panther dead zones

[guest]

I ve been reading many post about panther problems.. and cant stay silent ..they are a pretty good company..but I have noticed with my time with them 7 mo that dispatch seems to wheel adeal a little underhanded...sometimes and I have sat at truck stops with fleet drivers and mysteriously not offered a load when being number one. on the bourd. with driver next to me gettn an offer. .. makes me scratch me head hummmmm... but I have made some miles and ran into some good people ...atten arizona, colorodo.. dont let them tell you how good it can be .. bad areas!!!!! dont go sat twice in pheonix 5 + days went from 2nd to 3rd on the same bourd twice in one week..hummmmmmmm

 

[Vinnie T]

This is the nature of expedite. Feast and fammine! Run all the loads you can, you can turn down loads but eventually dispatch will stop calling you! It's a catch 22. I would tell them you will take loads for other trucks like a van if your a straight truck etc. to keep the wheels moving from the tough areas. Like anything else, if you been there only a few months you need to prove your self to the dispatch..it is that way at any company. If you kick butt and take names..dispatchers will make YOU the first call over the other guys. Dead zones exist in all expedite companys.

 

[guest]

thanks ..brother,, Im hanging in there .. have you heard anything on fed ex???

 

[guest]

Well, I'm not a Panther owner. I have friends and family that are with Panther. My friends seem to do well with Panther and FedEx. They have trucks on at both places. Others had trucks on with Panther and now there with FedEx and some had trucks on with FedEx and now there on with Panther. Everyone has their own Company that they like to run for.

On the other hand, Scott T. Why would you fight with someone on here? It just makes you look bad and Panther too. I was glad that Leo locked that post. Thanks Leo


Drive safe

Dave Mayfield
FEDExCC/Roberts Express O/O Since 3/1/1995
C1847,C2045,D3397,D5047

 

[Vinnie T]

No problem Bro!

I would say overall folks have better things to say about Panther then most Expedite firms. They have A LOT of freight!!! You can't deny that. I am not sure how proactive they are at moving thier trucks from the tough spots. IMO most expedite firms are not proactive enough. But if you get a few dispatchers on you side they will keep you moving. They would rather put a go to guy on a load and sleep good at night then have to worry about a weak driver messing up a load. They would also IMO prefer to give a lesser load to one of their own trucks ..like a van load with 1-2 skids on a straight truck rather then brokering it out. I have worked with thier dispatch quite a bit..they are demanding but fair. They seem on average well trained and on the ball compared to most dispatch departments I have worked with.

BTW I know a guy with over 40 trucks leased on with Panther if that tells you something.

To make a long story short..the grass is not always greener!

Vinnie

 

[davekc]

We've been both places and currently Panther is the best fit for us.
One just has to find what is the best carrier or opportunity for them.








Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[scootr68]

>Well, I'm not a Panther owner. I have friends and family
>that are with Panther. My friends seem to do well with
>Panther and FedEx. They have trucks on at both places.
>Others had trucks on with Panther and now there with FedEx
>and some had trucks on with FedEx and now there on with
>Panther. Everyone has their own Company that they like to
>run for.
>
>On the other hand, Scott T. Why would you fight with someone
>on here? It just makes you look bad and Panther too. I was
>glad that Leo locked that post. Thanks Leo
>
>
>Drive safe
>
>Dave Mayfield
>FEDExCC/Roberts Express O/O Since 3/1/1995
>C1847,C2045,D3397,D5047


Check the posts David...If the person had told the whole story instead of just smearing us then I would have had nothing to say. There was no fight, just someone not telling the truth. I work for Panther and have for 9 years. I bleed Panther and will defend it when mistruths arise with my last breath. No company is perfect and we are not as well...last I checked everyone in this industry is human and subject to err. I get bothered when I see lies or simple misinformation being posted on here. I will also answer any question that I can about Panther if I'm asked. I'm here to help bridge an understanding between my dispatchers and you the drivers' but will come out swingin if pinned into a corner with deception or lies. Three things I cannot tolerate are liars, thieves and complacency.

