2 Months with Knight Refrigerated

[Retirednavysnipe]

I will try to keep this short and to the point. I left my last driving job driving for a company that did alot of concerts, broadway shows, trade shows etc. etc. I left there due to a lack of home life.

After a few months of exhausting research I decided to sign on with Knight Refrigerated, great choice so far. Alot of companies up here in Seattle area wanted me to drive for them but most if not all had either crappy equipment or real low pay.

Orientation was a bit lacking in what they covered but that was the worst part of this job so far. Was given a 2006 Pete 379 short hood with 100,000 miles on it and in great shape. 500 hp Cummins with, gasp a 9 speed tranny. My average length of haul has been well over 1000 miles. Shortest run so far has been 879 miles, with a 2850 mile load right after it. Always have a load assignment before I offload the current product. Knight Refrigerated will broker out loads to the drivers if they have none available, which in my book is the only way to go. Trailers are mostly new, within 2 years old, and in good shape. Maintenance is good so far and very helpful. They do not fill you full of BS. If they can fix your problems they will tell you if not they will contact whatever dealer is available and set up a time for you to be there.
I was worried that they did not have dispatch after normal working hours, they designate someone to be on call with the emergency cell phone. I have had to call emergency dispatch one time with a lumper request. 3 AM and it went like clockwork with no problems.
Support staff has been second to none. Dispatch is great, Payroll is great.

I was worried with the pay that they offered but it has worked out in my favor. I have cleared over $1000 take home each week I have been out. I have averaged over 3000 miles a week and they keep me running.

Hometime is on the request of the driver, I stay out about 2 1/2 weeks at a time, and have not missed the date yet.

I know Knight has a somewhat checkered reputation, but with the Refrigerated side it has been outstanding.

Sorry post was not as short as I wanted but just wanted to share my experiences with this company.

[ken_o]

could you explain your a company driver they broker out loads to you makes no sense. if you r implying you get to pick then ok but otherwise makes no sense.
why do they need a 500 hp truck to go that slow is your truck faster then the dry van fleet?
are you paid after every trip?
please share some more.

[Retirednavysnipe]

Ken_o

They use brokers to find loads, not just company loads. We are not forced dispatch and if we don't want a load you don't take it. I have not turned down a load yet. Maybe I was not clear. I know alot of companies that only haul loads that are their customers. This really lessens wait times for reloads.

My truck is not faster than dry van but the 500 hp sure helps when you are pulling some long grades. We are governed at 64 mph. Before I changed jobs I drove an ungoverned truck that would fly but I rarely went over 68, that is my choice, so 64 mph is no big deal to me. 64mph less stress.

I am paid after every trip when I turn in my paperwork via Transflo. It is your choice whether you want daily pay or weekly. I chose after every trip that lessens the tax burden.

[ken_o]

ok that makes sense. so you know every company uses brokers the only difference is the involvment of the driver some handle every thing some just fax the ppwrk and let the drvr talk to the likes of ch robinson landstar etc.... ii talked to one broker guy one time. he was like heeeey dude heeeeeey man yeaaaahhhh wow man hey dude he was either stoned or real happy to talk to me. good to see you are happy. truck on

[Hanzzsolo]

I was worried that they did not have dispatch after normal working hours, they designate someone to be on call with the emergency cell phone. I have had to call emergency dispatch one time with a lumper request.

I work for KR, they do have night-time dispatch in the Phoenix Office. However from 5am-8am he goes home and calls get forwarded to the Memphis Office.
Which terminal are you working out of? Call the Phoenix office during the night.

A retired navy snipe huh? 20 years in the dark! lol

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

I will try to keep this short and to the point. I left my last driving job driving for a company that did alot of concerts, broadway shows, trade shows etc. etc. I left there due to a lack of home life.

After a few months of exhausting research I decided to sign on with Knight Refrigerated, great choice so far. Alot of companies up here in Seattle area wanted me to drive for them but most if not all had either crappy equipment or real low pay.

