Uh NO powder joints - I'm 45 and have worked for "6" companies since I was 14, (Plus the Military) 3 of the 6 were trucking companies, if you want to stick up for this company, fine. I'm not a "Flake" I know you have to have a thick skin to drive, but what Knight did was outright robbery

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Google is your friend. Most of these college kids that Knight hires are dumb enough to have open facebook/myspace pages. The best parts are that in 95% of the pictures, they are holding drinks.

How about these comments?

"Shouldnt have gone out like that last night! It was hella fun, but Im gonna pay for it shortly!!! I hate working weekend!"

"Ive had a rough week...Im going home to drink heavily and hang out with my babies "

and the very next day:

"Back to work! Bleh....At least its friday! Too bad I still hafta work all weekend. At least I have a happy place to go home to "

So they go out drinking the night before and then go back to work, still drunk or hung over. While drivers are not allowed to drink anytime while on the truck and are frowned at if they drink on their off time.

It's kinda funny to see what those kids are up too, and I'm not going to spill the beans because I don't want them to panic and close their accounts.

Quote:

Face it our industry is filled by job hoppers. Each driver is always looking for that greener grass, and most jump at it when they see it. There will always be a company who will hire a driver with a clean enough record no matter how many times he has hopped.

I agree, the driving record is what counts. many trucking outfits advertise to try and get drivers to job hop.

Stop believing everything the company's tell you people.

Look at some of the drivers that get out of those new rigs. And it should be obvious that all the company cared about is their driving record.

ok i have to say this ... i passed my 13th year in this industry and have to say i have been around the block more than once and still i will never know everything but i do know this ........

i have talked to many drivers , not just from knight, but swift, jb, us , schneider, etc etc the list goes on and on ... here is what i have learned from alot of them over my years ....

1) alot of guys , NOT EVERYONE , but alot of guys come on here and say.. dont go here or there or whatever, you wont get miles...

here is something they ( NOT all ) but some are not telling you .. they want the 1200 mile runs at one time and are waiting at truck stops to get them.. ok you wait your 4 days to get a 1200 plus run and i will take the 400 to 550 runs for them 4 days and see who gets more miles...

or they say.. i am not getting dispatched on anything and i have to wait 3 days for a load..

ok here is something .. remember NOT ALL guys are doing this, but some are and they are not saying why they aren't .. but as for the last one i just said...

you get unloaded, send in your empty call, wait 5 minutes and tell them you are empty.. then wait 15 more and call back and say DO YOU KNOW WHAT DIRECTION ILL BE HEADING SO I CAN GO TO A TRUCK STOP TO EAT AND SHOWER AND ETC CAUSE I CANT STAY AT THE RECEIVER ....

you have to remember, these big companies mostly have young kids or grads dispatching, they wont remember you called 5 minutes after you call, not just due to their age, but the fact even more is they are most likely having over 30 drivers who are assigned to them calling them at the same time ....

2) I AM NOT GETTING HOMETIME ...

again, i am not saying everyone but there are those who are saying this on this forum but are not saying they want to be home EVERY WEEKEND .....

3) I AM NOT GETTING PAID ON EVERY LOAD

get a notebook and put down the major info .. trip number, shipper, receiver, miles paid, trailer number , etc and then ask them why you havent been paid for that run or to show you on your check stub where you been paid for that run....


I was with 5 companies in 13 years ...

I never sat at a truck stop more than 23 hours in 13 years,( EXCEPTION FOR RESETTING HOURS )

i know there are legit people on here with legit problems, but remember, when you get into these big companies, you have to remember, it could be the terminal in which some of you are running out of ... not just for knight but any company..

if you newbies out there want to make it .. ask experienced drivers who are on here trying to help out others for advice.. when you see a posting from someone always slamming everyone they work for, ask someone else...


dont be picky, dont hold out for the 1200 plus mile runs, take what they offer, not just knight any company .. you will end up being the " go to " guy and they will remember who you are and what you have done and it does pay off when you need work on a truck done, or anything like that ..


not everyone has great experiences with every company, and the last posting is true .. alot of companies expect people to job jump, thats how you will always stay on the low pay scale ... but please remember, there are times where you will be waiting for a load, at the same time 10 miles down the road, a senior driver with never a problem is waiting, or soemone who needs to be home and the load goes that way.. timing has alot to do with it as well .... just my thought .. sorry it was so long, but as i said, i can go and go and go with what i have learned in 13 years.....

bubba

I bought my first truck in 1973, a White COE Road Comander. I owned my own for 13 years with the last truck I bought being a 1986 Kenworth T600. I've been an independent and a company driver. I have over 35 years driving under my belt. I now work for Knight.

