My experience with Knight Refrigerated

me being from Florida not sure if many or any trucking companies would hire someone from here. any advice? i've googled diffrent comapnies but nothing seems to be very updated with any info. any advice?

 

you can do better then that go here:

http://www.epgsoft.com/VisitedStatesMap/





American Trucker

 

ya got swift in ocala, knight in lakeland, and supposedly some company called "May" that hauls flowers.. Commercial Carrier Corp in auburndale, Commercial Tank Lines in mulberry, Costal Transport out of Savanna, but since CCC, CTL, and CT are all the same company location doesn't matter. Well actually CT (Costal Transport) has a terminal in apallo beach. they all have local and regional accounts/freight lanes. it kinda depends on what ya want.. Oakley does citrus fruit, packing house fruit, food grade tanker, dry van and reefer.. but they require 2 or 3 yrs. there's a few options.. i can tell you about the dry side of Knight and Smaggs can do the Refeer.

 

look at "WEL Companies"





American Trucker

 

thanks alot floks..... mitchtazz hows it at knight dry van?

 

in what aspect?
Pay- could be better, but nothing to really complain and moan about.

Home Time- get it when i ask for it, but each terminal has it's own policies about how long a driver can stay out of the truck before it goes slip seat (pretty much my only issue)

Relations- everyone in my terminal knows my name or knows about me. Only time i give my truck number is when i call in and i don't get my dispatcher. We have more then 150 trks working out of our terminal and about three dispatchers doing dry and three or four doing refeer.

Freight- never had to ask about lay over pay, don't sit with loads, usually T-Call (drop for relay) on a near by yard and keep rolling. I left home the Monday following Thanksgiving and i'm just now getting to do a 34hr reset.

Maintiance- they will fix issues, but at the same time they stretch things as far as the goverment will let them. Blow a tire on the road and if you're close enough to a service dealer, it can be fixed in under an hour.. I always limp to a TA (we have accounts with them) before i call in to the shop about a maintaince issue. Service has to be done, A/B service intervals are writen on a small decal and the driver has to keep track of the miles and let their DM know when they need to be routed by shop for service.. DM doesn't know until it's past due and your truck comes up on a list, then they BLine you to nearest shop which means you may get cut some miles.

Main deal is to keep in mind that each Knight terminal operates a little different from the next.. Most terminals i've been to you pull in get fuel go about your business. others you pull into inspection lane first, then go about your business, a couple you actually have to check in with a guard at a gate, turn in all paperwork (even if you dont drop load) and then you go to inspection lane, and then go about your business.. some terminals are holes in the wall, Idaho Falls, Lakeland, Katy, Fontana. And those are just the one's i've been to. And that's just part of it, you have home time, ability to take truck home, local runs.

We run elogs which is a pain sometimes, but all you have to do is keep in touch with your DM and you'll be ok.. I was doing a 34hr rset in Fontana, Ca and had to go get the load i dropped before it got buried in all of the B.s in the process of spotting about six trailers to get to mines, my QC moved me to line 3 which interrupted my break, called terminal in morning and explained what happened and they fixed it for me.

Load issues, just let DM know.. i've picked up and gotten held up in traffic for four hours and called to let them know, they don't get upset, they'll just call customer and let them know, if you're not gonna make it until after hours they may have you TCall it, or try to get you an early appointment for the morning. Getting unloaded and receiver takes way too long, just call it in or send a message, which ever, they'll most likely cancel which ever preplan you're on and find you another load that you'll actually be able to pick up. I've found it's better to send alot of messages then to send none at all.

 

Smaggs I think I saw u at the fontana yrd, were u the one droppin that trailer next to the other knight reefer driver? And then hookin up 2 another 1 ?