purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
Like button. Happens everyday. There are lease drivers running under a dollar a mile and say they are making money adding in the fsc. WoW great business people, I think.
Panther Sitting at Truck Stops
- Thread starter Eric1
- Start date
Like button. Happens everyday. There are lease drivers running under a dollar a mile and say they are making money adding in the fsc. WoW great business people, I think.
We do a have a Solo Truck that will need a driver soon. Call our office Monday or go to www.mayfieldexpress.com
Making money driving what? I wouldn't even think about 1.00 a mile plus fsc in a t/t. You will lose if its not a .70 fsc. Sometimes its cheaper to sit than to take crap rates.
We aren't hurting Greg, we didn't go from four trucks to fourteen in three years because we was lucky. Panther has been very good to us. Some people just don't see the big picture as to loads sometimes. I have seen people turn down 1.25 a mile plus .35 FSC from Laredo to Mi. Then the driver gets upset because he has sat for three days and hasn't made any money. When your offered a load with those kinda miles to the PSA, you do the load.
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That always amazes me. I take the hit to get to a good area. And with those miles if u slow it down a bit you can come out pretty good. Out of CALI is the same most of the time.
Terry if your ever out west and need a load call me and I will post your truck on Transcore 360.
thats right ... i have been down in Laredo .. and del rio .. (( which btw has a awsome super market there called H.E.B. with fresh charcoal grilled chicken they make fresh daily.... a whole one is $5 and they make it right in the store, fresh daily made tortillas still warm in the package..yummss))) haha.. anyways......... yes solo and teaming i have and will take a lower rate load to get out of there. sometimes you have to do what you have to do ..
It is interesting that a new entrant into the trucking industry who will have many options with his new Class A CDL is drawn to expedted freight. May I ask, what is it about expediting that interests you? What appeals to you in expediting that you do not see in other sectors of the trucking industry?
ChanceMaster
Expert Expediter
HEB is awesome..lots of premade food there too. Hit one up in brownsville, tx. Got some fantastic oranges there. Definatly a Mexican focused store, in a good way.
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haha..... yeah it is.. love there produce dept..... tons of freah porduce.. although some stores are better then others as always ...
i dont think there any HEB stores pass austin heading north...
are they in houston???
Eric1
Active Expediter
Well I'm glad you asked ... I've been staring at this trucking industry for years, from friends and family in the business to great forums like this that i've been browsing (for sometime even as a non member just reading) .... and i've learned over the years that a lot of people in the trucking industry treat it as they are an employee, some treat it as a part time gig, and then there are those who squeeze every dime out of it as business man/woman(those most of the time happen to be expeditors) .... As far as I'm concerned, if i do the miles anyway i want to get the most out of it, i don't need to take my time with a load while sight seeing, and i know that just doing it for a year won't get me anywhere, IF and When i start this thing I want to hit the ground running, just as everything else you do in life, you can take your sweet time and pick your nose while doing a job, or you can GET-IR-DONE and keep moving(smiling and whistling) ... but anyways ... i still got a little ways to go till I'm there ..... hope i answered you question
purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
Hopefully you won't. What I was refering to is the people who haven't a clue what the business end is.
Newtothis
Seasoned Expediter
Id like to know about how the business end applies here... how can I brush off all the sitting periods as a non issue in simple economics. Im with Panther and have had weeks 2400+ then the next 200 for the week off and on. Its been off more then on though so I am one of those vans sitting at truck stops.
Ive sat on the Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, Columbus, Atlanta, Birmingham etc. all for days at a time, some two and three days in between loads, throw in a weekend and four to five sitting. These being good boards right? Sometimes Im in 2nd but 3 first outs will come through keeping me still another day, sometimes Im 14th and move up only to finally reach top three days later and get 130 miler. If I turn the 130 miler down I go back to 14, if I take it I only get 130 miles for about a week period. I could keep moving from place to place but then Id mess up my 16 hr clock. Not much I can think of business wise as a fix on my end except to team (which I am SOON) except Ive noticed the posts lately where even the teams are sitting for days on end as well on decent boards in both vans and straight trucks.
So Im left confused here as a new expeditor. I understand sitting is part of the business and everyone seems to agree but theres only 7 days in a week and really 5 in this business so many times that could spell one load a week or maybe two if I should be expected to sit in between. Why is there this much sitting at the PILOT or TA with any company? Is it still time of year? Is it something Im missing? Why are companies still hiring more on if its slow? Is everyone this slow? Go easy Im just trying to understand cause and effect here and learn what I may be doing wrong to be one of these mentioned sitting vans.
Ive sat on the Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, Columbus, Atlanta, Birmingham etc. all for days at a time, some two and three days in between loads, throw in a weekend and four to five sitting. These being good boards right? Sometimes Im in 2nd but 3 first outs will come through keeping me still another day, sometimes Im 14th and move up only to finally reach top three days later and get 130 miler. If I turn the 130 miler down I go back to 14, if I take it I only get 130 miles for about a week period. I could keep moving from place to place but then Id mess up my 16 hr clock. Not much I can think of business wise as a fix on my end except to team (which I am SOON) except Ive noticed the posts lately where even the teams are sitting for days on end as well on decent boards in both vans and straight trucks.
So Im left confused here as a new expeditor. I understand sitting is part of the business and everyone seems to agree but theres only 7 days in a week and really 5 in this business so many times that could spell one load a week or maybe two if I should be expected to sit in between. Why is there this much sitting at the PILOT or TA with any company? Is it still time of year? Is it something Im missing? Why are companies still hiring more on if its slow? Is everyone this slow? Go easy Im just trying to understand cause and effect here and learn what I may be doing wrong to be one of these mentioned sitting vans.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Well newtothis, the truth is that it all depends on the company and how they manage their capacity. I know I will hear different from some but there are too many factors involved with the company on the company end to keep their trucks moving - from a lack of use of office people to the bad word favoritism.
I can expand on that if you want but I have to go and do something for a bit.
I can expand on that if you want but I have to go and do something for a bit.
Get away from the truck stops and other Panther vans.
Again, move away from other Panther vans. If I deliver in Ft. Wayne I will go a little west on 30 to Columbia City or north to Auburn. Indy, I like the J in Whiteland, but will often go north on 65 to the TA. Columbus is a toss up. I have had good luck at the J on the north side of Biringham, but the place is a dump. Atlanta I avoid. Detroit I usually head west to Dexter.
Don't get hung up on the board thing. Being closer to the freight is more important than board position. Also, you shouldn't be losing your board position for refusing a load.
I like to position myself right after delivering, if I'm not too tired and traffic isn't an issue. 100 miles out from delivery I will do a macro 8 at 300 miles just to get an idea of vans in the neighborhood. Cruising a truck stop at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning on the way to the delivery can also reveal where not to layover. If you do move after sitting, wait until after 19:00 or early in the morning so you will have your full 16 hours to work with after a 5 hour break. Sometimes I will go trolling about 4:00 in the afternoon. If I get a load I still have time to make an early a.m. delivery. Knowing Panther's customers will help in your decision making also.
Stick with it and you will learn where to go and where not to go. About the time you get it figured out though, it all changes. Best advice is to stay away from other Panther vans.
He had to go do something for a bit.