[greg334]

I don't know what you are all complaining about.

I thought that the panther life was great.....

I thought that you all made that $1.20/mile straight truck and .77/mile for the vans all the time. *not including FSC or am I wrong?

I don't how you all can use the word cherry pick when you don't make the offers.

As x06col, your only customer is really Panther and they control things. Doing Brokered loads is not a slam dunk, am I right?

Also, I don't get the 'change the rate after you accept it' thing at all. You have a contract about exclusive use of your services to service panther customers, so how is it that they can tell you one rate and then after the freight is on the truck, change the rate? Or is it that the freight has to be delivered for you to find out this info. Seems to me very underhanded, unethical and somewhat on the border of possibly illegal. How many of you actually told them that you refuse to deliver what is on your truck after you took it to delivery and took it back to the shipper?

[Fr8 Shaker]

Greg, I think the rate change that they are talking about is in the f.s.c. when it comes across the qc it is stated that it is an estimated f.s.c. and they don't know what they actually get for the f.s.c. until they get their statement.

[OntarioVanMan]

How can they not know what the FSC is?? they have to quote a shipper...sounds fishy.

[greg334]

Originally Posted by Fr8 Shaker

Greg, I think the rate change that they are talking about is in the f.s.c. when it comes across the qc it is stated that it is an estimated f.s.c. and they don't know what they actually get for the f.s.c. until they get their statement.

Still, I stand by my post.

If they are in business to make money, then they should not play games with stupid policies - eat the cost to move the freight at what is accepted between the owner and the company or tell the customer that it will cost this much and that's too bad. To me, they are like my first company, running over dollars to chase pennies and it is very bad business in the long run.

[OntarioVanMan]

Greg...remember Panther is not a true trucking company but just a financial investment company the happens to be in the trucking business...They prolly lease the computers, lease the building don't even own the pot to **** in...could be gone tomorrow if things go sour and not look back. The sequel could be P3....

[Fr8 Shaker]

Originally Posted by greg334

Still, I stand by my post.

If they are in business to make money, then they should not play games with stupid policies - eat the cost to move the freight at what is accepted between the owner and the company or tell the customer that it will cost this much and that's too bad. To me, they are like my first company, running over dollars to chase pennies and it is very bad business in the long run.

Yeah Greg I couldn't agree with you more... penny wise, dollar foolish!

[Moot]

Greg, the following is sent out via QC and e-mail after accepting a load. It is a disclaimer stating that what ever was agreed upon is subject to change. The change I have had is to the mileage. Always less than the load offer and once as much as 8%.
------------------------------------------------------------
You have accepted the following rates
in relation to this PRO. As an
independent contractor, it is your
responsibility to ensure these terms
are in accordance with your contract
and agreed upon terms with dispatch.
(Estimated terms are subject to change
based on paying customer contract.)

ESTIMATED MILES: 438
RPM: 0.80
OR FLAT RATE: 0.00
ESTIMATED FSC RPM:
ESTIMATED DH MILES:
DH RPM:
OR DH FLAT:
DISP: QC 02-19-08 19:17
----------------------------------------
HANDLOAD: 25.00
BONUS: 125.00
DISP: QC 02-19-08 19:17

Load may require a swap based on
meeting customer needs and to ensure
compliance with FMCSA regulations.
Rates will be changed accordingly.
Please contact dispatch with any
discrepancies. Please be safe.

[OntarioVanMan]

Moot...isn't that a load of crap? You mean they don't know the actual mileage? Sounds like a disclaimer from hell!!!

[cheri1122]

In other words, they're telling you that they can change any of the numbers, later, and you have no grounds for complaint - sounds just like the mythical megacorporation on an old tv show, called "Wesayso" (the Corporation, not the show). What an excellent way to maintain that revolving door of contractors!
And 'cherrypicking'? If loads are turned down because they aren't profitable, (businessman first, remember), then the loads would seem to be the problem. Calling folks who refuse to make a profit for the carrier, at their own expense, 'cherrypickers' shifts the blame to the businessperson who has every right to make decisions in their own best interest. How about putting the blame where it belongs: on the carrier that booked the load? If they can't find anyone willing to take the load, they ought to be looking at factors other than the drivers, IMO.