Thanks

Scott
Panther Operations Supervisor

 

[creekindian33]

we have the same problem ive been in phoenix now 7 dayes i started out in 3rd went to 2nd then back to 3rd now im number 1 for the last 2 dayes two other trucks was here but now they r gone i work whith panther in 2000 they say they have changed i cant see it if ur not a fleet owner u r nobody whith panther i will not stay ill move my truck first of next year

 

[huntn1]

yeah been there and done that. i jumped ship a while back. i have heard if it is truck payment time and things are tight you can call and talk with them and they might throw you a bone to fetch. i aint begging for no load.

 

[creekindian33]

not everything people say is a lie abought panther just because they dont treat one that way does not mean they dont treat others that way i was whith panther in 99 an if u did not owen atleast 5 trucks u got all the bull sh an it is still that way today i was forced into panther this time im only here long enough till my co way contract runs out main reason is there is to much favortism in dispatch con way did not alow that if u dont go to canada they take 6 cent a mile from u what a crock of sh it use to not be that way they dont pay extra for haz mat they use to well they have to pat con way drivers 58 percent extra or they breach the contract there r other carriers out there that will run ur truck just as good if not better then panther whithout going to canada AN IF THE DID NOT CATER TO FLEET OWNERS Y R THEY GETING 1.35 A MILE Y IF THER DRIVERS DONT GO TO CANDA THEY R NOT CUT IN PAY PANTHER IS FULL OF IT, ur best bet is to get out asap

 

[tec1959]

Well I have to say when I was with Roberts Express I was In a "DR" Unit and stuck 5 days In Phoenix,And disp would not let us move because we were the only "DR" unit for 750 miles.So both companies are good companies and both have express centers/layovers that suck sometimes and you will get stuck from time to time.I don't think Its any one more than the other....

 

[scootr68]

>not everything people say is a lie abought panther just
>because they dont treat one that way does not mean they dont
>treat others that way i was whith panther in 99 an if u did
>not owen atleast 5 trucks u got all the bull sh an it is
>still that way today

When dispatchers send out loads there is nothing on the screen that distinguishes a single owner/op from those that are fleet owners. I've seen this on here a ton of times and it simply is not true. Anyone that has spent any time observing the dispatchers can tell you this...and no Randy, it has never been nor is it that way today!



>i was forced into panther this time im
>only here long enough till my co way contract runs out main
>reason is there is to much favortism in dispatch con way did
>not alow that if u dont go to canada they take 6 cent a mile
>from u what a crock of sh it

This one I still cannot understand...my people have no time to play games with favoritism. In the fast paced environment of getting loads covered we will look for the best accpetance percentage if time is tight for a p/u. So say if the driver has a 50% accepetance compared to the guy with an 80%+ then guess who is getting the load. We sometimes do not have the the luxury of time to try the drivers' with horrible acceptance rates.


>use to not be that way they
>dont pay extra for haz mat they use to well they have to pat
>con way drivers 58 percent extra or they breach the contract
>there r other carriers out there that will run ur truck just
>as good if not better then panther whithout going to canada
>AN IF THE DID NOT CATER TO FLEET OWNERS Y R THEY GETING 1.35
>A MILE Y IF THER DRIVERS DONT GO TO CANDA THEY R NOT CUT IN
>PAY PANTHER IS FULL OF IT, ur best bet is to get out asap

No,we never paid extra for hazmat. Fleet owners have the option to take the 1.35 but they are also responsible for a lot more charges from Panther than the single owner who is making a lesser rpm. Yes,if you do not go to Canada you get a lesser rate. We have customers in Canada that have to move freight as well...these same customers also have loads in the states. So if we start refusing the loads to/from Canada then guess what the customers will do? They will take "ALL" their freight elsewhere and then you find less loads overall and more sitting.

