If you could improve 1 thing at Knight, what would that be?

It's the volvos with the touchy engines now, not the Prostars, as they are back to Cummins in the Prostars.

 

The mileage numbers for the bonuses also don't make sense. Talked to a guy who jumped Prostar to Prostar (Cummins ISX to New ISX) and while the mileage that he needed to get the bonus increased almost a mile per gallon, the fuel mileage from new truck from old only increased .3mpg. Guy was dedicated as well. Said the truck was completely geared wrong as well. So you have stupid loopholes to jump through and you are getting the run around for a penny a mile.

Oh yeah, trailers are now only to go into the shop twice a year, not every 6 months. Check the new numbering on the nose if you don't believe me. I'm not sure what in the hell they are doing but they are gutting their maintenance department even more. AND getting the cheaper, thinner recaps as well.

 

The 7500 mile A service and the forced inspections is so they can check for body dmg. There was ALOT of unreported dmg going on between trailers and trucks with the typical shrug of "It was like that when I got it" or "It was not that way when i dropped it" this narrows the list of people down who have had the trailer sense it was last seen same with the truck.

As for it being a Warranty issue, I can tell you at least with the International its not. Mine is still under warranty and frankly the only thing they care about is if the truck has been serviced in the last 30k.

As for fuel mileage when the truck is out on the flats it can get 8's and holds in the high 6's to low 7in's in the mountains. I been told buy a few people the new Prostars with the cummins, that they are doing better. Holding in the low 7's to High 7's in the mountains.

As for Trailer services I have no idea what the dry sides policy is but ours is serviced every 3 months and the reefer as needed for B services. The one behind this truck right now has a 3 month sticker on it and is due in the shop again in Nov. They are also checked when they are pulled thur the inspection lane to see if anything is out of whack.

As for Reefers pulling dry side loads. I have yet to in my time here pull a dry tlr loaded anywhere. I have on occasion taken a empty for you guys and dropped it off at one of shipping warehouses for you so it could be loaded. (Spent an entire day doing this once and sometimes bringing a loaded one back to the yard and dropping it for a dry driver to pick up) I have seen gray trucks pulling dry van but 99% of the time its a lease truck that choose a gray truck. On the other hand SLC, UT. has a ENTIRE division of reefer Dry side drivers (Red trucks pulling our trailers). Do I mind them ? No, not at all. There not "taking" our loads, they are helping us. We have so many loads that come out of that area we are swamped half the time and this does help.

This is also why "Kool Trans" was made, We were turning down upwords of 200 LOADS a day out of Utah area alone that were reefer side. Plenty of room for expansion of another company under the Knight umbrella. Also allows us to get other "Contracts" that are not a conflict of interest to other contracts. In the end we service more customers and are able to pull more loads.

Just wanted to clear up some answers.

 

Just hooked onto a trailer that hadn't been serviced in over a year.

Sticker date was for 02/14

 

Again, I dont know the dry sides policy's for trailers but im sure some get stuck in a customer lot for months as they like to horde emptys.

 

The sticker is when it was inspected. It just has to be Dot inspected to really matter

 

On ours there is 2 stickers, One for the periodic DOT inspecting the other one for when the trailer needs a PM. I don't know if the PM one applys to dry side trailers or not. But I agree that's what I thought maybe he was talking about when he gave that date.

 

Yeap, it's that one. Not the DOT sticker. And while, yes, the DOT sticker is important, not having it go through a shop and have the monkeys bang on it with their wrenches in over a year is pretty important too. I really don't care anymore, I'm tired of being told that bald tires are OK as long as it isn't over 25% of the tire, or it's completely normal for the trailer wheels to be soaked and I am greatly mistaken that there is any grease and or oil used in trailer hubs anymore, or .......

I'm just going to finish out this year, and stop caring.

 

Agreed, Prob sat at some cust for a season of hording then got pulled out. "Most" shops will beat on it when you take it thur the inspection lane. Our shop in Idaho Falls will flat out red tag it if its that far past due. They normally get to it the same day if its a empty or if its loaded they try to get it in and out as quick as possible.

This company I have noticed is alot about what Terminal you are out of. It seems to effect peoples attitude and overall experience with this company. PHX AZ shop is by far the worst, People generally seem not to freaking care about anything there. Hence why I avoid that place like the plague. But that's just my 2c

 

You are dead on about the terminals. It seems that every one is run independently. The shops too. Katy, TX was the worst I ever dealt with. Actually that was the worst terminal as a whole I ever dealt with. I was out of Indy and they were good in all parts of the operation.