Cargo vans and Panther
- Thread starter ZAGG81
- Start date
Can you be more specific? All carriers get bashed. List the negative things you have heard so members can comment on each one specifically. Who is the source of these negative things; former or current O/Os, former or current fleet drivers or neither? Always consider the source.
This is starting to make me think twice about leasing on with them.
You should think twice. Leasing to a carrier that isn't a good fit for you will end up costing you time and money to switch to another carrier. You are doing the right thing by investing some time researching carriers here, again, try and ask specific questions.
My turn to ask questions:
Are you new to expediting?
What do you expect from a carrier?
What other carriers have you considered?
I have a different outlook on this company and sometimes it changes daily, but then I have a different outlook on lots of things.
BigCat
Expert Expediter
Driving for panther is what you make of it. I'm not saying I have had the best experience with them but it isn't the worst either. For the most part I've done good with them and they have been fair with me.
Negativity usually comes from drivers that got the short end of the stick once and calls it quits. Ask some of these guys about the good and they will still elaborate on the bad.
All companies have bad and they all have good but very little will you hear the good side from anyone.
Negativity usually comes from drivers that got the short end of the stick once and calls it quits. Ask some of these guys about the good and they will still elaborate on the bad.
All companies have bad and they all have good but very little will you hear the good side from anyone.
Absolutely..should be nic named the meat grinder....LOL if you can make it there ...you are a tough cookie...
ChrisGa23
Expert Expediter
I was with Panther for 23 months all in a cargo van. Alot of ups and downs. Some weeks I would do great sometimes not so much. If you owned your own van I think you should have no problem doing good if you stayed in the east/midwest. I dont recommend a regular cargo van I would look for a Sprinter or something similar. Dont remember but after taxes I made around 25,000 so not to bad for a driver doing a 60/40 split driving for a fleet owner.
The key to being successful at Panther is learning their system and their rules, because that's what they go by. Learn to make their system and rules work (hereafter known collectively as "stupidity") for you, instead of you working for them. They do things that will seem, and are... stupid. Embrace the stupidity. Learn the stupidity. Be the stupidity. Once you are One with the stupidity you can use their own stupidity against them to your advantage. If you can do that, you will be successful. If you cannot do that, if you fight the stupidity, you will not succeed and you will have mostly negative things to say about Panther.
And now your moment of Zen....
And now your moment of Zen....
Mike99
Veteran Expediter
AMonger
Veteran Expediter
Day-amn! That's the most perfect explanation of panther I've ever heard. Quite Kafka-esque.
--
You know the problem with bad cops? They make the other 5% look bad.
darrellndawn
Active Expediter
Turtle, it sounds like you know a bit about Panther. Can you elaborate on how to "...embrace the stupidity, learn the stupidity, be the stupidity..." ?
I will be starting for them in a couple of weeks (assuming my drug screen passes, which it should), and am interested in your insight.
Any help you, or anyone, can offer to be successful there would be greatly appreciated. I've seen a LOT of negative about pretty much ALL of the carriers, but what would help me (and many other newbies) would be constructive methods of how to make it in expediting, and in this case, at Panther.
Thanks!
I will be starting for them in a couple of weeks (assuming my drug screen passes, which it should), and am interested in your insight.
Any help you, or anyone, can offer to be successful there would be greatly appreciated. I've seen a LOT of negative about pretty much ALL of the carriers, but what would help me (and many other newbies) would be constructive methods of how to make it in expediting, and in this case, at Panther.
Thanks!
Again, remember that "their system and their rules" is "the Stupidity". You need to embrace the stupidity ("their system and their rules"). Learn the stupidity ("their system and their rules"). Be the stupidity ("their system and their rules"). That's not the same as being stupid. The fact that there are so many stupid people who are, and act, stupid is the very reason for most of "their system and their rules".
You have to learn that Panther's sole concern is serving the customer, getting that freight from A to B, and nothing else matters. They don't care about you at all. Even if they say they do, they don't. You are a tool, to be used by them, to service the customer. You mean precisely as much to them as any one of the other 900 screw drivers laying there. This situation is neither good nor bad, it just is. Understanding this is Step One on your journey to becoming One with the Stupidity.
