Knight To Get AI Netradyne Cameras

Excellent question Robert! There's a lot in that question and I appreciate it.

I'm super busy right now. I'm going to give you a response tonight after I shut down.

Not every driver is capable of achieving your status and reputation for a number of reasons and I think sometimes people forget that, even though that individual without that reputation is also correct in their findings.

Robert's question is as intriguing as it is insightful. His statements are spot on. Trucking is a business that is just not handled fairly. I know it is hard for some to grasp that, but there are no easy ways to be successful at this career. When we are new, we struggle to get just a little bit of respect from the people we work with. The problem is those people we are trying to impress, are not even really noticing us yet. They have seen a thousand other rookies just like us come and go, and they just assume we are going to do the same. It takes a long time, and a lot of evidence showing positive results before we even start to get noticed, and then it may only be by our main contact - our dispatcher.

Robert's question about me getting that goal changed for the fuel bonus is very accurate. Not just anybody would have been able to get that accomplished. I'll tell you right up front, I never expected to get my request on that deal, but I felt I had to mention it to several people. Whether I actually had any real influence or not, I cannot say. I found out later that they had been bombarded with calls from drivers concerning the same matter. It seems there were a lot of drivers who felt something just wasn't right. They were like me. They had good numbers, but they still fell short. There was enough input from the drivers to sway someone's opinion. That is pretty rare.

Let me tell you guys something about me. I like to make things work. I get a lot of satisfaction by solving a problem or having success at something that others can't seem to master. I know that some of you get irritated with me when you see me promoting the large companies like the one I work for. Many think I'm some sort of sell-out or a corporate shill. The truth is, I just like to make things work. I have found once you get yourself deeply seated into one of these big companies, you can usually find a special niche area in there that you can specialize in. That does wonders for your career. There are no drivers at Knight making the kind of money the flatbedders make. That makes it a niche opportunity. Of course, yoiu earn your share, but it pays to find those niche opportunities wherever you are.

Once you are in a specialized position, you have a tighter knit group of people you work with. You're not lost in a crowd. There are a lot of people at Knight who know me by name. I remember once I was speaking to a woman from the corporate office in Phoenix. She called me about something, I don't remember what it was. She acted like she knew me, But I had only ever heard her name mentioned in a conversation with someone else. I had never met her. I questioned her about how she seemed to know me. Her reply was that part of her responsibilities was to gather up reports for a meeting she has with Randy Knight once a week. She reminded me that he was one of the company founders, and she said he also knows who you are because your name is often at the top of those reports. Apparently Randy is the top knocker over the dedicated accounts, and he gets reports on how productive the dedicated drivers are on the various accounts they serve.

I'm sharing all of that to help you guys understand why I think it is important to try and stay with these big carriers. There are so many benefits to a long term commitment. There was a time when our pay got froze due to economic problems similar to our current ones. There were people who took special steps to make sure they could work around the rules to increase my pay. They managed to get a weekly amount added to my pay through a purchase order. I still get that amount each week. I have received stock in the company. I get a special amount of money each week just to be available to answer phone calls from new drivers on my account. They pay me that each week, but I seldom ever get a call from anyone. They recently added another penny to the bonus for drivers who have stayed long enough to have driven 500,000 miles. That is paid quarterly. These companies will take care of you if you can be productive, safe, and commit to them.

The easiest and most common thing we drivers do when we are frustrated is to move on somewhere else. That often results in higher pay, and we think we just shot the finger at the man. We are happy to have shown those SOBs we are worth more, and we just found out how to get more. I have observed this for so long. I know what happens next. It is only about a year or three that we decide there is something egregious about this new outfit we don't like. So, what do we do? We stew over it until we decide we have got to show the man who is boss again. It becomes a cyclical career which usually burns out after about a decade.

Continued...

I said it earlier, I just like to make things work. I have figured out what works for me. I can't say, or believe, I have the magic sauce that will make everyone's career a bed of roses. I just know what is working for me. I am making great money, and am very secure in my position. I do what I can to help others understand how I got here. I know it irritates some, I can feel it in their remarks. I still have to show the way that has worked great for me.

