slooooooooow

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guest

Guest
You can take every load...for me only 300+..I not a Panther employee
 

joebob1_30132

Expert Expediter
Hey dog houz.. your are a curious exception to the slow rule ...make that money ..cuz you along with only a very few others are doing really well every week and month.. the rest and (this has really become an overused explannation, not really valid with a majority of good solid drivers ive talked too in the truck stops) "LOW ACCEPTANCE" "WONT RUN THE SMALL LOADS"...is always thrown out there by the "same ole Im always slammin, Im always hav'n a record quarter,,, month,, We ARE ALWAYS Steady crowd" That phrase is true in some cases..but is not a valid exlplanation and is not true for a majority (not All)of people that keep their percentage in the good, and have done this long enough know how well they are doing...... I know for a fact through Da source that freight is down all over .. and those simple blanket explavations just like "THE DISPATCH IS ALWAYS SCREWING ME CROWD. gives a false impression and limits drivers ability to have a true understanding to make good decisions in these tough times.
 

mvbn1

Expert Expediter
When I ran with Panther (Cargo Van), I never turned down anything they offered me for the first 3 months. After I turned down the first load, it "seemed" that I was "bypassed" on loads I had taken in the past. I noticed, once that happened, I developed a bad attitude, and starting turning down more loads, or, started cherry picking. That's when I felt things where getting slow, and I started looking elsewhere for work.

It may be slow in general right now, but if your not taking loads offered, it's going to enhance the appearence of the slow period.

Sometimes I wonder if I would still be with Panther if I hadn't turned down that first load.
 

x06col

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Army
Yes Joebob, it's an interesting thing that boohooing at the coffee clotches isn't it? Pointing their fingers at everything/one except the culprit. Ah, let em boohoo, and stand their ground. Leaves considerable more for the rest of us.
 

jlb825

Seasoned Expediter
We have been in business for 17 years and this is the worst year we have had. Even worse than 2000 which was pretty bad. We have lost several drivers because of work being slow. Our recruiter promises to get us teams and so far all we have had call are single drivers who don't even have money to get here. We feel like we've become a charity instead of a business. We are just about ready to call it quits. :-(
 
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guest

Guest
I can prove I'm in this business for more than 4 yrs..I've met drivers sitting in a cargo van more than 6 months per year..and he make less money than I make with 10 working months..go ahead take short run..spend one day making 50 bucks..is good for me..I'll take long one
 

sdelliott31

Expert Expediter
>We have been in business for 17 years and this is the worst
>year we have had. Even worse than 2000 which was pretty bad.
> We have lost several drivers because of work being slow.
>Our recruiter promises to get us teams and so far all we
>have had call are single drivers who don't even have money
>to get here. We feel like we've become a charity instead of
>a business. We are just about ready to call it quits.
>:-(

Hang in there jlb. We are in a rough spot with the cargos right now as we have had some turnover all at once, but we went through this last summer for a few weeks. It gets aggravating but you will come out of it. Beats flipping burgers which with the way the economy is would be the only other alternative :)
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
We have been in business for 17 years and this is the worst year we have had. Even worse than 2000 which was pretty bad. We have lost several drivers because of work being slow. Our recruiter promises to get us teams and so far all we have had call are single drivers who don't even have money to get here. We feel like we've become a charity instead of a business. We are just about ready to call it quits
=================================================
It is YOUR business, not the carrier. I wouldn't rely on them to find you drivers. If they have them, great. If not, find your own.
Secondly, if you are that slow, find another carrier, or start locating your own freight.
And lastly, if the ends don't make the means, well..........you likely know my answer.
Hate to sound harsh, but you either adapt or you don't.










Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
>...you either adapt or you don't.

That sums it up perfectly. Those who adapt to the always-changing industry conditions succeed. Those who don't fail. Success is not about the industry adapting to you. It is about you adapting to the industry.
 

markafd

Expert Expediter
I normally look to just after tax time for things to pick-up with my trucks. And up till this april I had what I would call a good winter. But since late mid april its like some one tied anchors to all my trucks and yes I know some people have been doing fine ( and some say they are) but overall the industry is slow and I would recommend to anyone thinking of changing carriers just dig in and wait it out. It will break ( I know I need it to break as much as anyone) Call Your congressperson and let them know we do not need trucks from mexico picking up our freight while they repo our trucks.
 

