Landstar Questions

What good is freedom and flexable rates if your going broke because the rates are low? Just askin'.

 

Even though Landstar doesn’t have the freight right now I would still go with them. Running at .90 cpm kinda leaves at a disadvantage when freight does pick up. I would also mention that the FSC from Tango is 100 % of the national average like Landstar but without room for negotiation. With fuel around 3 bucks a gallon right now it would be tough. Just my .2 cents worth.

 

So it would be better to go to landstar, who has minimal decent paying freight right now, just to be able to TRY to get a better FSC rather then leasing to a major carrier who:
1)has freight
2)pays deadhead
3)paid plates
4)paid tolls
5)paid scales
I'm not bashing Landstar, it just irk's me when people say "it would be tough" running for .90cpm. Over a month, total to the truck may suprise some people who think thats cheap, I mean with Landstar you may get a 1.50 load, but how many days did you wait on that or how far did you deadhead for free to get it.

Here's an example: A 1k mile load pays $1500 all inclusive to the truck, that equals $1.50 per mile, well let's say you deadhead 200 miles to get it, now that $1.50 comes down to $1.25 per mle but at landstar you have more deductions then a major carrier normally does(ielates,tolls,maybe a scale ticket) So before fuel you will gross what $1500 for 1200miles to whereas with a major carrier at .90cpm for all miles plus the FSC #.26cpm you would gross $1340 with less expenses.

 

With Landstar you would have to be able to do some dealing. Call broker and negotiate rate. If you are unable or unwilling to do some work you would be better off w/Tango. Just because it says all in doesn't mean it is. You have to learn to be a real business man if you want to make more money.

 

I agree with you, except for now they aren't negotiating rates at any success or much success to the o/o. Do I think Landstar will be great again, yes I do. I have quite a few friends at LS and for right now on a monthly average I'm doing better then them, now when the rates go up again they will KILL me on that average.

 

Well since your just asking, what makes you think every one at Landstar is going broke? What makes you think ALL the rates are low? Truth is some of the rates are low and some are going broke. Just as with any company. The big differece is with Landstar if you are smart and will work with the agents you will get those loads that pay$$$$ Unlike most of the others no matter what you do you get CENTS per mile.

 

The overall content of this thread makes me think that MOST O/Os at Landstar are going broke. I agree an O/O must be smart and work with agents. However, with the current economy, unless you have a niche or are associated with a good agent within the Landstar system, most are going broke due to low rates. Also, it's only about the gross revenue, it's about net income after all expenses. Lossttrucker made valid points.

 

If you want some real numbers I ran 3013 miles last week and made $5577.48 to the truck. So as you can see, not everyone at Landstar is going broke. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Landstar is what YOU make it. If you need to be babysat this is not the place for you.

 

Grizzly, I'm glad your doing good, I also am doing well at Landstar. Most are also. Some will never make it here because they need some one to tell them to go to point A and take it to point B. The part about the tag fees is funny. Less than $ 2000 dollars over a years mileage equals how much per mile? Less than 2 cpm. So they haul for 90 cents and think thats good because their company pays the tag. Some of you need to use a calculator.

 

Nobody in his or her right mind is going to haul a load at Landstar for $1.50 per mile. Maybe a dry van O/O. But not a Step or Flatbed O/O.
You have Grizzly running for about $1.90 per mile on here and generally you can keep more than half after you pay your trucking bills. (If you can’t keep half you need to re-check your #’s.)
So Grizzly is happy with about $2788 per week for 3000 + miles after paying for his fuel, plates, insurance and other trucking expenses.
Now I don’t pull any Landstar loads for under $2.00. And I need my back haul lined up if I leave the house. But with my Rock Bucket I can run locally for 2500 gross which gives $1900 net and run only 3000+ miles per month. So it’s 750 miles per week.
Three years at LS and my Rig and flatbed are paid for and I have my Day cab and bucket paid for. So I have the choice to run a LS load or stay home and sleep at my house with my Wife every night.

What I was used to at LS was set up with my regular Agents. But they went belly up and I can no longer make $8000 gross per week and keep $3950 Net per week Average because the freight just isn’t there right now.
Now a lot of loads were specialized and or I had a semi dedicated loading of multiple loads of freight but it’s not there. I don’t know how else to explain it to someone. The freight that Landstar had is just not there anymore.
And the freight that is there you have to negotiate for the right Fuel surcharge and Accessorial fees like never before. The agents are hurting and so is Landstar and they both want to keep as much as they can.

And be honest. I’ve lost a ton of my trucking buddies here at landstar. Mostly because the haul Dry van.

If I didn’t have the option to run here locally and only had to depend on Landstar I would be making a below average living.

It’s one thing to run miles for ok pay, but you need great pay to maintain that truck and trailer. Other wise your driving a time bomb. The miles will catch up to your truck and you ask yourself, “where did all that money I made go?”

Landstar is not what it used to be, but then who is? Fuel and Tires and maintenance haven’t gone down. If anything they have gone up. But the rates of loads have dropped tremendously and the weights of loads have gone up.

Tough time to have to rely on agents and brokers. 20 % of my revenue this year is from LS. The rest is from me running my rock bucket here locally.

It will turn around but I don’t believe it’ll be this year.