Im starting to make my exit plan!

[underdog777]

Been with panther for almost year and a half. Whats crazy is ive had some of the best weeks ever with them.But the bad out weighs the good. Ill start out by telling unit size and my stats for the newbes that read this. Im in a ext e350 cargo van . Ive never been late on one load. Saftey is a 100%. My in service is at 85% due to issues at home. And here is the one that i dont like accept rate 71%. But that is why im getting out. I feel that panther either has got to many vans or not enough freight for vans. What happens is most the time i dont get loaded till wed. Then i might get a load thurs.Then comes friday im sitting most the time for the last two months with around 800 to 900 miles for the week. What is the norm of late is 150 to 300 mile runs for the weekend then you sit till wed. So unless that load on friday is putting me closer to the house or in a very hot spot for freight i turn them down. I know some of you will say take em all. But if you take em all you will be out of business and not by choice. I feel that if they would give me loads earlier in the week. I might take the junk on fridays. But thats why im getting ready to call it over. And i will do it on my terms not because they tried to break me.

 

[wvcourier]

Im doing pretty good with Panther, and most of my good runs come on Friday,.... like the run im on now... almost 6 hundred miles with layover pay. But my acceptance is almost 100 percent. I only refuse loads with high dh and low line haul miles(dosent go against your percentage if dh is over 40 percent of LH) unless they sweeten the deal, or it puts me in a better position. I also never ask for Hometyme anymore(its more or less a gimmick, and ends up penalizing you) i just go with flow, and if im within a gas tank of home on friday, i might dh home, but still stay in service.

Sent from my Teddy Ruxspin

 

[OntarioVanMan]

remember when you first started and you had all that energy and you chased down everything and ran every load....every load was an adventure, an experience....and now....we get experience and it is all downhill....LOL

 

[Monty]

This is December, and freight is always down.

Check your stats for the quarters, don't do weeks .... they will disappoint you everytime.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

and then you start meeting them grumpy old farts in truckstops who tell you your doing it all wrong....and you start changing....and they introduce you to EO and meet even more old farts who tell you this and that and again you'll change...that darned carrier I'll teach them to try and make money off me...I'll tell them "no" more often and be more selective and negotiate every load for a few more pennies....and if that don't work...I'll really teach them and go OOS and show them who the boss is.....
Because I am an Independent Contractor...!!!

 

[zorry]

Hey, I NEVER met him, anywhere.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Hey, I NEVER met him, anywhere.

LMAO....I have....

 

[tbcabs]

LMAO....I have....

I have met him too... It was the Canadian guy that never answers his phone...LMAO

 

[underdog777]

Yes ive done some readjusting from when i started. But it seem to work ok for awhile. At first i would almost take anything. Then i started staying in the box AL,TN,KY,OH,MI,IN,IL WI,PA. I was making a better profit staying in the freight lanes. Cause you go outside the box and i seem to have to deadhead alot more often. And i just couldnt see dh 800 - 1000 miles with no pay. I mean empty move they give you .16 a mile it didnt even cover fuel. So after time wasted and money spent, i learned in the box, i would come out with more money in my pocket, at the end of the week. And with less miles put on the truck. Maybe i should switch back up. But im thinking that at least with panther dispatch controls your miles and money!

 

[Moot]

Ill start out by telling unit size...

Let's not get too personal here or I'll have to ask a moderator to lock this thread.

I feel that panther either has got to many vans or not enough freight for vans.

Its both! That's pretty much an industry norm and not just specific to Panther.

Where are you delivering to on weekends that you end up sitting until Wednesday for your next load? If you take a 300 mile load on Friday and deliver direct, use Sunday to relocate to an area where you have a better chance of scoring a load on Monday. Where is home? If you are home and in an area overrun with vans, move out Sunday night.

But thats why im getting ready to call it over. And i will do it on my terms not because they tried to break me.

From the gist of your post, I'd say they already broke you.

 

[Moot]

Then i started staying in the box AL,TN,KY,OH,MI,IN,IL WI,PA.

You can stay in that box if you like, the real trick is staying away from all the other vans in that box. Mostly it comes down to closest to the freight. Let your experience be your guide, not a convenient truck stop close by with 4 other Panther vans.

 

[underdog777]

Yea they broke me just not bankrupt yet!! This last week was a straw breaker! Left from Nashville board deliver first load of week in Indy at 2 on Thursday morning sit all day then Friday at about noon first load was a 171 mile load turned it down no load for about 30 mins till they call with the same one took to Louisville so here I sit back on Nashville board! Of late I can be anywhere and sit for days with out loads.

 

[JohnWC]

Underdog i stayed with Panther 8 years we finaly parted I took off came back to a small company
I'm happy and they seem to be happy with me rember what you've learned and use it

 

[asjssl]

Yea they broke me just not bankrupt yet!! This last week was a straw breaker! Left from Nashville board deliver first load of week in Indy at 2 on Thursday morning sit all day then Friday at about noon first load was a 171 mile load turned it down no load for about 30 mins till they call with the same one took to Louisville so here I sit back on Nashville board! Of late I can be anywhere and sit for days with out loads.

Never understood how a 1 person operation makes any $$ @ panther...

Sent from my Etch-A-Sketch

 

[underdog777]

After this post, I haven't had time to rest. About ten thousand miles since post

 

[Jason2]

Glad your running bud.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Never understood how a 1 person operation makes any $$ @ panther...

Sent from my Etch-A-Sketch

some of us never understood that about Bolt either....other then running mega miles....95% of 100% off the top and then what 59-60% of that total..

 

[davekc]

Never understood how a 1 person operation makes any $$ @ panther...

Sent from my Etch-A-Sketch

It is a secret. Might want to ask someone with the clues.

Moot said,

You can stay in that box if you like, the real trick is staying away from all the other vans in that box. Mostly it comes down to closest to the freight. Let your experience be your guide, not a convenient truck stop close by with 4 other Panther vans.