Warning Panther Drivers

eggd1ver · Dec 7, 2011

What ever you do if you take frieght to laredo tx you want to have a big BONUS TIED TO IT! Like 1000 dolars so you can get out of here been here five days no frieght. They send the back haul numbers every morning call all of them no back haul frieght.
What makes no biss. sense they continue to send trucks into this area makes us feel the only thing they care about is frieght so they can make money. We will make it though this but some peopie can't afford to sit a week at a time an survive also a hard time of the year not to be making money for a week.

cannedmeat27 · Dec 7, 2011

Easy fix dh yourself out unless ur too broke to do that or just refuse to go that way

eggd1ver · Dec 7, 2011

Generally if had info before hand that the freight was this slow I would not come here. 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. I don't think we hired on with this company to dead head 600 to 1000 miles for freight.

usafk9 · Dec 7, 2011

Learning curve usually takes a trip through the wallet.

What does sitting for 5 days cost you?

UncleTed · Dec 7, 2011

eggd1ver said:
they continue to send trucks into this area makes us feel the only thing they care about is frieght so they can make money.

Bingo. Loads go where the customer needs them to go. End of story. You have the option to deadhead or not.

x06col · Dec 7, 2011

I actually bottled 5 gallons of homade Elderberry whine yesterday.....now, all we need is the cheese. I kinda forgot that we are getting close to the whine season....maybe I should learn to make cheese.

ScoobyMagee · Dec 7, 2011

It is all part of the game. When we don't want to play we take our marbles and go home. At least it is a good timeweather wise to be stuck there, it could be HOT!!!

MCGohio1985 · Dec 7, 2011

this is not a panther thing it is laredo and it all the time when i godown there i sit 48hr then move to the J IN BAYTOWN TX it is about 5 hr and i usley out with in 24 hr give or take so moving is some times better then siting there

Fkatz · Dec 7, 2011

Hi All,

If you in Lorado, ever think of looking at the load board for something that might take you out of there,
But you have to find out from Panther if you could use there insurance and DOT Numbers,

If they allow it it can get you to the Freight lanes, If they allow it they will take approx 20% of that load. At least it pays for Fuel.

When I was Driving I use to do it for areas that freight nill or none. and got permission from the company. It might be possible

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copdsux · Dec 7, 2011

Remember the old joke, on Hee Haw: "Doc, it hurts when I do that." Doc says, "Well. don't do that." Seems to apply here.

Steady Eddie · Dec 7, 2011

eggd1ver said:
What ever you do if you take frieght to laredo tx you want to have a big BONUS TIED TO IT! Like 1000 dolars so you can get out of here been here five days no frieght. They send the back haul numbers every morning call all of them no back haul frieght.
What makes no biss. sense they continue to send trucks into this area makes us feel the only thing they care about is frieght so they can make money. We will make it though this but some peopie can't afford to sit a week at a time an survive also a hard time of the year not to be making money for a week.

Throught- You will not deadhead out because if you get a load out of there it will be a good one? A lot of folks have this throught process and rightfully so. However, after 5 days spend money to make money. A 1,000 dollar bonus? Wow, I'll go there once a week for that! When you unloaded, and checked on how many units in your group were there, that is when I will dicide to move on my dime or not. Drop and stop, or turn and burn? You dropped and stopped and now you have lost loads because you did not move, waitting on that good run out of there is not always a good move to make. Chances are you are going to have to deadhead out away, so why wait 5 days in one spot. Work your way north and east.

davekc · Dec 7, 2011

Hey Frank,
That is always a option that is still there except they do 15 percent verses the old 20. Certain carriers, (Panther being one of them) will have occasional hemorrhaging down there because they are competing with numerous bargain haulers.
Just amazing how low some will go.

Kyle06 · Dec 7, 2011

Yeah for some reason for the last 6 months Texas has not been a good area for us, if we go we know we are going to sit for a few days, so now we give it 48 hrs if not out by then we DH out

60MPH · Dec 7, 2011

davekc said:
Hey Frank,
That is always a option that is still there except they do 15 percent verses the old 20. Certain carriers, (Panther being one of them) will have occasional hemorrhaging down there because they are competing with numerous bargain haulers.
Just amazing how low some will go.

