question for panther drivers

[butterfly610]

I have a question for anyone who has worked at Panther during the "slow season". This will be our first one. We started back in March, and it was slow, but not too bad. What can we expect as a team as far as this slow time is concerned. I mean, from areas that are good usually anyways. Is it where you sit for countless days, because right now, unless we're at home, we don't ever have to sit for more than a day 1/2. It seems like most of the time when we come home, we sit available for several days. Kinda dreading, but curious to know what it's like. I figured there were some of you who'd been here long enough to know what to expect. Thanks

 

[themagicoen]

What slow season? It's only slow if you make it! I started in January a few years ago and didn't stop for more than a few hours for a month.

 

[butterfly610]

How would I make it slow? If it were up to me, I'd be running all the time. Just lots of people say that January-March are a slow season for freight. We've had really busy weeks, but you can only control so much of when you get a load. Believe me, if they'd give them, I'd take them. But what can you do when you're in a good area, not many trucks around, and you dont get any load offers? I don't sit for more than a day 1/2 usually because I need to make money. I also know this type of driving requires a bit of patience, so we do wait for a load sometimes. Can't make any money just DH everywhere. Sometimes the situation warrants doing that, but not always. I'm just wondering from anyone else who has experienced this to let me know what it was like, cause all the owners I've talked to say that Jan-March are slower than normal.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

It's all in your head! Ooga booga booga! If you think positively, freight will magically appear in your truck! LOL

I can only mention what I experienced a few years ago as a solo. The slow period was depressing! Not saying everyone experienced what I did. Just saying what I went thru. Best thing I can say is to expect the worst... then you won't be surprised if it actually happens.

-A bore is a person who opens his mouth and puts his feats in it. - Henry Ford

 

[slfisher45]

No one knows the answer but if you DH to a good traffic lane and get a job right away, does it make more sense than sitting in a slow area?

Deadheading is usually the truck owners decision. They usually let the driver make the decision up to a certain distance. That veries tho', I imagine.

I live in a very slow area. When I go home I stay in service, because if a job comes up I go. That is why I like the text message program, I am made aware of a load without being in the truck. When I go back on the road without a load I will go OS on vacation for three to five minutes, then become available. I usually get an empty move to a high traffic area 160 miles away. The $36 helps.

As stated before by the A Team, The first quarter is the slowest, the fist week of the month is the slowest and the first couple days of the week are the slowest. There is always work. Percentages help.

 

[hondaking38]

you all arent being completely honest (sure to stir the hornets nest) its slow this time of year..always will be slow this time of year, i am in a real good freight area and no loads.not last year this time, nor the year before.. theres less freight out there then from the golden era of expedite.. its a time for vacations, family. gettinng things done around the house, and once in awhile a load..jan,feb,mar,apr, are tradidionally slower months, you make half what you did during the peak months, last year mine extended into may jun and july.. there was no huge surge in business, as predicted.. now is it just me that this happened too??? no i keep in contact daily with 5 other panther drivers over the phone, we talk daily share our runs and to where and the fuel surcharge,its the industry.sloooowwww

 

[Tennesseahawk]

We aren't being totally honest? About what? How YOU'VE done this time of year? Sorry... but I know some ppl who've done outstanding the first two months. Granted, they weren't with Panther; but I'm sure there are those Panther drivers who go on a hitting streak in Jan/Feb.

Last year, I was on the verge of making Jan/Feb very good months; and both months I got sick when I stopped by the house. Maybe I'll just wait till Mar to go home if things are cooking again this year. We'll see.

Definitely more about luck this time of year. And the general consensus is that it's bad luck.

-A bore is a person who opens his mouth and puts his feats in it. - Henry Ford

 

[butterfly610]

Thank-you for being honest. I appreciate that, and that sounds like what I've heard, just wanted to kinda confirm it from more people. Not looking too forward to it, but we'll get through it.
We do deadhead to better freight areas, and usually get a load right away. I'm just saying you can't make any money if ALL you do is DH...I've had weeks where all the DH miles equal all the paid miles. Doesn't make too much sense. I also realize sometimes you have to. THat's all I was saying about that.
We have good percentages, but I've come to realize that almost doesn't even matter. You know how many times we've been 7th on a board and gotten a load offer 5 minutes later because we were only 10-20 miles from the shipper? I think they just look up who's closer, and they get the offer. Unless of course the person has terrible acceptance or on-time. Which we don't. It's just that I see loads coming out of from where I live, and plenty going to it, but I never hardly see these loads. WE wait available for like 2-3 days, and there isn't anywhere to really move to. Texas is too big to do that, plus there's not really anywhere to great to get a load from, except Laredo. We always do good there. I only live 25 miles from a board.
Anyway...thanx for being honest about the slow period. At least I won't be in shock when we're waiting more and getting less money. And if we have a good week...that'll just be nice!

