Landstar Questions

Yes it take at least two weeks for them to check out your driving record. As far as pay what did they tell you? Rates are low right now and every load pays different.
As far as picking loads,you can go on the Landstar website and look for loads or you can start working the phone and find out who has loads and let the agent know you want to work and what you want to do.

 

Deadhead with Landstar has gone way up since Febuary also.

For the amount of work that you do and the sacrifice that it takes on you and your family. That’s what I base cheap freight on.
Time is money and money is power.
Drivers are our own worse enemies. Yes there is a huge difference from .98 cents a mile to $1.98 and $2.99.
Just because one is getting by on say $1.35 per mile or making it, are soley ones preference.

If your not paying off your Truck and Trailer, or replacing them every few years or so for the right off. And you don’t have a retirement plan and your mortgage near paid off or paid off and so on. Well your really not living the dream are you? Unless your standards are moderate and your willing to just settle for less.

Drivers in general aren’t used to earning what they are worth. They have gotten used to the logistics companies, brokers, and agents dictating what they can make.
Think about it. A non asset-based company like Landstar can make millions, no billions per year and not even actually not one single truck or trailer.

They have historically lowered their rates over the last few years because drivers have allowed it. If drivers wouldn’t haul the cheap freight they would have to broker it out. Which they do, they get the high paying loads off the BCO’s safety rating and then broker them out to non LS trucks for a cheaper rate and keep a higher profit.
Plus if the brokered truck has an accident id doesn’t go on LS’s safety record.

Smart stuff, however if drivers would buckle down and not haul the cheap stuff it would all but disappear. Problem I’ve encountered with fellow drivers and friends is that the average driver won’t save to cover his bills and or cost to maintain their truck when freight gets slow.

I don’t know of anyone that can maintain his or her truck on $1.35 per mile. You might think your making it and getting by but at $1.35 per mile, the miles will catch back up to you sooner than later.
Think about it. You can get into a big truck easier than most home or new car loans. At least I did.
New O/O’s perpetuate the cycle. The trucking industry needs new O/O’s daily to keep this vicious cycle going.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have gotten in and acquired my own truck and made money off trucking. But if I were to haul what I consider cheap freight, I wouldn’t re-coop the revenue for preventive maintenance and the wear and tear on my truck.
Eventually I would be using my resources, (Truck and materials) to haul someone’s freight.
You see the way I look at it is like this, If that freight I’m hauling feeds my kids, pays my mortgage and home bills and can keep the revenue for PM and truck wear and tear then that freight becomes my freight when it’s on my trailer.
If that freight doesn’t pay for my family and business present and future, then I’m hauling someone else’s freight for some one else.
And of course this is just my opinion, but that’s why I’m running local right now with the option to go OTR at a moments notice.

Just my two cents worth.

I’m not putting any O/O’s down for doing what they need to do for themselves and their families.
Just trying to spark an interest in the future about hauling heavy low paying freight.
But by all means, do what you need to do to keep on trucking, because that’s what we all want to do.

 

I am confused, you guys say $1.35 a mile is low so how come most companies pay O/Os $.98-$1.05 after fuel surcharge if pulling their trailer. Is is possible to just own your tractor, lease on to one of these companies and make it at $1.05 a mile?

 

oh and whats wrong with 60 year olds LOL looking not so bad from my windshield.

 

More than likely at those very low rates you will always be paying for the last load. You need to be able to put away a set amount per mile for future maintenance, breakdowns, tires, and eventual replacement of truck. Most drivers go to a month long school on how to back, load, and log and off they go. Most would be much better served by taking a few business classes at local community college. I can't help but laugh at the newbies who think nothing of dropping a grand on CB , kicker, antennas , mic, etc and gripe about the price of oil changes, wheel balancing, synthetic oils, engine upgrades, fuel management, and so many other things that will MAKE them money and give them a chance of beating the odds and surviving in this business.
Any fool can drive down the highway and gab on the CB. The intelligent driver will probably have satellite radio and tune it to business news at least 2-3 hours a day. Markets change almost hourly these days. Trip planning can make or break you. I work like mad to stay out of large urban areas anywhere close to rush hour. A laptop can save you 5 to 25 cents a gallon. That is more money in your pocket. How much you ever really made off a CB?
Stay the Hell out of truck stops except to fuel and shower. They are overpriced on every thing they sell. Be polite to other drivers, but let someone else spend an hour listening to their whining. They are costing you money. Learn to do as much work on your truck as you can. Why pay someone $300 bucks to install a $29 part if you are able to do it in a timely manner and it doesn't effect a delivery time?
There are many many other things I could say. Too many drivers , both Americans and others many of who shouldn't even be in this country, don't think too much of themselves and drive for less than McDonalds wages when all is said and done. If that is what you want out of life than get on over to CRE or some other cheese eating rat outfit and sign on. They will laugh all the way to the bank as you struggle year after year until you finally say screw it.
Don't mean to come off as this big a jerk, but this is a tough business. And now more so than ever. You CAN make it. But it takes a lot of work and a lot of luck to be a real success. Best of luck to you.

