Panther rolls out new Board position and em program
- Thread starter Scuba
- Start date
crazytruckin
Expert Expediter
Scuba, we are OOS sick with colds right now but just read all about this new system and I figured there would be a lot of comments about it on here but I guess everyone is too busy (not likely) or too confused as I am (maybe I'm missing something). I spoke with a dispatcher friend who I have known a long time and he said Panther has not explained it to them yet. Whats up with that?! Anyway, from what I get out of it this will in many cases make the availability area much smaller than the previous 50 miles and limit your chance for dispatch unless you move into a specific zipcode. This does not seem like a good deal to me. Come on people, lets get some input here!
arkjarhead
Veteran Expediter
I don't know anything about this new system as I'm not with Panther. However when I was there the system they had would allow you to position yourself where you could be on multiple boards at one time. I really liked that. Depending on where I was at I could be on 2-4 boards at once. I know sitting at the TA that's closest to the Panther HQ would put you on 4 boards at once. Then there was a TA north of Nashville that would have me on 2 boards at once. That helped in increasing the number of loads I got. So are you saying you can't do this any longer?
Scuba
Veteran Expediter
The new system IF it works the way panther is telling us it will will now give us total load counts for the region. The old system was tied to customers the closer to anyone customer it put you on that board. but now it will be tied to the zip codes and not to a shipper. So there will be less boards. The old system had a total of 48,000 boards. Now using the T/A by Panthers office as an example Those 4 load boards now become 1 the old system if you were at Panther on the yard you were on 1 load board now you are still on 1 board but it is the same coverage as if you were at the truck stop. By doing this you have a much greater of getting a load offer if you are at Panther than before. there is a pfd file on the owners and drivers web site listing all of the new boards. Also there is a FAQ sheet there to review.
crazytruckin
Expert Expediter
Did a 32 earlier today at home and it did not work but just did a 32 and now showing us on Nashville board even though we were with the old system not on the Nashville board because we were shown 58 miles out. If this is accurate this will work better for us when at home but being a bit of a skeptic, will believe it when I see it. By the way, the macro 8 does not show the same info so, which is right?? Also, the 32 does not break down team/single positions.
ebsprintin
Veteran Expediter
Bernie, I had troubles viewing some features, because I wasn't using internet explorer.
ebsprintin
Veteran Expediter
They say in their faq that the old system confused drivers because of the unclarity of a fifty mile radius. I don't see how this new system can make anything any more clear. A five digit zip code may be precise from where a desk jockey at a computer is concerned, but from where I'm sitting it still seems like the fog rolled in. I'm doing this one by the book. Delivered and received my suggested move, and mac 32. Pulled up my mac 8 for comparison. The consignee's location showed that I was on a board that had zero loads/day. Suggested move had me going sixty miles north. Mac 8 showed the typical dreary options called Texas, but my suggested move location wasn't on that list. On arrival to new location I was then able to mac 32 that location to find that it was a one load/day location even though it didn't show on my mac 8. So here I am in Lone Star, TX (one of six towns in Texas called that) with no place to park. So what are my boundaries? I head over a couple zip code areas and my mac 32 shows I'm still in the area. Am I supposed to go probing every hot spot like this? I certainly am not expecting the company to identify hot spots according to parking locations, but considering that this is a business about waiting, the system needs to accommodate a driver's need to find a place to park and subsist. And giving me a location of the neighborhood truck stop is not the answer. I think we're going to find that increased precision and accuracy of the system isn't going to make the system work any better if the driver still can't project the options that are available.
eb
eb
Bernie......I sent your PDF file.
With regards to Lone Star Texas, it will be accompanied by a zip code. In your case it is 75668
Some locations have truckstop info which is for that location. I don't think all of those are added, but we had one today that was, and one that wasn't. I think that is a work in progress.
When you do your location check (you can do hourly) you will know if you are on that specific board.