So right on that one

, I can't charge enough for a unit to go down there. Rates are always in the toilet for vans going in and out of there. I don't even bother with that area anymore. Even if a van makes 1.40 to the truck to go down there, he is either going to lose money sitting or take something way to cheap to get out or dh out. Even the LTL van size freight rates are pitiful. Its because ST8 and T/T are picking up 6 to 10 pcs all at .30-.40 cents a pc to make some money on the way out. I am not against doing that in a larger unit, but a van moving a pc for .30-.40 cents. It's not worth it to the owner of the truck in the long run.

Now I could see if the vans were making closer to 1.65-1.80 loaded then I could see about 200 mile DH out reasonable, but what is really within 200 miles of Laredo?? Eagle pass or Del-Rio though's would probably be the better relocation spots, but the rates are not the greatest there either.

Now a team van will do better as a team larger unit will to. But for a solo I do not recommend it. If you are with a carrier that limits your drive hours as I do. Most expedite van loads out of there are 1000 plus miles. and running then darn near straight through is not the safest nor smartest thing to do, especially this time of year.

paulhorvat · Dec 7, 2011

I always planned on a dh out when I went there before I ever left. And I did the same for many other places too. Just the cost of doing business..good Luck!

BigCat · Dec 7, 2011

Been there done that. $1000 bonus isn't likely at panther.

You could use the load boards we have access to and get a backhaul. We always accept Laredo loads if the miles are good.

Also if offered a mini take it to get the first out.

Monty · Dec 7, 2011

Beaver Dam, Ky to Eagle Pass, Tx ... $1.59 a mile. I sat Monday and left. Now at the Pilot in Weatherford.

Had one load offer yesterday to Seattle, but it didn't come through.

"IF" I accept a load down there, I plan on deadheading out. It is not Panther, it is Laredo.

Your experience now prepares you for the next time you are offered a load to the border.

Choose wisely!

BigCat · Dec 7, 2011

Notanewbie said:
Beaver Dam, Ky to Eagle Pass, Tx ... $1.59 a mile. I sat Monday and left. Now at the Pilot in Weatherford.

Had one load offer yesterday to Seattle, but it didn't come through.

"IF" I accept a load down there, I plan on deadheading out. It is not Panther, it is Laredo.

Your experience now prepares you for the next time you are offered a load to the border.

Choose wisely!

Correct. The TA there looks like an expediter convention. More than just panther.

tenntrucker · Dec 7, 2011

cannedmeat27 said:
Easy fix dh yourself out unless ur too broke to do that or just refuse to go that way

That's my rule, " NO LAREDO". Went one time back in January of this year and learned my lesson.

Sent from my DROID X2

chefdennis · Dec 7, 2011

As has been pointed out, its not Panther, it is Laredo...you haven't been here long enough to have heard about the guy sitting down there for 26 days or another sitting for 9 days before he was DH'd out...and neither of them worked for Panther and they also worked for different companies at the time..

One thing to keep in mind about the "border towns in Tx and Ariz..and this isn't stedfast, but itis a pretty good rule of thumb.. If you drop and don't get out by FRIDAY Evening, Sat NOON at the lastest, you could easily be there till WEDS!!!!

See freight out of those towns coming up from Mexico, can reall be just 3 days of outbound stuff...If freight isn't on the shippers dock by friday and in your truck by friday night or Sat by noon, it ain't goin for the most part...Then, nothing happens on Sunday...then it takes Monda for mexican inbound freight to clear customs...then Monday night Tues to get to the warehouses and then late tues and weds to get in position to be shipped.....

The above is why alot of guys will turn and burn if they drop on a fri and they are 3rd or 4th out or if there are 10-12 or more vans at the "J" and TA.... You can stay and wait out for that "big long load, cause it will come, or you can contract with a company that pays you to sit for a few days then pays for a good empty move or you can turn and run out on your own dime...but if you go there, just know that you can be there a while...oh and Houston ain't much better!!