Bad experience

greg334

Veteran Expediter
I approved the work ,but when I approved they said that the labor is 95 per hour.At 2 AM what other options I had? The dispatch told me that if we not fix it she will order a tow truck and tow the van in Canada. One more time I don;t want to say that is Panther fault.

So you approved it without knowing the time involved or the total costs OR getting a total of the work?

When they took off to get the part, I would have told them I would not pay for that travel time, they knew the van model and could have taken the parts with them.
 

Camper

Not a Member
With most leases the carrier has certain rights with regards to the freight, but not the vehicle. Unless of course they own or lease it.

True but to what extent is going to be dependent on any clauses pertaining to such rights while under load.



Posted with my Droid EO Forum App
 

fortwayne

Not a Member
Also truckernet has an app for smart phones which gives u nearby service centers and an emergency breakdown number.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App
 

x06col

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Army
Why not ?? :)

Well....at 2am you'd be awake driving and [hopefully] tink'in, steada gett'in woke at 2, an not tink'in bout yer biz. Really too bad yer driver didn't give you a headsup before the panter called...is the driver afraid to call you at 2?? That way you could have already contacted one of your extensive [hopefully] numbers on your emergency list that would have already had the ball rolling before panter got involved.

/we may need a decoder ring before this thread dies.

I hope that alternator was silver plated. Regardless......if your parts resources are simply, "where do I get an altornator a 2 AM? as a FLEET OWNER....then i'd reassess my resources and knowledge of the biz, or, keep paying absorbinate repair bills, AND.....stop whine'in.
 
Last edited:

Mike99

Veteran Expediter
Well....at 2am you'd be awake driving and [hopefully] tink'in, steada gett'in woke at 2, an not tink'in bout yer biz. Really too bad yer driver didn't give you a headsup before the panter called...is the driver afraid to call you at 2?? That way you could have already contacted one of your extensive [hopefully] numbers on your emergency list that would have already had the ball rolling before panter got involved.

/we may need a decoder ring before this thread dies.


If you read the original post one more time you will see that I said that the driver and Panther called me almost in same time. And trust me, I think is impossible to find a Ford alternator at 2Am...
 

fastrod

Expert Expediter
So you approved it without knowing the time involved or the total costs OR getting a total of the work?

When they took off to get the part, I would have told them I would not pay for that travel time, they knew the van model and could have taken the parts with them.

Yes they should of had the parts with them, but it sounds more of a case where Panther said fix the van and we dont care what it costs and the van owner got screwed. This large bill was Panthers fault.
 

x06col

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Army
Well....at 2am you'd be awake driving and [hopefully] tink'in, steada gett'in woke at 2, an not tink'in bout yer biz. Really too bad yer driver didn't give you a headsup before the panter called...is the driver afraid to call you at 2?? That way you could have already contacted one of your extensive [hopefully] numbers on your emergency list that would have already had the ball rolling before panter got involved.

/we may need a decoder ring before this thread dies.

I hope that alternator was silver plated. Regardless......if your parts resources are simply, "where do I get an altornator a 2 AM? as a FLEET OWNER....then i'd reassess my resources and knowledge of the biz, or, keep paying absorbinate repair bills, AND.....stop whine'in.


Yep bad experience.
 

Mike99

Veteran Expediter
Yep bad experience.

Well....at 2am you'd be awake driving and [hopefully] tink'in, steada gett'in woke at 2, an not tink'in bout yer biz. Really too bad yer driver didn't give you a headsup before the panter called...is the driver afraid to call you at 2?? That way you could have already contacted one of your extensive [hopefully] numbers on your emergency list that would have already had the ball rolling before panter got involved.

/we may need a decoder ring before this thread dies.

I hope that alternator was silver plated. Regardless......if your parts resources are simply, "where do I get an altornator a 2 AM? as a FLEET OWNER....then i'd reassess my resources and knowledge of the biz, or, keep paying absorbinate repair bills, AND.....stop whine'in.


