KLLM ?'s

FaerieKatey · Jun 16, 2009

My boyfriend is a driver with a little over 2 years experience. He is looking to change companies and we have researched quite a few but we were hoping to get some driver input on those we are considering.

Are they currently hiring experienced drivers? (I ask because I know of a few companies with hiring freezes at the moment)

Where are their terminals?

What is the pay like?

How many miles per week do solo guys average?

Do they pay practical miles or HHG?

Do they pay on dispatch or when they recieve the paperwork?

Whats the equipment like? Is it well maintained? What style and size trucks do they use?

Is it a hard transition to go from Van to Refer? What should we expect?

What speed are their trucks governed at?

Do they pay layover/breakdown pay? If so, how much?

Do they do forced NYC?

Do you have to run Canada and have a passport?

Is a HAZMAT endorsement required?

Do they have Pre-Pass and/or EZ Pass?

What is their rider policy? Do you have to be with the company a certain amount of time before you can have one? Are there restrictions on who can be brought as a passenger? If so, what? Is there a monthly/weekly cost to have a passenger?

Do they have any restriction on inverter size?

What is there hometime policy like? Can you take you truck home?

Pros & Cons of working here?

Additional comments/experiences/opinions?

Sorry for so many questions but we want to get the most possible information we can in order to make an informed choice and it always helps to get information from drivers too not just recruiters.

leannamarie · Jun 18, 2009

FaerieKatey said: ↑

My boyfriend is a driver with a little over 2 years experience. He is looking to change companies and we have researched quite a few but we were hoping to get some driver input on those we are considering.

Are they currently hiring experienced drivers? (I ask because I know of a few companies with hiring freezes at the moment)

Where are their terminals? They have terminals in Fontana, CA; outside Atlanta; and outside Jackson, MS. They also have drop yards in Lathrop, CA; outside Dallas; and one up in Indiana. I feel like I am forgetting one.

What is the pay like? I believe they are starting the new guys at $0.32 now, extra penny a year for each year experience.

How many miles per week do solo guys average? Totally depends, usually at least 2500.

Do they pay practical miles or HHG? Of course, they screw you.

Do they pay on dispatch or when they recieve the paperwork? Paperwork scanned by Monday nights is paid on Friday's paycheck.

Whats the equipment like? Is it well maintained? What style and size trucks do they use? Freightliners. I believe all the Centuries are retired so they are left with Columbias and Cascadias.

Is it a hard transition to go from Van to Refer? What should we expect?

What speed are their trucks governed at? 62 mph

Do they pay layover/breakdown pay? If so, how much? Yes, not sure how much, possibly $50 after 24 hours and $100 for each day after that. Can't remember exactly.

Do they do forced NYC? All dispatch is forced dispatch.

Do you have to run Canada and have a passport? No, I have heard that only one driver does Canada.

Is a HAZMAT endorsement required? Yes

Do they have Pre-Pass and/or EZ Pass? Yes

What is their rider policy? Do you have to be with the company a certain amount of time before you can have one? Are there restrictions on who can be brought as a passenger? If so, what? Is there a monthly/weekly cost to have a passenger? Passengers must be 12 years old. No restrictions on who they are. I think it is $17 a month. I don't know how long he has to work before he can have a passenger. For my husband, it was 6 months, but that was because he was new.

Do they have any restriction on inverter size? Yes, but I can't quote exactly what it is so I won't say.

What is there hometime policy like? Can you take you truck home? One day for every 7 worked. Taking the truck home has changed, and I get the feeling it isn't the same for everyone, and it also depends on where you live so I won't say.

Pros & Cons of working here? They are excellent at getting him home on time. Compared to how some people are complaining, I think he makes a decent wage and stays pretty busy. Cons? I wish they gave more hometime.

Additional comments/experiences/opinions?

Sorry for so many questions but we want to get the most possible information we can in order to make an informed choice and it always helps to get information from drivers too not just recruiters.
Click to expand...

Some days, he likes his job; other days he doesn't. Some days, I swear the load planners can't read a map or calculate hours. They will dispatch a bogus trip that he can't legally make in a 62 mph truck. He feels like he can't refuse the load, but Safety will be all over him if he tries to log a 725 mile trip in one day.

RoadToad69 · Jun 20, 2009

FaerieKatey said: ↑

Are they currently hiring experienced drivers? (I ask because I know of a few companies with hiring freezes at the moment)
Not sure on this one. I do know we are hiring and running orientations on a fairly regular basis but I don't know if it's just students or if it includes experienced drivers. He'd need to call our recruiting department.

