my while to stay out here for 4-5 weeks at a time. I also see that you didn't waste any time blaming the driver for a lack of productivity. Lets be real honest here, the freight situation at Crete sucks and has sucked for the last 6-8 weeks. Some way or another I was always able to get 3200-3400 miles a week, week in week out. I haven't seen that many miles in so long I can't remember. From waiting 60hrs in Rome,NY for a load offer to finally getting a 280 miler then having to wait another 24hrs to get a 310 miler and then having to wait another 24hrs to finally get a decent load. Unacceptable.

The problem with your line of thinking is that short-medium haul freight is not profitable to the DRIVER unless the company they drive for is willing to pass along some of the extra profit along to the drivers. Most compnanies are to greedy to do that.

There is no problem with my line of thinking. I would ask how you can claim it is not profitable for drivers? Whether you take five or six 400 mile loads or a couple of 1200 miles loads for the week, you're still running the same miles. So, it is going to fall back on your CPM and long haul carriers typically pay less. So your argument is not valid.

Some carriers have a split system in account that pays higher cpm for shorter runs like this example from Swift.

http://www.swifttruckingjobs.com/doc...ng%20Scale.pdf

So yes, some companies actually pass on the profit of shorter hauls to the driver. However some don't.

karnajj....I didn't "blame" the driver in my statement. I simply stated that the driver needs to be productive for 10-11 hours of their day for six days a week. If you don't agree with the policies that have been brought out, you are entitled to your opinion.

Depending on your rate of pay which I would guess would be over $.40 cpm, if $1000 a week to drive your truck isn't enough money to support your household, then maybe another career opportunity would best fit your lifestyle. I know that I would enjoy that type of pay and before you blast me for being home all of the time, I am away from my family for 2-3 weeks a month and have given up alot of things that I enjoy to make the Driver Development Department better and don't make that kind of money.

So be careful out there on the highways on your journeys across the United States.

Or at least the eastern half. I understand there's a big river somewhere that kinda divides the US in half. I saw it once, about a month ago.

Oh, hell, I can't complain. Things are going ok.

Drivers don't have anywhere near the control over their productivity that dispatch does. If dispatch cant or wont give a driver productive loads it doesn't matter how gung ho the driver is, he is going to sit. And I have been doing way too much sitting lately. Take this morning for example. I get 3 load offers. One totally sucks, the other two are merely ok. One is a 1300 miler with a little over three days on it the other is a 1700 miler with 4 days on it. I take the 1300 miler to NJ. AFTER I get to the shipper dispatch informs me that my 3 day load has now become a 4 day load thru no fault of my own. So I tell them that there is no way in hell I am going to babysit this load for 4 days and that it needs to be tcalled somewhere. They can't figure out why I'm unhappy with a load that averages 350 miles/day. Dispatch hasn't got a clue anymore how to keep a driver happy. And now that Crete refuses to pay a driver layover pay and turns down over 50% of the detention requests the pay just keeps getting smaller and smaller.

I haven't seen a three load offer in about a month. Haven't seen a two load in over a week.

And today's stellar load? 150 miles DH, 150 miles loaded. With 2.5 days on it (that will likely end up as 3+ days, since consignee is a frickin' grocery warehouse). At least I can get my A service done. If I'm lucky enough to be in Columbus at the head of the line tomorrow.

You fail to recognize how much harder it is to coordinate 5 0r 6 400 milers than it is to do so for 2 1200 milers. Crete doesn't have that ability. Things have to happen quickly for that to work. No sitting around for 3-4 hours waiting for your next load offer. You pretty much have to be preplanned on your next load hours before you deliver the load you have to be able to do that on a consistent basis. Again Crete doesn't have that ability. And you also failed to take into account how much harder it is on a driver to run like that. It also usually involves far more night driving than most are willing to do. I love it when I get up at 0700, make a delivery at 0800, go pick up my next load and find that it wont be ready for 6-7 hours. The idiots at dispatch will invariably tell you to take you 10 hr break at the shipper and then run all night. How the hell are you going to get any rest when you just woke up 4 hours earlier? But they could care less about that.

I got a load offer kinda like that the other day. I got the 'take your break at the shipper'. And I basically said "no, the load is going to be late. The only question is how late."

In theory, multi-load offerings should help make it easier to deal with the shorter loads. You pick the load closest to the one you anticipated when you started your day (week, whatever). But like I said, I haven't seen a 3 load in a month.

Now, when you complain about no pre-plans, the response will most likely be "we can't pre-plan because of so many bad pta's" (FWIW, I'm guilty of this. Still trying to figure stuff out. So when I'm late and I have to wait for a load offer, I don't bitch)

I'm with karnajj on this one:

He didn't say he needed to make X amount of dollars, I believe he said he needs X amount of dollars to justify being away from the house for 3-4 weeks at a time.

You state that you are away from the house 2-3 weeks out of the month (home every week I assume). I would be slap happy with that. Try being away for 6 weeks straight, living in a tin can (no comfy hotel room for us, try sitting in the back of one of the trucks at a terminal for two days, and don't idle either) and then fighting with dispatch for another 2 weeks trying to get home.

I'm not complaining, (I just don't want you trivializing our situation) I chose this life and even enjoy it, but I do require a premium pay for this sacrifice (ok, maybe that's too strong of a word, but I'll use it anyway). I have no problem being productive (I think I've proven myself), the frustration comes with now having to be more productive to garner equal or possibly lower pay. Sure, the cut back saves the company money, but at who expense.


I understand the reasoning for the cutback, but that doesn't mean I have to be thrilled about it. Especially when I am fairly confident that the big boys in the company have not taken any pay cuts to bolster the company's profit margin.

Whatsamatter evertruckerr, you figure that 7 series BMW in the parking lot in Lincoln belongs to Tonn, and not a driver?

Of course not, that's my car. I keep one at each terminal so I can get a quick bit to eat when I'm in town. :D

Oh, cool. You don't mind if I borrow the one in Columbus tomorrow? Oh, let me guess "it's in the shop".