Orientation was a bit lacking in what they covered but that was the worst part of this job so far. Was given a 2006 Pete 379 short hood with 100,000 miles on it and in great shape. 500 hp Cummins with, gasp a 9 speed tranny. My average length of haul has been well over 1000 miles. Shortest run so far has been 879 miles, with a 2850 mile load right after it. Always have a load assignment before I offload the current product. Knight Refrigerated will broker out loads to the drivers if they have none available, which in my book is the only way to go. Trailers are mostly new, within 2 years old, and in good shape. Maintenance is good so far and very helpful. They do not fill you full of BS. If they can fix your problems they will tell you if not they will contact whatever dealer is available and set up a time for you to be there.
I was worried that they did not have dispatch after normal working hours, they designate someone to be on call with the emergency cell phone. I have had to call emergency dispatch one time with a lumper request. 3 AM and it went like clockwork with no problems.
Support staff has been second to none. Dispatch is great, Payroll is great.

I was worried with the pay that they offered but it has worked out in my favor. I have cleared over $1000 take home each week I have been out. I have averaged over 3000 miles a week and they keep me running.

Hometime is on the request of the driver, I stay out about 2 1/2 weeks at a time, and have not missed the date yet.

I know Knight has a somewhat checkered reputation, but with the Refrigerated side it has been outstanding.

Sorry post was not as short as I wanted but just wanted to share my experiences with this company.

How's that no APU equipped truck treating you ...lol

[Hawkjr]

**** i don't know if they just idle and don't care or not but in several instances i've been next to a Knight Truck at a Truck Stop or Been around a Knight Truck and they had that SOB Idling for 10 hours and beyond!!! They might just didn't give a F!!!

[Malaki86]

And them idling their truck is affecting you how?

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

And them idling their truck is affecting you how?

Yeah , he did seem angry they were idiling ? Maybe Knight only bothers the driver for idiling if they're not running the miles ?

[Syncrosonix]

over the weekend in yuma, i idled the truck from 0400 to 1900. i haven't heard a thing from anybody about it.

[Malaki86]

over the weekend in yuma, i idled the truck from 0400 to 1900. i haven't heard a thing from anybody about it.

You should be taken out, tarred and feathered and publicly flogged - how dare you idle your truck!!!

[Hawkjr]

And them idling their truck is affecting you how?

Where did i say it was affecting me?? He made an statement about an APU and i said they idle their trucks for a long period of time... is this more clear??

[Syncrosonix]

You should be taken out, tarred and feathered and publicly flogged - how dare you idle your truck!!!

[Voyager]

Where did i say it was affecting me?? He made an statement about an APU and i said they idle their trucks for a long period of time... is this more clear??

Re-read your original post. By it's tone, it does (did) appear that you had a problem with the driver idling.

[Hawkjr]

Sorry if it sounded that way i didnt mean to come off that way.. actually i sleep better in an idling truck than when its shut off!!

[Malaki86]

Sorry if it sounded that way i didnt mean to come off that way.. actually i sleep better in an idling truck than when its shut off!!

I usually do too. My last truck had a bad vibration when idling, though, so I shut it off as often as I could. It was a really high-pitch one that tickled your ears & nose.

[UFO Driver]

Hey retirednavysnipe,

How do you get 3000 miles per week when reefer work oftentimes involves being delayed
at grocery warehouses?

[Pack_Rat]

Hey retirednavysnipe,

How do you get 3000 miles per week when reefer work oftentimes involves being delayed
at grocery warehouses?

Very simple. You keep the door shut and you drive. I pulled reefer for many years and got over 3000 miles a week easy.

[1TruckDrivinSunUvAGun]

You can get 3000+ miles a week driving almost any type of freight but it just depends on a lot of things. Like the company, length of run, freight lanes, weather, the type of driver, etc. The drivers that I hate are the ones that question why they aren't getting any miles by their own doing you know the ones that sit and b*tch in truck stops and terminals all day long. Many times I have heard drivers turning down loads and then wonder why they aren't getting any more loads coming their way, saying things like "I don't like running in NYC, Chicago, L.A., etc", "I was suppose to be home", "That was only a 150 mile run", "That was a driver unload" etc. Just cracks me up when I hear it from time to time. I agree with the above poster, keep that left door closed and that right foot planted and you'll be fine.