Panther & Expeditors Services. Why so slow?

[Bruno]

The ONLY way to clear this up totally, [both of these stories] would be to hear from the owners directly. Unless we do, the whole thread is one big second and third hand [tale] story. I'd be a little wary of an explanation from a team who's bounced around three owners in one year.
Isn't it rather odd, that a search on this forum reveals no other stories even close to these two.
According to the replies i've read, this company has an impeccable reputation. Just can't believe the company woke up one day and decided to get all unprofessional and stuff. Is that fish I smell ?

For someone that only has 18 post and just joined EO. You sure are defending ES way to much. Now if you want the whole story here it is.

The reason that the drivers left Integrity Motor Freight and then went to ES was because the new Fleet manager wanted to change the lease they had with with Integrity Motor Freight. The drivers call me and asked if I needed a team,I told them that all my trucks was filled. I told them to call ES because I knew a few teams that had good luck with them and they had nice trucks. Now these drivers had already been on the road for 6 weeks without any time off.

They picked up their ES truck in Seville at Panther and found the truck dirty. I told them hey maybe ES didn't have time to have the truck cleaned. It happens sometimes in this business. They ran the truck for about a month and called me asking me if I could find them a load home because they hadn't been home for 2 1/2 months. I couldn't find them anything going towards Fl from where they where at. They called ES and asked if they could go home and was told no. Now remember this team had been away from home for 2 1/2 months. After sitting another day the lead driver called in and said hey I need to go home and that he would take money out of his own pocket to pay for the fuel going home.

The drivers got home to Fl and Panther called them to do a small load which they did. They went back home after the load. It's cheaper to drive back home than tolet the truck sit running waiting on a load. The drivers went out of service because they wanted to spend time with their love ones. Panther calls them with a load picking up in Miami, Fl going to Mi that was over 1500 miles. Now they had to deadhead over 250 miles to the pickup which Panther paid. When the drivers got their settlement sheets which they get by E-mail each week they found that they was charge $44.00 each for the deadhead to the pickup.

The drivers got mad and said they plan on not renewing their lease as it is a month to month lease. The lead driver called me and wanted to know if I would hire his co driver because he found another job out side of Panther. I said sure I will hire Neil because my step son needed a Co-driver. The Driver finshed their lease out with ES and ask me to pick them up at Panther. The lead driver asked me if I would take him to the airport so he could get on a plane home. I said sure, I met them at Panther in my SUV and waited and waited because they was cleaning the truck out and taking pictures because they didn't want to get charged a cleaning fee. They asked me to look in the truck as a witness on how clean the truck was. It was clean, as for the truck the steer tires needed to be replaced because they was cupping. The drivers got into my car and we went into Panther to talk to Patrica Wells at Panther.

I asked the drivers if they wanted to go look at a truck that was for sale about 15 miles from Panther and we needed to kill some time before I dropped off the lead driver at the airport. We went to look at the truck and the lead driver said if you buy this truck I will come work for you and not take the other job. I bought the truck and they both work for me and just got home yesterday for more than one day home because thats all the time they have had since New Years. Since leaving ES they where charged with the cleaning of a truck that sat a Panther for the next two days until the next team picked it up that I never seen a cleaning company come and clean because I was there.

I have asked the drivers to send me the e-mails and have sent them to a few EO members that can tell you what these guys where charged. I sent a very good team to ES and they was done like this. The reason I'm so mad is because I sent them their and it cost them money.

You can choose to believe me or not, I really don't care.
But you can find out for yourself if you dare. Now this post is old news. And Panther is not SLOW.

 

[Dynamite 1]

well, it seems that finally the rest of the story on es comes out. there always had to be more. no one is that great. i never had much of an opinion, other than i did not like the special deals they ask for and still dont. shame on the carriers for that also. did have a few friends that had a unpleasant experience with them but left fully paid and not over charged. however the reasons for leaving es were totally brought about by es over managing and a couple of misleading requests. bottom line anywhere is you have to cya in every way possible. even with a good fleet owner. it is the drivers responsibility to make sure all is right when you sign the line. if you are going to work for a fleet owner you should have the contract before you even decide which fleet owner you want. if they wont send an advance copy then dont consider them.

