K and B sucks

Yeah, the requirement is you have to fake the logs the way they are instructing you to, if you do not, you will not receive the pay and be told you are no good for the company. For $1250/week, drivers are required to do a lot of free relays too.

 

And don't leave out the stupid macro for the reefer temperature.

 

If you're paid a $1250 a week salary how are any "relays" preformed within that week "free"?

 

One of the requirements to be paid salary is to do everything you are asked to do. So if they ask you to do a relay and you refuse you will only be paid the milage you have completed for that pay period.
Also this is why the relay. Lets say a load is 2000 miles total. When it is relayed every 500 miles. The customer is charged for the 2000 miles. The drivers are paid zip code to zip code for each of the 500 mile relays.
However the zip code to zip code milage for each driver may only be 400 miles each. That is 400 miles difference that is paid by the customer. 400 miles times 4 drivers is 1600 miles paid to the 4 drivers. With 400 miles profit for the company.

 

You ARE the syncronizer....

 

It seems alot of reefer companies are big on driver abuse , even the customers are nasty and rude. I stopped hauling reefer for good .

 

Okay....Is there anything in the agreement that says "me driver, I only do what I want to do"?

400" profit or 400 toward operating expense?

Not defending KB in any way but no carrier is profiting 20+% of the load as you're implying.

Actual "profit" is probably closer to the 2-4% range.

 

You are empty at a truck stop and just finsihed a 10 hour break. You are dispatched on Load A. Load A requires you to spot your trailer and then take a 10 at the customer, then run 300 miles straight to delivery. Not fun, but no big deal. You spend 3 hours in the dock and then are told to sit there another 9 so you have a fresh clock for load B. If you move now, you will not be able to get loads B done - same thing if you start in 7 hours. You do what you have to do, right? You figure after load b you can hit the truckstop. Nope, gotta start load C, but this one has a little time on it so you'll be able to get yourself sorted out. Midway thru load C you get called to swap loads - shut down now, wake up in 5 hours to switch trailers, then go running in another 5 hours. You technically have hours to do the repower, just like technically I have a chance to win the Powerball. Reality is that you won't make it on time. After you busted your tail, missing the on time delivery for the repower costs you your gauranteed pay.

Start to see the issue?

5 hours into your break

If the load pays $2 a mile, and it is 2,000 miles it pays $4,000 gross.

If one driver takes it and is paid 40 cpm KB's cost for driver pay is about $1,300 (taxes, benifits, etc).

If 4 drivers are each paid 400 miles for that 2,000 miles load then driver pay only amounts to $1,040. Account for additional costs associated with repowering loads and KB nets at LEAST another $50 on the load, or roughly 1/2 of a percenatge point increase in profit. Using your 2-4% cap rate thats a 8-25% increase in their net.

These are not realistic numbers - relaying out loads will not cut paid miles by 25%. Companies do however look to maximize tractor usage while still mininizing expenses.

As a for example I picked up my go home load - delivered 5 .miles from the yard. I'm going to be in on Friday afternoon, leave out Sunday morning, load can't deliver until Monday afternoon. I am told to relay the load 111 miles away, then dead head home. Why? Because if I take the load home and relay it, the next driver gets $50 to deliver. If I relay it 111 miles away, the next driver gets $48. Odds are that we would be dead heading into the market anyway, might as well save the $2.

 

As has been explained, there are many operational tricks that are utilized that are great for the company, not so good for the driver. It is a balancing act that has been going on since Orville and old Dobbin were told to hitch up to the wagon, put some freight on and get it over to Dodge City depot. But old Dobbin needs some rest from the last run...Do it anyway says the foreman.
And the best gauge these days is turnover. When the industry is willing to routinely accept 100% turnover, meaning that your 1000 driver fleet hires about 25 new drivers a week, 5 EVERY DAY, something is tilted in favor of management at the sacrifice of the driver needs.
And K and B has about the worst turnover in the biz.

 

Absolutely. The operational tricks are in full force and improving every day. When Kevin Hart and Dwyane Johnson were in the bar Kevin was drinking his beer asking himself. What have I gotten myself into? This is me every day now. Unfortunately I can't have a beer or a JD and coke.
My first thought is to find a driver that is neither brain dead nor brain washed. Which took time because every driver I find is quitting. Eventually I found two that have longevity and seem enthusiastic. And brilliant enough to explain some details.
So I am not actually attempting to bash, recruit or even sugar coat this. But this blue mule with the Detroit seems like a much better performing vehicle than any Volvo I ever had. The Cascadia interior sucks compared to the Volvo but it gets me around safely.
I never have to search for a empty trailer. Drop and book at Tyson constantly. Getting fuel I only need vehicle number and mileage. No need putting numbers in forever. Vehicle repair and maintenance have been incredible. Maybe I am just lucky and I hope it stays that way.
The biggest and most important question is concerning the $. And from what I can see this is what is causing a problem.
During the two day drive by orientation someone was able to ask how they can guarantee the pay.
Simple, Complete 2500 miles and do everything you are asked to do. I observe every one in orientation having a sign of relief because 2500 miles is pretty normal. Now this diverts everyone's attention from, do everything you are asked to do. Including me because I thought I was going to pick up and deliver loads. Aside from the psychological aspect of the situation of the conversation here is the operational trick.
Eventually it comes into play and by then it becomes obvious that, do everything you are asked to do, should have been in writing and signed by the driver and someone in an official company capacity. But that would probably open a can of worms that no one is interested in. Much easier to just tolerate the turn over ratio.