Going Over the Road with Knight

Even temps of +78 deg and slightly above can be uncomfortable if no ventilation is present---and when the windows are open to provide ventilation, during the day you may have to deal with flies, and at night, mosquitoes.

And, btw, adequate sleeping conditions is not just for comfort, but SAFETY! Non-refreshed, tired drivers are a common hazard on the road even if their logbooks show adequate sleeping down time..

 

You can't rely on fuel bonus as part of your income. They have their ways of insuring you won't receive it and bonuses in trucking are nothing more than a carrot dangled in front you. .02 cpm is only 50 bucks a week based on 2500 miles and you probably won't see those miles on a consistent basis. You will still be at a loss for your efforts to save Knight money. I would just idle their truck and let them pay for it.

 

I plan on buying a small generator and a portable AC Better check with KNIGHT about their policy of carrying GASOLINE powered devices / containers in / on their trucks !

 

I also should add, that 2 CPM bonus is taxed differently than your wages. So that best case scenario of an extra $50 bucks per week based on 2500 miles will net you about $30 bucks per week. Bonuses are a scam and all that should be relied on is your mileage pay.

 

Just idle the truck. You'll never get the bonus anyway. If it breaks slide into another one the same day. That's the up side to being a company driver.

 

Some drivers are pretty loyal to their trucks but like Gabe said, if something major goes wrong each terminal usually has a minimum of 25 empty trucks to choose from. I have always set mine up the way I wanted them and just waited out repairs. Many issues you can limp home with and get them fixed while you're at home.

I know where you're coming from in wanting to save the company money, save the environment, and make more money but these large companies just don't care. I HATED sleeping in an idling truck, the rattles, and motor noise were annoying but the cold AC made up for it. They save millions by NOT purchasing APU's and coercing drivers into sleeping in worse conditions than a slave.

 

FYI: when I left around 6 yrs ago, the 'clean' Volvos used to burn about .5-.6 gal fuel/hr idling

 

True, but checked fuel consumption on the newer Volvo models and typical was the .5-.6 gal/hr (600-700 rpm). Most older trucks as a rule of thumb used to be around the 1 gal/hr idle (900-1000 rpm) you mentioned.