 

[jaminjim]

I wonder when ES went from the traditional 60/40 split, to the 35/65, anybody know?

 

[bubblehead]

I think its like any other company that size. Experiences differ. We had one couple that had issues with them over maintenance of the truck, primarily tires less than 2/32. They left to drive for another owner and are doing fine. Another friend had nothing but great experience. When they lost their co-driver, Es got the carrier to DH them to Dallas to pick up the new co-driver and even got the carrier to pre-dispatch them over all the other trucks that were already sitting there. Basically, ES was dictating to the carrier. As an owner, I am not happy with this favortism but they are doing what someone in their power should be doing...taking care of their own.
If I was ES, I would do everything in my power to get the "Lion's Share" of the high end quality loads...thats business. Since I am not, I must work smarter and be more vigilent.

 

[greg334]

I dont have a dog in this fight but I also won't recommend fleet owners to anyone with a few exceptions.

When they lost their co-driver, Es got the carrier to DH them to Dallas to pick up the new co-driver and even got the carrier to pre-dispatch them over all the other trucks that were already sitting there.

So they can't afford to move the truck form point A to point B?

Isn't it an indication of other issues within the management of the company?

It isn't the carrier's problem and this is one of these things with a few carriers who cater to the fleet owner.

Basically, ES was dictating to the carrier.

I agree, the problem is it sometimes screws the carrier and the other contractors in the long run.

As an owner, I am not happy with this favortism but they are doing what someone in their power should be doing...taking care of their own.

I would say that's right but there are other issues I see between maintenance and shifting of percentages that tells me that the are poorly managing the fleet and more so the contractors they have.

If I was ES, I would do everything in my power to get the "Lion's Share" of the high end quality loads...thats business. Since I am not, I must work smarter and be more vigilent.

But here is the thing I am seeing, if they are with Panther, that truck should never be idle. With the possibilities of finding and processing loads through Panther at 15%, they can make a lot of money. They don't want to leverage the advantages or the resources available and hence talk the carrier(s) into doing the work for them.

The same goes for maintenance, if the tires are "bald" or marginal, why is that? It would be in the best interest to have them replaced long before that without hessitation but again it is poor managment from what I am seeing.

I was told how to judge a fleet owner is simple - if they can run their company under their own authority with success, then they can manage trucks with a carrier.

 

[jjoerger]

When we drove for ES our only complaints were maintenance issues. Worn out tires, broken reefers, skipping PM's and plugged up regen systems on the CAT C13. We were always able to contact someone at ES 24/7 to get the problem resolved and our pay was always correct to the penny.
When we switched to another fleet owner to run TVAL on a 60/40 split we also had a good owner who was very maintenance savvy. His truck never broke down. And our pay was always correct.
We are now owner operators and know the importance of maintaining our truck. If it won't go we won't make money.
I have never understood why the large fleet owners scrimp on maintenance. It costs more in the long run to have a breakdown (especially on a run) then it does to do the proper maintenance when the truck is idle.

 

[greg334]

I have never understood why the large fleet owners scrimp on maintenance. It costs more in the long run to have a breakdown (especially on a run) then it does to do the proper maintenance when the truck is idle.

Because a lot of these fleet owners see big money without the understanding on how to run or manage any business.

 

[x06col]

When we drove for ES our only complaints were maintenance issues. Worn out tires, broken reefers, skipping PM's and plugged up regen systems on the CAT C13. We were always able to contact someone at ES 24/7 to get the problem resolved and our pay was always correct to the penny.
When we switched to another fleet owner to run TVAL on a 60/40 split we also had a good owner who was very maintenance savvy. His truck never broke down. And our pay was always correct.
We are now owner operators and know the importance of maintaining our truck. If it won't go we won't make money.
I have never understood why the large fleet owners scrimp on maintenance. It costs more in the long run to have a breakdown (especially on a run) then it does to do the proper maintenance when the truck is idle.

"HIS" truck???? Why did it take so long to figgure whom was where the rubber met the road?? Jes cause you bought a truck??? I jes don't understand WHY drivers don't pay attention to maintenance when it's not "their" truck!! It's samo, samo. Downtime.

 

[fastrod]

I was told how to judge a fleet owner is simple - if they can run their company under their own authority with success, then they can manage trucks with a carrier.

