OK, name the good things about Knight.

Another satisfied Knight driver, flash8515 (with 0-1 yr experience!)

 

All I can say at the end of the day, as of this moment in time I am satisfied with Knight. It pays the bills and I enjoy driving.

I can understand your disliking of Knight if all is as you say it was. Be that as it may, I do not have any other experiences with other trucking companies so maybe I lack the credentials to speak my mind. I could shout from the rooftops Swift sucks or Warner is a crap company that doesnt care about their drivers, but I would only be repeating what I have heard and not from personal experience. That being said....I am not here to be a cheerleader for Knight. I am simply stating how Knight treats myself and cannot speak for other drivers. I am only offering a positive viewpoint to Knight. A rebuttal if you will.

I would honestly say that 75% of the drivers I talk to at the terminals are generally happy with Knight and say they have worked for other companies and Knight has treated them well, however, most of those drivers complain about general problems just as other drivers complain about there companies.

Now the remaining 25% breaks down into two catagories.

The drivers who are not happy about anything and there life is just miserable so they want to drag others into their world. Misery love company I suppose. The remainder of drivers hate Knight for one reason or another and are ready to leave. Now as these drivers say they want to leave the trucking industry all together, I wonder are they hating the industry as it has changed for the worse and are blaming Knight or do they just really hate Knight period. Who knows, but it doesn't change the fact I'm not an illegal and I'm not entitled to free stuff.

Who knows..maybe I will be fed up and ready to hate Knight in the future. As for now for those about to Rock....I salute You !!!

 

Really, the only thing you can go by, is your own daily experiences. I'm happy for you flash, and hope that things continue as they are for you. You sound like an intelligent guy, who undoubtedly would recognize if you were being screwed over, regardless of your years in the business, or having worked for other companies.

But keep in mind that not everyone at Knight has had the type of experiences you have. There is a huge difference between what terminal you work out of, what terminal you get your truck worked on, and WHO YOUR DISPATCHER is.

My experience with Knight is from years ago, so I have no way of knowing, (other than what I read here,) of what is going on with them right now. But I know that I would not go back to work for them, nor would I recommend them.

I do know that when I left them, I kept getting phone calls and letters from them wanting me to come back. This went on for about a year and a half, as I recall. It really didn't make any sense to me. If I had been happy there, I wouldn't have left. If I wasn't happy there once, what makes them think I would be if I went back to them.

Also, a guy that I worked with here locally, contacted their recruiting out of Vegas, before hiring on with the company I was with. Even after he told them he was no longer interested, they kept bugging him.

Seems they just had an air of "desperation" about trying to get drivers to work for them.

 

That's the key right there. Maybe you did have a bad experience, maybe you did get screwed over somehow. Then again, maybe a large part of the whole situation was your fault, who knows? Not you personally, BD...I'm just sayin...
As far as my relationship with Knight goes, I look at it like this...when I came to work here, I agreed to do a job safely and professionally, and they agreed to pay me. Period. How they choose to run their business is up to them...they own the place after all. If I don't like it, I could always start my own company and do it the "right" way, right?
As far as the pay...I knew what the pay was when I signed on the dotted line, and because I did my research, I had an idea how it would go as far as the accessory pay, miles, etc.
Miles? I had 116000 and change last year...nothing Earth shattering, but not bad. Keep in mind that's with a week vacation, as well as quite a bit of time off throughout the year.
DM's? I've had 1 that could pour pizz out of a boot, an awesome one, and my current one who is like a brother...couldn't ask for better there.
Oh, and Don, as far as Flash being a sharp guy....not so much. He once tried to return some anal deodorant...said right on the label "Remove cap and twist up bottom...

 

I work with the Las Vegas office, I have no clue who he is talking about. I've been sent into Vegas to fix problems, such as deadhead from SLC to Vegas to do a local, or haul all the late freight they have in the yard to LA area. Another fun thing you can do in the Vegas yard is play dodge the Knight DM cutting you off in her car while she talks on her cellphone, or he texts on his blackberry.

The best trailers start with the letter "P"

 

Transsexual?

 

It's OK Flash to maintain a good outlook as a relatively new driver, and new to Knight...we all started out that way..I really liked Knight when I started, now about 7 yrs ago, but they changed over time. I saw the change, going from a driver's co., to nothing but big business and $$$ focused.

For the most part, I just did my thing and almost never turned down loads, did favors for the DM's, etc, and had many good weeks (as an Express Driver). Also, no accidents nor any tkts. But in the 5 yrs that I drove for them I had around 16 DM's (drivers had to train newbie DM's w/o any transp. industry exp, and it was hard on us all!), but I saw a big change occurring about 1 yr B4 I left----the o/o's that bought used Knight trucks started getting all the miles (to make payments on their trucks!) and the co. drivers got the leftovers. Then limiting fuel fill-ups in CA, dragging their feet on paying sitting times, doing a lot of locals just to get a load home, got tight on truck washes, long waits (days!) in the shop, sold their older trailers and were always MT poor, etc. It really got unenjoyable working there. I was used to a better Knight. All of this B4 the economy went south.

