Starting with Knight in Feb.

Discussion in 'Knight' started by X-Country, Jan 15, 2015.

  1. X-Country

    X-Country Medium Load Member

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    I will be starting with Knight at the beginning of February. I am in the process of moving from St. Louis to Denver the next two weeks. Lived in the midwest all of my life and tired of it. In need of a life change and some scenery.

    Like with Werner, I have heard good and bad about Knight, so I will take things with a grain of salt.

    Werner was supposed to be an evil villain where you couldnt financially survive. I did ok making $900 a week guaranteed minimum on a dedicated route in St. Louis. I couldnt survive on $500-$600 paychecks befors taxes as a solo OTR driver for the 3 months I was out before taking the dedicated route.

    Both my fleet managers there were good to me and treated me like family.

    I had issues with Safety on an accident that I was never even involved in and that there was no evidence to support I was involved in it either. Also had issues with Employee Relations threatening to fire me because I appealed my accident.

    The computer based training modules were downright oppressive.

    Plus throw in the fact that their equipment is subpar and breaks down way too often and 100% must go in at every single weigh station.

    Many of the drivers attitudes are crappy and negative, always griping and moaning but usually the same ones sitting in the terminal all the time. The shop personnel were always cheerful and helpful in getting me anything I needed for the truck (fluids, emergency triangles, etc). But not always competent in fixing problems with my trucks.

    I have 3 friends here at Knight working in the reefer division all clearing over $1100 a week after taxes. They all say they hit their 3,000 miles a week. All three are happy as a clam in a kelp bed. They convinced me to make the move.

    Have another friend that works dry van and his checks are $1000 a week after taxes and he loves it here. He came from CR England so I think I would be happy too though to be anywhere but CR England, lol.

    Another friend used to work there last spring in reefer division as a trainer but had to quit due to a divorce and child custody battle, so he got a job locally to spend time with his daughter. He too loved Knight and made great pay, $1200 a week after taxes.

    Coming from Werner...Knight might be paradise to me.

    But as with Werner, I'm coming in with a good attitude, ready to work. I'll keep my head up and ears open and mouth shut. If I can make halfway decent money at Werner, I have no doubt I can do better at Knight.

    Im sure everyone with a bone to pick with Knight will come in and tell me how badly i will get screwed over by Knight along with their experiences.

    Same as those with Werner did. I dont hate Werner, and some things happened I am not happy about but if it came down to me needing a job to make ends me I would go back until I found something better. I left on good terms and gave adequate notice. But I hope I dont have to go back.

    I have learned that for the most part, each job (whether im trucking or any other job) is what you make of it, your attitude and to pick your battles wisely. Some people are content with things. Others cant and wont abide by certain rules/restrictions/limitations.

    Some people thrive in the corporate setting and dont mind all the red tape and politics. Others like to work for smaller companies where things are more relaxed and less political and not corporately ran.

    Ill go in with an open mind and update my experiences as I go. Hoping for the best. But the consensus from most Knight drivers that I have talked to is Knight is a pretty good company to work for, not perfect, but not terrible, and most have minor complaints but are happy and content and making a good living. So I guess we shall see.

    After spending a year with Werner, I think I can handle just about anything now. lol.
     
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  3. Puppage

    Puppage Road Train Member

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    I am sure you'll do just fine. I hope it all works out for you.

    Pete
     
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  4. Fajo

    Fajo The Dark Knight

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    What side are you going on ? Refer or van ?
     
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  5. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Best wishes on relocating to Denver. If Knight doesn't work out, look at Holland Enterprises, Inc. They hire in Denver and trucks have Tripac APU's.

    Also equipped with refrigerator and satellite radio and air-slide 5th wheel.
    Avg pay over $60K per year.

    Lessors Inc. is another good one with Tripac APU's. Just as with Holland, they don't hire rookies; must have 1 yr. experience.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2015
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  6. OverDrive

    OverDrive "A Watchman on the Walls"


    Having worked for a Swift O/O b4 going to Knight, for a total of 10 yrs, I found the same problems that most of the larger trucking companies have----turn over of their customer base due to poor customer service.

    The best chance of getting a good job is to hire on one of the 'dedicated' routes of customers they are in good with, meaning delivering on-time freight consistently.

    It takes good customer service to keep customers long term, and I've been in positions to see BOTH Swift & Knight lose some of their customers because of poor service and missing deliveries (including a lack of providing them with MT's) as a result of not providing the reliable dedication customers require to meet their business needs.
     
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  7. X-Country

    X-Country Medium Load Member

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    i really want to go reefer, but may have to go van side to start. ill find out more in orientation. :)
     
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  8. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    That's true, pretty much just changing from driving blue trucks to red ones. It's known as a lateral move. With over a year experience, lot's out there to choose from.
     
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  9. Fajo

    Fajo The Dark Knight

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    Thats not how it works here, the dry and ref are 2 diffrent companys. If you want reefer u need to contact a reefer term which closest to denver is Idaho Falls or Phx. Denver terminal is a dry van only one (which means only dry vans get dispatched and hired out of there) we all use the same terminals tho regargless of what side we work for.

    if you want refer call one of those terminals they will get you set up and will fly you or bus you there for orintation, If you want dry van stay with denver. The location you live is kind of moot. :)

    also choose the one you want the most as it is #### near impossible to switch after hired. ( both terminals have to sign off on the switch and normally the terminal that is lossing thr driver is not willing to)

    just some food for thought.

    P.S.
    recuriters will lie out there rears if it will get them a driver, they all have "quotas" to fill. So take what they say with a grain of salt. If you do have any questions tho your welcome to ask them here there is a few of us here that can give you "honest" answers.
     
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  10. jcarey10

    jcarey10 Bobtail Member

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    X-Country- you might want to ask to see your friends pay stubs if they are bringing home over a 1K a week.. Do the math, 3000 miles x .35 cpm = 1050, which is high side. Just be weary. Also that means you have to average over 430 miles a day. At 63 mph, also that most of our accounts are live loads/unloads, you burn your clock fast. Dry van average haul is around 600-800 miles. Reefer is more. My DM runs me as hard as freight allows and I usually run about 2700 miles a week and bring home about $650-700 take home.
     
  11. Fajo

    Fajo The Dark Knight

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    Ouch, I avg between 3100 to 3800 depending on freight. Also we do alot of Live/Live on the reefer side, rarely do I spend more then 1 to 2 hours getting loaded. The load normally has 800 to 2200 miles on it then spend a hour or 2 getting unloaded. On special cases I spend more but we get detention for that. The load I'm currently on is from Denver, CO to Boise, ID. 870 miles when all said and done the last one was Boise, ID. to Fogelsville, PA. 2400, I choose to drop it in the Denver, CO. Yard.

    Alot depends on Freight, DM, Terminal, Area and the occasional fart in the wind. Stay out of deadzones and profit. =)

    Why I am hesitant to do this as I don't want anyone to compare them self's to me as we all run and work different. This is one of my Settlements I pasted the the important sections of it together. This was after a 700$ advance I had to take to do some work to the truck at my own shop. There is money to be made at Knight, Just like any of the other trucking company's out there they all have there issues. I been here for a few years now and my terminal treats me with respect its one of the many reasons I have not moved on to another company.

    check.jpg
    (Net settlement is the amount I took home after all expenses but before Tax's)
     
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