But why would anyone who can run successfully with their own authority want to lease to a carrier and give up a large amount of money?

 

[chefdennis]

fastrod wrote:

But why would anyone who can run successfully with their own authority want to lease to a carrier and give up a large amount of money?

Ohhhh...cash flow, sales teams, the expense of hiring support people, having people work in load planning and dispatch, finding freight for multiple trucks, getting paid asap instead of having to wait and sometimes wait months for payment and even not getting paid...the carrier takkes these exposures off the fleet owner..he can concentrate on running his fleet and keeping driver happy...

 

[greg334]

But why would anyone who can run successfully with their own authority want to lease to a carrier and give up a large amount of money?

There's more to it than money, as Chef posted.

 

[jjoerger]

"HIS" truck???? Why did it take so long to figgure whom was where the rubber met the road?? Jes cause you bought a truck??? I jes don't understand WHY drivers don't pay attention to maintenance when it's not "their" truck!! It's samo, samo. Downtime.

We as drivers would call every week asking for permission to have a PM done. Then be told to wait another week because they were out of maintenance funds. As drivers we would not pay to have there truck maintained. We did our pretrip inspections including checking the APU and reefer. We would report any problems directly to them. They did not want to have things fixed until they broke.

 

[fastrod]

fastrod wrote:



Ohhhh...cash flow, sales teams, the expense of hiring support people, having people work in load planning and dispatch, finding freight for multiple trucks, getting paid asap instead of having to wait and sometimes wait months for payment and even not getting paid...the carrier takkes these exposures off the fleet owner..he can concentrate on running his fleet and keeping driver happy...

But the original statement was a successful fleet owner with their own authority. If their running successfully with their own authority then all you listed would already be in place and a part of their success. Actually a successful fleet owner with their own authority is a carrier. What your listing here would be an example of a fleet owner good at managing 5 or 10 trucks but would be overwhelmed if they tried to become a carrier.

 

[sangchick]

hey there whats up?? i heard there was some stuff wrote about us?? i cant find it though.

 

[sangchick]

well i am sorry i did not get right back on here but i too have kids and a life so i can just stay on here and defend myself. but there is need to defend myself it is my husband and his team mate that was involed in this but, i dont ppl thinking that they are better then someone or know something that they have no idea about. i am sorry if i upset anyone i was just upset with the way ppl were talking bad about my husband and bruno. they both are really good ppl and would do anything for anyone. my husband works hard for his family and bruno was there for my family when we needed him. so i just to say i am not a one post wonder, but i am sorry for posting when i was mad. i hope everyone stays safe out there and god bless you all and your families.

 

[Bruno]

well i am sorry i did not get right back on here but i too have kids and a life so i can just stay on here and defend myself. but there is need to defend myself it is my husband and his team mate that was involed in this but, i dont ppl thinking that they are better then someone or know something that they have no idea about. i am sorry if i upset anyone i was just upset with the way ppl were talking bad about my husband and bruno. they both are really good ppl and would do anything for anyone. my husband works hard for his family and bruno was there for my family when we needed him. so i just to say i am not a one post wonder, but i am sorry for posting when i was mad. i hope everyone stays safe out there and god bless you all and your families.

Thank you for your kind words. I hope you post more on EO as I know your a CDL holder too. EO is a great place and you should try to make it to the Expedite Expo in July.

 

[easyrider2697]

well i am sorry i did not get right back on here but i too have kids and a life so i can just stay on here and defend myself.

Thats ok..most of us are the same way..ya know work and kids.

but there is need to defend myself it is my husband and his team mate that was involed in this

...well actually there was not a need for you to defend anything..it didnt happen to you..it was your husband and he showed us he knows how to respond...did you read anything that was said? Apparently not..noboby ever said anything bad about anyone..just wanted answers.

but, i dont ppl thinking that they are better then someone or know something that they have no idea about.

again..nothing like that was implied or said...

i am sorry if i upset anyone i was just upset with the way ppl were talking bad about my husband and bruno. they both are really good ppl and would do anything for anyone.

again..nothing bad was said or implied..all that was being asked for was clarity so we could understand what was going on.

my husband works hard for his family and bruno was there for my family when we needed him.

most all of us do that for our families too...glad Bruno was there to help ya out when you needed him.

so i just to say i am not a one post wonder,

ok..then prove me wrong..ranting and carrying on in one post and providing nothing to any other post makes you a one post wonder...prove me wrong please...feel free to give some insight , ask a question, answer a question, or join in the discussion on many of the ongoing post currently running in this site...at that time you will not be a one post wonder and then I will apoligize...seems pretty simple to me.

but i am sorry for posting when i was mad.

no biggie..I think we all have done it at one time or another.

i hope everyone stays safe out there and god bless you all and your families.

