Warning Panther Drivers
- Thread starter eggd1ver
- Start date
Hubby & his team driver (St truck) unloaded friday morning in Laredo and has been at the TA ever since. They finally got a load this afternoon..at a reduced rate...going to Detroit...YAY! The FSC is also pitiful but better than the EM rate, which they were offered yesterday...I'm glad they waited it out one more day.
BTW, we are leased to Panther.
BTW, we are leased to Panther.
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Sometime you have to take a 1.10 a mile load with a .24 fsc to get out of Laredo, Tx. If the freight is going to Michigan it is worth it for those kind of miles.
Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
Wow I guess we are lucky. We always seem to get right into Laredo and back out. Only time we sit is if something is going on with the border like being closed for one reason or other. We have been with E-1 over 2 years now and and have never even been offered a reduced rate load. Fuel surcharge is always set. This week it is 40 cents a mile. We drove for Panther when we first started expediting. If I remember right you guys should be able to send a macro to see how many loads have gone out of a given area before accepting a load? I seem to remember sitting in Laredo 5 years ago with Panther for 8 days once. If we didn't sit we would get a little 100 or 200 mile load to like San Antonio or Houston. 
Wow I guess we are lucky. We always seem to get right into Laredo and back out. Only time we sit is if something is going on with the border like being closed for one reason or other. We have been with E-1 over 2 years now and and have never even been offered a reduced rate load. Fuel surcharge is always set. This week it is 40 cents a mile. We drove for Panther when we first started expediting. If I remember right you guys should be able to send a macro to see how many loads have gone out of a given area before accepting a load? I seem to remember sitting in Laredo 5 years ago with Panther for 8 days once. If we didn't sit we would get a little 100 or 200 mile load to like San Antonio or Houston.
Can't really compare because E1 runs at much lower rates.
pearlpro
Expert Expediter
Went to Laredo recently and waited all day for my backhaul, But I have other areas I will DH from/TO its something you have to be prepared for, Ive done several Deadheads to get back to the freight. When I was in Laredo there were definelty MANY Expediters of all sizes camped out in both truck stops.
With the new truck stops there Its not as bad as the Old Pilot used to be, now theres lots of parking and security, But its the Border and thats what happens there, sometimes the wait sucks
With the new truck stops there Its not as bad as the Old Pilot used to be, now theres lots of parking and security, But its the Border and thats what happens there, sometimes the wait sucks
Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
Saw an ad for Panther advertising for o/o's and drivers in one of the truck stop guides. Said pay was 1.49 for straights then in the fine print said the 1.49 included fsc. If you put our fsc and linehaul togeather like that we make more then the Panther truck. Is just all in the divy.
We will take runs to Laredo if the money is right. We ALWAYS drop the load and head out within the hour. We don't like Laredo and won't stay there. Invest in a tank of fuel and head to Houston or Dallas. We have been dispatched out of San Antonio once but would not count on it. Its weird but we really like Eagle Pass. Go figure. Of course, there is very little freight out of there also. So we have a drop and run policy. Business means that sometimes you have to spend $60.00 to earn $800.00 on the next run.
BigCat
Expert Expediter
And also the last owner I drove for called to see why we weren't getting that and they told us we needed hm,Canada and a lift gate to make that. I don't know why though.
Scuba
Veteran Expediter
Believe it or not but Panther would rather not send trucks to Laredo either but like it was said once already that is what the customer needs. And I say that because if you’re in an area where freight is poor then how much are they making from your truck and their trailer investment? But if they don’t service those customers someone else will. With that said those customer’s will also call someone else for their other loads as well.
60MPH
Expert Expediter
It cost more than just fuel to operate a truck. Thinking something only cost fuel (60.00) is why the van rates are so pitiful for some area's. That mind set has to stop. If T/T and ST8 trucks operated like that there would be tons out of business.
You are right. running a truck costs more than just fuel unless it is a throw away van. I just dropped 5k in repairs to get my van safe and legal again and I have no van payment. Half of the money I saved up went right back into the van.
The FSC is not included in our contracted base rate.
Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
The fsc is not included in our base rate either. What I said is Panther was advertising 1.49 average for straight trucks which looks pretty good. But when you read the fine print below the ad it says the 1.49 is based on the line haul and the fsc added togeather. If we add our linehaul and fsc togeather we make more then 1.49 a mile the panther straights are making.
Generally if had info before hand that the freight was this slow I would not come here.
If you didn't know the freight situation in Laredo before accepting the load, you have only yourself to blame.
Where not privy to that info as that would cut them out freight to haul! And as far as DH out of here if you don't think that I didn't look at that your sadly mistaken every things has been plugged for five hundred miles and I'm not that broke. Don't really want to spend all my profits to move from place to place want be in biss. very long.
Then you need to put more into the decision on where to go, because DH out is a possibility that is magnified in Texas. That's not the carrier's or the customer's fault, it's a reality you need to take into account, or you won't be in 'biss' very long.
I don't think we hired on with this company to dead head 600 to 1000 miles for freight.
I don't think you 'hired on' with them at all, but if you did, don't employees get paid to move?
I'm pretty sure that's Panther's basic business plan; haul freight and make money. It's really not such a bizarre concept when you consider Panther is a freight transportation company. I know my basic business plan is haul freight and make money. If you are not willing or can't afford to deadhead out of Laredo, Minot, Valmy or Detroit on your own dime, and won't ask for a bonus, then don't go to these places. It might be time to re-evaluate your business plan. It really isn't all about the miles.
Yes, and I see they are now advertising on EO @ 1.59 so I'm assuming that's with FSC included also.