One mad cat

[panther_art]

Ok everyone thats been on this forum very long knows I don't complain about the company I drive for but this year I have just about reached the end of my rope of how much I am going to put up with.
Just 27 days in to this year and I have already had 3 loads that I have accepted and started to roll on and have asked if they would send routing but get no response so thinking that maybe the qc's are slow or maybe the reply got hung up there in space or something.I reply the 2nd time. So I call and ask if they would send routing and pro advance information so that I could keep rolling and was told that no one send me load offer, what was I talking about.
This morning at 5:44 my cell wakes me up but did not catch it in time so the qc went off with the load offer and I accept it and start rolling on the load when got no response over the qc concerning routing and the rest of the info that they send over called and was told I had no load offer sent from there and I told them it was on my qc they asked what the pro number was and I told them I was informed that because I did not call back and tell them that I would do the load they pulled it off me and gave it to another driver and they could not take it off of him.
I asked if I could speak to who ever was in charge of the dispatchers on the weekends I was told each dispatcher was in charge of themself and they had the right to do what ever they wanted to.
I love being a black cat but I thing that dispatchers that think they own the company needs to be let go.
SORRY ABOUT HOW LONG THIS IS BUT HAD TO GET IT OUT OF MY SYSTEM
Panther Art

 

[davekc]

If a load offer has been sitting on the qc longer than 15 minutes and nothing else comes back, I would call them before I started moving anywhere. On some loads if you go past the 15 minutes, they throw it to another truck.
Also, unless something changed, they have a supervisor there on every shift. Next time, hang up and ask for safety if they tell you that.










Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[GerryGA]

>If a load offer has been sitting on the qc longer than 15
>minutes and nothing else comes back, I would call them
>before I started moving anywhere. On some loads if you go
>past the 15 minutes, they throw it to another truck.
>Davekc
>owner
>22 years
>PantherII
>EO moderator

Since I'm still a wannabee and havent picked a carrier yet trying to get u to speed.....is the 15 minutes your rule of thump or is it company policy and the dispatcher didnt follow the CO policy???

TIA

 

[davekc]

Someone can correct me, but I believe it is in the drivers manual.









Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[panther_art]

Dave I did ask for the supervisor but was told that there was no supervisor there.and the dispatcher that I talked to told me the reason that she pulled me off the load was because I did not answer my cell phone, but about a two weeks ago I was told that just because I don't answer my cell they can't pull someone off a load because the qc is the only right way of replying to a load offer. I am leaving everything on my qc and going up to panther on Monday.
Because this is the third time and everytime has been on the weekend.

Panther Art

PS And as far as the 15 min thing she told me that was up to her she had to make sure the load was covered.
On my website it shows load offer at 5:44 and Pulled me at 5:49
The last time I tried to talk to my team leader it was 2 days before he got back to me.
We were better off with contractor relations

 

[davekc]

We haven't had that happen, but based on your info, I would hit them up on it. If they aren't giving you 15 minutes to respond, that certainly needs to be addressed.









Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[jaminjim]

I wonder if they will hit you up for a no response/refusal.

 

[jaminjim]

When they first went with the "team" thing they seemed to answer the phone quickley, and then get back to you with an answer. It seems to me that it takes longer on hold and longer to get something cleared up.

 

[kangar0085]

My very first load offer with Panther I didn't pick up the phone LOL!
They gave me 9 minutes and left 4 voicemails before they pulled me off the load. When I said it hasn't been 15 miutes yet they responded it was past 20 minutes already. That was the only time I failed to respond to a load offer my acceptance is 92 percent now but the 4 minute window just sounds unfair you have to email the list of executive contacts if u want anything done about that. www.pantherii.com click executive contacts

 

[panther_art]

No they changed it to a dispatcher error, then they put a load that I refused yesterday on the top line as a refusual.
I am more upset at them saying they never sent me the offer when its right on my qc and they admited to pulling me of it after I gave them the pro number.
I think just because she pulled it off her system it would come off our qc.

This was a 775 mile load and this time of year thats not something I like to lose.
And if everyone would like to know them taking the load off me did not brother me it was the lie that got me upset.
They want use to treat them with respect then they better start treating us with respect.

Panther Art

 

[LDB]

Unless there has been an unannounced change you have 15 minutes from the time the load offer is sent to the qc to respond to the offer. I always presume that a small amount of that 15 minutes is lost in space somewhere between computers, satellites and qc and try to respond within 10-12 minutes max. Once you respond, and if you accept, you have 15 minutes to get rolling toward the pickup. Anything over the 15 minute windows and they can pull the load from you.

I would not roll as soon as I accept. Use part of that 15 minute window to let the POD amount and directions come over the qc. Once you have both those things, combined with the load offer, you can be pretty certain it's all kosher. If you haven't gotten them within 6-8 minutes you might send a msg saying ready to roll but need POD info and directions. I would say well over 90% of the problem and errors are dispatch and a very few points of it are you being too efficient and rolling too soon.

As already stated, if you can't get a supervisor through the dispatcher, call back and push the buttons to get to safety and get a supervisor through them.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[panther_art]

Leo I hope you will remember this and somehow bring it up at the next meeting. I sent Bob a message about this, and just because a few bad apples are in the bunch I still think I drive for the best company around. And all the problems that I seem to have are over the week ends.
And the pickup was a 100 miles away on I 68 in Maryland and I wanted to get ahead of the clock.

