If you could improve 1 thing at Knight, what would that be?

I agree with a lot of what has been posted so far.

The ancient QUALCOMMs are ridiculous. They are obsolete and difficult to work with. The one in my truck right now was mfg in 1998 according to the sticker. It's embarrassing that this is what we still use.

The MT hunt can be bad especially in LA and SEATAC. Forget about finding an MT in Fontana or Portland terminals.

Expect to fight for home time. After being out 4 weeks I was taking some home time. The day I got home I ran 400 miles, waited for a live unload, drove to the terminal and took my truck through the inspection lane (about a 12 hour day) and finally headed home. The next day my DM calls and asks if I'm coming back on Thursday? I say no, I'm coming back on Friday, I'm taking 4 days. He says yeah but yesterday counts as a day off because you spent the night at home. Riiiiiiiiiiiight. I work 12 hours but it still counts as a day off because I didn't sleep in the truck? Just expect this kind of garbage from Knight.

And let me add another pet peeve to the list. 7500 mile services. You must ensure your truck is serviced every 7500 miles. If you are late on your service by even 1 mile you fail your inspection. A failed inspection will cost you 20% of your bonus. Two failed inspections will cost you 100% of your bonus. Bear in mind that you can only get serviced at your home terminal and you must have an appointment. Also bear in mind that it is your job as driver to remind your DM when you need to get serviced. Disregard the fact that your mileage is submitted with every macro you send and that you have little to no control over where your next load is going. You are entirely responsible for getting that truck serviced on time and at your home terminal only. This is how my last service conversation with my DM went...

I was in Washington state. I had 1,000 miles before my service was due and it needed to be done at my home terminal in Tulare, CA. If I went straight from Washington to Tulare I could get serviced on time with a couple hundred miles to spare.

Me: I need to get to Tulare for my A service remember? I told you last week and sent you a message about it 3 days ago.

DM: I need you to go to Utah.

Me: I can't go to Utah it will put me over mileage. I need to get to Tulare.

DM: (Sigh. Long pause.) Ok let me look and see what I got. I'll get back to you.

A few hours go by... I check in. Nothing. Check again later. Nothing. By now I know he's gone for the day, so I check back in the morning.

Me: So anything headed south? I can do the IKEA run from Spanaway to Palo Alto or the paper run out of Longview to Industry. Those are both on the way.

DM: I need you to go to Utah.

And so it goes. My biggest problem with the 7500 mile service is NOT getting the truck serviced. That's fine. My problem is the way it is administered and enforced. It puts the drivers in a position of having to tell their DM where they need to go instead of the other way around. It's inevitable that conflicts will occur with it set up like that. And when it doesn't work out it's the driver who pays the price.

 

@Aimstraight...so basically it looks like once a month you need to get back to your home terminal for the service. How hard would it be to make an appointment in advance and send a macro to your DM requesting "Truck repairs" on a guesstimated date. Since you can't go over by 1 mile, how soon before that 7500 mile target can you get it done. 500? 300? 200? Document your intentions to comply and then it should fall back on to your DM as a failure and not you. That's the way I'd play it. I'm not with Knight but considering them. 11 western, dry van out of El Paso. I have HasMat and a passport (Canada crossing at Alberta...which I know well). Thanks in advance.

 

Agreed. That's the way it should work. However it's not the way it does work. Which is my issue with it. Or alternatively, let me get the truck serviced at terminals other than my home terminal. Knight has 12 terminals in the western 11. I can only get serviced at 1 of them.

 

If you think the monkeys that work for Knight have a clue, you're in for a giggle. "Uh it looks OK"

Hell, a couple of months ago I brought in a truck and trailer to a shop both needed repairs, stuck them both in for 8 hours, and the trailer came out with the very same worn-out brake shoes (cracked even) that it went in with.

They also couldn't find the leak in my AC system.

Couple of weeks ago, hooked onto a trailer that just came out of a Knight shop.

It was missing HINGES on the trailer door.

HINGES!

I don't know why we do 7500 services, it isn't like they do anything to the truck while it's in for repairs.

 

@JimDuncam...
Sounds like you're still there in spite of things. What's the good that keeps you driving for them? You're a company driver for Knight I'm guessing. Is it only regional drivers that are restricted to "home terminal" 7500 mile service? Is this a big deal for everyone (OTR) or only regional drivers. All companies have weird quirks they feel are for the better. I'm guessing too that some terminal shops are better than others. Hard to believe they're all like you described. Maybe I'm too optimistic...dunno?

 

It must be locked in to the tractor warranty's. Possibly a Pro star reqmt (?).

Been 6 yrs since I was there, but Freightliners & Volvos were at least 15K miles between servicing, with added miles allowed to get the driver to a terminal that could perform the service. I had a couple done out of the old Portland shared-terminal (w/Titan) while driving out of Phx.

Warranty's for Centurys and Volvos were 3 yrs, but when Knight started buying Pete's they only had a 1 yr on them and were stricter in honoring.

But in the 5 yrs I was with Knight, driving different tractors every time out as an Express driver, I dont remember being pulled off the road during my time out more than a couple times for servicing, and usually could make it back to Phx when my time out was up and would put the tractor in the shop after cleaning my stuff out and heading home.

7500 miles with no grace miles is ridiculous! More BS that 'experienced' drivers wouldnt put up with!

 

The Freightliner I was in and who I drove for was due at 20k I think (maybe 30) and the service could be done wherever, usually a T/A or a company terminal if I was near one. Never that big of a deal. 1K or so over they understood and no sort of penalty. Thanks OverDrive for the info.