Robert is correct. These cameras are probably going to be more severe on newbies. It's not actually the camera, but the managers wo review things. I know Davy is an excellent driver, and very productive. He had very different results than I. It is unfortunate. Knight lost a great driver when they lost him. I just don't really know what all was going on there. At Knight the terminals are run autonomously from each other. They actually compete in a sense with one another. I like the management style. It gives a driver a greater channce at being a stand-out. It gives everyone a chance to show how well they are contributing to the overall results of the company. There is always going to be that bit of unfairness, but a true professional just has to rise up and establish themselves to play the game in a way they can win.

I think prime was given a sales pitch and the cameras do not work the way they expected.

I also think the rating system is wrong. How can 3 people have the exact same score rank wise? Me & 2 of my students all ranked # 8 on the same day. How can our bonuses be based on a flawed system?

And something else... they are constantly changing the parameters. So something that did not trigger yesterday... triggers today. And my pay is based om that?

When you dispute, they can refute your dispute. Didnt move over cause somone was on your left, but of course not seen in the camera? The guy sitting in the office decides.

Prime has already had a mass exodus. Another one is coming as drivers' leases complete.

I am heartbroken.

Kearsey, I've been thinking the same things about Knight. Some really good salespeople walked in and lied like crazy to close a deal. They walked away with a huge commission and the rest of us are stuck resolving the problems left in their wake.

I think prime was given a sales pitch and the cameras do not work the way they expected.

I also think the rating system is wrong. How can 3 people have the exact same score rank wise? Me & 2 of my students all ranked # 8 on the same day. How can our bonuses be based on a flawed system?

And something else... they are constantly changing the parameters. So something that did not trigger yesterday... triggers today. And my pay is based om that?

When you dispute, they can refute your dispute. Didnt move over cause somone was on your left, but of course not seen in the camera? The guy sitting in the office decides.

Prime has already had a mass exodus. Another one is coming as drivers' leases complete.

I am heartbroken.

It's hearing things like this that really bothers me. I'm already enough of a skeptic anyway and this just adds to it.

I'm honestly very glad where I'm at and what I'm doing because we don't have to deal with that stuff. If anyone wants to try their hand in the hopper game and not deal with the lunacy that these systems seem to be causing, let me know lol.

I have been following along and I can relate to all that has been said. Here are a couple wrinkles in this issue.

I know the self insured carriers don’t directly get effected by this, but talking with my insurance agent he revealed many insurance companies are starting to mandate cameras for clients. Of course the client is free to refuse, however their insurance will get cancelled.

We are in an era that cameras are everywhere. They have some value in my opinion, but tying it to driver pay is a mistake. Everyone from the gov’t on down always want to paint everything with the same brush. That just doesn’t work in our society.

Ca has done it again. They are pushing a bill that mandates cameras be turned off during rest/meal breaks because it infringes on the employees privacy. A violation would be a $500.00 fine for each occurance. It is currently expected to pass. This should open a whole nother can of worms.

No matter what size carrier you work for it probably won’t be long before most if not all trucks will have cameras.

I know the self insured carriers don’t directly get effected by this, but talking with my insurance agent he revealed many insurance companies are starting to mandate cameras for clients. Of course the client is free to refuse, however their insurance will get cancelled.

PJ, was your agent talking about cameras in general or inward facing cameras specifically?

My agent didn’t specify, but from what I have seen the systems all have foward and rear facing. Rear ones are configured in the software. He did ask me several questions about mine, which is what sparked the conversation. He has never asked about it at all the last 3 years I have been with him.

When we drivers talk to the folks in the office, we have to speak to them in a completely different way than we do each other. We can't be combative or even a little rough around the edges. I'm being honest with you when I tell you I am super sweet and gentle when talking with the folks in the office.

This is a fundamental problem.

It not only implies, it overtly STATES that truck drivers are **** compared to the people who command them... who have never actually driven a truck.