Got My First Informal Reprimand But Not For Anything Driving Related.

All the MORE reason to drive a daycab, IMHO!!

~ Anne ~

“”””Im still dumbfounded at the lack of training and cohesion on the flatbed program and hopefully your experiences can be a catalyst to get them to change some. I would be skeptical but if OS said they could use better training, and Ive heard it from others there that I have talked with, It seems to be an issue. I take pride in Knight and enjoy working there. Hopefully they can make the changes needed.”””

Davy, I have to say as a new hire same thing with flatbed, “going to put you with a van trainer then let you shadow a FB for a few weeks”. Being aware of TwoSides adventures. Told them that that wasn’t going to work, that was setting me up for failure. I didn’t get attitude with it just remained firm. It took most of a day to get back with me. Solution so far was to send me to Top Gun for a week, then 2 was with FB trainer. Finished TG today, no word from anyone yet as to the trainer side. My conversation pretty much ended with I’ll drive what I train in. It’s not just Semi’s with the Adpt Cruise and Lane Departure issues my 18 F150 is a nightmare. So frustrated last night driving back from Memphis in the rains I finally pulled over and disabled it in the system setup. I can only imagine the headache I’m headed for.

I was also looking at the FB page, think I’ll forgo for now. Thanks for the heads up on the monitoring.

I think the smart drive feature is keeping drivers from getting the bonus. I haven't talked to a Knight driver yet whose score was below a 25, dry van , reefer or flatbed. They all say the same thing, it's a joke. I wonder what Old School's score is... His might be a 2 lol. But I do think the dash cam is necessary. That is definitely our saving grace if an accident occurs.

And again after the talk with my DM on Tuesday, I head out and proceed to get cut off by 4 wheelers and truckers again. Guess my score won't come down anytime soon lol. The first truck to cut me off..... FedEx smh.... I don't know what it is with me and FedEx, especially the daycab drivers. They don't play by the same rules as OTR drivers.

I realize that keeping a safe following distance is an opening for everyone to jump in front of me. I always keep a safe following distance, that is not the issue with my score being high. It's when ppl jump in front of me creating an unsafe following distance. If I keep increasing my following distance everytime someone cuts me off then I will never make it to where I need to be. In flatbed, the shipper/receiver close early so I have to get there on time.

Yesterday I counted how long it takes a car to increase its distance after cutting in front of me. I got as far as one, one thou, before the car was already at a safe distance and speeding off into the horizon. The drive smart feature is so sensitive it is making it impossible to get the safe driver bonus. Now let me make this clear before I get criticized on my driving lol. I do not tailgate, reckless drive or follow too close. It's all other drivers jumping in front of me. I'm definitely not going to hard break just to keep a safe following distance, my events do not call for that.. IMO that would be more of a safety hazard.

My radar needs to be recalibrated monthly, on the Kenworths, the radar plaque sits on the lower flexible valance (bumper) and it constantly needs tweaking. I usually do it with my foot every few days. Anyway the result is that I get 10 to 15 false threats with the accompanying breaking and slamming me into the dash per day. When its calibrated I get about 2 per day.

Is that with all KWs or just with Knight trucks? I was going to ask if they had any KWs sitting around that I can drive after my 60 days. I've heard good things about those trucks and peterbuilt but I don't think Knight has those trucks.

Im still dumbfounded at the lack of training and cohesion on the flatbed program and hopefully your experiences can be a catalyst to get them to change some. I would be skeptical but if OS said they could use better training, and Ive heard it from others there that I have talked with, It seems to be an issue. I take pride in Knight and enjoy working there. Hopefully they can make the changes needed.

I'm glad you didn't come out and say I was talking BS like a couple other members here did. Thanks for doing your research on it before calling me a liar lol. And now there is another member, "Glennbob" starting Flatbed for Knight who is starting off in the same situation.

I think Knight is trying to fix that problem though. At my terminal they are in the process of building the Top Gun classroom. HR has also reached out to me and asked for my opinion. My recommendation was to not hire rookie drivers for that division until they are stable enough to properly train them. I have responded to all the workhound txt and left my honest opinions. Hopefully they do fix that issue and it seems like they really are trying to. I also enjoy working for Knight. This experience has been rough but fun

It depends on the city. Denver, Dallas and Houston, I almost never get dinged. But Orlando, Miami and places like that I get a lot of agressive driver's that cut in and brake hard.

Fed ex doubles cut in early a lot, I usually hit cancel on my cruise for a second or two as they go by, I just kinda plan for them to cut me off, seems to work.