Step Two is understanding the have a lot of drivers who are morons, mostly in vans, but also in trucks. They cater to the fleet owner, not the driver or the owner/operator who drives his own truck or van, and as a result they have a lot of people who are demotivated in terms of professional responsibility. Many of these people have risked little or nothing to get into expediting, they have nothing on the line, nothing to lose, so they do stupid things which someone with something to lose wouldn't even dream of doing. As a result, Panther has "their system and their rules" set up to accommodate the lowest common denominator - The Stupid - to get their freight from A to B.
They make no effort, and will not make an effort, to differentiate the smart, responsible driver from the stupid moron. They've been burned too many times in the past while giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Therefore they won't. It doesn't matter if you can get it there on time, if they say you can't, then you can't, and you've already lost the argument (however, once you've been there a while and have really and truly become One with the stupidity, you can use that to actually win some of those arguments).
Because "their system and their rules" are set up specifically for The Stupid, "their system and their rules" will likewise seem, and are, stupid, hence the stupidity of it all. No matter what they do or say to you, no matter how stupid, don't take it personally, because it's not. You're a tool, remember? They don't know you or care about you. All they care about is "their system and their rules" to get that freight from A to B.
I'll move a little away from the overall philosophy and get to a few specific tips later, but for now let the depression of the above sink in.
You have to learn that Panther's sole concern is serving the customer, getting that freight from A to B, and nothing else matters. They don't care about you at all. Even if they say they do, they don't. You are a tool, to be used by them, to service the customer. You mean precisely as much to them as any one of the other 900 screw drivers laying there. This situation is neither good nor bad, it just is. Understanding this is Step One on your journey to becoming One with the Stupidity.
Step Two is understanding the have a lot of drivers who are morons, mostly in vans, but also in trucks. They cater to the fleet owner, not the driver or the owner/operator who drives his own truck or van, and as a result they have a lot of people who are demotivated in terms of professional responsibility. Many of these people have risked little or nothing to get into expediting, they have nothing on the line, nothing to lose, so they do stupid things which someone with something to lose wouldn't even dream of doing. As a result, Panther has "their system and their rules" set up to accommodate the lowest common denominator - The Stupid - to get their freight from A to B.
They make no effort, and will not make an effort, to differentiate the smart, responsible driver from the stupid moron. They've been burned too many times in the past while giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Therefore they won't. It doesn't matter if you can get it there on time, if they say you can't, then you can't, and you've already lost the argument (however, once you've been there a while and have really and truly become One with the stupidity, you can use that to actually win some of those arguments).
Because "their system and their rules" are set up specifically for The Stupid, "their system and their rules" will likewise seem, and are, stupid, hence the stupidity of it all. No matter what they do or say to you, no matter how stupid, don't take it personally, because it's not. You're a tool, remember? They don't know you or care about you. All they care about is "their system and their rules" to get that freight from A to B.
I'll move a little away from the overall philosophy and get to a few specific tips later, but for now let the depression of the above sink in.
Where does Moot fit into this
Well, I stole the phrase, "embrace the stupidity" from him.Where does Moot fit into this
I'm sure he will add a few tips along the way.
cableguymn
Seasoned Expediter
Yup. seems like nothing has changed much over at Panther.
My experience with the stupidity ended in 2006.. Not much I can offer as I am sure that the stupidity has expanded in to a new layer of stupid beyond my current level of comprehension of said stupid.
I do remember being treated like meat in the seat. Get um to take the load. Even if it's going to BFE where the odds of finding your way back, with GPS is slim and the odds of a empty move or back haul no better than winning the powerball.
Their Dead Head program may help.. But I am not sure if that is a program for empty miles, or bad drivers...
My experience with the stupidity ended in 2006.. Not much I can offer as I am sure that the stupidity has expanded in to a new layer of stupid beyond my current level of comprehension of said stupid.
I do remember being treated like meat in the seat. Get um to take the load. Even if it's going to BFE where the odds of finding your way back, with GPS is slim and the odds of a empty move or back haul no better than winning the powerball.
Their Dead Head program may help.. But I am not sure if that is a program for empty miles, or bad drivers...
I really didn't need that song stuck in my head on an endless loop.
Once you are One with the stupidity you can use their own stupidity against them to your advantage. If you can do that, you will be successful. If you cannot do that, if you fight the stupidity, you will not succeed and you will have mostly negative things to say about Panther.
And now your moment of Zen....
You nailed right there! You can't fight their stupidity. Nice touch with the two headed black cat photo!
cableguymn
Seasoned Expediter
Some good insight. Bottom line.............stupidity can be profitable.
Ask me how I know.
As long as it's someone elses stupidity..
Don't ask me how I know that one