Knight Transportation

You do know that they can't tell you to run in bad weather.

 

Know that ? How do think I have survived this 8 of years of hell that is trucking ? You are the captain of your ship and you make that decision. If a driver does not feel comfortable the worst thing they can do is continue on. It might ruin the week but the next week they should run the opposite direction of the storm.

I live in the south, snow and ice rarely ever cost me miles.

 

I drove for them almost 4 years out of Portland, never chained, and never told to either. The only complaint I had was when I couldnt find an empty trlr. But I still got paid local for driving around looking for one. Have a good Turkey Day

 

And after I was in the Las Vegas termial today some of those dispatchers need a swift kick to the butt. I walked in to transflow some paperwork and walked out madder than hell. All of them were complaining about how drivers that didn't want to chain up or drive in the snow needed to be fired

What is it with these drivers that sign on to be a OTR driver, yet for some reason they think it is not going to snow where they go and they won't have to chain to get where they need to be on time.

I live in a part of the country surrounded by mountain passes. I do not need to be asked to chain, I just do it because it is part of the job. I have even chained when it was not required and judging by the trucks I saw in the ditch it was a good choice.

Maybe it is old school thinking but I just think part of being a truck driver in the winter is doing what you have to to get the job done. Don't want to chain? Then park your truck and go home till the spring.

This crock I keep hearing from drivers to lazy to chain about if chains are required it is not safe to drive is just bull. If it was not safe to do 25 to 30 mph's with my chained Hazmat load do you think that I would be doing it after 18 winters of driving big rigs?

They should have a sign on the front door of the Las Vegas terminal, Wheel turner need not apply. there my rant is over, Happy Thanksgiving to all.

 

I see that you can re-hash my statement, although Im not sure why you did. I guess you were bored or something.

 

Well, technically "yes", but practically "no". If there are other companies whose trucks are running then they can tell you to run and it of course is up to you, but if you are that scared of weather, then maybe you should consider another carreer. I know drivers who have problems when it is raining and dont want to run, or when it is just cold. Here in the Midwest, I run LTL out of Indianapolis and we have bad weather all the time(not like in the Northwest, but sometimes like New England)and in the almost 3 years of being at my current company we have been shut down once at Indy because of weather, and I got held up til the following day at Detroit last Winter twice. Our company bases their shutdowns on the state police reports in the states that we run in(which is just about all of them). At our terminal out in Reno, those guys have to chain up and unchain both directions running into Sacramento. Our drivers have said that they have done it out there about a dozen times this winter, luckily for them, they get a $100 bonus for everyday they have to chain. The only time that they CANNOT make you run due to weather, is when there is a snow emergency declared. Even the FMCSA rules let you go over on your logbook by 2 hours due to "adverse weather"

 

Do they PAY you to do it? If not, then I don't do it.

 

I dont know if Knight pays you or not to chain, I never drove out west for them. I know they had chain banks at several places out West--I guess you would check the chains out and then return them when you were done unless you already had them on your truck. But I do understand that there are times that you MUST chain and there is a reason why you MUST carry chains on your truck yearound if you drive in the extreme west. From my understanding is that it is not the company's call whether you chain or not, it is usually the state police or DOT in the state where the chains are required. But I probally wouldnt complain, if a chain will save my life then on it goes. I have never actually chained up BTW, but if I had to, it obviously is for a reason.

 

You chan up to GET OUT of trouble. You NEVER chain to get INTO it.

 

ok 64 or 66 not too much difference to me.