any updated info on knight

Well I have 15yrs of driving exspeirences. I've drove for severail companies. As was said all companies have there good and there bad. I driver for Knight Refrigerated now and i love it here. The refer side dosen't play the stupid games like the dry side dose (Knight Trans is dry side). For one thing they don't play termanal vs termanal. The refer side dosn't have the number of trucks that the dry side dose so they just work with each other so the frieght gets moved. It's a non-forced dispatched company and the dispatcher is respondsible for getting the driver the miles he needs. The planner is responsible for getting the frieght picked up and moved. So every body works togather and everyone is happy. Now this is not what I have seen on the dry side. Every time I go into a dry term there are 8-12 drivers sitting around waiting on loads. I have yet to see this on the refer side. the Refers are running 2500+ a week. The dry side is lucky to get 2000. I run out of Idaho Falls Id.

 

I also don't follow their routing or fueling plans always. I'd end up on the side of the road with no gas if I did. Fifty gallons here and fifty gallons there doesn't cut it. If it's a primary fuel stop I fill up. No reason not to.
Still love working for them and it does depend on the terminal you're out of. Syracuse treats us good, gets us home every weekend and on Christmas and Thanksgiving. Daily pay is nice.

 

Are they still using that old Edwards Term in Boise? Small and jammed out when I was there a couple of years ago.

Also, is that A-hole Aaron still at the Boise Term...old Safety type that Phx was glad to get rid of.........

 

Don't know anything about Boise. Idaho Falls is the old EB HQ. The people there are great. Except for the shop. Danny acts like drivers are stupid and Rebecca is a #itch. I've hadd a run in with them a couple of times and had a talking to with TJ (term Mng) about there attitude.

And I to like there daily pay.

 

Ain't that the truth. I was just told today that one terminal tells it's new hires that they don't want them to chain!



Now I don't get the idle time thing, mine is over 30% right now for the week, BUT it also says in the big red book to idle your truck if it falls below X temp. It's been pretty cold in some of the areas that I've been.

At least I have been getting rid of my old sets of chains. Toss on three bags of mixed old and new and my old sets have been breaking from slapping the dry pavement!

 

I've been driving for over 35 years. I am now driving for Knight. Trucking has gone way downhill from what it was years ago, but I can still bring home $1,000 a week running 3,000 - 3,500 miles a week with Knight. Every company has it's faults but I'll say Knight is still one of the best out there. I get the miles, and I get home when I want, no problem with how much time I take off either, and no forced dispatch. I can't ask for more. Take it for what's worth.

 

Knight loves older drivers (settled down, not on drugs, stable, reliable, etc.), but you will pay for that with much lower wages than any other co. I'm not complaining, cause I did it for 5 yrs....it's all about the perks!!!!!

 

As far as Knight goes... A few things and I am a spouse who is not on the road but my husband drives for the refer side.

1. Their insurance is horrid... We are going to go without it because that's how expensive and horrible it is. I realize this isn't a perk for most people but if you have family stay away from their insurance because it is a total joke ($300 bucks a month roughly with a 20% co-insurance fee per visit).

2. They claim to be your "national hometown carrier" with great home time but I can honestly say that isn't the case. When we lived in the NW he wound up spending his resets down in the SW, we now live in the SW and he spends most of his resets in the NW (no I am not kidding). In the last 3 months he has been home maybe a total of 7 days.

3. Their detention and layover pays are often late. If you get caught up due to horrible route planning (that'll come with number 4) expect to have to consistently call to get backpay for these because they often will not have them put on your check. Couple that with scale ticket reimbursements that are slow it can add up quickly.

4. Horrible route planning because they often will change pre-plans on someone and you don't find out until you go back to check your qualcomm system. My husband has yet to be preplanned more than one trip at a time and during his tenure he often is slated for one place and winds up going somewhere else with less miles and it messes up his reset schedule. There was one time when his load was picked up by another Knight driver out of a different terminal if that gives you any idea how unconnected their dispatchers are.

5. Not enough miles even when you are running. My husband had a route last week that he had to wait at 3 different locations over 12 hours to do stops (which pay horrible as it is). So he spent 6 hours driving and then he'd have to wait consistently at each stop to do his drop which cost us $$. Since he has started working for Knight I don't think he has had a check over 750 (for a week). That may not seem bad but that is with no insurance being taken out.. He just doesn't get miles and he doesn't get home time either so it really isn't worth it in either case (I could live without home time if he was actually making good money).

They have bad route planning, are slow to pay their detentions and layovers even though their planning causes them. They rarely pre-plan and the times that they do they change them consistently because each terminal is fighting over their region to get "their" drivers the loads.

 

Must be the NEW bred of driver. You can tell who wears the pants in this household, maybe he should stay home and you should go find the better company and drive for them. Maybe he just doesn't want to go home, because that is one thing that Knight will give you, all the home time you want.

 

When they went 'National Hometown Carrier several years ago, opening more local terminals to their markets, the co. Knight prospered as their drivers suffered with shorter runs.

Getting layover pay from Knight can be like pulling teeth! They reluctantly will pay if you have a DM who will push it..

Many times pre-plans will get pulled back (even after dispatch) to get drivers home..works both ways---for your hubby too!

I started driving for them in Jan 2002, got 3000+ miles/wk during the supposed slow freight period thru Mar, and often had 2-3 Preplans on me! But now, to maximize service and profits, the driver will run mostly shorter-to-medium runs, drivers are up to the 'mercy' of local dispatchers.