 

[Dynamite 1]

i started out w/p2 in 2000 and went to conway shortly after and as you all know were still there when they sold us out. we were conway blue all the way. but in reading these posts i get the impression that p2 does not always dispach loads on a first in first out basis. that drivers with a low acceptance will sometimes be passed over for loads? also did not realize that they took money away if you dont go to canada. i understand they have alot of freight up there but they also have alot of trucks. i would think they could cover their freight and not penalize their o/o that choose not to go. we did not transfer our contract to p2 for our own reasons which i will not discuss, does not matter. just caught by suprise by these posts, are they true about dispach and canada and sre there any other differences from what we would have been use to at conway. we are learning quickly that we were being taken a whole lot better care of than most are use to. thanks, tnt

 

[cheri1122]

After just a couple weeks with Panther, the first one OOS for the Expo, (Which didn't do anything good for my availability rate,lol), my biggest problem is the lack of local satellite directions, which we got at CW. Now, we get local directions from the customer, and we all know how accurate those are sometimes - not. One of my first Panther loads involved mostly off the interstate, middle of nowhere roads, on both ends, so the timing was pretty tight - and I'd have been on time if the directions had said North instead of South! I was 6 minutes late, which would not have happened with GPS directions. The price we pay for the QC is the same, but the GPS directions are not available with Panther, and when time is short, it can make a huge difference!
My other complaint is wait time on the phone, not only because we are paying for every minute on hold, but my phone likes to beep with other calls, every time! I don't answer, but then have to catch up after I talk to dispatch.
I ran a load to Canada yesterday. It cost me $13, in a van, which meant a $12 payment, from the $25 paid. As it took a full 2 hours to get from Windsor to Detroit, I think that's not worth it for $12. The potential for problems with brokers, added to the bridge traffic, makes Canada even less desireable- and I happen to like Canada!
Last, I was not aware that Panther doesn't pay extra for hazmat, in which case the extra risks involved are not acceptable, period. I want to be happy at Panther, but I work hard, and expect the compensation to reflect that.
I will say that everyone I've spoken with is quite helpful, which says a lot, considering they weren't expecting the addition of so many "new drivers" either.
As the wise DaveKC always says: businessperson first, driver second. I want to like Panther, but I need to succeed as a businessperson.

 

[dhalltoyo]

Excellent post!

I am a HUGE believer of QC map directions.

A previous carrier I contracted with had those turn by turn with milage directions. That software is not expensive and it well worth the minimal investment.

Every carrier should incorporate it into their system as the benefits far outweigh the cost.

1. It allows dispatchers to look for loads instead of finding directions.

2. It really helps a driver at night, or during inclement weather, when you can not easily see the street signs.

3. It helps to assure the driver will deliver the load in a timely manner when the schedule is tight.

4. It allows the driver to properly set the pace of his travel by knowing the distance of travel for each portion of highway being traveled.

All carriers need to get onboard with this software.

 

[bernieh48]

Well I really have to agree with Cheri on the directions thing. Not only can you NOT get local directions, half the time you can't even get the customer on the phone either because the contact phone number is for a person not at their desk at all. Then when you call P2 they only have the same number. Also the routings they give you are terrible. They route you on non truck routes with low overpasses and everything else. If it wasn't for my computer I would have been late several times already. Also just a FYI for anyone with a laptop that needs good directions I have been using milemaker.com and is has been great. Click on Get Directions and put in your starting point and ending point and it will give you the direct routes and even give you a big map and a little detailed map of the ending point. Great website to use if you don't have mapping software. Hope it helps. By and large though I think P2 will work out all the bugs all right!

 

[panther_art]

Let me say first off,Panther vans do not do hazmat. If you get a load offer that is a hazmat load u need to call safty and let them know because sometimes dispatch will make a mistake and send a hazmat load over to a van.

If you can't find the shipper qc dispatch and they will get on map quest and send the directions to you from were you are.

Someday the vans will have the new qc's put in I hope.

As far as waiting on the phone I know that is really bad.

Been expediting for 3 years now 1st 9 mos with Panther then a year as a driver with a Conway owner, loved Conway only left because the owner that I drove for was a bad owner. I only came back with Panther because the first owner that called me was a Panther owner.

I now own my own van and do very well expediting (1Van)

As far as I am concerned I really don't care what name is on the side of my van when I am out there I am driving for myself I do what is feasible for me I get a load offer I say yes or no thats my decision.

