panther II allowing employees to own trucks

ellielilly · Sep 29, 2005

talked to two owner ops for panther. they were upset that employees are able to own trucks, even the owner. they asked me who i thought got the best runs if the employees own trucks. this seems highly un fair any response to this.:'

LDB · Sep 29, 2005

This comes up every so often. There are several threads on the board if you do a search. The hopefully short answer is there may be a very very small percentage of trucks overall that are owned by employees. A few of that very very small number might be owned by dispatchers.

Dispatch is composed of dozens of people who work a specific geographical area. Dispatch is a hectic place. The dispatcher is responsible for getting every load covered. Their reviews and salary are dependent on performance. They don't have the time to play favorites even if they want to. Combine that with the fact they are only there a limited number of hours and they only work a very limited section of the country and it makes it pretty darn hard to play favorites. It would take converging coincidences of the truck being in their sector during their work shift.

Basically, you'd have to work your way from 100%, 10%, 1%, 0.1% to somewhere around 0.0x% or one percent of one percent possibility of it ever affecting you. It is basically just something for drivers who aren't doing well to blame rather than looking at their work ethic, business practices, etc. Don't worry about it.

Leo Bricker
OOIDA 677319
truck 4958
73's K5LDB
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

davekc · Sep 29, 2005

As mentioned, this has been addressed recently. There are a handful of employees that own trucks but they are NOT in dispatch. The percentage of these trucks within there entire fleet is a very small number. It would not seem likely that there is enough of them to ever affect another driver.

Davekc

mvbn1 · Oct 1, 2005

>As mentioned, this has been addressed recently. There are a
>handful of employees that own trucks but they are NOT in
>dispatch. The percentage of these trucks within there entire
>fleet is a very small number. It would not seem likely that
>there is enough of them to ever affect another driver.
>
>Davekc

Dave, I have spoken with at least two different Panther drivers, who drive for an owner, who happens to be one of the "top dogs" at Panther. Both of them told me that this person has over 25 trucks on the road, and get this, when they call into Dispatch, they call a totally different number then everyone else! Kinda like a "personal" dispatcher.

If this is true, I guess it would shoot holes in everyone theroy about "affecting other drivers".

teacel · Oct 1, 2005

Those employees who own trucks may be on what is known as a house accounts. The employees I know who own trucks, with other companies, get to cover the trashy runs when no one else is around to cover them. Deadhead is high as well. This is done at a few places, now whether P-II does it or not I can't say.

This has been going on since the beginning of time. Put yourself in their shoes. If the company owners do it or let them get away with it, and you were in their position you would do it as well, so why cry about it. Bitchen on the forum isn't going to change it, the only thing your mention of this will do is get you more trashy runs. Those same truck owners and dispatchers read this forum daily.

I only say this so you maybe think before you start typing away out of anger. Sometimes people make things up to get other drivers upset, or they only tell half truths. Out of those who own trucks and run how many do you think are allowed to turn away the trash? Don’t always believe everything you hear.

I own a few trucks and my drivers get all the trash! Because they get a weekly pay ck, but the IC Drivers live off the trips so I give them the better runs.

LDB · Oct 1, 2005

>when they call into Dispatch, they call a totally different
>number then everyone else! Kinda like a "personal"
>dispatcher.

Might have been the extension I had to call for a run a couple of weeks ago that had some MAJOR issues going with it. It wasn't the stealth line to magic dispatchers with primo runs it was the Houston we have a problem line.

Leo Bricker
OOIDA 677319
truck 4958
73's K5LDB
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

Broompilot · Oct 1, 2005

This has nothing to do with Panther but with Drivers. You know how you listen to a conversation between two other drivers or maybee your involved.

Driver A is telling Driver B or you how much he makes, how hard he works and how SMARTer than everyone else he is.

Take all rumours with a grain of salt alot of BS out there and most of it could not be backed up with a pay check or 1099.

Since I am on this topic, I just agree with those drivers especially when they tell me I am nuts for staying out over weekends, not being on a dedicated run etc... They do not understand the Expediting Industry, nor could they it is not just truck drive-in its a business.

davekc · Oct 1, 2005

Mbvn1 wrote;
Dave, I have spoken with at least two different Panther drivers, who drive for an owner, who happens to be one of the "top dogs" at Panther. Both of them told me that this person has over 25 trucks on the road, and get this, when they call into Dispatch, they call a totally different number then everyone else! Kinda like a "personal" dispatcher
=====================================================================

Their information is partly right, and partly inaccurate. Their special number takes them to one of the dispatch supervisors. Looking for loads is generated through customer service. Calling dispatch or a dispatch supervisor isn't going to generate a particular individual loads. Even more so between three offices. The other number is for special services. Again, that doesn't generate a load.
The one individual "top dog" is not in dispatch, but in the safety dept.
Keep in mind, whether it is Landstar brokers or Fedex agents, they as well own trucks. With the larger fleets, it makes little difference. 25 trucks out of a 1000 truck fleet hardly shows up on the radar screen. I would also add, that it is not likely all 25 are available and running at the same time.
Again, nothing I would put alot of stock in regardless of the company, unless it was a large percentage of trucks.

Davekc
owner
21 years

devarga · Oct 5, 2005

While this is correct, it is also not allowing the drivers who drive for the owners special treatment or loads... The largest "mini fleet" That I am aware of with panther is a owner has over 40 trucks on with panther and I would say well over 50% are currently leased to the operator at a lower amount than the contracted rate. They do call a specific number, this was provided due to the large number of trucks this owner operates. The owner also has been given a office at the main terminal to allow him to keep the trucks out on the road(keep drivers in the trucks)... I actually drive for a owner who works for panther but do not get special treatment and operate the truck like it was myown... I can defenantly say that I deal with quite a number of problems just like everyone elts....