Going Over the Road with Knight

Was an 'older' driver for Knight, and what I found out is that being a co. guy, going the extra mile to help out often w/o pay for effort, that when my DM left I would have to start all over again with my 'driver capital." I.e. start from scratch no more than a rookie as the new DM knew nothing about my history! If the DM turnover wasnt so high when I was with Knight on the dry-side, would have been different.

Smaller co.s dont have that problem as more like family.

If I hadnt 'retired' from trucking after 10 yrs, and was younger with more yrs to spend in the industry, would have gotten my own truck and rented a trlr and gone out on my own! Working for big co.s just pays the bills at best and nothing left for retirement...I've known several who did own their own business and socked away 100K's for retirement....

 

Things must be going good at Knight as almost no new threads complainng!

 

Almost all of the drivers that I have ran into lately seem to be happy.
That is very strange, come to think of it.

I am happy enough. I'm not going anywhere.

 

Same here I'm 38 part of the reason i'm choosing this career is because it's mostly working independently. No boss looking over your shoulder all day.

 

Knights terminals competing against each other and placing outside terminal drivers at the bottom of the list wasn't even the worst thing about Knight. It was their flippin customers. Bottom of the barrel rejects shipping junk freight. Sorry but spending a few days every week performing uncompensated work and just flat out giving your time away isn't conducive to a fruitful career. I met some of the worst people in existance while conducting business for Knight. Go ahead and say otherwise or insert the common phrase "it's just trucking." No it isn't that ain't truckin. No telling how many good capable drivers leave the industry in disgust over companies like Knight. The ones that remain think bringing home $700 to $800 a week with a few days at home per month is a sweet deal.

Half the time when you pick up a load off a terminal yard, that load was supposed to have been delivered last week. Yea they'll get right on that, in unloading you. Your pay is 26 miles for however long it takes them to unload. Enjoy

 

I don't know what you mean about junk freight I've seen several of their drivers on youtube picking up and delivering hay. lol

 

Your Terminal screwed you, its also obvious you have not worked for them for a while. The system has changed both on the refeer side and on the dry side. They have a computer program that now dish out loads based on your hours, location, hometime and miles. Works pretty well if your DM puts in the right times of availability, this effectively stopped the terminal wars and the hiding of loads.

As for running one off the yard 26 miles. Those are local loads and should be treated as such, I think local pay is around 15.50 a hour right now, And you can collect detention on top of it as long as it had a appt which most the ones I have done have.

Also want to point out, I have worked for a few company's and a few mom and pop's. ####ty customers are not localized to Knight, tho as a mega you see more of them as there is less mom and pop shippers.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm in no way saying its all roses and daisy's over here. This place heavily depends on what terminal you run out of and what areas you keep your self in. Worst terminal in existence right now is go old home daddy him self of Phoenix, AZ.

 

Sense the Knight fam own the hay farms they are picking up off of I'm not surprised, Why pay another company to haul your hay when you can do it your self.

 

Makes sense as all my hay p/u's were in Utah and Knight is Mormon owned & run!

 

Things have chgd since I left 8 yrs ago!

Must be cheap fuel has helped their profits with more consessions for the drivers!