Three days before the buyout I brought my new Sprinter on with Con-Way NOW, and my paperwork on that hadn't really even filtered through Con-Way NOW at because they had left Panther specifically for Con-Way NOW, and they quickly left Panther again, much like the straight truck team mentioned earlier. One important customer in particular they had to court for a couple of years before they got them back. I would imagine that if another carrier buys Panther, the same thing will happen with several of their customers, too. The buyer may not lose as many drivers and trucks initially, or they may lose more, as Panther is very fleet owner oriented, so large numbers of trucks could stay, or bail, en masse. I'm sure incentives to stay on for owners, and maybe drivers, will accompany any sale, though.
I'm all for your last thought.