1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a ld?

[lowrange]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

In this biz you need to learn to sleep when you can. One day it might be two in the afternoon the next 8 am and the next 2am. Like others said most times you will be driving at night it is just the nature of the beast. You also may sit for 3, 4 days with no load far from home and then have to run hard for 14 hours or more with some companies the next day or two so you can get some decent miles for the week.

Makes me wonder what was so peculiar about my idea of hanging out at a community college. I don't think I'd want a motel if I might have to leave it at any moment. So where do you hang out, the truck stop? And you're in a c/v? I could do better than a truck stop.

You bring up some excellent points, xiggi, and it could be this isn't the niche for me. I hate a really erratic sleep schedule. If I'm tired all the time, I feel blah, I don't think it's good for my health. I'm a heavy sleeper, though, so I don't imagine that everyone else needs what I need.

Here's the deal. On a regular basis, do you find yourself up all day, and then you get a late afternoon load that you have to drive through all night? Is there no getting around it? Does it happen often? If that's the case, then this might not be for me. I don't have a problem with that.

I've got another little anecdote. I was working the dock for an LTL carrier. One day, just as I was getting to work, I saw all these lights from the police cars. It was dark, early in the morning. What had happened, this tractor/trailer pulled into the drive only to find the gate locked. He was backing back out onto the road when this other guy in a minivan drove underneath his trailer. I guess maybe the driver had the running lights to his trailer off. The minivan driver had just gotten off work, something like 4am. Minivan driver d-e-a-d.

Point being, I know my limits. Once or twice a year, fine, up all day, drive all night. More than that, no way around it, this isn't the niche for me.

 

[xiggi]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Point being, I know my limits. Once or twice a year, fine, up all day, drive all night. More than that, no way around it, this isn't the niche for me.

That statement convinces me this is just not the niche for you, sorry just my honest opinion. The majority of loads but not all come later in the day that why it is very helpful to be able to sleep almost anytime of day.

You might check out local delivery or courier companies. They run mainly during the day and love vans. You could also check with medical supply firms that deliver to nursing homes etc. They run mostly day hours and hire independent contractors with their own vehicle.

 

[lowrange]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

That statement convinces me this is just not the niche for you, sorry just my honest opinion. The majority of loads but not all come later in the day that why it is very helpful to be able to sleep almost anytime of day.

You might check out local delivery or courier companies. They run mainly during the day and love vans. You could also check with medical supply firms that deliver to nursing homes etc. They run mostly day hours and hire independent contractors with their own vehicle.

Hhhhmmm....some interesting suggestions, there. I guess I was thinking c/v contractor and I wasn't differentiating expedite from possibly other kinds of jobs. Yeah, up all day, drive all night, that just isn't for me. Even as a peacetime Marine, I fell asleep on more than one nighttime patrol or perimeter defense. I can only do nights if I'm steady.

This isn't a board for couriers, is it? Well, the tractor is still sitting in the driveway, too. Possibilities....

Gotta drive all day tomorrow back to Michigan. I'll check back in tomorrow night.

 

[Turtle]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Sure it was out of line for a moderator to suggest that you go deliver pizzas. Even though Dominos were the original expedite company---30 minutes or free. It is still a classless dig at you.

That's a pretty ballsy post from someone with a single-digit post count and a join date of like two days ago. Usually, someone with a "new" screen name will post many more innocuous posts to build up that post count before posting something like this. Impatience betrays our nature.


A scorpion asks a turtle to carry him across a river. The turtle says he is afraid of being stung, but the scorpion reassures the turtle that if he stung the turtle, the turtle would sink and the scorpion would drown as well. The turtle then agrees to ferry the scorpion across the river. Midway across the river, the scorpion, being a scorpion and true to his nature, raises his stinger and prepares to sting the turtle, but the turtle pulls out a revolver and shoots the scorpion's tail, preventing him from stinging the turtle. When the two reach the river bank, the scorpion stumbles off the turtle and asks, "Why did you shoot me?" Without a word, the turtle then shoots the scorpion again, killing him dead.

Moments later a gerbil happens upon the turtle and asks for a ride across the river. The turtle pulls out the revolver and shoots the gerbil dead. BWWWAAHAHAHAHA.

The turtle's got a nature of his own.

