KLLM Drivers: Tell me more about KLLM

anybody know about the KLLM Phoenix terminal?

 

Most trainers need some "training" themselves. When my trainer did actually drive and or do something, I was his little waitress or something. "Hey, hand me up a mountain dew and that box of pop tarts back there"... Ok, here you go. "No no, not the 16oz bottle of Dew, there's another 2liter bottle in the cooler, if I'm gonna sit here for more than 2 hours and drive I need a larger amount of refreshment...hand it up here". Oh gee sorry, shame on me for handing you the little bottle; guess I should have known better. My trainer would routinely drink a 2 liter bottle of mountain dew and eat a box of pop tarts along with a bag of chips just as a "little snack" to take that morning bite off where you might be tempted to get the munchies. Completely normal from what he told me. "you really get an appetite driving one of these big turds, you'll see"... Yeah, farting, belching, snoring so loud I've never heard anything like it. I'm sure he doesn't have "sleep FATnia"..unbelievable. I couldn't wait to get off that truck. Guy sitting up there licking twinkie wrappers like a dog and then licking his fingers, touching the steering wheel, shifter / splitter, radio. I would suggest to all new KLLM drivers, carry an large amount of clorox dis-infecting wipes with you. When fatso gets done driving his 1.5 hr shift, and it's your turn to drive (for like 10.75 hrs while he sleeps and snores), you have to spend a minimum of .25 hr getting things cleaned up. Guess that's part of the pre-trip. Nothing like picking up the qualcomm and it's sticky like cotton candy for sh_ts sake...Oh almost forgot; somebody was eating a big old thing of cotton candy the other day while he sent some macros. Guess that explains why it's TOO sticky. I didn't know if I was dreaming this or if it was real. "Hurry up and get backed in, I gotta go P..!" Imagine that, you've consumed more sugar water in 5 hrs than most upright walking vertebrates do in 3 months. Here, let me pull up and back up 7 or 8 more times, I gotta get this thing lined up perfect with those big old yellow lines or else I won't feel good. Whoops, there's a pole behind us so I need to get out and look to see how close I am to it. I pulled some crap with him. Sad thing is, he keeps going the route he's going, he'll be failing his DOT physical here soon and I'm surprised he passes it being 400+ lbs and can hardly walk. Unbelievable.

"Brrtt Brrtt (blowing the air horn) You awake back there?" "Hand me up another pack of Marlboros, by the way, I got the munchies; there's a package of Little Debbies to the upper right, hand those bad boys up here". Yes sir captain of the ship sir, here you go; enjoy.

On goes the daily ritual. Was your situation similar with KLLM? Kind of like, you get to do all the fueling and cleaning of the windshield while somebody just can't possibly get out of the truck to help, they have to make a phone call etc. I checked the oil one time, it was less than half way up the dipstick in the safe level. This clown is too lazy to get out of the truck, you think I'm going to even mention that to him? It's HIS truck. You don't care? Oil level looks good to me, if you're good with it, I'm good with it. Hey, modern engine right? If it gets too low, some sensor should shut it down before it does damage right? No worries. There's a whole case of twinkies in the sleeper so all is well with that tractor.

I've never seen anything like it. Hope I never see anything like it again in my adult life to be quite honest. A shame, just a shame.

 

Oh by the way, I almost forgot; for all the newbies going out with a trainer. I can't say all trainers are like this but this was my experience:

Make sure you take a putty knife or scraper type of tool with you. Here's why. My trainer whether he was sitting in the drivers seat or passenger seat had this habit of covering one nostrel with a finger and then doing what we know as "farmer blow" to blow boogers out of his nose. Got kind of annoying after a while, just trust me. He would then proceed to flick them off of his shirt and or arm. Where do you think they more often than not landed?? On the windshield. It's very common to stop and fuel to clean the outside of the windshield to get bugs off as we all know. The scraper is a fast way to clean boogers off the inside of the windshield, once they dry they're like cement.

Don't think I'm kidding either.

 

With a different company, I was with my trainer for ONE WEEK! Anytime the truck was moving, he or I was in the passenger seat. Hard to believe that some companies keep you out with a "trainer-co-driver" for six weeks. I would never have gotten into this job had I been forced to endure something like that. Not a chance. Six weeks with that fat slob? At least your done.

 

I'd like to think all trainers aren't like that; but mine was. Wouldn't put the windows down when smoking cigars and cigs, I was in the back trying to sleep and choking with all the smoke, music blasting. Then he's sitting there driving (for a change because I had to take a reset), got his lower denture out and picking food out of it (in between shifts of course). Talk about multi-tasking and being multi-talented, my trainer could do it all. He could drive, shift, eat, smoke, fart, drink, listen to music, farmer blow and flick it off his shirt, lick Little Debbie wrappers and toss them out the window. Oh yeah, it was quite an experience, let me tell you. That's what KLLM expects their trainers to instill in the new recruits obviously. Is it a wonder that there is a revoloving door constantly turning there?

It was nice to get off on my own and it's REALLY nice to be back home sleeping in my own bed running a local job. No more boogers to scrape off the inside of the windshield anymore for some strange reason...HMM...imagine that...

 

Me too. I learned many things in a short amount of time. If you are overly aggressive and try to clean the booggers off the inside of the windshield while they're still not dry, you get this miserable smeer type of deal that affects your night vision. Lots of elbow grease to clean the windshield if you do that. Much smarter to let them harden and just simply hit them with the putty knife, they just simply fall down onto the dashboard. I will admit, I have found several on the trolley valve handle, the GPS unit as I looked at it for simple directions. The ones that land on the RPM and speedometer gauges...I don't clean that crap off. I always looked beyond that. Just the inside windshield is what bothered me. Glad I never had to buy a Dremel tool but honestly, it crossed my mind.

A lot more to just driving the truck than meets the eye. Many other hurdles. I know this booger thing sounds dumb and or funny but it's true.

One day at a time I guess and try to be positive (although that might be painfull)..!

 

Yeah yeah, that little prick needs a good ### whoopin. I think your definitin of "little man syndrome" is accurate. I would avoid that terminal in Morrow GA if at all possible. I would avoid KLLM as a whole if at all possible.

 

Just keep ur head down and run hard try not to take too much hometime. Going home Thursday and coming back on Monday usually worked for me. Try staying out as long as u can stand it. It takes a good week to get back in the money loop. Remember the more of a workers u are the quicker they'll learn ur name and eventually u can throw a little weight around when u need too. Try not to turn down too many loads down unless it doesn't make sense for ur business. Wished u would of got a little more experience but screw it be a business man first and an employee second......actually u r an independent contractor so follow up to the meaning ....good luck .....I'll keep checking up every now and again been running like a crazy man 4300first miles at an average of $2.60 a mile is what u have to look forward too when u finish the lease!!!!

 

I am looking at a company that I can stay in the SouthEast..Is this one? Is most of your runs in that area?