 

[slfisher45]

Sharing info with 5 othe drivers doesn't give you any idea how the industry is doing. Can't get a true picture from that.

This is from two Panther drivers I talked to this winter. The first said he turned down 17 straight loads in Michigan, but he didn't say how long he sat. I don't even know if he was telling me the whole story. The other driver said he sat in Chicago for four days before he got a run to Michigan. After more conversation he said he turned down four runs during that period because they were less than 200 miles.
You never get the whole story..........

 

[arrbsthw]

If Panther is anything like FEDEX you will never get sent to your
home area.

 

[x06col]

NEVER??? Is a long, long time!!!!

Now, you newbees make note, that, Jan to Mar may be slow. When things are banging the rest of the year, keep on banging it, and take your time off when you don't want to. At least you'll have some funds while you are off. Make sense???

 

[butterfly610]

It sure seems like never sometimes (lol)....seriously...we've asked to be on hometime before. For Christmas, this is the first time we've ever gotten a load within 200 miles of our house. And we live in Houston. When we got hired we were told this was a major freight area. Plenty of people I've talked to say that they can't use the hometime request to get home. Fortunately our owners work something out with us so we can DH home when we need to. We've hardly ever come here to go home. We've just had to visit relatives who live kind of central to major freight areas. I just think that would be a really good thing to improve on. I was really thankful and surprised when we got the load offer to come close to the house for Christmas. It was nice of them.
I know it's slow this time of year, I was just wondering HOW slow? How many days can you expect to sit and wait for a load, what's typical? I know you can have really good weeks when they say you shouldn't be, but in general, that's not how it works. My problem is that it seems like you'll have one really good week and think you'll have money left to save, and then the next week pretty much nothing. So then you end up having to use that money for the next weeks bills.

 

[Falligator]

How slow? <refer to my post about load boards. I've been sitting available since friday and i live in ohio.

 

[davekc]

Some of it depends on how proactive you are. Why wait on Panther? They are all gone for the holidays for the most part, just like we are.
We plan for that, so no big surprises.
Last two years, Jan through Mar we were real busy. With a sagging economy, it is too hard to tell what this year will be like. Most of it will depend on how many trucks are out against the available freight.
As mentioned, plan for slow, and be happy if it is busy.










Davekc
owner
23 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[mrgoodtude]

Last quarter was a big disappointment for us and 1st quarter 07 knocked our socks off..
Be patient a little longer if it means that much to you and if come Feb you don't feel better then do what your heart tells you.
Mike
"Don't Taze me Bro"

 

[RLENT]

I'm not with Panther so I can't reply to that aspect of it - but on the Friday the 21st I had just dropped at 06:00 in Greenbay ....... after grabbing some more sleep I woke up at noon and wandered over to Starbucks for my morning fix. Came back to the truck and spent some time on the phone chatting with the wife and a couple of friends.

About 14:00 or so the phone rang and it was Dispatch - he wanted to know if I might be interested in a load picking up around 18:00 in Rockford, IL going to Gahanna, OH (Columbus) - said the pay wasn't fantastic - but it would get me within 120 miles of home ......

Given that what might turn out to be the worst storm thus far this year was on it's way to Cheesehead land I told him 'Sure, you bet !" He said "Well I just wanted to check before I bid on it and make sure we were on the same page."

I'd been out for three weeks at that point and really wanted to be home for Christmas - and I have to say I really appreciated them making the effort ...... especially given that I hadn't even asked - it is something I'll remember - particularly the next time the call comes in asking me to cover something that is less than desirable for one reason or another.

R Wyan
Bolt Express
Unit No. C148

 

[Moot]

Randy, the correct reply is "ya sure, you betcha".

 

[RLENT]

LOL !!!

Yeah, yeah I know ...... thanks - I'm still trying to get it down ..... this was my first time up in that neck o' the woods. ;-)

It was pretty funny - I have a friend that lives in Burlington, WI southwest of Millwaukee ..... normal Midwest accent - pretty much the same as my Ohio one.

But ya head up the road a little bit (like to De Pere where I dropped) and it's a whole different ballgame ..... the guy who was waiting on the parts I dropped off was like:

"Sooo ..... ya had to go down there to Rock Island to get my parts didja ?"

"Soooo .... are ya gonna be headin' home for the holidays then ?"

I could have sworn I crossed the border when I went over the bridge across the Fox River. :7