All of our trucks have issues with the radar picking up false readings and reacting I think. With mine, the previous driver whacked something with the bumper and I noticed it vibrates a lot. I've talked to other Kenny drivers and theirs didn't seem to do it as much. I can say that having it recalibrated makes a big difference. I really love a lot of the Kenworth traits, they work for me. It does have a longer nose, so you need to be extra aware of your room in front when you are getting back under it. It also has a bit of a longer turning radius but I honestly don't think I can tell. I've gotten mine into some very tight areas. Out of all our fleet trucks, I feel the kw has the best backing manners with the urge to move function. It will just creep along at 2 mph or so with no input, no bucking or shaking. They are generally hard to get, a lot people request them. So if you have the opportunity to get in one, something to consider. Objectively though, it's really a personal choice, I know guys that love Volvos, for me personally they are almost unbearable to drive.

Funny that you posted this. I was going to ask you and the Knight drivers here their thoughts on the smart drive feature on the trucks. I too had a sit down with my DM about my score. It is a 83....

Hey guys I don't have a lot of time this morning to go through this completely, but let me warn you about something. Davy and Twosides11 are relatively new drivers. They have a legitimate concern that they are losing money because of the camera in their truck. They are missing out on bonus money which amounts to a considerable amount of their potential pay. I understand that. We all want to maximize our income.

I have heard all these complaints from other Knight drivers. After all I am a driver with Knight, and I occasionally have to hang out at a terminal for repairs, and I get to hear the rats carrying on about how bad the company is. I even had one driver who was convinced the bonus program was a lottery drawing each month! He had never gotten his bonus money and he was convinced it was because they hadn't drawn his truck number from the lottery!

Part of the problem is that rookies just don't understand how a big truck should be driven. The idea that people cutting you off is going to make you late for your appointments is ludicrous. I wish you guys could ride with me for a few days. You would probably think your grandmother could drive faster than me. But... in over seven years I have never been late for an appointment. That's right, I have a perfect on time delivery record. I am not sharing that to brag or sound superior. I want this to be educational. During my last twelve months driving for Knight I received $7,488.00 in bonus money. I was out on a medical leave during that time that they started doubling our bonus money. You can do the math and realize what potential I had for a windfall of bonus money last year.

Other drivers do the same things to me that Twosides11 is complaining about. They try to pass and then cut right over and activate your camera. That is supposed to be teaching you something. I have gone through this stuff before in here, but I want people to realize how that camera has made me a much better and safer driver. When you have another driver swing out to pass you and they are only doing a mere two miles an hour more than you then what should you do? Immediately decelerate and give them the ability to pass you. That is being courteous and safe. If you keep up your current speed you are only impeding traffic and frustrating the other driver who has the ability to pass you. It is no wonder he cuts over so quickly. I allow people to pass me with ease all the time and I expect the same courtesy from others when I need to pass them. Driving a big truck is nothing like driving a car. You have to do things differently.

If you will decelerate while someone is passing you that camera will not trigger as easily. Even if it does when it is reviewed by the third party people it will show that you were prepared and thinking ahead of the possibility of getting cut off. That means that video clip will never be sent in to Knight for evaluation. Trust me, I know how this stuff works. My current truck had a score of 95 when issued to me. They don't clear the score and let you start fresh. I started with a 95. In three weeks I had a zero. I am not trying to boast, I am trying to show you that I know how this stuff works and I master it just like I try to do with each and every aspect of this career. Complaining about how things work does you no good. Exercising some discipline and thoughtfulness of how to work within the system will create opportunities for you to experience greater success as a trucker.

Continued...

Another thing I want you guys to realize is that it will always work against you if you approach this career thinking you know better how things should be done than the company you are working for. I have empathized with TwoSides11 about his training. I know that Knight's program is lacking for flatbed. But it is not totally worthless. This is not a real flatbed job. In fact it is quite easy compared to a real flatbed job. Just think about the equipment you are issued. You get tarps, straps, and a winch bar. That's it. That is because that is all you will ever need. It doesn't require a week's class on load securement to figure this out. A real flat-bedder would have all kinds of other equipment because he would need it for all the various types of loads he would be hauling. We haul the same old stuff all the time. All it needs is to be strapped down securely. After doing a week's worth of loads a guy with a good head on his shoulders can figure it out.

I see that we have Glenbob already getting the idea that he knows better than Knight how to start this job. This is frustrating for me. I know both he and Twosides can do this stuff. They can do it just the way everyone else who started this job does it. Is their a better way? I am confident there is, but this way that they are doing now has worked for them. Are they going to improve it? I am confident they will, but we have to deal with the realities of the here and now.

