Beware of Knight!!

Sounds like Truckin

 

Gee, this sounds like any company I've ever heard of. But you forgot one thing. Sometimes, despite you best efferts, You will get the short end of the stick.

 

LOL, geee sounds like truckin all over

 

IMO, All big trucking companies are the same. If you want to Drive a 120,000 dollar Peterbilt and you don't have the money what do you do? You put up with some bull$hit and work and save your money. One day you could afford to buy your own truck and lease on to Land Span or form your own Authority and Broker your own freight.

Company drivers can actually make more money than O/O with less financial headaches. O/O is great if you have the loads and the customer pays on time. The financial risk in a bad economy has kept me from taking the next step. Eventually I hope to own and lease on to Landspan when the conditions are right.

As for Knight, they are running consistent freight of all kinds out of NOLA (PORT OF NO) and it's my ticket home.

I know one thing about these companies, the first 90 days are probation and they can fire you any time, any place, without any reason. The 1st 90 is the proving ground of a 'Good Driver' . He/She must perform above and beyond expectation to become a permanent employee as jobs today are slim and He/She must prevent the unthinkable (termination). After the 90 days with one of the big guys you should know the best way to handle your boss.

Drivers have to make sure his/her needs are being met, so good rapport with the fleet manager is in one's best interest. It's a two way highway and you and your FM need to communicate via Qualcom "bcuz they don't want phone calls".

Sometimes I see drivers sitting around the terminals whining about layovers and breakdowns. The truck must be serviced and that is a good time for the driver to take a break from the 'ROAD', go home or to a hotel and chill out. Nothing helps adjust your attitude better than a good nights rest and some quality off-time.

 

I think someone is being a smart #####.

Let's start with fuel routing. I don't know how you get to point A to point B, but let's just say if I'm sitting in the Yard in Hutchins TX, there is no reason to tell me to fuel in Huntsville TX if I'm going to Fort Worth TX. Please use your atlas to tell me that's the best route, I'll wait for you.

Yeah, it's not the first time stuff like that's happened. I know how to put fuel into a tank thank you very much. The fuel routing is not made to give the company the best fuel prices on fuel, you'd have to have some major screws loose to think that, you can figure out the real reason and get back to me here, I'll wait for you.

Yeah live loads happen, live unloads happen. Not getting paid for sitting also happens, happens alot. Not getting paid for what you are told that you'll get paid for happens way too much at the new Knight.

Truck breaks down, needs work, part of trucking yes. But if you are slip-seated, how would you feel that each time you got into a new truck the first thing you have to do is put it into the shop? I guess you don't just have to worry about the company being the only thing trying to jam it in deep at Knight.

Now let's get down to brass tacks about looking for a empty. When I was hired on, I was told, in no manner, that I would have to spend much time looking for a empty because of the magical whizz-bang trailer tracking system that Knight uses, it finds empties and the good lord of trucking sends all the info to your Qualcomm and angels get their wings and World peace breaks out. Look, don't try and wrap a turd in a tortilla and call it a burrito. Because it doesn't work like that.

As for the miles, my complaint is that they tie the miles you run to your raises. So let's say you run all the miles they give you, then they turn around and say "sorry, you aren't good enough because you didn't run hard enough" that's where I draw the line.

And another thing about repairs, if I live and drive where there is bad weather, don't tell me that I have to throw iron and drive no matter what unless the DOT shuts the road down, when your company will not put non-bald drives on my tractor. Throwing iron on racing slicks is for #######, and the belts in the tire are not traction devices.

And as always, your terminal might be different because, well, you know how Knight is.

 

Still sounds like Truckin.......

Lord knows, hate to have look for a empty trailer?

What is fuel routing for, must have a screw loose, cause I thought it was to help maximize savings in fuel?

 

Did ya look at a map to find out where Huntsville TX is in to relation to DFW/Hutchins?

 

Computer Programs for fuel will save a big company money because discounts are factored at cost plus, not off posted price, Pilot has a contracts with major carriers offering deep discounts often better than Petro and TA. Drivers are usually directed based on info input by the driver, example when you accept a load and input fuel QTY you are able to manipulate the fuel soulution. Unless you forget to stop and fuel,
chances are you have fuel to get to the next fuel stop.

Here is the Rub. Can you follow orders,routing, fueling solutions and deliver on-time? Probably, unless you are out of hours. isn't that all they care about. You bet because your service is the difference between you and the some other driver taking that load.

Snow and Ice: no load is worth crashing your truck for.
suggestion get a laptop with Verizon Wireless Broadband and log on to NOAA national weather radar and zoom in to the storm. then send a QC message to dispatch telling your new ETA. You Be the Man (or Woman) if that be the case. Your FM will work with you if you work with them. People skills helps.