Knight's Las Vegas Terminal and Its "Express" Schedule

[Retired in Nevada]

I am looking at Swift and Knight as possibilities for getting started in OTR trucking. Knight's Las Vegas terminal is offering an "express" schedule, meaning that two drivers slip-seat one truck, with one driver working seven days on, then having seven days off, and the other driver driving the opposite seven days and taking the opposite seven days off. I am quite interested in this express schedule.

Anybody with experience driving for Knight, based at the Las Vegas terminal, and/or driving Knight's express schedule, please post your experiences -- positive and negative.

How is driving for Knight's Las Vegas terminal, in general? Is the express schedule truly seven on/seven off, or just a promise that ends up being an empty promise?

TIA for your replies.

[Baldy]

Schneider also has a "Home Run" Program. Three drivers, two trucks. Each driver out for two weeks solo, one driver home for one week. change out on Wednesday. Closest teminal to you is Fontana, Ca.

I have no experience with the program, just passing along some information that I read.
Good Luck.

Schneider National Transportation Jobs | Truck Driving Jobs | Types of Truck Driving Opportunities at Schneider | Home Run Program Truck Driving Jobs

Sparks, NV - Google Maps

[Retired in Nevada]

Originally Posted by Baldy

Schneider also has a "Home Run" Program. Three drivers, two trucks. Each driver out for two weeks solo, one driver home for one week. change out on Wednesday. Closest teminal to you is Fontana, Ca.

I have no experience with the program, just passing along some information that I read.
Good Luck.

Schneider National Transportation Jobs | Truck Driving Jobs | Types of Truck Driving Opportunities at Schneider | Home Run Program Truck Driving Jobs

Sparks, NV - Google Maps

Appreciate your input, but I should have made it clear that I am a complete noob. I don't have a CDL yet. I'll be attending a seven-week CDL training course at my local community college beginning in early January. Once I graduate with my CDL in hand, I will have to go on with a training company such as Knight or Swift.

From the reading that I have done here and other truck driver forums, I understand that since the economy tanked, Schneider National no longer takes noobs right out of CDL schools. I believe that this is confirmed here: http://www.schneiderjobs.com/drivers...d_Drivers.html

Please correct me if I am wrong about anything that I have said here.

[Biscuit Lips]

IDK about you, but I sure would not want to share by bed with some random stinky truck driver.

[Sealord]

Roehl has a similar program. I sure would not want to share my bed with some random stinky truck driver. Swap mattress when driver's swap out. BOL

[jd112488]

i have always wondered how people make money on this deal. 7 days on...i would venture to say 2300 miles?? then 7 days off..i would venture to say 0000 miles. i see only 2 paychecks a month at that rate???

[scythe08]

Semi-retired maybe? When I was OTR I knew quite a few guys who only drove 6 months out of the year. Spent spring and summer OTR then vacationed or stayed home during the snow season

[Retired in Nevada]

Originally Posted by jd112488

i have always wondered how people make money on this deal. 7 days on...i would venture to say 2300 miles?? then 7 days off..i would venture to say 0000 miles. i see only 2 paychecks a month at that rate???

4,600 miles every four weeks @ 31 cents/mile to start = $1,426 gross pay every four weeks. That combined with the pension from a previous employer would be plenty enough for me, as I have no debt. Plus I would get medical for $25.20/week, which I now pay $425.25/month for on my own. The difference would put an additional $316.05/month into my pocket.

[Retired in Nevada]

Originally Posted by scythe08

Semi-retired maybe? When I was OTR I knew quite a few guys who only drove 6 months out of the year. Spent spring and summer OTR then vacationed or stayed home during the snow season

Can you name the companies for which these guys drove? How long ago? I wouldn't mind doing a six months on/six months off routine, not having to drive in winter weather, at all.

[Bumper]

A friend of mine used to do this with US Express....that was a few years ago and I know he quit driving completly in 07.

[scythe08]

Originally Posted by Retired in Nevada

Can you name the companies for which these guys drove? How long ago? I wouldn't mind doing a six months on/six months off routine, not having to drive in winter weather, at all.

I have been off the road and driving local for 3 years so I'm out of the loop but at the time I knew several drivers for Knight that did this. But I think they basically quit for 6 months and then were hired back which makes sense. But I'm unsure how their benefits were handled. You would never have 401k and I don't remember how long the insurance takes before it kicks in.

The other company was Swift and I believe it was the same setup. Gent would hire on and get known and then leave for 6 months when it slowed down and then come back when it picked up. One guy I knew had a wife in the Philippines and thats when he saw her. But this was also when freight was a heckuva lot better and we had that so-called driver shortage. Now that driving jobs are at a premium in some spots I'm not sure if this would work.

I hope this helps

[Syncrosonix]

Originally Posted by jd112488

i have always wondered how people make money on this deal. 7 days on...i would venture to say 2300 miles?? then 7 days off..i would venture to say 0000 miles. i see only 2 paychecks a month at that rate???

i'm on the express schedule now. i stay out for three weeks at a time. it allows me to have somewhat a life, and to be able to seek out other employment opportunities at the same time. knight is definitely a chitty company.