Now I'm going to tell about this industry. It has gone downhill. The biggest problem was deregulation. When freight was regulated there where good union jobs. Everyone elses pay was based one way or another on the union scale, even if your job was non union.

When I started out in trucking you had know someone to get into the industry. Truck driver jobs where gold. Trucking has gone the same way as most other blue collar jobs in this country only at a much faster pace.

Once they started building trucks that anyone could drive the companies realized they could put anyone in them. Pay has gone down the ####### too.

This whole industry has become one of pimps and whores. The driver is the bottom of the food chain and from what I have seen of some of the new drivings maybe it's deserved.

Out of ALL the companies out there Knight is still one of the best when it come to being driver friendly. If you do your job, keep track of your loads and GET P.O.s when you need them, you WILL get paid. I have to remember that there are only few real men out here anymore, but has a real man, I do something or am due something I DEMAND a P.O. for it. Guess what? I get it, and I get paid all that is due to me. Trucking has never been a job for the meak. Guys YOU control your situation.

Luckly I'm getting out of this industry shortly. It's got to the point you'd have to be a fool to go through all the bull *hit to make litte money. But that said I will say that Knight is still one of the BEST. Guys you picked this job. It ain't an easy one and it's getting worest.

That's what I've learned in 35 years. If I had to do it over I won't even look at a truck.

i have to agree with you OUTINC... i know i have not been out here longer than you and alot of others .. but when i first started may 2md 1996 jb hunt and schneider were the biggest out there and they were running cabovers ..

all i had when i started was a 800 number to call the office, a map and a cb and that was all that i needed to get from point A to point B ...

now alot have cell phones, gps, co-pilots, larger out putting cb's , etc ...

back then we get lost and a driver stops and helps you out regardless of weather, or how hot his load was , etc ..

now, you get lost, you try to stop, trucks are about taking you out by damn near running you over, you go on the cb and ask politely about being lost and you are told, go buy a map or go buy a gps ....

you have any mechanical questions back then as to how to fix a problem and you have 15 drivers at the truck stop walking towards your truck to lend a hand, now its get the truck out of the way, i am a super trucker who drives on ice at 70 on a 45 and i can do it all , then they wreck about a mile up and want you to help them and you do cause thats the right thing to do ...

being a CDL holder in 96 when i started was something people looked up to, they respected, and drivers respected eachother, maybe bougt a coffee for another driver down on his luck in miles, now you try and they think you want to get to brokeback mountain with him ...

things have changed for the worse and there is never going to be better in sight ...

this has been in my blood all my life and this is what i will always do, i guess times are changing for the worse and i just cant let go of the day when drivers respected one another and were respected by the public ...

bubba

bubba your so right,my grandfather was a trucker,my father was a truckerfor 30 yrs,im a trucker hmmmm and have worked construction,like iv said to my crews look around you and look at the faces of the people next to you,in six months those faces will change,but make no mistake you will see those faces on another job when they come back around and realize the grass wasnt as green as they thought<<<<<stablity, pride,and knowlage of your job!!!dont have to brag,just do it !actions speak louder than words,and if stopping for a few minits to help a fellow trucker is not in your cred>>>>its like leaveing a fallen man behind! trucking is tough enough and if your the kind of man that has exspirence and cant help a fellow trucker then its time to find a lifestyle that suits you,,,, but then again on the flip side of that coin you can lead a horse to water but you cant make him/ or her drink

To illustrate your point:

in the Truck on wednesday after being on vacation for a week, From wednesday to Sunday 0400 this is what I did.

DH 104
Loaded 91
Loaded 91
Loaded 273
Deadhead 331(had to do a trailer search)
loaded 890

total 1780

Outinc, and Bubba, great posts. I have worked for Knight and am headed to the refer division come Tuesday, and I feel they are one of the better companies I've worked for. And Bubba is right. You have to work your way up by taking what they give you, and being flexable. Daily pay is nice with Knight, they usually get you home when you want to get home, although there were a few times it took longer than I'd like, but usually if you're understanding they will do their best. They guy who posted something about let go because of a vehicle problem is something I never experienced, although I guess it's not beyond the realm of possibilities. I just wonder if jobs were being refused. And as far as bunk heaters, every truck I drove had one and it worked. If anything didn't work I'd notify my terminal on my qualcomm and they would send me asap to get stuff fixed. You have to put everything on the qualcomm. I mean there is some aspect of butt covering you do have to do, however if you learn how to give and take a little I think most dispatchers (although there are a few jerks out there) will work with you. To summ up my post, Knight to me is above average for a truck company, but with the economy the way it's been you're going to see more of the loose links let go.