No Empty Moves For X-Mas

MR.SNAPPY · Dec 20, 2008

I was informed this week that Panther will not be offering empty moves home for the Holidays...the sad thing about this is that they are not telling people this. a simple fleet message would have been nice and the decent thing to do.they want you to stay available and run.I understand that times are slow but for the last 8 years that I know of this has been a common practice to issue empty moves home for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I hope every one keeps this in mind when accepting loads in the next few days and can get home for the holidays and spend some time with there family's..I would also like to wish everyone a safe and HAPPY HOLIDAY!!!......I will close this with my favorite Quote of the year from Panther......."WHATS IN IT FOR ME"..........

pelicn · Dec 20, 2008

This information came from whom?

Bob and Hooligan · Dec 20, 2008

The company is not real good on comunication. My dry cleaner send a Christmas card. Did you get any thing from Panther?

Road Hooligan

MR.SNAPPY · Dec 20, 2008

pelicn said:
This information came from whom?

I really do not want to reveal my source as I told MR.ST.PIERRE I would keep this confidential. he did say, as always things are subject to change but if I was a betting man I would say we have seen a end to the empty moves on Holidays....

Its not so much taking away the empty moves that bothers me but the way they went about it. Had a driver known this on friday he could have made his decision on taking that load offer to Phoenix,Az..or Albany,Ny. this is the kind of communication between Panther and the drivers that keeps the moral at a all time low.

pelicn · Dec 21, 2008

We never used the empty move home for the holidays, but a simple message saying we are not offering them this year would have been the right thing to do.

Scuba · Dec 22, 2008

It's not dead yet I am also talking to Jeff about this I feel it will cause a lot of hard feelings if they don't. When I hear back from Jeff i will post again

Scuba · Dec 23, 2008

I just got off of the phone with Frank Ilacqua @ Panther and there will be a fleet message out later today. And unless someone rlse shoots it down there will be an m/t move for Christmas. This is my first time having to work with Frank and i feel he saw our side of this issue and took the blame for the change without giving us notice. He has pledged to add two more people to back haul dept for Thanksgiving and Christmas in an effort to get everyone home under a load. That said some will still be unable to get there he isn't going to promise to get everyone home but by adding two more people to backhaul shows me he does care and is willing to work with us.

Merry Christmas
for those staying out the "j" is feeding dinner free Volvo trucks is picking up the tab but it is a short window so check with the j

SJMagic · Dec 23, 2008

When I was in California the other day Dispatch told me they would put me on hometime and I would be paid an empty move for home, since I had to leave 3 days ago to have a chance at getting home soon

Bruno · Dec 24, 2008

I understand how all of you feel. But when is a company suppose to move you home for the hoildays. It's part of the business, either you want to load or you don't. Now you can say, hey I will take the load only if you send a message over the QC that if I don't get a load by 12/23/08 by 20:00 you will pay me to go home. That is they only way I will do the load.

You have a choice on loads, yes or no. I think that if you have been in service 100% two weeks before the hoildays and have an 80% except rate you should get a paid move home. It goes back to rewarding the drivers that say in service. You have to do something to get something. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and gets home to be with their family

Scuba · Dec 24, 2008

Ok I guess the egg is on my face I took Frank at his word when we talked on the phone my mistake. I am a man of my word and I guess I expect others to do the same. My Dad is a great man he told me there is but 1 thing that you have that no one can take from you and it’s your word. I have lived by that rule Frank and I talked for about 15 mins and he left me with the impression that he was going to do the m/t move for Christmas. He did in fact say he was going to put out a fleet message about it yesterday which unless my qc is having problems he did not do that. We discussed the program and I talked to him about the importance of this program to the few that do use it. Let’s face it if you live way outside of the service area like I do you are looking for a backhaul to get home and not the $0.25 a mile. But for that driver out there that has been in service but has few load offers and is driving someone else’s truck and paying for the fuel I think they need the help maybe I am wrong in my way of thinking.

pelicn · Dec 24, 2008

We didn't receive any fleet messages, so I guess our QC has the same problem as yours does Scuba

mjolnir131 · Dec 24, 2008

make that 3 not working i guess i got a few offers yesterday all 3 over my wieght that always bums me out espacally those near or over 1000 miles(two of them)

Bruno · Dec 26, 2008

Scuba said:
Ok I guess the egg is on my face I took Frank at his word when we talked on the phone my mistake. I am a man of my word and I guess I expect others to do the same. My Dad is a great man he told me there is but 1 thing that you have that no one can take from you and it’s your word. I have lived by that rule Frank and I talked for about 15 mins and he left me with the impression that he was going to do the m/t move for Christmas. He did in fact say he was going to put out a fleet message about it yesterday which unless my qc is having problems he did not do that. We discussed the program and I talked to him about the importance of this program to the few that do use it. Let’s face it if you live way outside of the service area like I do you are looking for a backhaul to get home and not the $0.25 a mile. But for that driver out there that has been in service but has few load offers and is driving someone else’s truck and paying for the fuel I think they need the help maybe I am wrong in my way of thinking.

I understand where your coming from on this , but I would always make sure they send me a message over the QC if they want me to do a load that takes me away from home. That way things that I have worked out with dispatch are noted for another agent to see. CYA, its a hard lesson to learn sometimes. I bet the next time you wont take that long load away from the house unless you get it across the QC, that if you don't get a load before the hoilday they will give you a paid deadhead home. I'm sorry you had to deadhead home on your dime.

Tempest · Dec 26, 2008

My guys and I pretty much figured no EM when the weekend came without the usual QC message. we put in for hometyme and I got lucky (130 miles from home) one of my trucks got within 150 and I brought a driver home to SC with me and drove him to miami in the car from here. (took mom to meet her great grandchild in central fla.) This worked out well for us but I feel for those who werent so lucky. I simple qc message would have got most home in time. I know times are tough but panther cant spend a nickle a letter to say "no empty move" I would give them the 75 cents.

Scuba · Dec 28, 2008

Bruno the egg is because i trusted Frank Ilacqua. He isn't a dispatcher he is the new guy over opps.

jaminjim · Dec 28, 2008

Whose place did he take?

Falligator · Dec 28, 2008

Apparantly my qc must be broke also. No empty moves here. However, I did get stuck at the Flying J in Houston on Christmas day since they offered me a load that went from Miami, Fl to Houston, TX but didn't drop until the 24th. It was originally supposed to drop on the 26th, but they weren't open so I had to beat feet over to the cons and was stuck sitting in a truck stop for christmas. Not fun. They did keep me busy this week, but I am sick of the crazy drivers (returning crap to the store) that I've had to deal with on I 10 all week. So with this I am at the J in Gulfport, MS and am going to head home to Florida. Ya'll have fun now...ya hear?! 2136 miles isn't bad for christmas week....just dealing with traffic.