Not getting paid is a problem with the fleet owner. Being stuck in Nogales Az for 4 days, stuck in El Paso for 5 days, and stuck in Chicago for 2 days would be a problem with Panther. With the growing popularity of the new reduced rate load program it is hard to understand why he would have to set that long.
Is it just Panther ?
- Thread starter Zoli
- Start date
Not getting paid is a problem with the fleet owner. Being stuck in Nogales Az for 4 days, stuck in El Paso for 5 days, and stuck in Chicago for 2 days would be a problem with Panther. With the growing popularity of the new reduced rate load program it is hard to understand why he would have to set that long.
I can possibly understand the AZ or TX slow down, but not Chicago. The reduced rate program is a smoke screen of BS. One of my pet peeves with how Panther operates.
Rates to the customer haven't changed that much.
Ever wonder why you could be the only one on a productive board but it takes them most of the day to come up with something?
When they book a load and it can be brokered (they ask the customer), they send it out right away on their broker board. For some strange reason, they must think no one is watching this. They are brokering loads out when they have many of their own trucks sitting in that very area. In most instances, they are paying the broker a greater rate than their own lease trucks. That is why in certain areas you get hit with numerous short loads.
They are on the bid board and no one is bidding on them.
Bottom line is, they need to utilize their fleet more effectively.
Once that is done, they will find that they won't have to pay a higher rate to outside sources and subsidize those costs on the backs of their own fleet. I am sure the argument is they have to do that in order to cover loads their fleet turns down. That is true in many cases, but if they paid a little better on those types of loads, they would operate more effectively.
They don't have any problem paying a outside broker a higher rate for these loads, they should extend that same courtesy to their own fleet.
Rates to the customer haven't changed that much.
Ever wonder why you could be the only one on a productive board but it takes them most of the day to come up with something?
When they book a load and it can be brokered (they ask the customer), they send it out right away on their broker board. For some strange reason, they must think no one is watching this. They are brokering loads out when they have many of their own trucks sitting in that very area. In most instances, they are paying the broker a greater rate than their own lease trucks. That is why in certain areas you get hit with numerous short loads.
They are on the bid board and no one is bidding on them.
Bottom line is, they need to utilize their fleet more effectively.
Once that is done, they will find that they won't have to pay a higher rate to outside sources and subsidize those costs on the backs of their own fleet. I am sure the argument is they have to do that in order to cover loads their fleet turns down. That is true in many cases, but if they paid a little better on those types of loads, they would operate more effectively.
They don't have any problem paying a outside broker a higher rate for these loads, they should extend that same courtesy to their own fleet.
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Mike99
Veteran Expediter
It is the fleet owner fault that after you starv in a truckstop 2-3 days Panther give you finaly a 800 mile run and after 375 miles force you to do a transfer???It is a fleetowner fault that Panter still add cargo vans? It is the fleetowner fault that nobody know exactly who gets the load (first in/first out,closest van/best % ,etc)???It is the fleet owner fault that Panther made the huge bords where they can keep the everybody blind?Etc.
I know 5-6 drivers or o/o who left Panther in the last months because this things....
No one asks anyone to put up with any of the above...the drivers sit there and do this of their own choice...
Leave this lousy job as anyone with half a brain would do...is my advice...It pizzes me off when people sit and complain and do nothing.
Go flip burgers, wash windows, actually do some manual work....
Mike99
Veteran Expediter
If yo do not understand the issue please don't answer! But I will tell you one more time you may understand now. The problem is not sitting in a truckstop 2-3 days,the problem is WHEN YOU FINALY HAVE A DECENT LOAD ,Panteher take it from you after 3-400 miles.That is one of the problems. And may I ask you why people can not complain? If we not complain or if not do anything for us we are like some cows in the rain...
gsmacker
Seasoned Expediter
Im not whining, but whats a guy to do when you sit in a productive area and dont get squat. Just like this monday had a good load go to the driver next to me cause he was "closer" I have no issues of chasing a load and have great exceptance %. Its like I sit on a board and am a ghost. Dispatch either needs to dispatch on first in,first out or closest to the load. Lately it seems they just dont care and book loads on whatever whim they feel like that day. If they want us drivers to play the same game as them, atleast follow a certain set of rules consistently so we can be on the same page. Im just sayin....
