Question for the Knight Transportation Drivers

[truckerwife]

My husband works for Knight ( he's coming up on a year there ) and wanted to know if any of you have heard these rumors and if they are true?

1. Grandkids are taking over the company.

2. 10,500 miles/month WILL BE mandatory & keeping the idling down to 26%, ...if these are not met, you will be terminated.

3. They will be taking on student drivers.

Rumor has it that this is happening already at the Phoenix terminal. But, soon, other terminals will be affected too. It has me and my husband curious because it could explain a lot of the changes that we have been noticing since he started with the company almost a year ago. It sounds like they are trying to turn into another "big" company like JB, SNI, ect..

Any info would be helpful because it will decide on whether to stay with the company or not.

Thanks!

[fireman932003]

My husband works for Knight ( he's coming up on a year there ) and wanted to know if any of you have heard these rumors and if they are true?

1. Grandkids are taking over the company.

2. 10,500 miles/month WILL BE mandatory & keeping the idling down to 26%, ...if these are not met, you will be terminated.

3. They will be taking on student drivers.

Rumor has it that this is happening already at the Phoenix terminal. But, soon, other terminals will be affected too. It has me and my husband curious because it could explain a lot of the changes that we have been noticing since he started with the company almost a year ago. It sounds like they are trying to turn into another "big" company like JB, SNI, ect..

Any info would be helpful because it will decide on whether to stay with the company or not.

Thanks!

I have heard the idling rumor but nothing else. I will have to probe a few brains back at the terminal to see!

[Kintama]

They'd better start putting in Stand alone heating and cooling, 26% is going to get rid of a lot of drivers.

[kcfalcon]

Grandkids? yes more then likley someday, but no plans to change anything in the near future.

10,500 a month has always been the goal for all trucks to run, if your not getting over that then there a some real problem's somwhere anyway.
and they really don't care if you have a few under as long as your avg is over. as far as mandatory is concerned Kansas City has heard nothing about it.

Student Drivers, they would like to start the program, and they have or are starting a piolet progam in phoniex, as a sort of test run.

That is what I get from the guy's in KC anyway.

[Uturn2001]

They'd better start putting in Stand alone heating and cooling, 26% is going to get rid of a lot of drivers.

No kidding.

When I was there I know my idle time was high. Something like 35%, but then again I spent a lot of time in the southwest where a cool night was 82. I also had a lot of resets on the road, and many of them seemed to be in Arizona, Southern Cal or the gulf coast in the summer.

I have heard that Knight was equipping the new trucks with an aux heater like an espar or wabesco but I can not confirm it since I no longer work there.

IMHO if companies are so worried about idling, driver retention, etc I fail to understand why they all are not equipping their trucks with gensets right out of the factory. While it would add up to 10k to the initial cost on the truck, the ROI would probably more than double the initial outlay in the 3 year period many company's use for a trade cycle.

[kcfalcon]

Oh and idiling 26 agian is a goal, and yes they are pushing the idle time, I have yet to be under 32 and they have never said a word to me about it.
The trucks do have aux heaters uturn, and I was suprised how well the things work.
With Knight you have to take what you hear with a grain of salt, they will use anything they want with the drivers who don't preform to threaten or terminate them.
So you hear alot of "rumors" with this company.

[fireman932003]

They use the Webasto heaters. I think that is what they are called anyways. I always idle my truck. I will take comfort over anything else. I have never had them say anything to me about it!