Landstar questions

Yes but that's like saying jupiter is similar to earth cause it's more similar to earth than Pluto.

 

How many other carriers can you lease onto for Van where you work off their load board where the rates are posted?
Thats my point.

 

That is where the similarities begin. And end. And the guys that work exclusively off that board at Landstar are the ones that complain they can't make money.

 

Where's the BS meter. Getting deep in here. Thanks for the laugh anyways!

 

Those are gross numbers and not that inflated. Up until about 18 months ago i was regularly making runs from Eastern ky along the Ohio River to nyc for over 3.25 to 3.50(and even higher at the end of the quarter when they will pay extra on the trucking to get it off the property to avoid inventory taxes) a mile after mercers cut. Add in their 25% and its what? 4.25 a mile?

Even with today's depressed market 2 bucks after their cut is just a standard rate. On longish miles. Heck many of the 2500+ mile cross country runs are @1.85 or so.

I always tried to explain to you that if you got off those public load boards your rates would drastically increase. The good freight only hits a public load board as a last resort to get covered. 98% of the stuff on there is garbage rates on garbage freight. Not too many missile tubes, jet engines, or jet wings are going to be found on getloaded. You might see the occasional humvee or conex box but you ain't seeing a crated predator drone. And you can flat out forget the loads @Old Man pulls ever hiring a public board. That elevator stair case needed to be at the airport so obama could exit airforce one on time, no matter what. Joe blow 1 man trucking isn't being offered that load. Ever.

 

you might do 5k every now and again, but I doubt you can do it every week, unless you stay out weeks at time. i haven't hit 5k myself personally in a while, but i come home most every weekend. last year when the rates and volume were higher i might hit 5k twice a month, but its not there for me in my lanes this year. i curently pull a company van, and try to avoid drop n hooks like the plague, but sometimes it what i gotta do to keep moving. my advice is dont drop n hook on the delivery side. if there is no empty, you might be there a long while waiting on one, a that can effect the other loads you have set up. i know a guy who does that but he stays out about 2 or months at a time and has a special type of trailer and goes wherever, when ever, if the price is right.

 

There's some good info in this thread. My application was approved for Landstar and I'm thinking about coming over. I'll start with Van (I have done flatbed in the past, I'm on the fence about doing it again). I considered Intermodal but the agent I spoke with the other day wasn't very helpful. Does anyone have an idea of what's a good lane coming out of northeast Florida?

I'd to be able to make some good money and be able to see and help out with the grandbabies.

 

Even LS will tell BCOs not to go to Florida. Unless your getting paid good money or know someone that has loads going out. Usually you make your money going in and it better pay enough to cover deadheading out to you next load.

 

I had to go back and reread what I posted earlier. I guess that's what I get for watching a Law and Order marathon and typing at the same time. Lol.

I live in Florida and I know the rates suck down here. I was asking if someone could suggest a particular lane to run when leaving out. I'd like to be able to make a decent living without being away from my grandkids for a long period of time.

 

Any lane you can find. That's the hard part of LS is finding anything that pays. The agent I knew NOG had loads out of Ormond Beach to Nogales AZ, the load was so rear even calling the agent about the load was no luck for me anyway. I alway had to deadhead up I to GA. I found even the cheap load don't exist.

I'm driving a company now and they send me to PA. LS had no freight from PA. My company has all kinds of loads from PA to OH or Michigan. I would guess it cheap freight and they must make their money going into PA. My company has the return loads. That what I find different about LS, they just did not seem to have the loads.

LS has some webinar and and you can log in and they will show you the load board and stuff. I guess they still do that.