Zoli
Veteran Expediter
So what do mean, we should keep our voice down? I that this is an open forum where we can say what we think...That is your only advice? Go to flip burgers? Smart advice....
bdmj989900
Seasoned Expediter
Everyone that is leased to panther knows they base all loads at 47 mph. If your a single driver expect that load to be swaped. Just because the load is under 1000 miles does not mean its a decent load. You have to look at how much you make on the load not the miles. I will admit i get tired of the short loads as i run team and half of the time its a load that a single driver can run. Everyone can conplain about panthers policies all day every day but its not going to help if you don't tell panther about it. But i doubt telling them would help either, they have to do research and spend alot of money to change policy. And just personal opinion i doubt they would do that when what they have in place works. The customer calls, they dispatch the truck (even if it requires a swap) freight gets from point a to point b at or before the time they said and customer is happy. Thats what is important. Without any customers we wouldn't have any miles.
Zoli
Veteran Expediter
And without drivers, the customers wouldn't have their load delivered.....
bdmj989900
Seasoned Expediter
Very good point Zoli. But no matter how bad a place is for one person it might be good for another. I have had my complaints about panther but have also talk to them about my complaints. But there will always be drivers out there.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
I guess I'm with OVM in a way - sort of in a way.
I found out that driving for a fleet owner in a van is a rather poor choice to make in this business and no one should complain.
BECAUSE
The problems that vans have are only mitigated by the ability to move easily to other areas but that can't be done with a percentage of low revenue that an owner or a driver gets. This is why Van freight is cheap and why only owning a van is the only way to do this work.
I found out that driving for a fleet owner in a van is a rather poor choice to make in this business and no one should complain.
BECAUSE
The problems that vans have are only mitigated by the ability to move easily to other areas but that can't be done with a percentage of low revenue that an owner or a driver gets. This is why Van freight is cheap and why only owning a van is the only way to do this work.
Absolutely not...complain away....very few really care..we hear it all too often...that some bumpkin sits in a truck for days on end starving because they can't flip burgers and actually make money...
Greg..Exactly....the rate are so low and there is no consistancy. One may have a good week maybe even 2 weeks...then there is a dry spell.. 40% of 0 is still 0 in my books.
So keep complaining....all the while you are going "broke". Do you really think complaining in here will generate more loads or revenue?
Why is this business almost 100% owner operator? If the carriers could produce a decent ROI on a truck and driver they would be doing it themselves. The way to make money in this business is for YOU to figure it out, not rely on your carrier to spoon feed you.
The smart advice OVM gave was, if this business is killing you financially...GET OUT before it seriously ruins you. Flipping burgers has a lot less financial risk if you can't figure out how to make money doing this.
Good question. Since I only look at it through as a business investment, my opinion on how I am viewed matters little. What does matter is whether investment is keeping up with expectations. So far it has. If a point comes and it doesn't, just like anything else, you move to correct those differences.
That could mean moving to another carrier all the way to becoming a competitor.
Divorce can be a wonderful thing if it is done for the right reasons.
These drivers that drive for an owner that just throws them out there to the dogs and it is sink or swim...those owners should go belly up...
Proactive owners like DaveKc that look for alternative freight to move the truck are a rare breed....Lazy owners well what can I say...
Proactive owners like DaveKc that look for alternative freight to move the truck are a rare breed....Lazy owners well what can I say...
transporter
Expert Expediter
1st panther is not the only company that limits miles run per day/transfer loads. get use to it. even more cv companies will impliment this policy. Reason law suites. do to tired driving accidents.
not panther or fleet owner fault it is driver caused.
zoli if you new ovm you would understand what he was tring to say. not (get off the road go flip burgers to not good enough to be in expediting). but rather (take a more hands on aproach, pay attenstion to where load offer sends you, get paid for what load is worth, get more money if you know you will dead head exssive miles dont run d unit for a unit pay, do your matenance, PAY ATTENTION TO FREIGHT PATTERNS.)
ovm you shoulg change your avitar from a cat to a pitbull.
not panther or fleet owner fault it is driver caused.
zoli if you new ovm you would understand what he was tring to say. not (get off the road go flip burgers to not good enough to be in expediting). but rather (take a more hands on aproach, pay attenstion to where load offer sends you, get paid for what load is worth, get more money if you know you will dead head exssive miles dont run d unit for a unit pay, do your matenance, PAY ATTENTION TO FREIGHT PATTERNS.)
ovm you shoulg change your avitar from a cat to a pitbull.