I need your input asap

[Scuba]

I need to know how people feel about makeing it so anyone can see your truck number on a board. I think it would be good because as more and more of us will end up on a VT you may be sitting real close to a buddy. If everyone could see your number you could hang out with a friend while on the board. I think it should be an opt in program so if you don't want anyone to see you, you could stay hidden. The next drivers council meeting is July 1 so i need to know how the fleet feals about this. Also it doesn't matter what you drive this is not a truck type specific idea so i want input from everyone. Thanks

 

[termite289]

i understand the idea, truth is, that i don't have that many friends at panther, cause we never really get to meet, except at swaps. perhaps the virtual terminal and this idea will bring the drivers closer together, it sounds like it could work. iv never been to a drivers appreciation day either, in 5 years, but normally im trying to get home to ga for the 4th, and normally im deadheading, as i live in Atlanta.
i would have to post my truck # on here for anyone to know who i was when they saw my truck. it kinda takes away some of the anonymity of it. but then that isn't a real big deal either. maybe we could learn more from each other if we had more time to spend hanging out at the vt truck stops, but im still not wild about deadheading to the vt to check in, if i know there is a chance a load will come up where im at.(like Monday ill deliver near Harrisburg, pa, but the terminal is Baltimore.) im staying in Harrisburg. check in or no check in.

 

[Turtle]

I think others should know that I'm there on a board, but they shouldn't know what my truck number is. Same as now when you look online you see trucks, but not numbers. Having the truck numbers show up for everyone is potentially problematic. The carrier being able to track your truck number is something you agreed to in your lease contract, but having other independent contractors being able to track your movements is an invasion of privacy and would open the carrier up all kinds of liability.

Opting-in is fine, but the default should certainly be out. Who would/could make the opt decision? Owners, drivers?

For example, we all know that Pelicn is severely mentally unstable and, possibly, dangerous. If I say something online for which she gets mad at me, she would be able to track my movements, and plan a premeditated attack to let the air out of my tires while I'm nekkid in the van and sleeping. When I wake up, I would have no idea that it was a fly-by air letting by her except for the tell-tale sign of fishy-smelling pelican droppings contained in her discarded designer pelican briefs next to each deflated tire (which has happened on numerous occasions already and it's getting embarrassing).


What I would like for you to bring up at the meeting is, every time a dispatcher enters something onto the driver screen that affects our status, it should automatically be sent via the QC, as well. For example, when a dispatcher enters "Driver refused load" then we would know about it without having to get online and see that we were just wrongly hit with a refusal for a reduced rate load because of incompetence or vindictiveness. Same with them changing our status from Available-Sleeping to Available, from Available to Out-of-Service, anything that affects our status, availability, or acceptance rate. Whatever a dispatcher can enter on that screen that we see online should also be sent via the QC.

For that matter, any and all notes entered into a PRO by dispatch should be available to us online if we should want to see it. That way we can see just how much crap gets invented by dispatchers about us while on a PRO, uhm, I mean, that way we can catch any errors or misunderstandings that may be entered into the PRO.

Disclaimer: The above dive-bombing bird example is a satirical hypothetical example, and should not be be construed in any way to be the truth. You know I love ya, Pelicn.

 

[LDB]

They can do it the right way or the wrong way. If they consult me they'll do it the right way because I told the IT department how to do it two years ago.

The wrong way. Setting it up so if Joe Blow in unit 8765432 turns it on it shows every other truck what board he's sitting on. Everybody doesn't need to know and it will cause problems, complaints and friction.

The right way. Setting it up like a messenger system that recognizes other units. Joe's friends are A, B, C, D, E and F. Joe invites those 6 to be his buddies. They say yes. Now it shows Joe's location to those 6 trucks and only those 6 trucks. At any time Joe can add G to the list and/or delete D from the list. Presumably no B'ing and moaning because the only people potentially monitoring Joe are his buddies and they aren't going to squawk if Joe gets some good runs.

 

[Scuba]

Again no one would be able to track you only the trucks in that vt would be able to see you if you are on the indy vt and i am on the dallas vt i wouldnt know where you are

 

[LDB]

The way I'd set it up anyone that I authorized as my "buddy" would be able to see me all the time. Nobody else would ever be able to see me online even if parked in the adjoining parking space. It also wouldn't matter if I was under load or empty, I'd still show up to my friends. It might not be often but there are times when one is sitting on a load over the weekend and might be one exit away from a friend so why not know that also.

 

[Falligator]

I think it would be a great idea...especially having the ability to opt in. But as in other cases, is there going to be a monthly or weekly fee charged to us from panther if we decide to opt in? this idea is great to break up the monotony of road life.

 

[LDB]

Every time I proposed it there was no fee involved of course. My suggestion involved total invisibility other than to select few individuals chosen by the individual operator. It should help some with morale by giving operators a little more continuity of friendships and normalcy in their lives.

 

[Dreammaker]

Leo,

I'd vote for your plan. It allows those who want to be associated with a driver to do so. The default opt out works.

 

[babs3361]

Both would work, but I like Scuba Idea better. Have all trks listed at that VT you may find friends that u didn't know u had. I like the Idea. Pity parties r a blast. We all need a good laugh we we r out here.

 

[LDB]

Maybe they could add an option that lets you choose to be visible to everyone. I would not want my truck visible to everyone for privacy reasons. I can tell how many other trucks of what sizes from the board position page. That's enough information. If it could be a user selectable option that would be ok though.

 

[pelicn]

I like the buddy list idea, with the option of being visible to all if you choose to be. I also agree with Turtle about the QC messages being sent for anything that affects status, availability, or acceptance rate.

For example, we all know that Pelicn is severely mentally unstable and, possibly, dangerous. If I say something online for which she gets mad at me, she would be able to track my movements, and plan a premeditated attack to let the air out of my tires while I'm nekkid in the van and sleeping. When I wake up, I would have no idea that it was a fly-by air letting by her except for the tell-tale sign of fishy-smelling pelican droppings contained in her discarded designer pelican briefs next to each deflated tire (which has happened on numerous occasions already and it's getting embarrassing).

LMAO!!!! Pelicn's love Turtle...they taste like...um.....TURTLE!

 

[davekc]

In theory, I like the idea. For Panther to administrate it, would bring a whole host of issues to deal with. Everything from Elite loads (location issues), to just the plain jealousy factors.
As they say, "in a perfect world".
On the status change, that should be automatically sent to the qc. No excuse as to why it shouldn't be.

 

[LDB]

Presumably it would be a programming issue and not difficult to have a trap that "if elite = y" then "buddies = 0" or something similar. Being on a sensitive load would put the truck into invisible mode. It should all be a matter of programming and nearly no administering.

I would hope that friends wouldn't be jealous of friends having good fortune. I can see it with strangers and that's a big part of why I am against any system that automatically shows every truck. With true friends I'd see it more as potentially good natured ribbing at times but nothing more. At least I'd hope so.

 

[davekc]

That was kind of my thinking until I heard some of those taped phone calls. OMG. Some people totally amaze me.

 

[Turtle]

I would just like it if I could see the locations of all the trucks (in my class, anyway) on a given board. The truck unit numbers aren't important to me as much as where they are.

 

[davekc]

I would just like it if I could see the locations of all the trucks (in my class, anyway) on a given board. The truck unit numbers aren't important to me as much as where they are.

I would certainly find that of value. Even more so with this Virtual Terminal madness going on.