[jonp]

Originally Posted by jd112488

i have always wondered how people make money on this deal. 7 days on...i would venture to say 2300 miles?? then 7 days off..i would venture to say 0000 miles. i see only 2 paychecks a month at that rate???

I did this schedule with Roehl for over a year. I ran about 3,000 miles or more a week at .42/mile. You can see I didn't get rich but I like my time off and made a living at it. I knew my co-driver and he was clean and didn't smoke. We left one cb in the truck for both to use and also shared cleaning stuff, replacing it as it was used. Worked well but you need the right guy to share the truck with.

Also bear in mind that if your partner is delayed on the road for some reason, say the company just dosn't get him back, you might just find yourself sitting at home for an extra day or two and you won't get compensation for this. You might also show up at the terminal being told that he is "a couple of hours out" and sit for 10 - 12 hours waiting for him because he was actually in another state at the time. This happened to me. I just went home and came in the next day.

[Retired in Nevada]

Originally Posted by Syncrosonix

i'm on the express schedule now. i stay out for three weeks at a time. it allows me to have somewhat a life, and to be able to seek out other employment opportunities at the same time. knight is definitely a chitty company.

Syncro, I take it that you are with Knight, on their "express" schedule.

You say that you stay out three weeks at a time. Is that your choice, or Knight's mandate? In either case, following three weeks out, how long are you off before heading out for another three weeks?

If it's Knight's mandate, one could hardly call it "7 on/7 off".

Please elaborate on why you say that Knight is a "chitty" company? Is Knight more "chitty" than Swift for a noob?

Thanks, all, for your replies. Keep them coming. My choices as a noob to graduate from CDL school at my local community college here in southern Nevada are Knight and Swift. They are the only companies other than Werner currently hiring noobs that live in my neck of the woods. Not a fantastic choice, I know, but right now I am leaning toward Knight, as Knight has a terminal in Las Vegas and offers the express schedule, whereas Swift neither has a terminal or yard in Vegas, nor offers anything like Knight's express schedule.

Last Sunday, I drove out to the Pilot truck stop at I-15 and Craig Road in Vegas to speak with drivers. I spoke with two Knight drivers. Both were experienced drivers. One has been with Knight for two weeks, having left a small company in Los Angeles where he lives. He said that he is already looking to leave Knight because he is not getting enough miles. The other driver has been with Knight for about a month, having left KLLM. He said that he is very happy with Knight, getting all the miles that he wants, and plans to stay with Knight indefinitely. I also spoke with a Swift driver with many years of experience driving. He has been with Swift for a few months. He said that he gets more miles than he sometimes wants, had been out for six weeks, and was finally getting to go home to the Denver, CO area after running a load to Lake Havasu City, AZ the next day.

Every driver with whom I have spoken says that the miles you get, how you are treated, and how well your home time is accommodated pretty much depend upon your dispatcher and DM, regardless of the company for which you drive.

So much to ponder about which company would be best . . .

[scythe08]

I wouldn't take what the 2 Knight Drivers had to say, much into account. They hadn't been there long enough to even know where the bathrooms are in the terminals! In my opinion you should pay attention to the guys that say they have been there for years! My first 6 months with Knight had me wondering why the hell I left Swift!
I left Knight for 2 weeks to go drive for an O/O and that was an even bigger mistake. I came back and was hired on the spot as I left in good terms and the next year and some odd months were really good! I don't mind going to LA(I live in SLC) so I ran from SLC to LA twice a week and was really happy except I also was really Lonely and missed having friends to talk to and have dinner with Ect. Knight has it's fair share of mistakes and such,,so will any company that hires new drivers.

I'd say give them a chance and hang for a few months! Go through the different seasons, build your resume.
Hell get some doubles and triples experience and haul for UPS or one of the other LTL carriers when their super busy. I think you'd like LTL except for that last trailer hehe.

I'm following this thread with interest. Keep us posted on what happens and then when you get a job, maybe start a new thread about it and tell us about your experiences from the eyes of a new driver,,,should be fun!

[Syncrosonix]

Originally Posted by Retired in Nevada

Syncro, I take it that you are with Knight, on their "express" schedule.

You say that you stay out three weeks at a time. Is that your choice, or Knight's mandate? In either case, following three weeks out, how long are you off before heading out for another three weeks?

If it's Knight's mandate, one could hardly call it "7 on/7 off".

Please elaborate on why you say that Knight is a "chitty" company? Is Knight more "chitty" than Swift for a noob?

Thanks, all, for your replies. Keep them coming. My choices as a noob to graduate from CDL school at my local community college here in southern Nevada are Knight and Swift. They are the only companies other than Werner currently hiring noobs that live in my neck of the woods. Not a fantastic choice, I know, but right now I am leaning toward Knight, as Knight has a terminal in Las Vegas and offers the express schedule, whereas Swift neither has a terminal or yard in Vegas, nor offers anything like Knight's express schedule.

