Gordon or Knight Transportation?

National Carriers out of Liberal, KS. Give them a look. The recruiters don't lie.

 

I have talked to quite a few May drivers lately and that's how I know they charge you to idle. So unless they changed their policy in the last week or so they will charge you to idle regardless of how hot it is. I asked the May driver if they charge you if you are out in the southwest and the Midwest when its 100 degrees plus and he said they absolutely do.

The recruiter will lie to no end to get you to orientation!!!

 

Gordon pays $12/hr detention after 1 hour up to $75/day. I know, I work for them. National Carries is also a great company, or at least was when my brother hauled for them for 15 years.

 

I'm continually impressed with National.

This morning I got stranded in a dock. Appt time was 1000, bumped the dock at 1011. Sat until 1250. Sent a macro to my DM informing him of the situation and not a min later get a reply telling me that he's checking into it. Not 5 minutes after that the lumper hands me my bills and apologizes.

I send in my empty call and immediately get an auto message in return reminding me that I am eligible for detention and to submit the correct macro. In what world does this happen lol? I have worked every day I've been out here and if I need something it gets done and gets done fast.

 

So, I didn't follow through with knight, since its very difficult to get in contact with my assigned recruiter/coordinator. I've left several messages and still have not heard from her, that tells me that she doesn't care. Crossed them off my list. Also, the recruiters say I'll get long hauls, but after reading past post and noting the sliding pay scale... it makes me wonder if they're telling the truth. As for the bonus program, many of you are right... I shouldn't count on it. And will an extra penny per mile make up for an inverter/APU? No. I do like that their trucks go 65...

Got in contact with Gordon, they sent me a pre-hire letter, along with May trucking. The benefit of going with Gordon is a penny more per mile and APU. Benefit of going with May is I get to see more than just the west of the rockies. Its a penny less, but they offer a minimum base pay... whether you drove 500 miles that week or 1500.

With that said, I chose to go with May trucking... at least for the first 9 months... thereafter I'm not sure where to go next, since I plan on moving to northern Florida -- Pensacola? As for idling, she did admit they charge after a certain percentage per year, and usually its "minimal"... sad thing about May, is promotions are not very tempting at all and absolutely no bonus program... makes me wonder why they don't offer incentives for better fuel economy when that seems to be the companies main goal.

 

I don't get why guys are satisfied while cpm pay... let alone .30cent per mile area. Lets say you drive 660 miles a day (your 11 hoursx60mph) for 5 days a week = 3,300mi x .35cpm = $1,115 before tax...

You're definitely going to be pushing 14hr each day. So $1,155 ÷ 5 =$231 a day ÷ 14hrs per day = $16.5/hr....

That's running hard every single day and getting the miles which... will not happen every day, let alone week for a crappy paycheck. Again, that's IF you get the miles and .35cpm... which you're probably going to get like .33cpm.

If you worked 14hrs a day, 5 days a week at $16.50/h, that's 40/h at $16.50 = $660, then 30/h in OT at $24.75 = $742.50. You have a total amount of $1402.50.......

You're getting robbed.

 

I agree. This industry is scamming fresh new otr drivers. I'll be making .34 cpm which is pathetic. Even .35 or .36 is pathetic. But their seems to be no other way to get around this as a new driver. I don't plan on providing more than 8-9 months of my time to this company. At that point I'm leaving. I got offered a little more, penny or two doing flat bed but that isn't enough to make me want all that extra responsibility. Hell I may not even last 7 months. If I could get a higher paying job I would, in my area. The oil fields are dry still to the point they require exp drivers.

 

When you get to Pensacola; there's 2 companies in that area that pay over $60K per year:

SVTN
Trimac Transportation
CTL Transportation isn't too shabby either.

 

You should plan on a year. Why are you looking to spend a short time there? You need to learn discipline.

 

I may do up to a year, it just depends on the situation.