Knight Transportation

This is what the safety officer in Idaho Falls told me in orentation. Use your own judgement. What we don't know can't hurt you. However if you do fill a u or park on a ramp and something happens. Just pack your bags cause your done.

 

When I went to work for big "E" there was a brief orientation. (About 30 minutes- max) The boss man gave me a certified forklift card and some truck keys. He told me to ride with a local driver just to see what we do and to make sure I can drive. They said they didn't want us hold a cell phone to your ear while driving. That was it. I guess companies like big "E" know what the word "professional" means. When I went to work for Knight I felt like a little kid again with all the rules and the do's & dont's. I was waiting for someone to smack my hand with a ruler. Don't get me wrong. I was thinking Knight was a #### company when I 1st signed on. After running for a couple weeks I guess I had them figured wrong. I've been getting a bunch of miles. And nearly 0 wait time. I also been getting home when I want. Start back to work when I want and running in the area that I want. Now I sometimes have to say "no" but I need to look out for #1. These dispatcher's may feel bad about sticking it to ya sometimes because they are human. They have a job to do too. When they go home I doubt they lose sleep over it. As for big companies this one has to be near the top. I worked for a company like this in 1990 for a few months and that was the last time I worked for a big time freight hauling outfit. So their may be better companies out there. I don't know. Big "E" was a terminal to terminal no paperwork drop & hook go to motel company. They're different.......Just some more FYI's for folks looking for work. Keep in mind Knights benefits suck. I've seen better bene's for self employed folks.

 

Redrocker, very well said... Your one of the few from the east (SE) that likes Knight. I always got miles and ran where I wanted and hometime was never a problem (Portland). Drive Safe

 

Refering to leaving the Fontana yard . You cant turn left because of the barrier in the median... I think its the same rule even if your bobtailing... I always turned right and did a U turn in the business lot next door. If I remember right, its a blind S turn that approaches the Knight entrance, so if you did a U turn it would be difficult for those 4 wheelers to stop in time if they were doing 60-70 mph (and they do). Drive Safe

 

Scratch everything I said about the money. Knight dont pay #####.

 

Well then things must of changed since I was self employed. I had no benefits as a IC, the cost was prohibitive.

When I worked at USX they said after 5 years I could have 3 weeks paid vacation. Wrong! They paid $900 for a 3 week leave of absence. I had to turn in my truck and find my own way home from SLC to Seattle and back.

At least Knight pays your vacation pay based on a yearly average and not $60 a day like USX. Plus your close to their terminal so you won't have to spend half your vacation pay getting home and back.

They also do a partial match 401K payments unlike FEDEX and other carriers who have stopped doing that.

 

Yea, I guess their ok. Lots of happy folks there. Their turnover is a good bit lower than most of the other's. I really like the way they run. I just cant handle the low pay. I don't work there anymore.

 

If you run in the northwest like I do; chaining up is just part of the job. I chained up around 30 times last year. I stopped counting at 20. Anyway, If you are going to run out here you had better be prepared to throw iron. If you are not prepared to do this then I would stay away during the winter months. I run Snoqualmie Pass every night and I don't chain up to get into trouble, I chain up because it is my job.

 

Knight is for you if,
you run illegal, want dishonest dispatchers, not paid for detention or layover, sucky miles,emty truck out at the end of the 14 days on for a weekend off.

 

Really? I'll go point by point


...you run illegal....

I run 3000 to 3150 a week running from CA to WA and back. I log it like I run it and haven't been ask to do otherwise

...want dishonest dispatchers...

neither(yes I have 2 dispatchers) of mine have been dishonest with me

....not paid for detention or layover....

did you ask for layover(probably not) and did you send in your arrival and detention messages(probably not). I keep track of any extra pay I should receive and if I don't get it I call payroll, they always fix the errors.

....sucky miles....

shall I repeat, 3000-3150 a week

.....emty truck out at the end of the 14 days on for a weekend off.....

I think we found the explanation, somebody didn't meet the mile quota and got converted to an Express driver(slip seat part-time).