Cargo Vans With Panther Expedited Good Idea??

Discussion in 'Expediter and Hot Shot Trucking Forum' started by Bigarmin88, May 22, 2010.

  1. Bigarmin88

    Bigarmin88 Road Train Member

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    Aug 30, 2008
    Tampa Bay Fl
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    Well I been offer a job with an o/o she sign on with Panther Expedited,she new with them and can't tell me much.How are there pay and how busy will I be.Is it a good idea or bad one?Any input would be great.

    Thanks
     
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  3. Xpediter

    Xpediter Bobtail Member

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    Aug 25, 2011
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    I drove for a fleet owner for Panther II (straight truck). And I spoke with fellow Panther drivers alot both truck and van. If you are a team you get the best loads, being the longer distances. Unfortunately for solo drivers you often lose out on some loads to these teams. Even though it may have been a load you could have easily taken as a solo... because they seem to favor teams. An example would be, you are in Birmingham,AL. and at the time you dropped your last load you were the only Panther II vehicle in the area. A team pulls in after you. It supposed to be first in-first out. But they get a load before you and go. You find out it was a load to Dallas,TX. a load you can legally do solo. But they'll favor a team, and there excuse is well we know it's in limit but we gotta make sure it gets there. Just pretty much count on loads that are usually 250 to 450 miles max. Occasionally they'll throw you a bone if they have no other trucks or team in the area and you might get a 500-600 mile run. Now on the weekend it's a different story sometimes. If your 70hr work week hours have been reset during the week,(34hrs off) you have the time for an over the weekend load. One you can pickup on Friday or Saturday morn and it delivers say 7 am on Monday.
    you can pick up some good miles 1500 2000. In this case be careful where they send you. If they send you too far west well beyond Dallas, Little Rock, Kansas City, Des Moines, St. Paul, you could get stuck with out a load for a bit. Best to dead back to a better area. And beware of two areas if you're solo Chicago/Joliet and Detroit on down to Toledo or below on the I-75 corridor. Because what they'll do is try to get you to pick up a load off another truck at a swap dock and go to Canada with it... bad go it'll take up most of your hours crossing. And in Chicago, if your in Joliet, they'll try to get you to go into or across Chicago to get a load. Then once you get back out and down the road a little ways, then they tell you to take to a swap dock for another truck because you don't have enough hours left. There is ways to get around this. If you delivered into Detroit area and have hours left... get the hell out as far as you think you can even if its just Ann Harbor. Your more likely to get a load going further and less likely to get Canada offers. In Chicago do the same thing, deliver get the hell out. Now there is the negotiation factor. Panther has a mininum charge for short hauls. $400 If they offer you a crap load 50-150 miles they'll try and sucker you into for $99. Tell them bugger off you do it for $300. That leaves Panther with $100 and you and your fleet owner split the rest. They'll balk.. they'll beg if your the only vehicle there. And then they'll pony up more. You can also just say I want a bonus for this and when and where I stop to get my hours back in..I want first out status.
    If you are in say Memphis and they want you to dead head to Birmingham to take a load for another solo driver who is out of hours. And it doesn't go far... say Vicksburg, demand dead head pay. In my truck I could get $1.00 no fuel surcharge, per mile dead head, not too shabby. If you are on a owner 40/ driver 60 split and pay for fuel... check to see what fuel surcharge is paying. Panther II has favored buddies like Modine and they are tight.. like only $0.05 per mile surcharge. If you need it to get to a better area...mmm ok. But if your in a good area you may want them to renegotiate a better f.s. Now as to Cargo vans pros & cons you are limited to 2 pallets maybe 3 in a long wheel base Sprinter van. So you are boxed into that. Pros that type of load travels cheaper for the shipper by van than truck, so you stand to get those loads if there is no other van there.
    Another plus if you have GPS or computer with travel maps on board, you may find short cuts here and there you can take that a truck cannot. In my opinion the straight truck with a 24' box is the best option. Most expedite loads are not really heavy nor too many pallets not to fit in a 24' box truck. So you can get a chance for more loads. I think I covered a bit here but I'll check back and see if you have more questions. Also if you are going to go... do it now because after Thanksgiving it starts to slow down. Then By Christmas it's almost dead... won't begin to pick up again till Feb. then steadily gets better again. Note January is a good time to stand down anyway and do your taxes... save all your receipts while your on the road, lots of stuff are deductible e.g. clothes you buy, CB's, TV's, tools, etc. etc. Always keep a clander to mark the days you were out OTR so you can claim your per diem.
     
    speedyk Thanks this.
  4. joem

    joem Bobtail Member

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    Aug 22, 2012
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    i just sign on to driving a cargo van for panther. does panther supply a small sleeping area in these vans or are you sleeping wherever you can find space. also, how much should i bank to cover initial cost for the first few weeks. thanks
     
  5. firefox30

    firefox30 Bobtail Member

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    Aug 27, 2012
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    hello i worked for panther all i will say is becareful they will tell you one thing and do another i was out of service and they called me for random and i refused because i was out of sevice so i quit but the terminated me i was moving and not here thats one thing well you get if you need more 411 "info message me thanks
     
    bdkilgore Thanks this.
  6. joem

    joem Bobtail Member

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    Aug 22, 2012
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    thanks firefox. were you a van driver and if you were how comftable are these vans. my biggest worry is being able to get a good night sleep in these vans. joe
     
  7. TennTrucker

    TennTrucker Light Load Member

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    Aug 20, 2010
    Dresden, Tn
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    Your best bet is go to nearest truck stop and talk to some van drivers, ask to see how they set their vans up.

    Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
     
  8. Bigarmin88

    Bigarmin88 Road Train Member

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    Tampa Bay Fl
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    First of all Panther owns no truck or vans,in most cases if a fleet owner has a van set up for expedited more likely it has a bed,gotta ask when you speak to fleet owners.As for Panther general,I been with them for while now and it been slow last couple of months but that most likely due to auto plants do there maintenance in month of August but over all what I heard from few cargo van drivers I spoke to it seems Panther don't have enough freight for vans but thats from couple of van drivers I spoke to.If you got a CDL your better off in a straight truck or T/T if you got a class A.
     
  9. joem

    joem Bobtail Member

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    Aug 22, 2012
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    thanks for the info bigarmin88. seems like im gonna have to have a good talk with a fleet owner. i am probaly in a better position than most sincemy monthly bills only come out to 700 amonth. i guess i can throw another four hundred for food on the road so as long as i can clear 400-450 a week i should be ok. i do have a cdl b but i dont want to deal with weight stations and all the other nonsence. joe
     
  10. Bigarmin88

    Bigarmin88 Road Train Member

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    Aug 30, 2008
    Tampa Bay Fl
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    Scales and weight stations are not a big deal for straight trucks T/T yes but for straight trucks no,still gotta stop at weight stations but you will never be over weight.Since I been with Panther I always drove S/T and 90% of time i'm only haul few pallets to half fuel,only few times I was fully loaded.Most loads are less than 5,000bls but I been as heavy as much as 12,000bls.Again my opinion is if you go with Panther and you got a CDL,stick with straight truck you'll will make more money than in a cargo van that I can tell you.Good luck.
     
  11. keepntruckin

    keepntruckin Light Load Member

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    Dec 27, 2011
    Lexington,NC
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    Am I reading this correctly,, you were called to take a random drug test?
     
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