Panther recruiter called me...

[bigairbrucey]

I am a 42 year old male living in NEPA, I have a CDL B with air brakes and tanker endorsements. I have 1+ years experience driving as transporter/hiker moving empty vehicles around the country. I have driven everything from bobtail tractors to crane trucks to chevy tahoes to school buses. I get paid 45c to 50c/mile and get fuel reimbursed and tolls reimbursed. I pay for my motel stays and transportation after the job. sometimes i get a paid ride back home sometimes i spend 18hours on a greyhound bus.

I saw a cool looking straight truck blow by me on I80 last week and i looked up Panther Premium logistics and filled out the driver's ap. a Panther driver/recruiter told me that i was qualified and wanted to team me with some stranger. I said no but i might be interested in solo work. He called me the next day and now he has work as a solo driver but i might be asked to take on co-driver in the future. I asked him what the pay was like and he told me that i get 60% of the trucks earnings and I get 29c/mile fuel surcharge. I pay for the fuel and tolls but the tolls always get reimbursed if i ask for them.

I have to pay $11/week workmans comp and I asked him was there anything else he said no other fees or deductions. He told me that was no forced dispatch and i mostly stay in the rust belt and north east and south east.

Questions for the forum:

Does all this hold water? What other surprises can i expect?
Can a legal solo driver make a decent living doing this?
Who else has started this way?
I have family in the Detroit area. Should i tell them i will be visiting often?

Thanks

Bruce

 

[Ragman]

Questions for the forum:

Does all this hold water? What other surprises can i expect?
Can a legal solo driver make a decent living doing this?
Who else has started this way?
I have family in the Detroit area. Should i tell them i will be visiting often?

Thanks

Bruce

The thing to remember, in expedite (as opposed to general trucking) your are driving for a truck owner, not the carrier.......

The pay sounds like the standard 60/40 split.

I would ask to be able to talk to other driver of this owner (both past and present) for any questions you may have regarding this owner.

 

[pelgrn]

I don't think you were talking to a recruiter.I think that's a fleet owner,ask hm what the trk gets paid per mile,how long you can stay solo,get a contract sent to you and read it carefully if you wanna stay solo make sure that's in the contract.Also if ya team how does the 60 percent get split.

 

[bigairbrucey]

He's not a official recruiter he is a guy that finds drivers for the fleet owner and also drives.

 

[LDB]

Find out the rate per mile. For straights it used to be $1.20. I don't know if it has changed. At $1.20 you get 72cpm plus 29cpm fsc for $1.01 total. You pay fuel which is .4x per mile so you have 50 something cents per mile left, provided there isn't too much idling or unpaid deadhead to dilute it too far. The big question is how many miles a week and that's a complete gamble and fluctuates significantly. As mentioned, get a copy of your contract and study it well. Good luck with your decision.