Thinking About Driving For Knight Trucking
Topic 13238 | Page 1
I was first going to go with Knight, however I was told by the recruiter that the want you to go to trucking school before training you. In other words from my understanding, they say they no longer train new truckers on getting a CDL. You must go to a trucking school out of pocket first before joining. I'm not sure if they reimburse or not. I'm going with Swift because of the no upfront trucking training.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Knight still does some training for the CDL , but you need to live in or near Phoenix for them to accept you into their Squire program right now. The bean counters at Knight are cutting way back on some things that they consider to be big holes in their bucket, and the schooling they were providing was one of the big items where they felt they were not coming out ahead.
Tone, Welcome to our forum!
I drive for Knight in their dedicated flat-bed division - we strictly haul loads for SAPA Aluminum. Here's alook at my truck and a recent load...
I'd be glad to answer any questions you have, but if you are just curious about what it is like to work for them, I can assure you that they are just like any other trucking company - what I mean by that is that the drivers who are out here getting things done and making things happen are making some really good money and the ones who don't seem to understand how to make it out here are griping and complaining about not getting enough miles. Truck driving is a performance based job and the movers and shakers are the ones that rise like cream to the top.
Knight treats me like a King, and when I walk into my home terminal (Gulfport, MS) they know me by name and welcome me in there just like I'm an old friend who just returned from a long journey. They are a great place to work.
Since you are new to our forum here's a couple of links to some valuable resources that you can enjoy and benefit from:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
[quote]Knight still does some training for the CDL , but you need to live in or near Phoenix for them to accept you into their Squire program right now.[/quote] That makes sense why the Knight Recruiter told me they won't consider me until get my CDL. I was really considering working for them until that point. I really wanted to be a Squire that later becomes a Knight. I preferred to do the Knight: port and rail terminal services to help facilitate railroad and seaport transports because I like trains and their fuel per ton mile efficiency. I was trying to be careful on what I say because my limited experience with them. I did a bit of research on their services like Reefer division, Port & Rail division and Dry Van.
If Old School likes them, they must be good. He knows more than me about Knight.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Thank you so much appreciate that.
Knight still does some training for the CDL , but you need to live in or near Phoenix for them to accept you into their Squire program right now. The bean counters at Knight are cutting way back on some things that they consider to be big holes in their bucket, and the schooling they were providing was one of the big items where they felt they were not coming out ahead.
Tone, Welcome to our forum!
I drive for Knight in their dedicated flat-bed division - we strictly haul loads for SAPA Aluminum. Here's alook at my truck and a recent load...
I'd be glad to answer any questions you have, but if you are just curious about what it is like to work for them, I can assure you that they are just like any other trucking company - what I mean by that is that the drivers who are out here getting things done and making things happen are making some really good money and the ones who don't seem to understand how to make it out here are griping and complaining about not getting enough miles. Truck driving is a performance based job and the movers and shakers are the ones that rise like cream to the top.
Knight treats me like a King, and when I walk into my home terminal (Gulfport, MS) they know me by name and welcome me in there just like I'm an old friend who just returned from a long journey. They are a great place to work.
Since you are new to our forum here's a couple of links to some valuable resources that you can enjoy and benefit from:
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Thx
[quote]Knight still does some training for the CDL , but you need to live in or near Phoenix for them to accept you into their Squire program right now.[/quote] That makes sense why the Knight Recruiter told me they won't consider me until get my CDL. I was really considering working for them until that point. I really wanted to be a Squire that later becomes a Knight. I preferred to do the Knight: port and rail terminal services to help facilitate railroad and seaport transports because I like trains and their fuel per ton mile efficiency. I was trying to be careful on what I say because my limited experience with them. I did a bit of research on their services like Reefer division, Port & Rail division and Dry Van.
If Old School likes them, they must be good. He knows more than me about Knight.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
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anybody have thoughts about knight trans??