 

[x06col]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Ah, we can scrap sometime, no problem.

The British have an expression, it's called 'taking the **** out of someone'. I'm all about that, when it's fun. You know message boards, though, there are all kinds on them, aren't there? Maybe I'm just a new kind for you, ya think?

Nah, nothing new. A roast goose hunter is a roast goose hunter, is a roast goose hunter, is...... pretty common, actually.

Also, i've observed "heavy sleepers" in a past life, and many are not with us anymore, if they didn't learn to un-heavy their rest.

 

[charlee]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

As having done both Expediting for 5 years and Landstar.....Landstar by far and above gives you more freedom than expediting.

I just glanced thru this post quickly but it seems noone has pointed out that if you take more than 30 days off with Panther you must do a drug screen to come back. If you take more than 2 weeks off they hold your settlements unless you get more revenue coming in.


If you like to sit.....have at expediting. We do not sit at Landstar and we do not run cheap freight. We can get where ever we need to be when we need to be there.




And Greg


last I checked Landstar's safety rating was 31, which is very good. They are far more safety conscious in practice than Panther ever was.



-charlee

 

[jaminjim]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

As having done both Expediting for 5 years and Landstar.....Landstar by far and above gives you more freedom than expediting.

I just glanced thru this post quickly but it seems noone has pointed out that if you take more than 30 days off with Panther you must do a drug screen to come back. If you take more than 2 weeks off they hold your settlements unless you get more revenue coming in.


If you like to sit.....have at expediting. We do not sit at Landstar and we do not run cheap freight. We can get where ever we need to be when we need to be there.




And Greg


last I checked Landstar's safety rating was 31, which is very good. They are far more safety conscious in practice than Panther ever was.



-charlee

What ever happened with you and Panther? You use to be singing them very high praises. Now you seem to take a polite shot at them every now and then.

 

[lowrange]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

As having done both Expediting for 5 years and Landstar.....Landstar by far and above gives you more freedom than expediting.

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the constructive info from people who know. Landstar in this case doesn't mean Landstar Express America, does it?

Yeah, plenty of freedom with the LCN and the load boards. It's just, man, no log book!? Never worry about where to park!? Drive anywhere you want to do anything you want in any city where you may layover!? I can't even park my rig in my yard. Just little things, like driving your vehicle be it a c/v or a t/t right into the yard...the little things can make your life so much better. But yeah, picking and choosing off the load board is pretty nice.

I just glanced thru this post quickly but it seems noone has pointed out that if you take more than 30 days off with Panther you must do a drug screen to come back. If you take more than 2 weeks off they hold your settlements unless you get more revenue coming in.

That tells me something, though, it's not unheard of for guys to take weeks at a time off. Company drivers in big rigs don't get to do that. Again, I feel the need to defend myself. I'm not saying I have to have that time off, but it's nice when you have that option. No problem if they hold a settlement, particularly if you get to the point where you don't have to live paycheck to paycheck- just so you get it!

If you like to sit.....have at expediting. We do not sit at Landstar and we do not run cheap freight. We can get where ever we need to be when we need to be there.

Glad you aren't sitting and you get good paying loads. Of course, it's not that way for everyone there. The homeless shelter didn't get that name because guys are always on the go. LOL

 

[chefdennis]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Just to give you and idea of how what we find "Normal" sleep patterns at times.....not everyday, but more then you might think....

I am using trips from the 14th of this month because those "tickets" are laying here:

12/14 pickup at 1530 after a 5 mile DH...deliver 12/15 400 miles straight thru at 8 am

12/16 pickup at 1300 after a 101 mile DH...deliver 12/17 437 miles straight thru at 6 am ( got into town at 2030. had dinner with a EO member, got 6 hrs of sleep)

12/17 picked at at 0815 after a 27 mile DH...delivered 12/17 179 miles @ 1100 ...DH'd 67 miles home, took a shower and got nap

12/17 pickup @ 1700 after a 106 mile DH...delivered 12/18 409 mile @ 0100 Got to sleep till 0900 then was dispatched to pickup 12/18 at 1300 after a 93 mile DH...need to deliver @ 1800 after 419 miles.....