[OntarioVanMan]

Cheri...it's not all about crappy loads...even good paying loads say 3-400 miles are turned down for longer ones.....as this is always a business persons proagative the right to say aye or nay...do you really think it's good for the business....

[bearcat44]

I left Panther II in December 2007 at that time the mileage, according to dispatch was from the shipper, along with what ever the FSC was. I found out from my very first run I was almost always driving more miles then I was paid for whether I followed their directions or used my own Atlas. near the end of my short career with Panther II I accepted a load from Illinois's to Georgia the Pro said 695 miles. I drove just over 400 hundred and notified Dispatch I was going to take a nap. It was midnight and I was due 11 AM the coming morning. Dispatch said "you can't stop for long you still have 400 miles and change to go". That can't be I'm past halfway, "no your not" When I delivered my odometer read 815 miles. When I informed my "Team Leader"
he said we pay by what the shipper Say's is the milage. Sometime we are a little off it evens out in the end. Unfortunately I didn't stay long enough for it to ever even out.

[cheri1122]

OVM, it doesn't matter what I think, when someone turns down a load, because it's literally not my business - it's theirs (if they habitually turn down loads that are not long enough to suit their preferences, they probably won't be in business for very long, IMO)
What I'm saying is it's wrong to blame folks for turning down unprofitable loads, because we're in business for ourselves, not the carrier. I think it's also wrong to hold a dispatcher responsible for getting a load covered - if the load is unprofitable, they have to persuade someone to take it. But if no one will do it, is that their fault?

[greg334]

OVM,
It don't matter what others think, unless you are sitting at that computer making the calls, there may be 100 reasons why someone would turn down a load. blanketing the subject is not really, well .....good.

Sorry but being paid flat rate rather sucks to me.

Thanks moot for that post of the disclaimer. I don't mean to be offensive but I may be but truthfully why drive for a company that gives you maybes?

Maybe the miles are X, maybe the FSC is X - well the last time I looked, the earth hasn't grown or stretched.

I said this before, telling people that they can't stop, micromanaging the boards (no excuse to me) are two reasons I would say not to be contracted with a company, but that's me. If I am told I can't stop for a rest, come get the load, because I am resting or if we agree to something, we agree and that is a contract for services. Once the game is played, the trust is gone and no disclaimer can be used to bridge that trust that the company destroys.

I may just look at this all wrong but they are the ones in control and they are a trucking company. I know that if they don't get a 'load' covered by one of their trucks, it goes to a Disney like load board (yes I am being sarcastic) and someone will pick it up and they still make money.

[OntarioVanMan]

greg said "OVM,
It don't matter what others think, unless you are sitting at that computer making the calls, there may be 100 reasons why someone would turn down a load. blanketing the subject is not really, well .....good. "

Agreed!

[Turtle]

That "load receipt" disclaimer is mostly a load of crap. The miles listed is the same number of miles that was on the load offer, and they will not change unless the load gets swapped out. If the load offer said 582 miles then the load receipt will say 582 miles, and that's how many miles you get paid (unless someone makes an error, one that's easily corrected).

The FSC is an estimate based on the customer contract. More often than not the actual paid FSC is a fraction of a penny more than what is listed. It may say a 25 cent FSC, and at settlement time is ends up being 25.21 cents, or something like that. Sometimes it's a few cents less, but that's very rare, and sometimes it's a few cents more, and that's equally as rare.


As for the cherry pickers, the most often scenario for that is the drivers who will sit back and wait for a run of at least 500 miles. A lot of that it Panther's own fault. They cater to, and heavily recruit, fleet owners. If you drive a van for a fleet owner and you're making 40%, then 40% of $.77 is 30.8 cents per mile (if you're making 60%, then about 20% goes for fuel, so it works out about the same). A 250 mile run gets offered, and you're looking at making $77.00 for that run. You take that and deliver, only to find yourself 7th on a board that does 2 loads a day. It might be two days before you get another load. The next load offered might only be 300 miles, or less. Two, three, even four of those in a week and you'll nearly starve. As the owner of the van I can afford to take that 250 miles load in most cases, but if I were driving for an owner I couldn't. I'd sit back and wait for 500 miles or more. And that's precisely what's happening. And then, Panther has the nerve to complain about cherry pickers.


Cheri:
"The Wesayso Development Corporation"

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