Landstar

I had a Landstar agent call me a couple of weeks ago to see if I happened to have hazmat authority(I have the endorsement on my CDL, but I don't have hazmat operating authority). She had a no-tarp hazmat flatbed load coming out of Eastern Wyoming going to the Atlanta area, and it was paying just shy of $3/mi. That's an excellent rate, considering other loads in the area were paying under $1.50 for tarped loads going to less desirable destinations. Admittedly, this was a last-minute load, and there evidently wasn't a BCO in the area or she wouldn't have been calling me, but you'd only have to haul one load like that to make that $100 worth your while.

 

Hello Gears,

I was wondering how the loads that you get from Landstar are paying. Is it a different percentage for carriers than it is for O/o's?

 

Thats affirmative, Landstar requires all their BCOs to have hazmat reguardless of what they pull.

 

Just be aware that many Landstar agents have their own trucks and they get the top loads before they even hit the 'system'... unless you are in bed with a few good agents you get leftovers...

 

Of course it is not that way at any other trucking company.

 

Thats just stupid and thay wonder why its soo hard to find good drivers. I had it because ACME said i had to have it in 2 years i used it twice i was told that i would make more money with it I was thinking on every load and that was not the case
After paying all that extra $$$ in insurance i lost $$$

 

I think you'd be better off starting with a carrier that pays you a mileage rate, if you are new to being an O/O.
If you just bought your first truck, you haven't figured out your costs yet, so you can't probably make qualified bids on loads. Yes, Landstar has some good freight, but it doesn't mean it's sitting and waiting for you on the board. There's also lots and lotsa cheappo stuff. Gotta ask yourself a question whether you have sufficient resources to spend 4-6 months learning the ins and outs.
At least with a mileage contract you know exactly what's coming in.

 

Why should you have to make Qualifed bids? So there prices are negotiable? that sounds like somethings up!

 

Yep you know... about 40% less than running a percentage lease IMHO.

 

I would say it pretty rampant among Landstar brokers... I would at least like a shot at the freight they steal from the top. At Mercer an agent will get fired for not putting every load into the system and giving everyone a shot at it.

Mercer had an agent in SLC that was caught hiding loads for his favorites... along with scamming the Air Force by billing for RGN trailer loads when they were regular step-deck moves. He was in cahoots with the traffic manager at the base in Ogden.

He was fired... and became a Landstar agent the next week...