I talk to no dispatchers that way I don't have to listen to them beg.

In the 3 years driving I bet that I have only talked to dispatchers 10% of the time. All my communication is don't over the qc.

Panther Art

 

[davekc]

Cherri,
You are too kind.
With regards to the GPS, we have a new QC in one of our trucks that will be GPS equipped eventually. Qual-comm apparently had a problem with the software for this application. Once that is corrected, your QC will have all the information and on screen picture and info.
Currently, like others, our teams use their own mapping software for all directions.







Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[MR.SNAPPY]

Scootr68, I have been with panther going on 3 1/2 years now and have seen a lot of changes in the years some good some bad.I would have to say it was a poor decision to purchase another company.here are some the reasons for my thoughts.not enough dispatchers to handle the amount of extra calls.the Qualcomm system is overloaded and backs up sometimes for hours.if you have a problem or need a question answered good luck after being on hold for 30 minutes then they lose you trying to transfer your call to the right person.the best thing panther ever did was having a driver relations department.have you ever tried to have a load offer that you where hit with as a refusal removed from your record from the same dispatcher that gave you that refusal.good luck.i am spending more time and money on the phone with this problem almost every day.when we had a person to go to in driver relations at least they had a unbiased opinion.I keep hearing to bare with you as these changes will take time.well this time is costing me money.today i had a load offer that i was charged back a refusal not a legitimate one as i did not have my hours back in time to make it to the pick up.spent half the day trying to get this matter resolved.the biggest problem with this bogus refusal was i lost my board position and went to the bottom of the list.now it is friday night in Greenville SC, and no load.I am not trying to bash Panther and I enjoy working for them but this year has been a tough one to take. I feel better getting this off my mind and I hope every one has a safe weekend MR.SNAPPY

 

[scootr68]

>Scootr68, here are some the reasons for my
>thoughts.not enough dispatchers to handle the amount of
>extra calls.

I don't disagree with you on this one. We have been pumping new people through the 2 week training program. Ten more come out to the floor on Monday.The other problem is that these new people won't be 100% for at least 3-6 months. There's just way too much to learn on our computer system to be able to absorb it all. The whole buyout caught us off guard as well,We knew when you all knew. It's been very crazy and we're trying to keep up with all the changes. Unfortunately we're still 3-4 weeks out before you see some system changes that are greatly needed.



>the Qualcomm system is overloaded and backs up
>sometimes for hours.if you have a problem or need a question
>answered good luck after being on hold for 30 minutes then
>they lose you trying to transfer your call to the right
>person.the best thing panther ever did was having a driver
>relations department.have you ever tried to have a load
>offer that you where hit with as a refusal removed from your
>record from the same dispatcher that gave you that
>refusal.good luck.i am spending more time and money on the
>phone with this problem almost every day.when we had a
>person to go to in driver relations at least they had a
>unbiased opinion.


The Qualcomm issues are actually not from overload but due to an issue at Qualcomm itself in San Diego.
Those driver relations people are still there. They are now team leaders for each driver team. They're actually more accessible now then ever before. Each DM you speak to now has the ability to remove refusals made in error.



>I keep hearing to bare with you as these
>changes will take time.well this time is costing me
>money.today i had a load offer that i was charged back a
>refusal not a legitimate one as i did not have my hours back
>in time to make it to the pick up.spent half the day trying
>to get this matter resolved.the biggest problem with this
>bogus refusal was i lost my board position and went to the
>bottom of the list.now it is friday night in Greenville SC,
>and no load.I am not trying to bash Panther and I enjoy
>working for them but this year has been a tough one to take.
>I feel better getting this off my mind and I hope every one
>has a safe weekend MR.SNAPPY

It's been a pretty tough year for a lot of you out there. The economy has not been as great as we forecasted and with automotive sales slowing and fuel prices rising it's been a trickle down effect to say the least. Usually we in expedite feel a slumping economy 6 months before the rest of the nation feels it. They are trying to work on a system where you do not lose position when getting hrs back. Sorry for your problems you had today. Wish I could say it never happens but it does. We're trying