My experience Kuperus Trucking

I could not find much on Kuperus Trucking on here so I pestered a few guys that did work there. Thanks for the advice fellas. I will pass mine on now for those who are interested.

I am a refresher so I cant say what a real training period would be like with Kuperus. This is purely from my standpoint.



I started by talking to Aaron in recruiting and he is frankly a good man! To be honest he is one of the most hyper fellas I have ever met.... He told me everything about the company and was very honest in regards to all of my questions. This is what made me choose Kuperus over a few others I seriously looked at. In my search I found that most companies tell close to the truth but if you read the fine print and listen close some things dont add up. That was not the case here....

Day one I went in for a 4 hour orientation which turned out to be paperwork at a local restaurant. The company bought breakfast for me while we filled it all out. That was unexpected...... Never once talked about. Day one told them when I could start and they made it happen. I was sent out with a trainer for a refresher and to my surprise they do NOT run as a team only the trainee drives. That in my book is a sign of a good company. It is entirely up to the trainer and yourself to decide when your ready for the road solo. Again this is a refresher and he was ready to cut me loose after a couple of days but I wanted to finish out the week. They due a $700 minimum guarantee for 90 days to help you adjust to their system because it is a lot different than what most company's do. Its actually pretty simple. If you make more than $700 and you will... You take that home if you make less you take the $700 home.

We run 7 states Midwest only and frankly I could get used to this I cant stand the east coast and never liked running it. Kuperus has a lot of set accounts and doesn't do very many broker loads. The pay is percentage starting at 25% of load and I must admit the money is there to be earned. It is percentage of load value not load cost like most company's which is pretty dang good! Pay goes up 1% a year and the avg earnings are around 60,000 first year. In other words next year ill go to 26% and then 27% and so on. They do very lucrative safety / fuel bonuses monthly and are easy to meet the goal for it. There is a 90 day incentive to keep drivers as well but I think its more if an attraction incentive to get drivers. They do not offer tuition reimbursement for those out of school however I think that is a good thing. They tend to attract more people looking for a carrier and not a stepping stone that way.

The benefits are good for retirement 401k, health, vision and dental. Its affordable for health however I have a very good plan through my wife paid so I wont be taking their plan. Retirement is 6% match.

The biggest thing for me aside from pay and attitude is the equipment. This is hands down the best taken care of fleet I have driven for! My truck is a glider kit but you would never know it! The truck is nice and clean in and out from a mechanical standpoint nothing really broken. It has 435,000 miles and runs good The only complaint I have was the previous driver quit and left a royal mess in his wake. Toilet paper, cig ashes and dirt all over it. They do all the mechanical work no hesitation and do such a good job that dot pretty much ignores Kuperus trucks because they know they are in good shape HOWEVER they did not have time to clean this one before I got it Its not a big deal though I cleaned it with the help of the shop guys and we got it tip top shape! Me being a new driver they did actually give me a decent newer truck aside from pig pen before me. Almost all of the trucks I have seen are the total opposite very clean, very shiny and down right smooth. They have progressive shift in all of them as well as super singles and to be honest I can float them like a dream! 13,000 rpm shifts like butter. Most of the fleet is regional cab Freightliner Columbias with wheel covers and a lot of aerodynamic stuff added to the trucks and trailers. No joke the training truck got 10.5 mpg... I will admit after driving long wheel base trucks I am sold on these little trucks you can make really tight turns with ease.... The trailers all have air gauges for the axles so you can see how heavy your load is and if it needs to be scaled or re adjusted. I love that!

The drivers all seem to know each other and get along like family. Like most driving companies they do have a turnover rate but driver retention is actually pretty high and from all I have met these guys are like family. The ones who quit do not know what they have from what I can tell based on the attitude of those who stay. I have experience with some big companies and to be honest if I had hired into a place like this and not a mega I probably would never have left the road. When I hit the terminal the office staff are all out talking to the drivers and making you feel like family the dispatchers are as expected stressed out BUT they care and are all very friendly from all I can see..... You show respect and they show it in return its a two way street and they know it! The owner meets you once and never forgets your name and will not only hold a conversation with you but make you feel welcomed. This is the type of place I want to be. I can overlook a pig leaving me a dirty truck due to all of the good I have seen..

I know I wont start out making big bucks here but it is still a good place to work and you do make a good living with home time right off the bat.

 

I am NOT a recruiter and I can say with certainty if they burn a bridge or screw me over later on I will not only be gone but spread the word......I do not have any qualms about defending myself.

Its based on the value of whats in the trailer not on what it cost to transport from one spot to another most company's I talked to that did % where based on cost to transport but I suspect you already knew that. As for forced dispatch sorta yes. They wont force you if you don't have time left or cant for any reason do it. It is not stated forced but in a way I would say it is. The difference is that most of the freight is customers for this company and you go to many of the same places. I do not prescribe to no forced dispatch I am in their truck I will go where they say. Their truck their rules same as any other job field.

 

Thanks they are small and tight to live in but man can it turn good... I haven't driven any modern tractors in 12 years until this company the advances are staggering to me. Its almost like a caddy in comparison to the old trucks I used years ago. I will say the big potholes are still heck on my back though... The E-logs are way different kinda like getting yelled at by the wife.....

 

I have to say they keep their word.. I asked for July 2nd through the 4th off and got it! Tonight we go to our annual grill out where all our friends gather.. They did cut it close though my next load picks up at 2am on the 5th! I wont make fireworks but I dont care about that part anyways I like the grilling with friends and family part. Im gonna go to the truck tonight to get some sleep before the week starts out. They work hard to get drivers Saturday and Sunday off and a few nights a week which are totally random. That all depends om loads and when they pass by home.

Ill keep it updated they do run us hard. I will say one thing regional is definitely more work than OTR and % means I am not chasing miles but also means more docks..... Bump bump bump some days and others run run run.. I like the familiarity of shippers and receivers though lots of the same companies.