 

As far as I know, most companies pay more than that. At $1.11 per mile I make around $40K per year. But I run a bit different.
And I don't run for $1.11 per mile.

Out of that .98-$1.05 per mile a good % goes to your fuel cost. The FSC does not pay for all of your fuel. Which is your #1 cost.
Maint, truck payment, plates and permits and Ins.

If you don't know these figures you should educate yourself. You can always ask drivers on the road about these figures or ask here.

At .98-$105 per mile you would gross way less than a company driver in the long and short run.

Make cents?

 

I do not think Landstar is cutting rates. Most of the time it is another company that has lowered the rate and Landstar or the agent will meet that rate just to stay in the game. Right now you must be able to haul for a lower rate or stay home. I saw loads in the LA area last week get reposted with higher rates.

 

Well once you get to know some of the agents very well, you’ll see that they’re the ones cutting the rates and not the customers. If you haul regularly for an agent and build a great relationship with them they’ll show you the Landstar system and what they can see when they pull up your truck and what the rates are from the customer as well as the fuel surcharge.
You see tarping fees are often misunderstood by most drivers. The agents say that the customer won’t pay more than lets say $150.00. But I tell them if they want me to pull the load I’ll need $200 to tarp. You see the customer usually pays a flat rate. It’s the Agents and Brokers that break down the line haul to you. The customer doesn’t really care what you get paid to tarp, as long as the load gets tarped.
Same with the fuel surcharge. Landstar only allows for the national average to be paid to you from the agent, not from the customer.
When loads get sparse, agents want to keep a higher percentage of the line haul, fuel surcharge, and assessorial fees.
Customers pay the flat rate to get it from point A to point B. the agents may ask for a higher rate because of tarping, tolls, permits but once the agent and customer agree on a rate that’s it. Very rarely will it change again.
Now the agents will tell you that the customer won’t pay more than $150 dollars to tarp but in fact the agent is saying that they don’t want to pay more or lose anymore of their percentage of the load.
Assessorial fees, permits and fsc come off the total charge to the customer. What is left becomes the line haul. Agents and landstar only get their percentage from the line haul. All else goes straight to the truck.
I usually have a high success rate for raising the initial Assessorial fees and as of lately when I’m in remote area the line haul. Agents can cut their rate and or give you part of their percentage in order for you to haul the load. It’s all-negotiable. All but the FSC, because Landstar will only allow the agent to give you the national average. Even if in the original contract with the customer it stated a higher rate.
Anything higher than the national average and Landstar will back charge the agent and or the BCO.

So when I’m saying don’t haul the cheap stuff, Landstar drivers know who they are. You can negotiate higher rates if you can. If not the decision to haul it is up to you.
Most agents will look for a brokered truck before they raise the rated to a LS truck. Unless you are in a remote area, then you have the leverage. But you need to know that.

So your right when you say that landstar isn’t the one lowering the rates. It’s Landstar’s agents, which are independent contractors just like the BCO drivers are independent.

If an agent can lower the rates, a driver has the power to raise the rates or not haul that load.

Just some more of my own .02 cents worth.

 

That is what I figured. However I have yet to find a company that pays O/Os more than that.

 

I'm suppose to go to landstar orent. in 2 weeks. I'm getting nervous about it. Right now I get .95 +.23fsc and .90 empty. I just wondering if anyone can I still get that or better at landstar. I would like to clear $2000 a week after they take there deductions is this possible. please advise