So you can see, you can get sleep...sometimes an hour or 2, other times 5-6 and maybe even 8-10...but it is broken up and NEVER on a schedule so you can drive "during the day" or during the night"...

By the nature of expedited freight, you run when dispatched and you need to be where the freight needs to be where and when it needs to be, you don't have a choice, take the load and run it, or turn t down for whatever reason....the fact is the more you turn down, the less loads you will get from dispatch even when you are available...keep moving when they call, and the calls come....

i didn't figure the driving time, the wait time or the sleep time, up you can bet that the sleep time was the least of all of them and thats how it is for me normally....

 

[charlee]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Jammin,


No polite shots at all, just the reality of what was occurring at Panther FOR US....probably not for everyone. If you missed the big news release that Panther was attempting to rebrand itself then you kind of missed the implications of that in the "expedite" industry. Making 1.55 per mile + fsc in this economy is not the same as it was 5 years ago when loads were plentiful. Sitting 2 days or booking backhauls that may or may not pay as well as you would like....and since Panther started their "truckload" division backhauls were frowned upon and more and more things were being labeled "unable to haul" (thanks to JSP who is no longer there).


Landstar has truly treated us like IC's. Aftr being labeled an IC at Panther, but in reality an employess with no benefits and working with Landstar, the difference is glaring.

*anyone else remember the QC message saying that if your acceptance rate were not 67% or better you would be dispatched at bottom of board no matter when you came in?* One example of the employee mentality.


Panther is NOT Panther of old. Panther is owned by an investment company that will do whatever they can to get their money out of the company......not even make the quick 5 million they intended when they bought it...just break even.



This last month saw JSP leave, saw the CFO leave (Roy Showman) and who knows who else. Dan Sokolowski, Carl Hadley, Ed Wadel, John Slater *think is how to spell his name* and all the "Panther people" knew how to BUILD an expedite company.

The current ownership combined with the economy was a 1/2 whammy that in MY opinion Panther cannot and will not recover from.

I am a business person first. MY decision to leave Panther was incredibly hard to make because I still had the warm fuzzies from Panther of old. Unfortunately warm fuzzies cannot pay bills.

Panther is quickly evolving into "just another trucking company", just one without as many miles to run as others.



-Charlee



P.S.

Low,

I have been to the homeless shelter and it seems as if the majority of people there are there by choice. I mean Landstar gives all BCO's and drivers a free hot lunch etc.

The other thing that is so different with Landstar is you turn in your paperwork by Transflo on Wed and you are paid on Friday...a 2 day lag time.


Panther you turn in your paperwork by Sunday at noon and you are paid not the next friday but the friday AFTER that with a 12 day lag time. HUGE DIFFERENCE


Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

-charlee

 

[lowrange]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Just to give you and idea of how what we find "Normal" sleep patterns at times.....not everyday, but more then you might think....

I am using trips from the 14th of this month because those "tickets" are laying here:

12/14 pickup at 1530 after a 5 mile DH...deliver 12/15 400 miles straight thru at 8 am

12/16 pickup at 1300 after a 101 mile DH...deliver 12/17 437 miles straight thru at 6 am ( got into town at 2030. had dinner with a EO member, got 6 hrs of sleep)

12/17 picked at at 0815 after a 27 mile DH...delivered 12/17 179 miles @ 1100 ...DH'd 67 miles home, took a shower and got nap

12/17 pickup @ 1700 after a 106 mile DH...delivered 12/18 409 mile @ 0100 Got to sleep till 0900 then was dispatched to pickup 12/18 at 1300 after a 93 mile DH...need to deliver @ 1800 after 419 miles.....

So you can see, you can get sleep...sometimes an hour or 2, other times 5-6 and maybe even 8-10...but it is broken up and NEVER on a schedule so you can drive "during the day" or during the night"...

By the nature of expedited freight, you run when dispatched and you need to be where the freight needs to be where and when it needs to be, you don't have a choice, take the load and run it, or turn t down for whatever reason....the fact is the more you turn down, the less loads you will get from dispatch even when you are available...keep moving when they call, and the calls come....

i didn't figure the driving time, the wait time or the sleep time, up you can bet that the sleep time was the least of all of them and thats how it is for me normally....

Again, this is just a fantastic post, and I thank you. I hope I haven't been too chippy with everyone, but this post just looks like the kind of straight forward meat and potatoes I need to see if I'm a fit, or not.

