K and B Transportation

I am writing this to give you some idea of K and B Transportation out of South Sioux City, Nebraska. I worked there a little less then one year. You must remember that I was fired by them so I may be a little on the negative side but I am trying to be fair because I want you to make an informed choice.

First thing. They offer a sign on bonus and pay it out. I believe you get it the second paycheck. Not sure. Right now it looks like $500. When I worked there the sign on was $1000 and you got it over two weeks. Starting pay is .45 per mile. This is where I believe they are a bit on the dishonest side with you. They say that you are "guaranteed' 2500 miles per week and that you earn 1 day off for every 7 you are out. This is not exactly worded correctly. Their week starts at noon Monday Central time. If you say out that entire week until Monday noon Central the following week, you will get a check that is for at least 1125. Most weeks I was there I was over 3000 miles. The runs are mostly Tyson loads and you see a lot of Walmart DCs. It is a reefer company and you run mostly at night. I liked that.

It is my understanding that they have on of the highest turn over rate in the industry. So I will try to point out why. Remember they fired me so I am a bit biased.

When you arrive for Orientation, it is mainly the job of the recruiters to train you. We were told on the very first day to look around and that none of us would be there in a year. That made me wonder from day one, why I signed up for this company. It was like failure was the only option. The driving test was the easiest test I have ever been given. About one and a half miles. As in all orientations it is mainly paper work and waiting for the drug test to come back.

The trucks are almost all freightliners with Qualcomm. Set at 62 on cruise and 65 on the foot pedal. I had never seen it that way as to me it makes more sense for the cruise speed to be higher then the foot pedal. Do we not want to be off the cruise in bad weather and thus moving slower?

The maintenance is where they shine although the mechanics are not happy campers. Julie runs the shop from her office and she knows her stuff. I actually kept her number and when I start my own company, she is the only person there that I will try to hire away.

The main problem there is dispatch. They are not truck drivers. I am not sure any management personnel are. And to double the problem, they micro manage everything. They use that qualcomm like it is God talking to you. You just have to turn the volume all the way down to survive. I used a Garmin 760 to route myself. They want you to use their routes but I only had problems with them once. I went up I 25 through Colorado Springs. I am an Air Force Academy grad and I wanted to see my old school.

They believe in relaying you around too much so it is hard to plan ahead. Just when you get a good run, they ask you to relay it off. That happened 15 weeks in a row to me and made me the minimum miles. A lot of those times it was drivers who were blamed but when I talked to the drivers their stories were not the same as what dispatchers were telling me. So do not count on getting much more then 2700 miles a week and less if you go home. If you do take time off and want to maximize your check take Sunday and Monday off.

All in all it is what it is. A middle of the road company that could use better leadership.

 

It is odd. But you have to keep it in mind as it effects your guarantee.

 

I got fired for something I said. I tend to have a smart mouth. Some people lack a sense of humor. I have reasons to dislike K and B but my negativity does not serve the greater good. It is what it is. A nice steady check with great benefits. The insurance is the best I have seen. Had I not let my mouth run away with me, and what I said was very funny, I would still be working there.