How's Panther drivers doing right now?

Yesteryear · Jun 22, 2009

Just saw a classified for a 2008 Hino leased onto Panther. 5000. down with 2400 month for 60 months. Wondering how Panther teams are doing if it might be worth checking into?

MR.SNAPPY · Jun 22, 2009

I would say Panther drivers are doing as good as anyone and the rates are very good compaired to other carriers.........now the problem I would have would be paying 149,000.00 thousand for a truck ,especially a Hino. I know where there is a truck sitting in Knoxville,Tn at the dealer that would be twice the truck at about half the price.it is a class 8 truck......shop around for a truck as it is a buyers market right now and there are some real good deals if you take the time to shop around...149,000.00 thousand is not a good deal on a Hino even when things where good.....if you credit is a problem it will only get worse after that deal......hope this helps and good luck!!

Desperado · Jun 22, 2009

your going to pay how much for a hino in this economy we may be doing ok but is this one with all the bells and ribbons

davekc · Jun 22, 2009

Way over priced. I would be surprised if a Hino would last 60 months being used as a expediter. I also would really question having a 2400 a month note on anything with the way the economy has been, unless you have some pretty decent reserves.

guido4475 · Jun 22, 2009

MR.SNAPPY said:
I would say Panther drivers are doing as good as anyone and the rates are very good compaired to other carriers.........now the problem I would have would be paying 149,000.00 thousand for a truck ,especially a Hino. I know where there is a truck sitting in Knoxville,Tn at the dealer that would be twice the truck at about half the price.it is a class 8 truck......shop around for a truck as it is a buyers market right now and there are some real good deals if you take the time to shop around...149,000.00 thousand is not a good deal on a Hino even when things where good.....if you credit is a problem it will only get worse after that deal......hope this helps and good luck!!

I would avoid the truck in knoxville simply for the fact that it has been sitting close to 2 years now.Granted, it is a beautiful truck, but is a 18-speed trans really needed in a expeditor? I think it is ovekill, if you ask me.But well worth the price he wants for it, with everything that is on it. As far as the lease/purchase goes, there is no way I would tie myself to a company like that.Talk about driver control.At $2,400 a month? For a Hino? Will that truck actually make it through the duration of the contract to begin with?Save yourself the trouble now and call kevorkian.They may actually starve you out to the point where you leave them and the truck, then they go onto the next sucker.It's just a money machine for them.So many large trucking co's do that now with class 8 tractors.I did it once, a lease purchase, and will never do it again.I have yet to see one that benefitted both the owner and driver.

Scuba · Jun 22, 2009

Well i did get my first truck through a lease purchase deal with usxpress. And i did well enough to buy it out before the term. LOL it was right after they fired me after a 10 wheeler passed me on the right when i was swinging into a customer. They cited ata {anti trucking association} by their rules it was my fault for not blocking the lane with my trailer to keep the guy from passing me illegally. They didn’t take into account that you couldn’t turn into the lot from the right lane. Even with letters from other drivers telling them so. The shipper had a guard shack 15 feet into the drive with that building there you had to swing wide to make the turn. <<< now that was just for those that were going to say why did they fire you lmao.

highway star · Jun 22, 2009

Thinking back on some of the stories I've seen here, I believe it's quite possible someone will buy the truck on those terms. There's one born every minute.

Yesteryear · Jun 22, 2009

Just a thought, sounded pretty good when I read it but didn't really figure out the actual cost. As for credit I would think anyone leasing a truck would have to have credit. As for reserves, I'm poor as a church mouse but do own my home in Kansas outright. Was just inquiring. Would have to have it with Tri-State to actually really consider doing it. Security in the known and we've been with T-State a couple years now so trust them to keep us moving.