Thanks, we need all the blessing we can get at times...and again..welcome to EO.

 

[davekc]

fastrod wrote:



Ohhhh...cash flow, sales teams, the expense of hiring support people, having people work in load planning and dispatch, finding freight for multiple trucks, getting paid asap instead of having to wait and sometimes wait months for payment and even not getting paid...the carrier takkes these exposures off the fleet owner..he can concentrate on running his fleet and keeping driver happy...

I would add collections and load insurance into that mix along with access to specific loads that aren't generally available to a smaller outfits because of clearances, bonds, and insurance.
We have ran under our own authority in the past. Unless something changes, what we are doing now has been a better fit where I can use someone else's authority, avoid all of the above for 15 percent.

On a side note, if ES or another fleet owner starts skimping on maintenance or waiting until things break, followed by cutting the driver percent from 40 to 35 percent that should be a sign, IF that is accurate information.

 

[Loose]

I'd like to interject a little something here. My partner and I have driven for Expediter Services (leased to FDCC) for over 3 years. We started with them in a "surface expedite" truck, and were moved into a brand new DR truck 2 months later.

If we require maintenance on the truck, we get it. As for delayed PM's. yes, that happens. We're talking lube and oil change here, not something that will cause a breakdown (PM delayed maybe a couple thousand miles). Safety issues are taken care of immediately. There ARE issues with the 08's but they are the result of KW's poorly designed regen system over which ES has no control. A dead truck makes money for no one. I don't think ES in in the business of supporting dead trucks.

I cannot speak to the issue of pay percentage. We signed on at 60/40 and have always been paid correctly, and on time, plus more. Something you may NOT be aware of is that ES pays, in addition to the split, a percentage, or all of, certain assessorial charge that require more effort by the driver than simply driving the truck (labor, hazmat, security to name a few). Does YOUR owner do that??

I can't comment on cleaning charges. I have seen trucks turned in (or abandoned) that I would not set foot in. While not spotless, our truck looks almost new inside. We keep our truck clean, because it is our home.

As for the comment about ES telling FDCC to supply their truck with a load, sorry, didn't happen. We have been in plenty of situations where we couldn't BUY a load.

Loose

 

[Bruno]

I'd like to interject a little something here. My partner and I have driven for Expediter Services (leased to FDCC) for over 3 years. We started with them in a "surface expedite" truck, and were moved into a brand new DR truck 2 months later.

If we require maintenance on the truck, we get it. As for delayed PM's. yes, that happens. We're talking lube and oil change here, not something that will cause a breakdown (PM delayed maybe a couple thousand miles). Safety issues are taken care of immediately. There ARE issues with the 08's but they are the result of KW's poorly designed regen system over which ES has no control. A dead truck makes money for no one. I don't think ES in in the business of supporting dead trucks.

I cannot speak to the issue of pay percentage. We signed on at 60/40 and have always been paid correctly, and on time, plus more. Something you may NOT be aware of is that ES pays, in addition to the split, a percentage, or all of, certain assessorial charge that require more effort by the driver than simply driving the truck (labor, hazmat, security to name a few). Does YOUR owner do that??

I can't comment on cleaning charges. I have seen trucks turned in (or abandoned) that I would not set foot in. While not spotless, our truck looks almost new inside. We keep our truck clean, because it is our home.

As for the comment about ES telling FDCC to supply their truck with a load, sorry, didn't happen. We have been in plenty of situations where we couldn't BUY a load.

Loose

Yes most owners pay drivers on assessorial charges. My drivers get 100% od the unloading and 100% for the use of our pallet Jack even when we don't have to give the all of it. I do because it is hard work.