Sprinter load ?

[blizzard2014]

Now the key to getting your monies worth out of any expedite vehicle is to never, ever, ever buy new. You are going to severely depreciate the vehicle within the first 12 months of owning it. We also know that Chevy, ford, sprinter, and whatever van you decide to buy can run for hundreds and thousands of miles. So, when you buy a van of any type with a hundred thousand miles on it, you are in essence buying a very new van. Every cargo van I have purchased has had at least 100k miles on it and I never had to do any major repairs on them until the 300-350 K mile range. I would put tires on them, lifetime alignment, spark plugs, wires, belts, belt tensioners, idler pullies, oil change, transmission flush, coolant flush, rear end service, brake fluid replacement, power steering replacement, lube, and that would be it. I had at least 200 to 250 thousand miles to save up money and prepare for major repairs. After the 350k mile mark, I would replace the alternator, battery again, brakes, rotors, shocks, ball joints, clutch fan for the radiator, radiator, water pump, and all routine maintenance, and all would be good for another couple hundred thousand miles. On the Chevy vans, sometimes the rear main seals would need to be replaced before the 300 K mark, but that is due to a design flaw in the van. All other components and brakes were good! When you buy new you lose at least 10K right off the bat. You can argue this point with me until the cows come home, but I will never buy a new van for expedite.

 

[xiggi]

Well, you don't understand the way Panther operates. Panther didn't really distinguish between sprinters and cargo vans when I was there. Everyone I knew at the time was running good with just cargo vans, and the sprinter vans were always getting one and two skid loads for the most part. I think Turtle can elaborate on this issue in more detail than I can since he has a sprinter van and was recently leased on to them. I don't know how they operate now, but I know that sometimes they will list longer, taller, and heavier loads on their bid board with the notes "sprinters ok!" That means the loads is going to go cheap. Maybe they market their sprinter vans and box trucks differently. Perhaps Moot can come on here and tell us how Panther is doing things these days!

Actually I do, I drove at panther junior college in 98 and hauled a good number of tall loads. They didn't pay extra for sprinter loads but they certainly utilized them.

 

[mjmsprt40]

the question should be....how many loads do you lose because of your size?.....regular vans getting loaded ahead of you because dispatch is saving you for the BIG one?.....I've actually had this happen to me....

I have undoubtedly lost a load today because it would fit in a car--- and dispatch wanted to hold me for a vanload. So--- it works both ways. Lose loads because you're not big enough--- lose loads because you're too valuable an asset to blow off on a couple of boxes.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I have undoubtedly lost a load today because it would fit in a car--- and dispatch wanted to hold me for a vanload. So--- it works both ways. Lose loads because you're not big enough--- lose loads because you're too valuable an asset to blow off on a couple of boxes.

Those are the little things that will drive you crazy out here you just have to let them go and just go with the flow

 

[Ragman]

Those are the little things that will drive you crazy out here you just have to let them go and just go with the flow

 

[blizzard2014]

Actually I do, I drove at panther junior college in 98 and hauled a good number of tall loads. They didn't pay extra for sprinter loads but they certainly utilized them.

You were with Panther in 98. Man that is a long time ago. Maybe they do differentiate between the sprinter loads and the cargo van loads. I never really noticed it much. My friend was teaming with his wife in an extended cargo van and would get sometimes 10k miles a month. He also never had many problems with the loads being too tall for his van. I might consider eventually buying a Dodge Promaster once some good used ones come onto the market. I just have never really had any trouble staying busy in a regular cargo van. The only reason I would go bigger is for comfort. But then again, I don't spend a lot of time sitting in parking lots. I don't consider my van to be my house. It's just a money maker for me.

 

[xiggi]

Lol 08 my bad.

 

[blizzard2014]

Lol 08 my bad.

I kind of figured that. Did they even have sprinters back in 1998? lol

 

[Turtle]

I kind of figured that. Did they even have sprinters back in 1998? lol

Yes, beginning in 1995,but only in Europe. They didn't hit North America until 2001.

 

[tumbleweeds]

How would anyone know how many loads they lose because of height? Dispatch isn't gonna call and say, hey we had a load but you can't take it, na na na na.

With Landstar I would call on a load that was on the load board or sent to me via email. The agent would give me the dimensions and they were too tall. Some times they were too long. The Chevy was 12 feet. The Promaster is 13'3". This has allowed me a few more loads.

 

[Moot]

• Panther still doesn't pay any more for "Sprinter" loads. The first week out in my Transit I was giving them 144" of floor space. My very first load was two pallets at 56" high. Later that week I got a 3 pallet load so I folded up my bed and stack some personal junk. It was only a 250 mile load and delivered direct that night so I didn't need my bed. After that I changed my specs to 124" floor space. Since I don't get paid extra I won't give up my bed.

 

[blizzard2014]

• Panther still doesn't pay any more for "Sprinter" loads. The first week out in my Transit I was giving them 144" of floor space. My very first load was two pallets at 56" high. Later that week I got a 3 pallet load so I folded up my bed and stack some personal junk. It was only a 250 mile load and delivered direct that night so I didn't need my bed. After that I changed my specs to 124" floor space. Since I don't get paid extra I won't give up my bed.

Wow, they do keep track of the size of the vans. I'm betting those two long and tall loads you got were billed to the customer at a small straight truck rate and Panther just pocketed the extra money. They could have also bid those loads at a cargo van rate just to get you loaded and snag them away from another carrier. But being that we're talking about Panther here, I doubt they didn't bank some extra coin on those two runs. You were right to limit your available cargo space.

 

[Turtle]

I'm betting those two long and tall loads you got were billed to the customer at a small straight truck rate and Panther just pocketed the extra money.

I can't speak to what they are currently doing, but I know for a fact that they did that while I was there. They also, on several occasions, booked a straight truck, which picked up the load, and then swapped the load out to a Sprinter. Every time they did that with me, I asked for, and got, more money than the regular van rate - usually $1 per mile plus the FSC. If they balked, I just told them to send a cargo van for it, that I wouldn't run a straight truck load for a cargo van rate. They couldn't, because it wouldn't fit in a cargo van - too tall.