Nobody crying here , I just share my story so other people may learn from this. But apparently you are to smart for us. It is not the first time when you just jump in a discussion and try to be 'smart'.I think you have a very unhappy life...
 

x06col

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Army
Nobody crying here , I just share my story so other people may learn from this. But apparently you are to smart for us. It is not the first time when you just jump in a discussion and try to be 'smart'.I think you have a very unhappy life...

Oh but my life is very unhappy. So.......what have YOU learned so far? Actually, your learning process is MY goal.....even tho it should'nt be today.

BTW, there should'nt be a learning curve for a fleet owner for something as basic as this issue.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Clearly, anyone needing a Ford cargo van alternator, or any other part for that matter at 2 AM, the first call should be to the col. At least that's my understanding of all this.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I would just like to thank Mike99 for passing this story on to everyone. One of the best parts of EO is people helping each other by the sharing of experiences. We all learn from this.
 

x06col

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Army
Clearly, anyone needing a Ford cargo van alternator, or any other part for that matter at 2 AM, the first call should be to the col. At least that's my understanding of all this.

Nah, don't anna be bothered at 2. Maybe call Dave.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
True but to what extent is going to be dependent on any clauses pertaining to such rights while under load.



Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

They are two separate issues with regards to the contract I have with Panther. In a nutshell, I control the truck, and they control the freight.
Case in point. We had several years ago where a tow truck was sent but it was too small and would damage my truck. I wouldn't let the truck be towed. They sent another truck and had the option to send a partner carrier to retrieve the freight.
All ended well, and I got the right truck for the necessary repair. Panther paid the bill on the original tow because I didn't authorize it. Bottom line. That truck doesn't get towed unless I or one of my drivers authorizes it.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
You know I would have just told them "well thinking about it, call the customer and let's have a conference call about the stuff being late ... other wise you can either take it off the truck or wait"
 

aristotle

Veteran Expediter
If you read the original post one more time you will see that I said that the driver and Panther called me almost in same time. And trust me, I think is impossible to find a Ford alternator at 2Am...
This is exactly why I carry a spare alternator in each of my vans. Experience has taught me the alternators on Ford vans(7.3L diesel) will burn out approximately every 120,000 miles. I go ahead and pull them at 110,000 and keep the pulled alternator as an emergency spare. Yes, you will have to pay a core charge by keeping the old one, but it's cheaper still to carry a spare. The pulled spare will get you home where you should buy a genuine Ford alternator. Again, experience taught me to avoid alternators purchased from NAPA, Auto Zone, etc because they proved insufficient to the task. Usually, they were underpowered, at least for diesel applications. The alternators for 7.3L diesels are high-output models, just short of the type used for the ambulance package.

Carrying a pulled spare ensures you have the exact correct model available at all times. Also, carry a pulled serpentine belt. Replace them every 150,000 miles or so. There's no way to anticipate every breakdown, but you can be ready for the most common failures. In January, my voltage guage began dropping on a Sunday evening enroute to Laredo. I took the next exit, pulled into a well-lit parking lot and had the spare alternator on in about 90 minutes. Finished the run and bought a genuine Ford replacement a few days later.
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
So what would you have done in my place? Thanks

I made the mistake of calling Panther to inform them that my alternator died. It happened about 22:00. I was about 60 miles and one international border from the consignee, with a 09:00 delivery time. Long story short, I delivered 2 hours late from the back of a roll off tow truck. Panther tried to stick me with a $980.50 wrecker bill. I expected to be responsible for some of the bill, but the way they mishandled irritated me. I posted the E-mail from Panther and my reply here on E.O. That was the last I heard from them about withholding from my settlements to pay this bill. Call Panther and try to work out a fair deal with them. Explain the situation and would it should have cost. See if they will cover the difference. Be professional but don't take any crap from them.

What would I do today if this happened. Probably something reckless because I don't see this as the partnership they pretend it to be.

I sent you a p.m.
 
Last edited:

moose

Veteran Expediter
Yha, right...
Panther won't have a Van waiting in Cleveland at 2 am... not even a partner carrier... not even a Canadian one...sure hope none of their costumers read this.:confused:
 
Top