Trucking is a different beast than any other career I know of. It is fast and furious at the start, and you are expected to grab on and hang on until you get it. It is okay to vent in here. I am actually glad you guys are doing it. I just want you to know you can make a successful stab at this career. It is not contingent on the company name on your doors. It all hinges on how you approach it.

You are going to be frustrated as rookies. Every rookie truck driver I have come across is frustrated, myself included. The key is to let the frustration force you to hunker down and learn how things work. If all it does is make you start thinking the grass is greener somewhere else, then you have failed the test. That camera is there to teach you the safest way to drive a CMV. It will accomplish the task, and you will know you are getting somewhere when you can consistently keep your scores down in that level where you receive your bonus money.

When you have another driver swing out to pass you and they are only doing a mere two miles an hour more than you then what should you do? Immediately decelerate and give them the ability to pass you. That is being courteous and safe. If you keep up your current speed you are only impeding traffic and frustrating the other driver who has the ability to pass you.

I get the courteous part of this approach, but the rest seems problematic. The size matters, but nobody owns the road, and the biggest oversize rig is in the same boat as the smallest sedan. Passing rules are the same for everybody. There is no need to slow down when someone is passing, simply because if I do so, I will later have to accelerate back to my normal cruising speed, and then what? Now I will have to pass, and that is just opposite to being safe. When someone struggles to pass it means that he miscalculated his speed, and there is nothing to be frustrated about.

To paraphrase Old School:

Part of the problem is rookies don’t know how to drive a big truck. I totally agree with this.

Your reply here Andrey... not the safe or smart thing to do. No one wins a turtle race. In fact if a LEO follows and observed this? Both drivers risk a citation. Fact.

When another truck attempts to pass you, and they are only going a couple of miles faster? The correct approach is to drop your speed a couple of miles slower and let them pass. Don’t match their speed or pace them. Totally wrong thing to do!

Be the professional. Period.

When you have another driver swing out to pass you and they are only doing a mere two miles an hour more than you then what should you do? Immediately decelerate and give them the ability to pass you. That is being courteous and safe. If you keep up your current speed you are only impeding traffic and frustrating the other driver who has the ability to pass you.

I get the courteous part of this approach, but the rest seems problematic. The size matters, but nobody owns the road, and the biggest oversize rig is in the same boat as the smallest sedan. Passing rules are the same for everybody. There is no need to slow down when someone is passing, simply because if I do so, I will later have to accelerate back to my normal cruising speed, and then what? Now I will have to pass, and that is just opposite to being safe. When someone struggles to pass it means that he miscalculated his speed, and there is nothing to be frustrated about.

In fact if a LEO follows and observed this? Both drivers risk a citation.

I am sorry, I don't understand what you mean. Observe what?

When another truck attempts to pass you, and they are only going a couple of miles faster? The correct approach is to drop your speed a couple of miles slower and let them pass. Don’t match their speed or pace them. Totally wrong thing to do!

Driving with your speed is not matching, and even less so pacing. When I drive in a right lane on a cruise control, I just keep my speed. If someone is faster, he passes and he doesn't need me to slow down for that.

I have a hard time doing quotes on the phone. My gripes with the smartdrive aren't so much with the system itself as much as the false positives and speeding issues.

Its only the last couple months that I haven't gotten a safety bonus, and a large part of that is too much vacation, being off doesn't give me miles which reduce the score.

Most of the time I don't get dinged for following too closely. I'm pretty good about cutting throttle when being passed. I don't like having a vehicle next to me, it removes a possible escape route, so I like to get them by as quickly as possible. A lot of my routes are on us highways, two lane roads so it's not too much of an issue as well, but they have other challenges.

My point wasn't about the smardrive as much as it was I probably need to learn to not be smarta$$ with the company. I Know my safety manager pretty well, he's a cool guy and there's only so much he can do.

They have in the past taken a few things off, like running a stop sign that was just put in on a private drive and some of the more glaring false threats like overpasses and the electronic signs which for some reason trigger it. I've had times when I just didn't react in time or was not prepared and I readily acknowledge it.

I do want to eventually try flatbed but I'm very cautious and I question weather I'd be successful with it. I struggle with morning appointments and I use pivoting my trailer when backing probably more than I should. I've been successful on my appointments but I have juggled a lot factors at times to make it successful as well as they are usually flexible and I've gotten to know which customers I can play with the schedule and which I can't. I've learned that I really don't care for live loads and unloads, especially groceries and beer because they prefer like 6 am hard appointments. I'll get em done but it's not my first choice. I prefer late night/early am. A lot of times I have to stay up all night to make a 6 or 7 am appointment. It's all stuff I work on, but I've struggled with sleep patterns not being conventional all my life.