Panther Expedited Services, Inc. - Seville, Oh.?

Discussion in 'Expediter and Hot Shot Trucking Forum' started by anonymous.person, Sep 21, 2006.

  1. elongeg

    elongeg Bobtail Member

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    Jan 4, 2009
    spencer ohio
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    forget panther you will go broke:biggrin_25520:
     
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  3. elongeg

    elongeg Bobtail Member

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    Jan 4, 2009
    spencer ohio
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    That guy lied to you i drive for a owner the owner gets 1.30 mi i get 23 cents a mile then pay the owner .10 a mile truck lease plus 30.00 a week QCom and on top insurance so i get less than .12 a mile WTF
     
  4. RickG

    RickG Road Train Member

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    6,135
    Jul 22, 2008
    Owensboro , KY
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    Nobody lied . The standard arrangement is for drivers to get 60% of revenue and pay the fuel . Some fleet owners pay for the fuel and pay the driver 40% . Most fleet owners are honest and treat drivers right . Don't call people liars and badmouth Panther because you accepted terms 99% of other drivers would have refused .
     
    luvtheroad Thanks this.
  5. pauldriver

    pauldriver Bobtail Member

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    May 3, 2009
    Detroit, Mi.
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    one of those storys they say truckers and fishermen make. aint happening.:biggrin_2559: hope he didnt get you
     
  6. pauldriver

    pauldriver Bobtail Member

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    May 3, 2009
    Detroit, Mi.
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    how true, how true. already have a couple of friends that lost their trucks aswell as their savings
     
  7. Bigowl

    Bigowl Light Load Member

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    Nov 25, 2009
    Dallas, Texas
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    I want to lease onto Panter as a straight truck owner operator. What are the requirements as far as the equipment goes. Do your straight truck need a sleeper, age, make, model, ect. Any information regarding this will help. Thanks
     
  8. dmag

    dmag Light Load Member

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    Jul 6, 2009
    charlotte,nc
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    Bigowl I think most companys say 5 years or newer on the St. trucks. And they all say you need a sleeper because you are out of town over night, and need to do the 10 hour break some where. But Express-1 has I know one truck without a sleeper, he just keeps all motel rec's.
     
  9. Orange Truck

    Orange Truck Light Load Member

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    Jul 5, 2009
    Rockton,IL
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    Stay away from Panther.
     
    cutipie Thanks this.
  10. tblount

    tblount Bobtail Member

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    Feb 15, 2008
    Tuscaloosa Al
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    Stay away, take it from someone who ran for them for over 6 months, in both a van and a 24 ft straight truck. Working for Panther is almost EXACTLY the same as being a homeless person, living in a vehicle and getting just enough, maybe, to eat one meal a day. There will be NO income to send home to help your family pay bills, or send kids to school.

    They lie, #### lies, a lot. You'll sit and wait a LOT because the people who own several fleet trucks get priority. It idea of first in and first out is a joke.

    The biggest lie is what they will actually pay. The rates they post are seldom paid - if ever. What they'll do is contact all their drivers that are near a load and say: "we have a load that is offering 50 cents per mile if someone wants to take it." If not, it's obvious you'll sit and wait several more days and not make anything. Drivers who make 60% of the load will take it because they aren't paying for fuel.

    I've even been offered loads for 16 cent per mile. When I called they would say... it's just an offer, incase you rather move to a better location than to sit in a dead spot and wait or hope to be deadheaded somewhere.

    They charge you all kinds of fees to start, even if you have a current medical card, they still charge you $60 for their nurse to check your bp, they charge you fees for processing your paperwork, qualcomm, insurance, fees fees fees, you start to realize they are making more off new drivers coming and going than they make hauling freight.

    Much of what you'll haul is cheap freight with FedEx labels on it, that FedEx drivers turned down because there was no profit in hauling it. I finally went to work for FedEx Custom Critical... a much much much more professional business. But sadly the volume of freight fell so much that I couldn't make a living with them either.
     
  11. chasedoggy

    chasedoggy Bobtail Member

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    May 8, 2007
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    I currently drive a big truck for Panther and I love it. I've been with them for almost two years now.

    Panther is a 100% owner operator company. You will get no help from the company when buying or leasing your truck. That is your responsibility and you will be expected to have that handled when you arive in Seville, OH for orientation. The big money is made by those who own their own rig, however, you may work for a fleet owner, which isn't a bad idea if you've never owned your own rig and want to give Panther a test drive. I've also heard good stories about certain fleet owners making side arrangements with drivers allowing them to eventually purchase the trucks they drive and then lease on directly as an o/o with Panther. I can't speak about straight trucks or vans because I've never driven them.

    So here's the deal: you must be a big boy. There's no crying in trucking, or so they say. Handle yourself professionally and treat your interactions with Panther like a serious business. Because that is exactly what it is. Just like any other trucking company, Panther is in business to make money. And so are you. Panther makes an effort to be fair, but that doesn't mean there won't be issues you have to deal with or times when you will feel like throwing your qc unit out the window. Things usually work out for me. Stay professional. Don't ever swear over the phone at a dispatcher. No sexual innuendos. All calls incoming and outgoing are recorded. I have a go to guy at Panther who is high enough up that he can handle big issues. I'll call his cell phone and it usually gets handled. Don't ask me to name him here because I won't. I've learned not to waste his time with the little crap. Let the little crap slide off your back and get back to earning money. You will develop relationships with those you trust at Panther. There is a jerk or two I don't enjoy dealing with so I don't. This is no different than every other trucking company out there. Be smart.

