Knight Transportation, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

Hmmm. Let me see what it would have been like if I would have gone to this oufit last week:

Orientation would have started on Monday. That Monday I would have heard the spiel, and Tuesday I would have gotten a physical and maybe the "starter kit" one will get with just about every company while at orientation.

On day three my colleagues and I would have been told to go get abandoned rigs out in the world. That is when I would have either driven off in my own car or I would have headed to the bus station, never to be heard from again.

Drivers don't leave trucks out on the road unless there is a #### good reason. If you come upon an oufit that requires its new orientation swabbies to go retrieve abandoned rigs as a first run, then you know you absolutely positively want no part of them. Or at least I hope you know this.

Never work for a company whose drivers are abandoning rigs. If a company's drivers are leaving trucks sitting around, the company is screwing those drivers somehow (you don't really need to know exactly the reason) and you want no part of that. You don't want to become just another drop in their latest pool of fools.

 

My company (May Trucking) fired a driver last week and he got in a company truck and and drove it to AZ and dropped at the yard there.

They did not know the truck was missing till the shop could not locate it 2 days after he was fired. They offered a $250 reward but a yard check in AZ found it.

No matter how pissed you are, when you start at a company you do so with the knowledge that you have to return the company equiptment at their bidding.

 

you have to have 6 mths under your belt. even though every time i go to the phoenix yard i sit for a day or so knight still is not so bad. just like every other company with alot of trucks and dispatchers, there are people who will tell you things just to get there jobs done so they can go home. no matter what company you work for you will have to sit at shippers and receivers, you will get short changed on miles and pay, you will run into not so bright type of people. but in all and all knight is not as bad as some of the others. if you really want to work for a sorry company try out Stevens transport or jb hunt. and if you do decide knight is for ya i would avoid the Atlanta terminal as being you main terminal.

 

Not saying much if all you are hoping for is to not be treated as bad as others may treat you. But I guess thats all you will get with even the best OTR carriers, not treated so bad you will puke has become a plus it seems. How sad.

 

I got pre-hired with them but haven't called to do the next steps. The website doesn't go into explaining pay and raises, breakdown/layover, miles, anything really. I'd appreciate any of the latest info if you have it. According to the polls it's a pretty good company. I just graduated from a 3rd party CDL school btw.

 

because Knight, C.R. England and Jerry Moyes (swift ) were all childhood friends. their families knew each other when they were young and they lived relatively close to each other in Utah. But who the hell cares anyway. They're probably all in cahoots with each other anyway.

 

4 months experience is required.

Pay starts at $.34 to $.47 on a sliding scale based on length of haul and longevity at company.

They drive Volvo's and Pete's and hire contractors

They have medical and dental which cost around $25 bucks a week for a single and you can opt out or sign ion for one or the other. The family plan is around $80 a week.

Most drivers get home weekly for a restart and drive regional routes and they also have casual which is 7 on and 7 off which is slip seating.

Each terminal operates separately and has their own fleet and budget.

They have a Idle policy which mean no Idling between 34 & 70 degrees and the trucks have heaters.

There is a raise after the 90 day probationary period how much? I don't know and a performance raise each year if you average 10,800miles with no accident or service failures. The terminal I called wants each driver to run no less then 2,750 miles per week and average 6.75mpg doing it.

They do not pay for local work. If you drop a load and are asked to deliver a local it is for free since each driver is responsible to deliver their load or someone else's. Yep thats what they told me.

Vacation is 1 week after 1 year and 2 weeks after 3 years

They pay lumper or pay for full unloads. The amount paid depends on the load.

They do not have forced dp but do have load select.

They do not route trips or fuel but want you to fuel at terminals and not fuel elsewhere unless needed.

Extra drops are payed at $15 a stop except origin and destination.

They pay $50 for orientation and it is 3-4 days and consists of a drive test- UA test- a Physical & Fitness tests (Big people may have trouble)- Written tests on company procedures- and log and qualcomm training if needed.

This is all I was able to get becuase the recruiter got tired of my questions and had to do something else.

 

How can these companies offer one week off after one year? It's the law here you MUST give an employee two weeks off or 4% of their GROSS income per year. No exceptions. No way to get out of it.

You can give more, of course.

Is the law different in the USA?

 

Yes, Big time different, a-lot of places you don't get two weeks until five yrs of service some three yrs. but their not big on giving employees time off.

 

Really? Wow... glad I live in Canada... again...