And, I don't think I am. Not saying it isn't a great job for some people, but it sounds like the kind of environment where I just live in a fog, unable to regroup. Long ago I decided to be safe, I need to sleep for 5 hours somewhere there during the night. I suppose it could be mornings, but it looks to me like you have to respond to the call whenever it comes, and it could come any time.

If anyone has information about actual jobs or companies that would allow me to layover at the community college , tooling around in my sleek little c/v or sprinter, and be able to maintain a more regular sleep work schedule, please let me know, ok?

Thanks all, God bless.

 

[lowrange]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Low,

I have been to the homeless shelter and it seems as if the majority of people there are there by choice. I mean Landstar gives all BCO's and drivers a free hot lunch etc.

The other thing that is so different with Landstar is you turn in your paperwork by Transflo on Wed and you are paid on Friday...a 2 day lag time.


Panther you turn in your paperwork by Sunday at noon and you are paid not the next friday but the friday AFTER that with a 12 day lag time. HUGE DIFFERENCE


Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

-charlee

PM coming Charlee, thank you.

Just to be clear here out in the open, you are not with Landstar Express America, is that right? So what, you're in a box truck pulling loads off the load board? Not quite sure I understand.

Actually, when I left Landstar a couple years ago, I was having trouble finding enough good-paying freight. I'd sometimes take 20 calls off the Landstar Communications Network sorting through, trying to find a good one. And, they wouldn't tell you the fsc up front, you had to call and ask if it was in addition to the quoted rate, and I found the fsc often lagged behind. All this was at the time when $3.00/gal diesel was something new, a sign of the Apocalypse (BTW- if anyone is expecting America to recover from 1.3 trillion dollar federal budget deficits and high unemployment, just think what the price of fuel would be in a rebound- I'm preparing for he worst )

Now, after pulling tankers, I'm not so afraid of 40k lb loads as I once was. I could haul beer! After tankers, 40,000 pounds of non-sloshing freight would be like pillows. Well, almost. Point being, maybe I wouldn't be as picky as I once was. I follow/post to a Landstar board some, too. Sounds like a lot of those guys were having trouble for awhile, there would be whole threads started about how to deal with repo men!

I'm going to PM you, Charllee.

 

[charlee]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Landstar Ranger


53 ft Van



-charlee

 

[davekc]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Wow......after 73 posts we finally arrive back at Dominoes or the taxi gig. Umm....how did some already know that?

As for Panther, can't say our experience is anything similar except for the 15 day deal on pay. But.....not running any tractors so I can't say much on those. But if I was looking at Landstar in a tractor capacity, might want to go over to OOIDA and review some of their legal/lawsuit posts. Might be beneficial in the future? Outside of that, can't say much other than hauling their loads have been trouble free.

 

[lowrange]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Wow......after 73 posts we finally arrive back at Dominoes or the taxi gig. Umm....how did some already know that?

As for Panther, can't say our experience is anything similar except for the 15 day deal on pay. But.....not running any tractors so I can't say much on those. But if I was looking at Landstar in a tractor capacity, might want to go over to OOIDA and review some of their legal/lawsuit posts. Might be beneficial in the future? Outside of that, can't say much other than hauling their loads have been trouble free.

That was you, 'we' did no such thing. Unlike you, a lot of people have been sharing useful knowledge both in this thread and through PMs. Great board, too bad you're a mod.

 

[davekc]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

That was you, 'we' did no such thing. Unlike you, a lot of people have been sharing useful knowledge both in this thread and through PMs. Great board, too bad you're a mod.

Yeah....too bad isn't it. Glad you can make that assessment after a few days of being here. I'll tell you up front with a accurate personal assessment rather than pat you on the head and give you a bunch of posies & rose colored glasses.
Your final analysis only confirms that. I would rather do that than provide a disservice to new members with something false when they very well could be making large financial investment.
If by chance you already knew that, then you shouldn't have been asking the questions in the first place.
Have a nice holiday and don't forget the pepperonis

 

[davekc]

Re: 1st post: any companies give you complete choice over when, where, if you take a

Since you FINALLY decided this isn't for you, move on to something else.
Have a nice Christmas.