With regards to Lone Star Texas, it will be accompanied by a zip code. In your case it is 75668
Some locations have truckstop info which is for that location. I don't think all of those are added, but we had one today that was, and one that wasn't. I think that is a work in progress.
When you do your location check (you can do hourly) you will know if you are on that specific board.
ebsprintin
Veteran Expediter
I got the zip code for Lone Star from the mac 32, but that only works once I arrive in the area of the particular board. I also found the Lone Star listing in the pdf file for all the hot spots. But part of my point is that the information for the area is only available after I move there. And Lone Star doesn't show up on the mac 8. I want to decide where to move before I move there. Once in the area I don't think anyone plans on only parking on the court house steps, so how does one know how far out they can go? It's the same old "where are the zip code lines?" problem. Whole lot easier to picture a fifty mile radius. I also understand growing pains and learning new strategies for a new system, but it seems to me they are building the same problems into the system.
eb
eb
If you look at the adjoining zip codes, that will give you some idea of boundries unless you have a zip code map. Since you can only be on one at a time, you could sit in Mt Pleasant on 20 or somewhere parallel (north) on 30. Your only talking 20 miles in either direction. If you went farther east on 20, you would run into Shreveport.
But....I see what you mean. You would have to hit the update upon arrival to ensure your recognized on that board.
But....I see what you mean. You would have to hit the update upon arrival to ensure your recognized on that board.
butterfly610
Veteran Expediter
I really like being able to find out my board position without having to bug or wait on dispatch. I also like the new first out where if you have the manual first out and move to another board, it follows you. Also, that if someone else has one and they get there after you, they will show that they are second. They can't come in and take your first out. I saw this tonight, I have a first out, but I'm second because someone was here before me.
I think that this will be good if it works how they say. The truck stop feature would be neat. It'll just take time to figure out, but shouldn't be too hard. Probably harder for people who've been here a really long time and had the old stuff figured out good.
From what I read, if you do a Macro 8 you won't see a board on there if the amount of trucks exceeds the load average for that city. Is that correct? That doesn't bother me at all. Then you don't waste your time with it.
I think they're trying to say that if you follow the move suggestions and all, and actually get as close as possible to the zip code that you won't be waiting for a load, it's supposed to be based on where loads are currently. Not sure if that's true or not, just sounded like it. Guess we'll see in the following.
I think that this will be good if it works how they say. The truck stop feature would be neat. It'll just take time to figure out, but shouldn't be too hard. Probably harder for people who've been here a really long time and had the old stuff figured out good.
From what I read, if you do a Macro 8 you won't see a board on there if the amount of trucks exceeds the load average for that city. Is that correct? That doesn't bother me at all. Then you don't waste your time with it.
I think they're trying to say that if you follow the move suggestions and all, and actually get as close as possible to the zip code that you won't be waiting for a load, it's supposed to be based on where loads are currently. Not sure if that's true or not, just sounded like it. Guess we'll see in the following.
martin9562
Seasoned Expediter
first immpression it's no better than what we had before, i have been sat at home 1st . 1st out on the knoxville tn board for 3 days, and now i find im not even on the knoxville board, im now on the white pine tn board, stranger still to me when i run macro 8 i find i am 36 miles from knoxville and 37 miles from white pine,
It will take several days for things to settle in with the new system. While the computer immediately processes the changes the trucks don't magically jump to the optimum locations. One of the biggest factors affecting success or failure will be the operators participation. Those who fail to respond y/n to the suggestions will skew the system and cause inaccurate movements of trucks.
This isn't going to be a perfect system. It's definitely set to become a major improvement once the fleet moves enough to settle into the new system. I anticipate a few days of relative chaos followed by a rapidly increasing level of order and positive results.
This isn't going to be a perfect system. It's definitely set to become a major improvement once the fleet moves enough to settle into the new system. I anticipate a few days of relative chaos followed by a rapidly increasing level of order and positive results.