Accessorials endangered?

Discussion in 'Landstar' started by slow.rider, May 25, 2021.

  1. slow.rider

    slow.rider Road Train Member

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    Two agents already this week have said Landstar is starting to demand receipts for tolls, and the one just now also said securement has been removed from the system altogether. I've heard agents give excuses before but these are two different agencies said the same thing back to back. Anyone else heard anything?
     
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  3. blairandgretchen

    blairandgretchen Road Train Member

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    F ‘em.

    Have the agent use LOD1, LOD2, beef the FSC, TARP,

    They get enough out of the LH to feed themselves.

    Toll receipts I thought was common place.

    I’ve only had one instance where corporate bucked against accessorials on a load - they were told in short order what was required and why, and left it alone.
     
  4. slow.rider

    slow.rider Road Train Member

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    In 4 years I've never turned in a toll receipt. What are LOD1 and LOD2? Are those the codes for loading and unloading?
     
  5. blairandgretchen

    blairandgretchen Road Train Member

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    Yessir.
     
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  6. blairandgretchen

    blairandgretchen Road Train Member

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    HAZ, Wide , ‘special equipment’ accessories are usually just feel good additions to present to a picky customer as to why a shipment cost more than usual. Most suffer the percentage drain and don’t benefit the driver.

    I could see how a tenacious CFO could start putting the squeeze on anything diverting profits from corporate to the driver.

    I always break loads down to ‘To the Truck”, and if I’m happy, then I’ll take it. This includes anticipating detention and delays, because asking for more on the back end is problematic, perhaps appearing as penny pinching to agents/customers.
     
  7. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

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    If they put tolls on the freight bill, you need to turn in the toll receipts.

    I just have them load toll money into loading and unloading.

    And we've never once had anyone balk at loading or unloading, and it's gone to a $1K before. $300 to $500 is very common for both combined.

    You're dealing with scumbags. Friends don't let friends deal with scumbag agents.

    This business is a never ending minefield. You've found your way into a high density area.
     
  8. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

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    HAZ doesn't get you 100% though. The others we don't deal with in the van world.

    Competent.....let alone well qualified drivers are in very high demand at the moment.

    It will be interesting to see what happens when their overall revenue starts going down because they don't have the trucks.
     
  9. slow.rider

    slow.rider Road Train Member

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    Well see I was trying to get them for loading, unloading, and securement.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2021
  10. slow.rider

    slow.rider Road Train Member

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    Quite a few times I've stacked tolls, loading, unloading and even securement too, all one one run. And I saw a YouTube video where a reefer driver did that plus got some more for sorting and segregation.

    I was doing van until recently and eventually developed the understanding that corporate generally won't look twice as long as there's no line item above $150 and total accessories aren't more than about 20% of linehaul. And on van loads within those parameters, the added accessories were typically just pulled out of the linehaul as a way to bump driver net, as opposed to tacking them on and hitting up the customer for the extra - my reason being that when trying to get more cash out of customers on a van load, the most common result was the load would get covered by someone else before you could strike a deal. So I would usually keep it between me and the agent, pillage the linehaul for accys, get the deal done in a single phone call, and once in a while they'd tack a little extra on somehow.

    But now that there's only a handful of trucks doing what I do, maybe the shoe is on the other foot. Time will tell.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2021
  11. blairandgretchen

    blairandgretchen Road Train Member

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    Securement is really just part of the job.

    Load and unload however can and should be used.

    I’ve heard different responses on FSC - some will tell you that it’s strictly national average, others will jam any old figure in there to help you out.

    Regardless of what the code used is, end of the day it is $ out of the agency pocket and LS pocket.

    Agents get (I think) 7% of 90% of LH. The employees of agents are usually told to minimize accesorials, unless they really need to move the freight - Agent owners themselves are usually more frivolous with 100% charges.

    So, $1,000 LH nets the agent $63.
    $10,000 LH gets them $630.

    So it depends on their volume and agency operations. Do they have 6 employees and an office, handling $100k of freight a week?

    Or is it a pajama agent at the kitchen table with a laptop just trying to pay the utility bill each week, running off 3PL load email blasts.

    It took me a while to grasp the entire picture, but it helps your mindset out when you can understand what the agents business operation is - vs. just doing the “You guys are out to F### us and we do all the work and you get paid for doing almost nothing “

    I sent an agent kid - employee - $250 after he made the truck $13,000 in 10 days. Young kid, good attitude, lives in an apartment and shared custody of a 6 year old daughter. Always answers the phone, almost 24/7. In my opinion he is worth more than he is paid, so I shared.

    The freight that doesn’t hit the board - doesn’t hit it for a multiple of reasons.

    Ok - I’m rambling now.
     
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