Schneider or Knight (Ref.): Who would you choose to go with, and why?

Im a pumpkin driver (for a bit longer...lol).

Pet policy is this: No pets.

11 western states is also known as California, Oregon, and Washington...I5 corridor....MOST of your time is spent there.

Their reefer division...I dont know much about them. I know they have an account with Schreiber...but I want to say that might be a team thing...could be wrong.

 

Most of the Knight drivers hang out at the terminal down the street from the T/A in Fontana. Since it's the weekend, there are probably a bunch at the yard now just waiting until tomorrow to deliver loads.

 

This thread is beginning to acquire a sense of drama, like a soap opera...where will JDW wind up? How will he do? Tune in tomorrow for the next episode of JDW tries to not get screwed

Glad you're off the Schneider kick. Knight might be ok for you as long as your expectations about the money you'll make are realistic.

Like I said earlier, they are very nice people. Just no money to be made in their system.

I don't think Knight fires anybody either. My dispatcher lied to me one time, and left me hanging when he knew I had a court date back home. I told him I was dropping the load in the San Antonio drop yard, for relay to South Texas, and I bobtailed all the way to New Orleans. I pulled up in front of the courthouse 15 mins before my court time.

I wouldn't suggest you try something like that right away though.

He called in a few days and asked if I was ready to roll...

So, you may be alright there with Knight. At least you won't get abused like you would at Schneider.

Alright, now you've got me coming back with more Knight stories that come to mind...

I was driving for Knight back in '05 when Hurrican Katrina hit here. I spent the night it came ashore at the Pilot on I-5 just at the bottom of the Grapevine. I had an early delivery in your area somewhere, don't remember exactly where, but it must have been Ontario, just off I-10.

Anyway, by that time of the morning, I knew from the news reports that the eye of the storm had passed directly over our house and I was beyond a nervous wreck.

My wife was ok, she happened to be at a teacher's convention in San Francisco, but my daughter was back home with her mother and our cell phones didn't work because the towers were down. I was going berserk with worry. I was worn out from no sleep the night before and pretty much out of mind with worry.

And, our terminal in Gulfport was wiped-out, or at least all communications were down, from the storm. Somehow, another dispatch got me a partial load going to Dallas, just across I-10, so I ran over there and got that load and hauled ace to Dallas.

I took a four hour nap in AZ, somewhere, and that was it. I dropped that trailer in Dallas and booked on down to New Orleans. No communications all this time, either phone or qualcomm. Bobtailed again, Dallas to New Orleans.

In hindsight, I think they knew what I had to do, so they just stayed out of it and let me run.

I can't tell you the sights I saw when I got home. I met the emergency rescue team at the entrance to my house on the coast of Mississippi; that's how fast I got there.

But they were very understanding and helpful throughout that whole ordeal. Schneider, forget it. No telling how they would have handled a situation like that.

 

That's interesting they had a 780 - I haven't EVER seen one (but obviously that doesn't mean they don't exist). Was it a company truck or did it say "Leased to" or the like on there somewhere?

Of course I also didn't know that Knight ran doubles until I saw them scootin' down the highway in Texas.

 

Did it have a window on the sleeper? That would be a VN780. Very nice trucks. The main bunk is up top and below is a table/desk that can be folded down into a bed. Lot's of room. Knight only owns 670's and that is a tiny truck that's actually designed for a regional application. Volvos website even says "The perfect choice when a few nights a week on the road are required." I spent a month in mine one stretch, cramped up with my little 50 gallon fuel tank (150 on the driver side)

 

I don't mind the 670's for a solo driver - they have lots of storage space for all your junk - not much room to stretch out especially if you have a big cooler or something taking up floor space. But all in all they're not bad. Absolutely not for a team though - just being with my trainer for 4 weeks was about all I could take - and we got along just fine! If I was going to team I would definitely have to be in a larger truck like the 780.