[bigpoppa]

Id like to start a thread on my experience with Kool Trans out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Im scheduled to start on June 15th, 2015. I will be nothing but Honest about my experience, from what i have gathered they only want to grow to 200 trucks and they really care about their drivers in general and make sure you are happy. My friend works there so i take his word on his experience with them and so far the drivers i have talked to have said nothing but great things about Kool Trans.

[Useless]

Sounds KOOL!!

I drove for a midsize carrier, (NDI; Now, NDL based in Sellersburg, Indiana) and it proved to be a good fit for me, and for my family as well. They were big enough to keep me running and provide benefits like health insurance and 401K, but small enough to know me by name, and kind enough to be a family oriented operation. Safety was more than just a word. They would respect a driver's decision to shut down in inclement weather. (Driving in snow?? Go slow. Driving on ice?? No dice!!) They didn't want us driving on ice. We had good access to management, and they were responsive to our concerns as drivers.

The downside?? I had to stock up things like oil and washer fluid before I left their terminals, because they wouldn't reimburse drivers for those purchases. It really wasn't any big deal. Profit margins in the trucking industry are pretty slim, even in good times, and they found it an effective way to contain costs. We couldn't get out trucks washed while we were out on the road. I'd get mine washed at their terminals, and tip the guys who cleaned it. I always found that tip money had a way of coming back to me. Refueling options were very limited. We were pretty much restricted to Pilot's, and not all Pilots were available. There were a few Luv's stations where we could refuel, although they sucked more than the Pilots. That kind of sucked, although I will say that they had pretty good coffee, which I drank by the gallons.

I've been out of trucking for a decade now, so much in the industry has changed. For one thing, trucking companies are now more selective in their hiring practices than they used to be, which is a good thing. I know that numerous states have enacted idling restrictions. Hours of service regs have changed as well.

While some things have changed, other things remain the same. Attitude is a big part of what you do, and the outcomes that you can expect. Whenever you're in contact with your dispatcher, a shipper, or a receiver, present yourself as a solution to a problem. Try your best to be cooperative with mechanics as well. They don't get many pats on the back, but they tend to remember drivers who are appreciative of their work. I found that slipping a good mechanic five or ten bucks helped bring out the best in him. I had very few encounters with police or DOT officers, and none of them were unpleasant. Generally, they'll meet you with whatever attitude you bring to them.

Now, you will encounter some a&&hats along the way; that is just an unpleasant reality. You're going to find malcontents in any occupation, and in trucking, you'll find them no shortage of them. Drive past any truck stop on any given day, and the CB airwaves will be flooded with them. Sit at the coffee counter of any truck stop, on any given day, and you'll hear some pretty wild driver's stories. A few of them may be somewhat true.

Anyway, here's wishing you all the best!!

[bigpoppa]

Thanks Useless, Im very excited and nervous but i will manage it. My biggest hurdle will be being away from mama and the kids but i need to provide for them till things improve a bit in the driving world.

[bigpoppa]

All set to fly out on Sunday @ 3:30pm, land in Seattle @ 4:15pm and then leave Seattle @ 6:55pm and land in Salt Lake @ 10:50pm. Start orientation Monday morning @ 9am. Nice hotel they put you in i hear even it has a living room as well. Breakfast at the Hotel and Kool provides lunch for you, and dinner is on you. Sounds good so far, everyone have a great weekend.

[freebirdrfd]

Good luck

[bigpoppa]

Okay, so it went well at first and it all seemed to be what i heard. However the recruiter manager there was all lies and i could not swallow being lied to right out of the gate. I feel that if they lie to get you there what else is gonna happen when you are far away from home. The owner wanted me to and give them a second chance but i felt that it would not be the same since i had to ruffle some feathers to get them to see i was not lying and telling the truth about what i was promised and i had it all in text. I rode with my buddy to learn the qualcomm and we talked it over on our way to a delivery and when i hit near home i got off the truck. Things did however go good once i was home i got a interview with conway freight, start on nights and work up to days and the pay starts at 21.85 an hour 40 hours a week and overtime when asked. The miles are not anywhere near the the recruiter said it was. You might hit 3,000 miles a week but not every week, seems fleet average is 2,000-2,500

[Useless]

As a solo driver, 3,000 miles per week (HHG miles) with almost any carrier should be a red flag. Unless you're on a dedicated, drop and hook run, and you're not "fingerprinting" the freight, (loading and unloading yourself) averaging 3,000 miles per week without turning your log book into a comic book isn't going to be easy. Having said that there were many weeks when I did, in fact, log 3,000 miles per week.

How was I able to do that??

1.) We served a niche market, and I hauled a lot of automotive and engine components on a JIT basis. The vast majority of my hauls were 800-1200 miles, although some were between 1200 - 1600, and some went as high as 1800 miles. Additionally, runs from Imperial, Ca. to Peoria, Il. and back allowed for higher speed limits, and my truck was governed at 87.6 MPH. Most of NDL's trucks were governed at about 73.5 MPH. Guess I was just lucky!! Why even bother with a governor at that speed?? I'll never know the answer because that was one question that I never asked!! We also had the pre-pass for the chicken houses in most states, and we had toll passes for most states as well.

2.) I had an excellent relationship with my dispatcher, I communicated with him before I arrived at a shipper or consignee. That way, he could line up a load for me, and I'd usually have another run waiting for me by the time I had arrived at my destination. I was always willing to go the extra mile for him. I also worked to develop good relationships with freight dock foremen..... and foreladies as well!!

3.) One other thing to remember: I drove at night as much as possible. I've never been fond of working during graveyard hours, but there is far less traffic, and I found that professional drivers who drove at night were of a higher caliber than those who drove during the day. One thing I will say; my body never really acclimated to those hours. I was ALWAYS tired. In the morning, after other drivers had pulled out of the trucks tops, I'd be pulling in. Plentiful parking, fewer lines at the fuel pumps, and less fuss with waiting for showers. In the evening, while other drivers were clamoring in and looking for parking, I was on my merry way. I would zip around Atlanta, or through Chicago with relative ease.

Depending upon your location, your relationship with your dispatchers, weather, and the availability of freight, 2200 to 2800 miles per week is more like what you should expect from most of the mega-carriers. Based upon what I've heard, Conway is a good outfit. I know I see a lot of their trucks hauling doubles, which I never pulled. I've heard that driving a wobble-wagon really sucks, but if that's what keeps food on your family's table, then I say get to it, and get it done!!.

BOL2U

[bigpoppa]

Yeah its a start to something better, i have considered going to gti they pay a lil more so that might help a lil with the miles plus they pay actual miles and not zip code to zip code