Hello all, I have heard that with Knight Transportation you get to pick the areas that you run in for the most part. Is this true? I know I could call and ask them, but I wanted to see if I could hear the truth from some current or former Knight drivers. You know how it is when you ask a company those questions, they just tell you what you want to hear.

So can anyone help me out here? Thanks.

Tom

 

Knight terminals are pretty much ran independently. For the most part, yes that is true. They "TRY" to keep you in the area that you want but it does not always work out that way. They will get you the miles though. It is company policy that you run a minimum of 10,000 miles a month(2500 miles a week).
They use the Transflo system to turn in paperwork. You can get paid on a trip by trip basis or on a weekly basis. They have decent equipment. Mostly Volvos, Petes and freightliners. I think they are fasing the freightliners out though.

 

Thanks for the info. So you are saying you could pretty much list what states you want to run in and they will try to keep you in that area as much as possible?

 

It is more of a region type of thing as far as choosing your running area.

You really can not say you will run IL, IN, PA and not Ohio if you understand what I mean.

I worked for them for the better part of a year before family matter forced me off the road.

When I first started I ran everywhere except the NE north of PA. Once in a while I got offered loads going into New England but I always turned them down or arranged for a drop somewhere in route and I never went into the North East.

After a while I changed my running area into a 500-600 mile radius of IL and they did a good job keeping me in that area.

 

Same goes for the terminal I run out of. It is more of a area. When I got hired on my dispatcher sat down with me and told me what he expected out of me and asked what I expected out of him. He then asked where I like to run the most. I told him that I like to run anywhere in the midwest. For the most part, that is where he keeps me. Every now and then he will ask me to go somewhere like Pa or NY for a load and promises to take care of me if I do. So I run it and he keeps his word. Last week I was in Ohio and he asked if I would take a short run into PA. I did. He then gave me a run out of PA to Texas! I have found that if you remain flexible, that you are better off. Very seldom do I turn down a load. I think I have only turned down one load in about 4 months now. (They are no forced dispatch)

 

Same goes for the terminal I run out of. It is more of a area. When I got hired on my dispatcher sat down with me and told me what he expected out of me and asked what I expected out of him. He then asked where I like to run the most. I told him that I like to run anywhere in the midwest. For the most part, that is where he keeps me. Every now and then he will ask me to go somewhere like Pa or NY for a load and promises to take care of me if I do. So I run it and he keeps his word. Last week I was in Ohio and he asked if I would take a short run into PA. I did. He then gave me a run out of PA to Texas! I have found that if you remain flexible, that you are better off. Very seldom do I turn down a load. I think I have only turned down one load in about 4 months now. (They are no forced dispatch)



BINGO! That is what I do also, I love the southeast and texas area, but will run anything they send me.
He knows that and keeps me south of I-70 90% of the time, when I do take a run somewhere it is usually backed up with a long one right back.
Sit down with your dispatcher before you start and talk over with him what you like, but stay flexiable to and you will get alot better miles.

 

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Let's say though, that I was out of PA, but wanted to run from there to Texas, and everything in between (such as the midwest, Oklahoma, Arkansas). If I talked to my dispatcher and told them that, you are saying they would keep me in that area for the most part, and when they didn't they would back it up with something to that area?

 

for the most part, yes.
Like I said, you still have to go where the freight goes.
just be willing to take what is avaliable.
And you should have no problem running where you want (for the most part).

 

On the avg (I checked my logs) in the last 4 weeks I have run 4 loads to the notheast, and all 4 were backed up with runs back to the texas, memphis area.
But as always with Knight,the relationship you have with your dispatcher makes all the diffrence.

 

How long are you out on the road and how long is your hometime with Knight?

Thanks