My Experience With KLLM

Alot of people out of work are going to school to be a driver. The good companies get full fast. Alot of new drivers get tired of the driving life within 3 to 6 months. KLLM is one of those Good companies. I was injured 8 months ago. had two operations on my shoulder and they are great to me. I look forward to getting back with KLLm.

 

Where's my girl friend?? Miss 69? She is trucking her butt off now that she is a driver-owner. Say hello girl. I want to know your doing ok.

 

Greetings to all truckers and trainees. I just got through reading this entire thread (fifty pages), word for word, and I'm impressed by what everybody had to say about KLLM.

I am a recent Des Moines, Iowa CDL school grad and have been interested in KLLM since the beginning. RoadToad's comments in particular have only buoyed my interest in them. Awesome job RoadToad! Your fairness and repeated updating are much appreciated.

My recruiter at KLLM says that orientation dates are currently full up until the second week of May (unless someone drops out, he says). But I think KLLM's worth the wait. Besides, I've been unemployed for 10 months now, and I figure another month won't make much difference in my financial hole digging. (By the way, China looks pretty good this time of year).

For now, according to my recruiter, there's no tuition reimbursement or 401K matching, but students are still behing hired. That's the good news.

In my two months of researching virtually every mid to large sized trucking company in the U.S., I've learned that there are no local jobs and no small companies hiring students. In fact, only a tiny handful of major players are still hiring recent grads. They are TransAM, Swift, Werner, KLLM, Roehl, Crete, Shaffer, Hunt, FFE.

KLLM, Roehl and FFE all have four to six week waiting lists for any or all of the following: orientation/truck/trainer. Which leaves us with Swift, Werner, TransAM, Crete, Shaffer, and Hunt (latter three are owned by Crete Corp.) TransAM claims to be offering 2800-3100 miles per month, but the forums say otherwise, and they also nearly (and allegedly) coerce you into become an O/O. Pay is .30 cpm. Crete, Shaffer, and Hunt can get you on in as little as two weeks, but drivers are only seeing about 2000 miles per week. Pay is .33 cpm, .34 cpm and .35 cpm respectively. Swift and Werner pay .26 cpm, with periodic raises throughout the year and reputations teetering equally between horrible and saintly. Whatever the case, you can expect low miles.

What I can tell other trainees looking for that OTR job right now: examine your choices very carefully and stay with whatever company you go with for at least a year. Companies hate jumpers and won't hire you if they think you're going to abandon ship after a few months. You must grind it out for a year. Pretend like you're in the army or white-collar prison. Don't make any waves and don't complain until it's really time to complain. Some people say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Never mind that crap, I say the nail that sticks out gets hammered!

Secondly, my sense of things is: beware the major companies right now that are still actively recruiting newbies. My findings reveal these companies to be cattle chute companies looking for bodies to fill seats. They don't care about you at all, and turnover rate is thusly high. They are taking on new students as fast as they can so they can pay them peanuts while drivers with tenure occupy the truck stops not making their .42 cpm. This is fine if you're a noob, but what goes around comes around.

In the end, it all comes down to miles and the ability to roughneck it out in a new home. As far as I can tell, KLLM has the greenest grass right now. They have great starting pay, decent miles, and they seem to know their way around training incomers.

Good luck and god speed to everybody. RoadToad, much love to you.

 

Tomorrow is my last day of orientation with kllm! I am scheduled to hit the road with a trainer tomorrow. Everyone that works for kllm who i have met are really friendly. I really think I made the right decision. My class was really full. I got lucky and was the last person to get into my class.

 

Well I have returned from my 7 weeks gone, I up graded just waiting to get my truck.

 

tjdooley I just finished orientation at KLLM and waiting on my trainer. So far I feel I made a good choice and am looking forward to getting back into trucking. I hope all is well with you and you get back to work.

 

anyone have any updates or new info. Hows otr miles, do you sit alot, and how is hometime. and do otr constantly run I-10 and I-12 through Louisiana. Thanks and be safe.

 

Miles are 2000-3000 per week. Not much sitting around. Hometime is 1 day for every 7 out.

 

thanks sure preciate it

 

I would have to sit down with my husband and his logbook for that. I can try later if he isn't too tired.