Last Sunday, I drove out to the Pilot truck stop at I-15 and Craig Road in Vegas to speak with drivers. I spoke with two Knight drivers. Both were experienced drivers. One has been with Knight for two weeks, having left a small company in Los Angeles where he lives. He said that he is already looking to leave Knight because he is not getting enough miles. The other driver has been with Knight for about a month, having left KLLM. He said that he is very happy with Knight, getting all the miles that he wants, and plans to stay with Knight indefinitely. I also spoke with a Swift driver with many years of experience driving. He has been with Swift for a few months. He said that he gets more miles than he sometimes wants, had been out for six weeks, and was finally getting to go home to the Denver, CO area after running a load to Lake Havasu City, AZ the next day.

Every driver with whom I have spoken says that the miles you get, how you are treated, and how well your home time is accommodated pretty much depend upon your dispatcher and DM, regardless of the company for which you drive.

So much to ponder about which company would be best . . .

i stay on for three weeks at a time by choice. upon returning for some home time, all my dispatcher tells me is to call him the day before i am ready to go. i can stay home for 2 weeks if i want. i could also stay out for longer than three weeks. it's purely my choice.

scythe, knight IS a crappy company, and you know it. a company whose planning is so crappy that they often forget about loads that are ready, and by the time you've been dispatched, the load is already late, and they're hassling the driver about getting it there on time. the load that got me home had been sitting in a drop lot in otay mesa for longer than 3 weeks. by the time i picked it up, it was due the very next day in santa fe, nm. yet they were asking me to take it all the way, and to do my best with it. forget that. at this company, it's impossible to run 100% legal and make a livable income.

[Retired in Nevada]

Originally Posted by Syncrosonix

i stay on for three weeks at a time by choice. upon returning for some home time, all my dispatcher tells me is to call him the day before i am ready to go. i can stay home for 2 weeks if i want. i could also stay out for longer than three weeks. it's purely my choice.

scythe, knight IS a crappy company, and you know it. a company whose planning is so crappy that they often forget about loads that are ready, and by the time you've been dispatched, the load is already late, and they're hassling the driver about getting it there on time. the load that got me home had been sitting in a drop lot in otay mesa for longer than 3 weeks. by the time i picked it up, it was due the very next day in santa fe, nm. yet they were asking me to take it all the way, and to do my best with it. forget that. at this company, it's impossible to run 100% legal and make a livable income.

Would you say that Knight is any better or worse than Swift?

[Syncrosonix]

Originally Posted by Retired in Nevada

Would you say that Knight is any better or worse than Swift?

they're worse than swift.....BY FAR. you'd be better off going to swift. at least their planning isn't totally inept. their planning and dispatching is 24/7, all of the terminals i've been to have running water, showers, toilets WITH toilet paper and tissue thingers to sit on, yards big enough to hold more than 10 tractor-trailers, and they aren't run like a police-state-like company.

if you like having more than 5 surveillance cameras on you at any given time once you enter a yard, go to knight. if you like being treated like a 5 year old who cannot keep their hand out the cookie jar, go to knight. if you like being treated like an uneducated "typical" truck driver, go to knight. if you like having to cook your logbook because knight doesn't pay worth a damn, go to knight. if you like walking into an office that reminds you of a frat/sorority house where nothing ever gets done, go to knight.

need i say more?

[Retired in Nevada]

Originally Posted by Syncrosonix

they're worse than swift.....BY FAR. you'd be better off going to swift. at least their planning isn't totally inept. their planning and dispatching is 24/7, all of the terminals i've been to have running water, showers, toilets WITH toilet paper and tissue thingers to sit on, yards big enough to hold more than 10 tractor-trailers, and they aren't run like a police-state-like company.

if you like having more than 5 surveillance cameras on you at any given time once you enter a yard, go to knight. if you like being treated like a 5 year old who cannot keep their hand out the cookie jar, go to knight. if you like being treated like an uneducated "typical" truck driver, go to knight. if you like having to cook your logbook because knight doesn't pay worth a damn, go to knight. if you like walking into an office that reminds you of a frat/sorority house where nothing ever gets done, go to knight.

need i say more?

So let me ask you, Syncro -- and I don't mean to be condescending here -- buy why are you driving for Knight, as you seem to be very unhappy with them?

Do you ever get to Knight's Las Vegas terminal? If so, what's your opinion of it and the people who work there?

[Syncrosonix]

i am driving for them because i had left swift originally after landing a local, non-driving job, and then being screwed over by a damn hiring freeze. i tried for 2 months to find something else around the area. nothing panned out. i had given swift a call back and was told they aren't taking experienced drivers, regardless of the fact that they had driven for swift. knight was the only option (for me) because i did NOT WANT to go to werner or any other company. i think i should have given mckelvey a whirl. they're also based in phoenix.

i don't know how the vegas terminal is operated. i could tell you what i've "heard". what good is that info?