recruiter promises

[Jack_Berry]

just a word about maybe getting it in writting before you commit.

i was at the lodi ta yesterday and in drove a couple panther sprinter vans. i went out and talked to the folks. they had come from orientation and were willing to sell these 07 expediter bob caldwell vans. they were recruited by panther to go into the elite services group running escort for the aa&e loads. the pay was to be $1.30 a mile and all the miles they could run. the sprinters had to be bunk equiped vans because the vans run around the clock like the loads and hence they need to be teams. the story they told was that after 4 days they were told there were no openings. the vans were decaled as regular pes vans. no elite anywhere. they were offered to go into regular service but when weighed with driver and driver stuff one van was 80# over wgt and the other was 50# over weight. they were headed back to colorado. i mentioned other companies in ohio and they were just turned off and wanted to go home. these folks spent 90K for the 2 vans and now could not use them. i just want to point out to those exploring expediting to beware of recruiters promises.

when does the promise of a recruiter become a binding oral contract?

 

[RichM]

Wow nasty promises and if all is as they say it they should consider legal action.

 

[LDB]

Someone must have heard what they wanted to hear. Escort vehicles are paid their standard rate while on escort duty, not premium DOD rate. The number they're claiming would mean higher pay than a D unit on escort duty. Recruiters are well known for focusing only on the positives and painting the rosiest picture possible without totally breaking the truth but this sounds way too far out there. If the recruiter did tell them that there should be phone transcripts to confirm it. I'd suspect they received the rose colored but barely true story and heard it through their rose colored ear muffs and then filtered it through their rose colored expediting analyzer and wound up with what they were claiming.

 

[Jack_Berry]

i thought there might be another side to this story.

 

[BillChaffey]

Not being familiar with "Sprinter" vans I would be curious on what kind of "Stuff" the driver was packing that made him over weight with out any Freight. My experience with a Panther recruiter which I believe I posted once before. (I saved my e mail responce from Panther) I had said if my expenses are x amount, I would need to drive 1500 miles per week to cover them and make it worth my while, is this a reasonable expectation? His response was "your leaving out the FSC" I took this as a yes and purchased a used as in pre owned Cargo Van, but when I attended Orientation I was told "we don't guarantee any milage at all"

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Don't worry! You're "guaranteed" to pay a qc fee.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

A recruiter at LEA told my wife and I that A&E was UP to $1.50 per mile but didn't happen all the time...These shipments happen across the country and not on a regular basis as one could well understand....
Van requiements were....Solid bulkhead with no access from drivers compartment, Outside door locks and back door hinges had to be spot welded so hinge pins couldn't be taken out!!
CDL and hazmat with DOD clearance.

I wonder if they were overweight as in 50# over the 2,000 lbs load requirement???

 

[davekc]

Leo is correct. Someone was listening with "rose colored ear muffs".
I have never heard that promoted by Panther.
An extra 30 cents per mile on a DOD load is what I have heard.
Almost sounds like someone failed a drug test and made something up. With so many vans industry wide, I can't see Panther being hard up for any. The weight issue on the Sprinter is also questionable.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Thats what I meant dave.....My van is around 6300 complete leaving 2250 for cargo legally....if they hada steel bulkhead and aot of gear they'd prolly be closer to 6600....leaving 1950 for cargo....Doesn't P2 require 2,000lbs???

 

[LDB]

As far as I know that 30cpm premium is across the board regardless of unit size when under load for a DOD load. If assigned as escort vehicle the pay is the regular rate plus the fsc with the presumption of making a little more due to zero load weight meaning better mpg.

LEA works on a different basis than Panther so perhaps they might pay as much as $1.50 to a van when under load for DOD, I don't know. I doubt they pay as much for escort but they might. One would have to talk to Landstar to determine those things.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

And we are talking recruiter promises here...so we can take all with a grain of salt!!

 

[Jack_Berry]

ken,
you gotta remember these are sleeper equipped sprinters. i don't remember how much more the sleeper adds in the 07 model. i had talked to a woman with an 05 sleeper sprinter and she had no problem with 2500#.
driver stuff included clothes and a case or 2 of water. i didn't see much else in the sleeper.

 

[Vinnie T]

Get everything in writing!