Where are their terminals?
Jackson/Richland, MS. - Main terminal
Atlanta, GA.
Portage, IN.
Fontana, CA.
Lathrop, CA. - drop yard only
Dallas, TX. - drop yard only

What is the pay like?
Better than most companies out there.

How many miles per week do solo guys average?
I average anywhere from 2100-2800 miles per week. I am a solo owner-op but it was the same when I was a company driver.

Do they pay practical miles or HHG?
HHG

Do they pay on dispatch or when they recieve the paperwork?
For company drivers- scan bills Monday, get paid Thursday.

Whats the equipment like? Is it well maintained? What style and size trucks do they use?
I have no complaints about maintenance. Repairs are completed pretty quickly as is preventive maintenance. Company drivers do get shop pay. Never had flack about needing repairs out on the road- it was all easily and quickly approved.
Freightliner Columbias and Cascadias. We have 90 more Cascadias coming in August.

Is it a hard transition to go from Van to Refer? What should we expect?
I never drove a straight dry van but reefers are no big deal. Just make sure to check your temperature on your load at least every 4 hours (and whenever you stop) although you are not required to interrupt your sleep just to get up and check the reefer. Also eyeball the fuel level of your reefer once or twice a day- maybe more at first until you get a feel for how fast different temps burn fuel. They teach you how to set the reefer and it's easy.
We do haul a lot of dry loads too so it's not all temp controlled. I have a dry load right now actually.

What speed are their trucks governed at?
62 mph for company trucks

Do they pay layover/breakdown pay? If so, how much?
$50 for the first day, $100/day after that. Detention starts after the third hour and is $10/hr with a max of $100/day. YOU MUST BE ON TIME FOR YOUR P/U OR DELIVERY APPOINTMENT TO GET DETENTION PAY. This means be on time, preferably early AND enter your Arrive To Load / Arrive To Deliver macro before the listed appointment time. If you forget to do this....don't bother putting in for detention.
There is also additional pay for additional drops on a single load. I had a doozy the other day that ended up with three additional drops (excluding shipper and receiver) and I will be paid extra for those (above the mileage pay for the load).

Do they do forced NYC?
No...we don't do NYC, although we do apparently go to some of the boroughs. They recently tried to send me to Jamaica, NY which is actually smack in the middle of Queens. I told them where it was and that I didn't feel I had the experience and skills to handle that kind of driving environment and they took the load off of me with no hassle.

Do you have to run Canada and have a passport?
No- we only have one driver who goes into Canada and a select few backups for when he goes on hometime or vacation and one of his loads can't wait.

Is a HAZMAT endorsement required?
Yes- this is a recent change but all drivers, company and O/O are required to have their hazmat now. Hazmat loads pay an additional $25 for p/u at shipper and $25 for delivery to receiver- if you swap it out after p/u OR get a hazmat load in a swap out and deliver it to the shipper then you get $25. If you run it beginning to end then you get $50 additional total.

Do they have Pre-Pass and/or EZ Pass?
Both, plus PikePass for Oklahoma and Ohio Toll cards.

What is their rider policy? Do you have to be with the company a certain amount of time before you can have one? Are there restrictions on who can be brought as a passenger? If so, what? Is there a monthly/weekly cost to have a passenger?
New drivers- 6mo experience with preceding 3 months accident free.
Experienced drivers- 3mo accident free driving.

$17.50/mo for passenger insurance, paid via payroll deduction.

Must be 12 or older. Ages 12-18 must have parent/guardian sign the rider application. 12-18 limited to 3 weeks on the truck at a time.

Do they have any restriction on inverter size?
If you are bringing your own....it must plug into a 12 volt socket. Some of the company trucks have 2000 watt inverters installed by the company. The policy on them installing a 2000 watt inverter if *you* buy one seems to vary.

What is there hometime policy like? Can you take you truck home?
1 day for every week you are out, 1 wk paid vacation after 1yr. Last I heard you can only take your truck home if you live over 150 miles from the nearest terminal or drop yard.

Pros & Cons of working here?
I really love this company. They have been very good to me. That is not to say that I have not had any issues or bumps in the road but they have been fairly minor and been worked out pretty quickly.
I'd really like to get out west more than I do but as a solo driver you are mostly going to be running around the mid-west and eastern US- from Texas eastward.

Additional comments/experiences/opinions?
I like it here. I like it so much that I am leasing/buying a truck from them which means a three year comittment and I don't do that unless I'm REALLY sure I want to stick around.

Sorry for so many questions but we want to get the most possible information we can in order to make an informed choice and it always helps to get information from drivers too not just recruiters.
Click to expand...

Hope this helps you!

RT

FaerieKatey · Jun 27, 2009

Thank you both so much!!

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