Kinda peeved at panther2

babs3361

Expert Expediter
Been there more that once!!! And quit Panther once too. Went to two other expediters one small company and one large company. It goes like this can't make the money that I make at Panther. They Peeve me Off Often!!! Thats when I go Out Of Service for anger managment. Think things thru and somewere sometime. I will make my money back for it. Bonuses work great when they really need U to get rrr done. U have your business to run and a profit to make. Can't make a profit might as well work for a company driving a company truck. Been with Panther for 3 yrs between the 2 times. Yes some Dispatchers and supervisors think we work for them but they are so sadly mistaken they work for Us because we are a Partner of the company and they get ther paycheck from us. The dispatchers that know this have alot more going for them because they can get the trucks to do anything for them and they don't forget the favors.
 

scootr68

Expert Expediter
>
>some Dispatchers and supervisors think we work for them but
>they are so sadly mistaken they work for Us because we are a
>Partner of the company and they get ther paycheck from us.
>The dispatchers that know this have alot more going for them
>because they can get the trucks to do anything for them and
>they don't forget the favors.


I thought it was a team and "we" work for the customers? That attitude of they work for us and us for them is ridiculous. We are there to service the customer who ultimately pay all of us...am I not correct?
 

Tennesseahawk

Veteran Expediter
Regardless of who works for whom. There should be respect all the way around, and there isn't. While we hear how rotten companies are to us, and how dispatch treats us, what about the other side? I've heard too many stories of drivers screaming and swearing at office ppl.

I think until everyone involved understands the first rule of communication is civility, then they can't expect respect. Then we have to do away with the who works for whom attitude. It's a partnership, plain and simple. Although the companies treat it as less than that most of the time.

The only thing you can do is control your side of the business. If they don't control theirs to your satisfaction, talk to someone higher up. If that does nothing, either put up with the politics or move on. What did I do? I moved on. I refuse to wear a leash... one of my "pet" peeves. ;-)
 

scootr68

Expert Expediter
>Regardless of who works for whom. There should be respect
>all the way around, and there isn't. While we hear how
>rotten companies are to us, and how dispatch treats us, what
>about the other side? I've heard too many stories of drivers
>screaming and swearing at office ppl.
>
>I think until everyone involved understands the first rule
>of communication is civility, then they can't expect
>respect. Then we have to do away with the who works for whom
>attitude. It's a partnership, plain and simple. Although the
>companies treat it as less than that most of the time.
>


Very well put!
:)
 

babs3361

Expert Expediter
What are U talking about a team. I am a business Partner and the dispathers are nothing but employees of that business they have no investment in the company thus they are employees of. As a Partner of the company u service your customers to the best of your ability. And like i said when dispathers understand that, they get things done. I don't think Mr. Dan Sokolowski would let a dispatcher bold face lie to him and get away with it for very long, do U
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
>What are U talking about a team. I am a business Partner and
>the dispathers are nothing but employees of that business
>they have no investment in the company thus they are
>employees of. As a Partner of the company u service your
>customers to the best of your ability. And like i said when
>dispathers understand that, they get things done. I don't
>think Mr. Dan Sokolowski would let a dispatcher bold face
>lie to him and get away with it for very long, do U

Well this is a lively thread.

I don’t buy into this partner thing with Panther and other companies, with two exceptions, FedEx CC and Landstar. Partnerships are two way, with most others there is no way it is two way because of the way they get the work, i.e. bidding system out of your control as is a lot of other things.

If you were a partner, they would not sign on more and more trucks, they would provide you the same info as the dispatcher would see, even seeing what loads are being bid on and in the truest sense of the work partnership, they would not even come close to the appearance of nepotism or cronyism with the staff.

You are a partner with your truck, nothing else.
 

scootr68

Expert Expediter
>What are U talking about a team. I am a business Partner and
>the dispathers are nothing but employees of that business
>they have no investment in the company thus they are
>employees of. As a Partner of the company u service your
>customers to the best of your ability. And like i said when
>dispathers understand that, they get things done. I don't
>think Mr. Dan Sokolowski would let a dispatcher bold face
>lie to him and get away with it for very long, do U


You seem to look down on the dispatchers with some sort of "God" complex. These kids do the best they can. It's a very stressful atmosphere. What you perceive as lies may be nothing more than that they are inexperienced and/or misinformed. I give the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. Saying these people are "just employees" is a negative way to look at things. I'm taking it you've spent either little or no time in dispatch to get a feel for things?
 

Tennesseahawk

Veteran Expediter
How would you consider FXCC as a "partner"? They put you out of service if you turn down runs that aren't in your best interest. When you have two seperate businesses going in on a venture, like we do with any company we sign up with, there has to be one goal... profit. The fact that the owner's profit and the company's profit aren't the same, creates conflict. A profit for a team is big miles. Rarely does a company take that into consideration when it offers a 150 mi run. This is because a company's profit comes from covering loads, regardless of the loss/profit to the truck.