So keep your good attitude, and to yourself while working, and you will make your own decision after time--usually, when you get a new DM (old one gets burned out & quits) and they dont know you so initially treat you as 'non-valuable.' You'll have to prove yourself all over again!

My biggest complaint, Flash, is that co.s like this that use you and then burn you out, ruin newer drivers' attitudes at some point...just dont let it happen to you---when it happens, kiss it off, and move on with a song in your heart. <wink> OD

 

I think about any job has the ability to be really good or really bad. If you ask me, my job sucks, ok not the job so much as the work atmosphere. The boss is a micro manager freak, who does her best daily to beat the piss out of any morale we may have found on the way to work. Do other people have a different attitude? Probably, cause mine is pretty bad, but I keep showing up, because they keep paying me, and I have excellent benefits. Its a trade off. my Hubby has been with Knight for the last month, has sat waiting for loads, done a few "favors" and still won't be home this weekend, even tho he told them two weeks ago. I am not exactly impressed with them, but I don't have to be. Its his job to put up with or move on. If you are even content with a job in this economy, you pretty much have to stick with it. I hear living under a brigdge ain't much fun.

 

I thank you all for your reasonable approach to this discussion and also thank you for your advice.

I agree with livinlife. You have to like what your doing as far as being truly happy at your job. I must admit I ask myself sometimes what the hell am I doing this for. I do not make what I use to a year ago, but then again I miss my wages I was earning as a contractor is Oregon a few years back before the housing market went south, but that was another time. I have had to start over twice now in a little over 5 years and it has been brutal. But it is what it is and I can't change what has happened. So I entered the trucking industry as at the time about a year ago, it was the only thing I could find that offered a decent wage. ( I gave up on the construction jobs as there are none). But what drew me to trucking mostly was the fact that it is up to myself and no one else to get the load there on time. I had nobody looking over my shoulder and wasn't confined to an office, although I am confined to a big red office with wheels. Anyway, I researched several companies before I made up my mind to work for Knight.

If I had the chance to work construction again would I do it. I don't know, this is beginning to grow on me ( trucking ). And although it isn't what I was making financially, it pays the bills for now and after looking through this forum, every company has its good points and bad ones. Knight for now works for me and I am fortunate for that. The way I look at it when I work for a company I am loyal just as I expect my employees would be for me. So I guess maybe it is my self defense mechanism and I really don't try to dwell on the bad stuff. I guess maybe at this point I choose to maybe turn a blind eye. I am not saying my experience has been bad but reading what other drivers have posted here it wasn't a love fest with Knight for them.

If you look through the worst company to work for forum you will find from every company the same gripes and hate from past and present drivers that Knight has. So all in all, it is a crap game and so far my bet on RED (lol) is paying off for now.

When I said I have NO problems with Knight, well I have a few minor things but they are not guiding me into a rash decision.

Miles....Good to Moderate
My DM as of now.....Great
Getting home when I want.....It could use some tweeking but overall pretty good
Sitting & waiting for loads....No complaints
Detention Pay.....Paid every time so far
Layover...I have only requested this twice and received it both times.



NOW.... (Knuckles cracking)

Looking for empty trailers..When I was with Squire, needed improvement. Now that Im with Knight, a bit of an improvement but could use more. I would give this one a score of 6 out of 10.

Getting truck serviced..This has been a huge gripe of mine from the beginning as well as other drivers. I really don't think the mech's care one way or another if the driver sits for long periods of time. To get me through this I have convinced myself they are all ex DMV employees.

Not being able to get my truck washed..Ya, this sucks. But on the bright side. if my truck is parked at home ( Las Vegas Yard) on the weekend. My truck has been washed by a mobile truck service. Works for me so that one is kind of a toss up.

My biggest gripe though believe it or not. Being on hold waiting for my DM for sometimes 45 minutes and calling over and over does no good.

So there is my hit list. Like I said, maybe I a m lucky for now. So I will do the ancient Mohican let me keep my current DM dance and pray to the diesel Gods that if I get another let him/her be as good as this one.

" If love is blind...why is there a need for lingerie"

BTW ssbowles. You told me it was right there in the instructions and I should give it go. Your just mad because you got caught in the stall reading your Silver Anniversary edition of mutton house and sipping Woolite from a dixie cup. BLAHHHHHHH

 

We have had many a "flash-in-the-pans' (plz excuse the pun) on here who have started with Knight and other trucking co.s with glossy-eyed praise of those various trucking co.s....and then after 4-6-9 mos, we never hear from them again! Some do come back on with their scathing posts when they have been done wrong many times and want to not only lash out but inform drivers who might be making the same decision that they unfortunately did.

Make sure you keep checking in, flash, and if you dont---we'll know why.....