Where are Sprinters doing good?

JDenn5567 · Jul 15, 2013

Hi everyone. Looking for some feedback. We are doing a helluva lot of sitting and getting pretty fed up.

Any information on how Sprinters are doing at Load One? Express-1? Try Hours? Tri State? Anywhere but Panther. Wife and I are team. Lucky if we get 1,000 miles a week right now. I know its slow, I know its July but I talked to a few other drivers who are not running as bad as we are at other companies or sitting as long. Been with Panther for 42 days and going in the hole more week after week.

Thanks in advance.

Lawrence · Jul 15, 2013

With a company like Panther - 42 days isn't nearly enough time to see if they are a right fit for you. Don't be tempted to jump ship so early...that can be costly and create more strain on cash flow.

RoadTime · Jul 15, 2013

JDenn5567 said:
I know its slow, I know its July but I talked to a few other drivers who are not running as bad as we are at other companies or sitting as long. Been with Panther for 42 days and going in the hole more week after week.

Thanks in advance.

You pretty much summed it up for yourself. There will always be drivers having better or worse weeks then others, even within their own carrier. Sitting is the nature of the beast. I agree with Lawrence, way way too early to even think about making a switch.

Moot · Jul 15, 2013

JD, are you new to expediting? Do you turn down shorter loads because you are a team? Will you list some of the places you have sat for more than 24 hours? I'm surprised as a team you aren't getting more loads. I'm with Panther in a regular van, driving solo and often see teams load out ahead of me. Could be because they are closer to the pickup, but I do believe Panther favors van teams.

Before you switch carriers share some of your recent loads with us. I guess at 42 days, it's all recent. Maybe you're sitting too long in poor locations or refusing short loads. I agree with Lawrence and RoadTime, 42 days isn't enough time to judge a carrier based solely on lack of miles.

noneya · Jul 15, 2013

JDenn5567 said:
Hi everyone. Looking for some feedback. We are doing a helluva lot of sitting and getting pretty fed up.

Any information on how Sprinters are doing at Load One? Express-1? Try Hours? Tri State? Anywhere but Panther. Wife and I are team. Lucky if we get 1,000 miles a week right now. I know its slow, I know its July but I talked to a few other drivers who are not running as bad as we are at other companies or sitting as long. Been with Panther for 42 days and going in the hole more week after week.

Thanks in advance.

Hell, I could have told you that Panther is not where it's at, especially in a cargo van. Even when I drove a straight truck (team), they didn't keep me busy enough. Never drive for Panther, you will be babysitting a truck/cargo van.

SENT FROM YA MAMA'S HOUSE

Moot · Jul 15, 2013

noneya said:
Hell, I could have told you that Panther is not where it's at, especially in a cargo van. Even when I drove a straight truck (team), they didn't keep me busy enough.

Why not help the original poster and the rest of us by telling us "where it's at", ya know?

noneya · Jul 15, 2013

Moot said:
Why not help the original poster and the rest of us by telling us "where it's at", ya know?

It's at ya mama's house! LOL J/K!

SENT FROM YA MAMA'S HOUSE

Moot · Jul 15, 2013

My mama is long dead. Try again.

Steady Eddie · Jul 15, 2013

Have you learned their system? Make it work for you. Team in a Sprinter will, or should do well no mater where or who you are signed on with. You want to run more for less? Just so you don't have to sit? Then you have already ID'ed some of those in your list above.... Stay there for a little longer, get a good out look, and see if you can come up with better ways to improve your load opps. Remember, Do not fall for the More Miles ploy, that = less pay in some.

It all comes down to luck... Get lucky, learn how to do that and you will be fine.

What works for some may not work for you. What is a good carrier for some may not be a good one for you. Give it 6 months to learn the ins and outs, and another six months using what you learned. You'll see, knowledge is great. Hang in there as long as you can.

JDenn5567 · Jul 22, 2013

Thank you for your feedback. I know that 42 days is not long enough but as a team we were not expecting this.

The longest load we have had was 947 miles. Everything else has been 200-700 mile loads. We have yet to see a full week of work. The longest week we had was running 4 days. And we have not turned down any loads. We take the good with the bad.

We ran straight truck for another expediter for a few years but as we are getting older we downsized to save money. Plus the company was just a small company from Indiana and while we have nothing bad to say about them we knew we could move on to what we thought was bigger and better things because their freight was drying out. We are really questioning our decision now. What sold us was the recruiter selling us gold and we should have known that was too good to be true. He made it sound like we would be getting 2,000 + miles a week. Our biggest week was 1,237 miles.

We will give Panther a few more weeks to see what happens. If nothing changes I think we have it narrowed down to a few other companies we will try. Hell maybe its time we retire...