TJ959

Veteran Expediter
You can stop at almost any Flying J in any major market area and join the van convention parked there. There will be at least a half dozen vans there with all the major carriers represented. My experience has been that, lateley, if you join them you will be in good company but stationary for as long as you hang in there. You can join a few load boards but vans are at the bottom of the food chain and few van loads will be found from them. I can't imagine why any conventional expediting company would recruit any van in this current market with a clear concience. Why don't they just lie to their customers about how many trucks they have rather than lying to their trucks about how much business they have? There are plenty of rules and requirements in our contracts for us to follow but there are no obligations assumed by the carriers toward us.
I operate with decent reserves, so I'm not worried about going broke but it seems foolish to loose money for so long. Sooooo, I'm looking for that little carrier in their own niche market. If they can't be found I'll practice a new phrase until I get it right. "will that be paper or plastic sir?" or "would you like that order supersized?"
 

x06col

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Army
Well Tom, seems by your last paragraph, you are going to get it right. As Broompilot so eloquently put it a while back, "an ity bity Carrier like you" (yes, we have all of three machines running) after going thru thirty something clowns and clownettes in the last couple years, we finaly have the best of the best on board. And as I type this we have one team running CT-WA, nuther team running LA-N,CA, and a single running MI-NY-MS milk run. So, it pays to be part of something good you see.
 

TJ959

Veteran Expediter
I have always prefered the smaller carriers and I've always prefered to make my own luck rather than expecting the carrier to do it all for me. The biggest mistake I ever made was selling my FL70 and buying a Sprinter before I figured out how to get my own loads. If I still had the D truck I'd be busy and suplementing my carriers loads with my own loads. The Sprinter is too small to make that kind of business pay. Hindsight is almost always 20-20 but I'll take my medicine and try not to whine too much about it. Colonel- I'm sure most of your idiots were really idiots but people aren't always idiots just because they don't agree with your way of doing things. I respect you and your success but I don't think we'd get along.
 

Twin Pop USA

Expert Expediter
There are two types of people who drive out here. Ones who make money and ones who make excuses why they don't.

If people are too picky and turn down short loads all day, I can't imagine their carriers putting them at the front of the line, especially at Panther. Those people should be dropped like a bad habit. I think I see some liars on this thread. Imagine that!
 

fastrod

Expert Expediter
So what you are saying is that the ones who turn down the short runs are being past over when the longer runs come up. This would be favoritism which we all know does not ever happen in this industry. Or does it? I have heard that in service and load acceptance percentages are on the screen with your truck no. Could it be that this helps dispatchers decide who gets the long runs?
 
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guest

Guest
Panther have their favorites .. 1st fleet owners..teams..high acceptance..if is posible 100%...if you are stupid enough and take all runs you'll end up banckrupt in special if you are a driver and get 60%..rates are 75-77 cents and fuel is not so great 5-15 cents ..when gas price is over 3.09...I met a team who's got a 100 miles run and they were so happy..I don't understand if they think..they got 60% that is 54$ for that run and 35 you have to pay for gas..19$ in your pocket for 2 drivers..in 3 hrs that's something..I cannot do that..when you guys woke up and stop taking stupid runs?????????????
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Alot of folks don't really understand what it costs to run their trucks. With that said, ones junk is anothers treasure. You never know whats some folks motives are to take certain loads. Some are making an educated call, and some aren't.



Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator
 

Twin Pop USA

Expert Expediter
What I am saying is that there are SHORT AND LONG runs. Get it? Why should you take all the long ones and not do your share of the short ones?? WHO will do the short ones if you or I do not?? Should Panther or FedEx or whoever not service their customers by refusing to cover loads that are less than .. 300 miles?? 200?? 100?? Get real.

Expediting has NO PATTERN in length of runs. Its a RANDOM occurence. Absorb this info. If you don't understand this concept, then find a DEDICATED route. I love how these drivers whine about short loads. If you DON'T take YOUR share of them, then don't waste MY 10 minutes waiting for you to refuse. As a matter of fact, get out of expediting altogether. You're lucky these companies like to overstaff their fleets or you'd be gone by now.
 
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