Questions about agents. especially in AA&E

Well , top of the day cornsquare
Let me say something about LS and how it works.
It takes time to build a relationship with agents.And yes you need to build a short list of agents you can deal with. It may take up to a year or more to find these agents.

The best way to get along with them is to do as they ask. such as Fax a copy of the POD. When MTY. Or call them when loaded and unloaded. Stuff like that It is not a cold call case. You dont just call like a salesman does. You call them for one of two reasons. One is the load was on teh board or the QC. Or you have hauled for them before and it was a good load. Very few agents have truck parking. Most loads are done by phone and or E Mail..

It is the repeat business with that agent that begins a relationship. phone is the first tool. Email second and Lap top. then a high dollar EOBR with the $4000 programming in it.. LS has a load board on the web site. Also a program that you put in your stats and where you are and how much wgt etc. Then the program will bring up loads that fit your criteria.

There is also a program that works on phone and email . One is called Follow me. That is a program that shows your destination of the load your under then and the programs call you with loads in the prescribed area your going to be in. Of course you see the rate and wgt you will haul for when you set it up.

AA&E is a whole nuther horse. There are agents that do AA&E and some do both AAE and govt contractors. However the rates for AA&E is not up to snuff as it was several years ago.
Some general freight loads pay as good as AA&E does on average and none of the BS .. To me not worth the investment.

If your doing AA&E now as a company driver that is about it ,You see how that is going. At LS you are your own dispatcher, ,

If you don't make money @ LS your hauling freight too cheap or to the wrong areas.. rates are very varied on the board. Agents will find out where your truck is at and you may get a call to move a load for them. The decision to take it is 100% your choice.

Buying your own truck as apposed to being a company driver is like night and day. You cover 100% of the truck expenses and no benefits like medical as like a company driver. LS has at this time about 400 AA&E trucks and only about 40-50 % are doing AA&E regularly. Total trucks is about 8,000 leased on.
Now I know I have really confused you.

 

Landstar agent here.

Building a relationship is simple. You call us on a load that we have posted, we discuss the load details, and you decide if you want to take it. If you are easy to deal with and get the job done (preferably on time), odds are good I will enjoy working with you.

I have a list of drivers that I know are reliable, but the only problem is they could be anywhere in the country at any given time. Keeping up with them all isn't feasible. It's much easier when drivers call me that I have a relationship with and notify me when they are going to be in an area to see if I can help them out.

Other than that, sometimes we will call the trucks if we think we have a really good load or one that needs to get moved. Landstar system shows us where our trucks are at and sometimes lists a phone number for us to call.

Any others questions, ask away!