Landstar Questions

When I haul van I don't do multiple stop or driver unload. I have a real problem with shippers or receivers who want to use me as their cheap labor source. As long as drivers continue to allow themselves to be used like this then companies won't hire and pay a decent wage and benefits for a permanent employee. If you want to service that type of customer I am sure you can find plenty of that type of freight. Meanwhile I will be hauling no hassle loads making more money doing what I am paid to do which is drive. Plenty of companies use the brainwashing b.s. to try and convince you that lumping freight is just more opportunity to make money. They have crappy customers that they are trying to service and they are trying to get you to do it. As you unload your available driving hours tick away and you also wear yourself out and subject yourself to injury. In short, are you a driver or a lumper? The truck makes money rolling and it makes a lot more money than you will lumping. If not then maybe lumping is a better job for ya.

 

You know it alls kill me. Lol. How you gone tell somebody what they would make, if you never hauled it yourself? Last I checked, 2 sources of income are always better than 1.

 

It amazes me how people who think they know something don't listen to people who do know. On principle alone I will not support a company too cheap to hire crews to unload their product. Secondly, with increased regulation it is more important than ever to maximize your driving time where the real money is made with a truck. But you are free to do what you want. It matters not one bit to me if you haul every hand unload there is. How old are you now? What do ya think all that back breaking work is going to do for ya when you are 50, 60, 70? Will that work destroy your ability to even drive in the future? Knock yourself out. I will be waving and driving on by hauling no hassle freight for more money. Because my experience is most of those hand unloads are heavy and cheap to begin with.

 

The only way to find the agents with the freight that works for you is to get out here and make phone calls and watch the load board. Set up load alerts for the areas you want to run and monitor them over a 2 month period and take notes of who has what and where.

 

Never hauled it myself? I said I don't haul hand unloads but that doesn't mean I haven't. I have better use for my time. Lazy doesn't enter into it but if I want to be lazy that is my decision. Work smart not hard. Lump that freight. Waste an hour or more unloading. Get dirty nasty and sweaty. Waste more time getting another shower. Waste more time and money having to do laundry. Waste opportunity for getting another load because while you are lumping freight I am searching the board and calling agents. Yeah, I don't know or haven't thought this through. Go ahead, please take all that hand unload crap. It leaves more good loads for me.

 

Lane match has always helped for when I cold call agents or send out emails. Its like fishing, sometimes you have to cast a bunch of times before you get that nice large mouth bass. Lane match allows you to see what agents are moving freight out of the area you specified in the search query.

Also keep a notebook of all the loads you start pulling for agents that you like or don't like. I have do not haul list with about 6 agents on it.

Sometimes I can't find anything and will be hitting the refresh results tab on the load board and you have to be quick most of the time when I good load posts in a bad freight area. Seconds matter.

 

I forgot to mention that other BCO's are full of useful information. I learned about that broker who I do a lot of trade show freight for from another BCO. Most of us out here are pretty friendly and try to help each other out.

 

And if you are in the back of a trailer unloading you are going to miss loads. It's all about time management. Carolinatrucka try out your plan and see if it works for you. Nobody says you can't do it that is up to you. All I did was list reasons not to haul hand unloads. You asked for advice and it was given. Sorry it is counter to what you wanted to hear. I don't know everything, actually I do, but you don't have to listen to a word I say. I'm out, got another $4.50 per mile easy load to get down the highway.

 

Be careful of advise from other BCO's! Some are really anal and think you are gonna steal their gravy loads so the send you in the opposite direction as far as loads go. Also be careful as there are BCO's that will drop the dime on you to Corporate thinking they are eliminating more competition.
Everyone here has heard the story of the BCO who saw another BCO parked on the berm of the road (Landstar calls this a sitting duck and you can have ur lease terminated first offense) pulled in behind them so he could snap a picture and send to corporate......needless to say, both got their leases terminated!

That being said.....There are a bunch of good guys out here who would give you the shirts off their back and are willing to help out the new guys who come on! Just use some wisdom as more then one BCO has found a knife in their back from the friendly BCO they talked to only hours earlier!