    It took me awhile to figure out the most profitable lanes, and it will take you awhile also. If you stay in the Milwaukee/Detroit to South Carolina corridors you will do very well. Chicago is on fire for us presently. Anywhere in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio are fantastic. Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Michigan are real good. If you will/can go to Canada you will knock it out of the friggen' park money-wise! I grossed $10,000 in November and $12,000 in December. Let me be clear. I am talking money that I deposited into my bank account after I paid for fuel and maintenance, and my insurance and qualcomm deductions (which amount to about $95/week). This is my taxable income. I will earn well in excess of 100K in '09, after all my expenses are paid. I own my truck outright so I have no truck payment. You probably will to start, so plan ahead. Not every month is that good for me, especially if my truck is in the shop or I go home. I see a gal near Chicago so I can get my mail at her place and can chill there if I need a quick break. I've been known to run loads for 20-30 straight days without a chill. You will run 1800-2200 miles per week so get used to it. If you are coming from a company that threw you 3000+ miles per week you'd better find a hobby or buy a puppy. I did both. But you will make more with Panther and your truck won't work as hard so your maintenance bill will be lower.

    So how do I do it? To start, I work almost all the time. I am a legal resident of Texas, but I go home maybe four times per year. Why? Because the last time I checked, Texas wasn't in that corridor I've been talking about. If you get to Texas good luck getting a good paying Panther load out. Ain't gonna happen. Also I run lots of loads. I save my load offer turn downs for the seaboard or out West or to parts of Canada that are impossible to get out of.

    This is expediting. Which means the freight needs to be there soon. Very soon. And our biggest and most profitable customers are the auto manufacturers. Probably 75% of my shippers and consignees are either the Big Three, Honda, etc. or their suppliers. And if it doesn't get there on time then their lines go down, which costs them thousands. So they pay Panther handsomely to be on time, and in turn Panther will pay their driver handsomely to be on time. Panther keeps stats. My on time % is 100. I am never late! My rate is $1.45 per loaded mile plus a fuel surcharge. I average around $1.80 per loaded mile. I am also paid .35 per deadhead mile. Tolls can be reimbursed but you must negotiate that with the dispatcher. I get $170 extra every time I run a load to Canada. And $50 extra on the return trip. Why? Because freight doesn't pay as much coming out of Canada. I also get paid $25/hour detention after the first two hours. And if I ever touch freight I get paid extra. It's happened three times in two years. There is also $75/night layover pay, which usually only comes into play over weekends.

    Everything is negotiable and there is no forced dispatch. Obviously you will not run a load to Manhattan or Long Island for $1.80/mile. So you must learn to negotiate. In fact, I rarely go to the Eastern seaboard. It is not in that Milwaukee/Detroit to South Carolina lane. I will go to Ontario and sometimes even to Montreal. They pay great. Montreal can be tough to get loads out of so I keep a stash of about 7-10 Quebec brokers I've developed a relationship with that I can call to book my own loads. Panther allows that and they only keep 15% of backhaul revenue, meaning the driver keeps 85%. That is very fair, after all it is their trailer and liability insurance.

    Payday is every Friday via a deposit to the drivers' Comdata card. You are paid 15 days in arrears so plan ahead. And hawk your paycheck detail. I have discovered errors. Call driver relations and they will get the mistake handled.

    If you can, get yourself Canada approved. That means buying a tractor with a wheel base no more that 244 inches. Pete 379, KW W900, FL Coronado won't cut it. Buy something with a Detroit engine if you can because we run lots of light loads and getting 8 miles per gallon will make you smile every time you fill up. Get your hazmat endorsement, get your TWIC so you are cleared to pu and deliver to ports. Get airport approved through Panther. I have all of these and it improves my revenue possibilities. There is nothing better than being 10th on a certain board and leaping over everyone to get a load offer because you are the only one with hazmat or a TWIC. If you are a team get military approved so you can run loads for Elite Services. Put yourself into the best possible position to succeed. And run lots of loads. Panther will take notice of you and treat you great. If you ##### and moan and turn down lots of loads you will be treated accordingly.

    In closing, a little story for you. Last month I was at the TA in Lodi, OH. On any given day it looks like a Panther convention there because Panther headquarters is like five miles away. So I'm holding court out in the parking lot with four Panther rookies who just finished orientation, telling them what they can expect and how they can succeed, and a crusty veteran-looking driver pulls up next to us pulling a Panther trailer. He must have had more total driving experience than the five of us combined. He asks us if we run for Panther. And I said yes, all of us. He proceeded to rip Panther to shreads throwing F-bombs everywhere, and announcing he was returning the trailer in the morning and quitting. We listened to all of it and when he was finished I asked him what happened. He said his first Panther load was to Roanoke, VA and then he got stuck there for five days. When he drove on I turned to the rooks and said what a shame because first of all, you don't go to the Seaboard or inland VA (unless paid handsomely) and second, why would you not either empty move yourself out of a very poor area or at least book a backhaul. Once again, be smart. And be proactive.

    Hopefully no one who reads this will ever make that horrible mistake. Good luck to everyone no matter who you decide to drive for.

    Mark
     
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