I agree, it isn't a partnership atmosphere. Regardless of whether dispatchers are hourly paid cronies or not, they are a representative of the company we drive for. All too often, they are the scapegoats of lies and deciept, when all they're doing is following orders from higher up. What I don't tolerate from them, however, is an attitude that I'm nobody, and that I should just do as they say. Sorry... they don't make the truck payments, or pay for fuel. You make the decisions on your end, and I'll make them on mine. If we can find a happy medium, great! If not, the truck will pull a profit regardless if it's with your company, or the next.

But it is within that happy medium that we find partnership. If they will bend a little, and you will bend a little, you have continuity. I've had it happen many times, and it works. But I think a negotiation on rates should be possible for this to work.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
When looking at Fedex, Panther, or Landstar, I would say Fedex micromanages your truck more than the others. Their independent contractors in other divisions are in class action lawsuits right now over this very issue. Custom Critical isn't as bad but they still have alot of requirements that the other two don't.
Panther and Landstar both let you seek and run your own freight to any location. Age and color of vehicles is another. I could go on but you get the picture.


Davekc
owner
21 years
PantherII
EO moderator
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Yes, we were one of the lucky candidates that recieved that love letter from management(99-2000) when they bought out Roberts to paint all of your trucks white. Failure to comply would result in a cancellation of your lease.
I cancelled it for them.
Yes, I would say they micromanage your fleet.
Just an observation based on experience.


Davekc
owner
21 years
PantherII
EO moderator
 

RichM

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Well here is a thread that started out critizing Panther and has turned into bashing FDECC. They do want the box painted white,the cab can be any color in the rainbow. They no longer take you out of service if you refuse run offers,nowadays you can go where you want to go and be fully authorized when you log in there. Yes FEDEX
Ground is involved with litigation but it is a totally different operation than Custom Critical. With CC you are fully independent,take off when you want to,go where you want to and sink or swim based on your particular business operations .
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
I think every company operates differently. After all, it is their company. My personal objective is not to bash any one company but to draw a distinction between the ones posted in this thread.
My only issue with vehicle color was this change was made with trucks already in their fleet. Rather than new ones being signed on. Rich is correct, it is their current policy on white only boxes.
I didn't clarify that.


Davekc
owner
21 years
PantherII
EO moderator
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Still work with some of their agents but having trucks there was 84 to the 99-2000.


Davekc
owner
21 years
PantherII
EO moderator
 

babs3361

Expert Expediter
Scootr68:
I don't look down on dispatchers and I don't think I said that. They do lie to drivers and O/O so they can cover a load. I did say that if they understood, That the truck as well as the lease company is there employee. Without either they have no pay check. I by the way I can get my own authority and still be a company. Or lease to another company. I do not accept any load per phone conversation because of the lies. It must be over QC. Also by the way I'm not a newby been and O/O since 1989 and a driver since 1980. Respect is not given It is earned, and there are alot of Panther II dispatchers that have done that. For those I will do anything they need done but in turn they know it was a big favor and they return that favor without the lies.
 

scootr68

Expert Expediter
>Scootr68:
>I don't look down on dispatchers and I don't think I said
>that. They do lie to drivers and O/O so they can cover a
>load. I did say that if they understood, That the truck as
>well as the lease company is there employee. Without either
>they have no pay check. I by the way I can get my own
>authority and still be a company. Or lease to another
>company. I do not accept any load per phone conversation
>because of the lies. It must be over QC. Also by the way I'm
>not a newby been and O/O since 1989 and a driver since 1980.
>Respect is not given It is earned, and there are alot of
>Panther II dispatchers that have done that. For those I will
>do anything they need done but in turn they know it was a
>big favor and they return that favor without the lies.

Have you reported the alleged lies to anyone higher up? I would give names and the alleged lies you were told. You might be surprised at the results you'd get. They do reprimand dispatchers if there is found to be a blatant mistruth told in order to cover a load. Sometimes it's as simple as miscommunication or the newness of the dispatcher not knowing what they're even talking about. Management there will not tolerate it. I know this as fact
 

Tennesseahawk

Veteran Expediter
I don't count anything as a favor. If I do something cause they're in a jamb, I either take it for a higher rate or get a first out. Usually, if they're in a jamb, they make it worth our time. But if it's a 200 mi dh to a 250 mile load, they can't justify it being a jamb, it's just a crap load they need covered and no one will do it.

Panther isn't bad about compensating out of desperation. They needed someone to cover a 25 mi load in Jackson, MS. They immediately put a good price up and I knew they needed it covered bigtime. No problem. I will help the company out IF there's a profit. Just so happens that we were starting to dh to Memphis after that run, when they got us a good one on the east side of MS. It does come back, but I'll be the first to tell you dispatchers generally have a short memory. We've all heard about the "we don't do favors here". Well... I don't do em either. Money talks ;-)
 
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