Panther Art

 

[panther_art]

01-27-07 05:57 AV REFUSED 76299
01-27-07 05:57 OF DISPATCH ERROR 20070176787
01-27-07 05:44 ON ON PRO 20070176787 (CUMBERLAND, MD 21502)
01-26-07 14:24 OF DRIVER REFUSED LOAD 20070176299
01-26-07 13:59 ON ON PRO 20070176299 (CANTON, OH 44706)
01-26-07 09:03 AV @ HOME ON PAGER (EAST LIVERPOOL, OH)

I pulled this off my driver site

Panther Art

 

[guest]

I was the other driver that was givin that load. It was offered to me today at 0557 est. The pro#76787 it was for p/u at G E in Cumberland, MD going to G E in Waycross,GA. I also had a problem with the load but it occured when I got there. After driving 125mi to p/u they told me that another company {that I have never heard of before} already came and picked up the freight. When I heard that I got upset and then just started driving west for about 30 mi and they had another load that p/u at the same place and only went to Richmond, VA. I took it, so here I sit at the J just north of Richmond.

 

[panther_art]

That was really nice of you to come back and reply Tim I get load out of that area a lot so if you are there by your self you should get out, sorry about the screw up at ge we do that load a lot. I just was upset at the way they did it and did not even let me know.
Keep warm and safe

Panther Art
van 11737

 

[slfisher45]

TIMT WROTE " was the other driver that was givin that load. It was offered to me today at 0557 est. The pro#76787 it was for p/u at G E in Cumberland, MD going to G E in Waycross,GA. I also had a problem with the load but it occured when I got there. After driving 125mi to p/u they told me that another company {that I have never heard of before} already came and picked up the freight. When I heard that I got upset and then just started driving west for about 30 mi and they had another load that p/u at the same place and only went to Richmond, VA. I took it, so here I sit at the J just north of Richmond.

I have only been around for a short time (1.75 year) , but I have never had the problems (with Panther or customers) I've read on these threads. Either I've been really lucky or some drivers have hit their thumb with the hammer instead of the nail.
This job is so rewarding and so simple. I've had disappoinments with loads, but I am not so naieve to believe it would all be dessert.
Tim--- when that happens you call dispatch. You get a dry run of $99 and a first out, which is good until you stop moving. You may use your first out for whichever area you want to stop at.

 

[guest]

That was the first time in almost two years I was ever told the load was p/u by another company. I have had similar thing happen to me that happend to panther art.
Early in January I was sent a load offer over the qc. I accepted it and started to move. I only went about 1000 ft, but never got the routing and load advance message. I decided to call and they told me the load had canceled. I thought no big deal, but when I got back to the Pilot I seen another panther van there. I went over to say hi to find out that he was filling out a pro bill for the load that they told me just canceled. This was also on a Saturday. It is like weekend dispach just makes the rules up as they go. I would have felt better if they would have just told me that they made a mistake and sent it to another driver also, but they decided to lie to me about it.

These are my first post here on EO even though I have been reading for about 2.5 years. I am not trying to be negitive or bashing panther. I just couldn't keep silent any longer. Although these probles are rare there are really frustrating to us.

I know that there are alot of good dispatchers at panther, but when you catch the few who lie to you or don't follow company policies it sometime hard to trust all of the good ones.

Tim
Panther Van #2999

 

[panther_art]

slfisher45
I have been with with Panther for 2 1/2 years and until the beginning of the this year I never had that happen either. I have had this happen 3 times so far this year and it been on weekends or nights when the big cats are not watching whats going on.
And I am very happy being with Panther but the point here is not Panther as a company but dispatchers that are making their own rules. Maybe you may not know but Panther use to have a history of giving their pet drivers the best loads but the higher ups started to listen to drivers that this was going on and they got rid of those dispatchers.
It better to make Panther aware of what is going then to let the bad apples spoil the whole basket.
And by the way I have never met Tim so why would he post on here and confirm my story. I don't know if that you had implied that this was all made up by 2 drivers.
I am very happy with Panther and I don't want them to get a bad ruputation because a couple of dispatchers that let their job go to their heads.

Panther Art

 

[terryandrene]

The dispatch situation, that you folks describe occurring at Panther, probably happens at every Qualcomm equipped carrier with two or more trucks. Consider the following example that has happened to many, if not all of us, at FedEx Custom Critical. I have felt your pain many times.

You've been waiting in a truck stop, all day, for a run offer. At 1600 you go out to the truck and see The Qualcomm lit up with a run offer message. Just after the offer times out, you're on the phone to dispatch telling your believable story why you couldn't get to the Qualcomm in time. The dispatcher says "OK, the run is yours, I'll resend the offer". Whew! You feel lucky, and thankful, that you didn't lose a good one.

Meanwhile, back at another truck stop, your number two in the queue truck is the second recipient of the same offer. Shortly after acceptance, you get the run canceled message. Any rational driver would think that "canceled" means the customer canceled the load. But, in reality, the busy dispatcher takes the easy way out and lies, only by omission of all of the truth. The run canceled, but only as far as your truck is concerned. If the dispatcher would have taken the time to explain the true situation, you would have understood and accepted your fate.

I think we've all been involved in each of the above examples. We are always annoyed when we loose a 'canceled' load and so thankful when we manage to talk ourselves into the load we 'almost missed'. Hopefully, one or more carrier folks will peruse this thread and stop to realize that honest and complete communication is the key to carrier success and driver contentment.

 

[davebeckym]

Great post Terry & Rene. I've been driving a van for 5.5 years with Fedex CC and On-Time express. Both Companies are at the top of the food chain, as far as rates go.

I've noticed that when things are slow, as they are now, especially with vans, we see a lot more canceled runs. I've arrived at the PU on several occasions, only to see a lower priced competitor in the process of picking up my load. Companies do this a lot when the supply of trucks exceeds demand.

I've also seen companies ask for a van, and when they see a straight truck, they suddenly find more freight. They of course expect the 'B' rate.