My journey at Landstar

BM 58 · Oct 1, 2021

That’s sounds terrific!

subseaguru · Oct 1, 2021

runningman0661 said: ↑

I’ve been burned by a few agents, and I just don’t pull their loads again. I’ve built a solid relationship with several agents that call and offer me loads, sometimes I take them, sometimes I just pick something off the board.

my list was up to 8 agents. mostly beginning with AU...
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runningman0661 · Oct 1, 2021

@subseaguru So are you buying another truck? I know the used truck market sucks right now.

subseaguru · Oct 1, 2021

runningman0661 said: ↑

@subseaguru So are you buying another truck? I know the used truck market sucks right now.
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yeah i got a volvo with a d13. i looked at lots of trucks and spoke to lots of salesmen that just wanted to get the sale. i ended up getting a volvo at ritchie brothers auctions. the guy had it repossessed. it has all the paperwork on it. he had an inframe done less that 35k miles ago. Big shop diesel did the dyno and its got more power to the deck than i expected for a 455hp. that isx really sucked money when it came to repair. i did some research and talked to several mechanics about what direction to go next. now then its just dealing with landstar. apparently, they hired a lot of new people and only one or two know what to do about trading or upgrading equipment. finally i got someone on the phone who steered me right. hopefully ill be in ft worth this next week to get the eld installed and get a trailer.

BeHereNow97 · Oct 1, 2021

runningman0661 said: ↑

So I just hit my six month mark here at Landstar. Here are my numbers thus far $120,966.80 gross to the truck, net revenue to the bank on paydays $82,820.41 on 51,908 miles. My best net week to the truck $6609.91, my lowest $18.86 (vacation). I also put 7% into a voluntary maintenance escrow every week,

Now in comparison at my last carrier on a mileage contract I was running 153K+ miles per year and my best gross there was a little over $210K. I’m on pace to gross $30K more here and run 50K fewer miles.

About once a month I stay out and run over the weekend, but most of the time I’m home on the weekends, and usually take three day weekends. I’m finally getting into a groove dispatching myself, I’ve found lanes I like to run that I know are profitable. I don’t chase the highest rates on the board, I take less money knowing I can get good rates coming out of a location with plentiful freight choices.

I’ve been burned by a few agents, and I just don’t pull their loads again. I’ve built a solid relationship with several agents that call and offer me loads, sometimes I take them, sometimes I just pick something off the board.

After my Pittsburgh power visit, my truck is running good, and I’m happy with the power and continued fuel economy. I’m going to have my wheel bearings and kingpins looked at in the next week or so, but other than that she’s running good.
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Questions:

1. Do you think it was necessary to lease on with FCC BEFORE you went to Landstar, or do you think it's possible to be successful at Landstar with only company driving experience?

2. Do you ever worry about everything that could go wrong with your business? Maybe you have a (rare) lapse of judgement and get into a small fender bender, and your insurance goes up way too high for you to be profitable? Maybe your truck starts breaking down and with the back orders of all these truck parts, making it hard for you to actually make any money if you can't run because you're waiting on parts? What if the economy takes a nose dive at some point? These things don't worry you?

3. Now that you're running successfully on your own, do you think you will ever go back to being a company driver?

4. Do you think eventually you will do what @Dave_in_AZ did and start to get more trucks and hire on some drivers for them? Or will you be content with your solo operation for a very long time?

runningman0661 · Oct 2, 2021

subseaguru said: ↑

yeah i got a volvo with a d13. i looked at lots of trucks and spoke to lots of salesmen that just wanted to get the sale. i ended up getting a volvo at ritchie brothers auctions. the guy had it repossessed. it has all the paperwork on it. he had an inframe done less that 35k miles ago. Big shop diesel did the dyno and its got more power to the deck than i expected for a 455hp. that isx really sucked money when it came to repair. i did some research and talked to several mechanics about what direction to go next. now then its just dealing with landstar. apparently, they hired a lot of new people and only one or two know what to do about trading or upgrading equipment. finally i got someone on the phone who steered me right. hopefully ill be in ft worth this next week to get the eld installed and get a trailer.
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Congratulations, I ran into the same issue when I traded trucks.

runningman0661 · Oct 2, 2021

BeHereNow97 said: ↑

Questions:

1. Do you think it was necessary to lease on with FCC BEFORE you went to Landstar, or do you think it's possible to be successful at Landstar with only company driving experience?

2. Do you ever worry about everything that could go wrong with your business? Maybe you have a (rare) lapse of judgement and get into a small fender bender, and your insurance goes up way too high for you to be profitable? Maybe your truck starts breaking down and with the back orders of all these truck parts, making it hard for you to actually make any money if you can't run because you're waiting on parts? What if the economy takes a nose dive at some point? These things don't worry you?

3. Now that you're running successfully on your own, do you think you will ever go back to being a company driver?

4. Do you think eventually you will do what @Dave_in_AZ did and start to get more trucks and hire on some drivers for them? Or will you be content with your solo operation for a very long time?
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1. Short answer, No. I’ve owned two other trucks previously, and to be honest I made a ton of mistakes and wasn’t successful, but I learned valuable lessons. At FCC I built up a maintenance fund as quickly as possible, I’ve done the same here. I also put more money aside for a rainy day fund. The mistake I made, and I see other new owner operators make, is not running it like business, not putting money away for repairs and maintenance, not putting money aside for quarterly taxes, and going out and buying tons of new expensive toys.

Sure you can transfer from a company driver to Landstar if you can find a reliable and affordable used truck. Have a minimum of 10K set aside for an immediate breakdown.

2. I already dealt with the part shortage, (that’s what my rainy day fund is for) . I try and keep up on maintenance, but a breakdown is inevitable, I’m financially prepared for it.

Eventually the rates will normalize or correct themselves, they always do. I was profitable at FCC making $1.34 all miles., and my truck payment was $654 more a month than it is now. I will be fine when things correct themselves, until then I’m going to make hay and put in the barn.

3. I’ll never say never, I like the freedom of working when I want, running where I want, but if I had to go back to driving a company truck someday so be it.

4.ABSOLUTELY NOT! I have zero desire to run other trucks and deal with finding reliable and professional drivers. I have friends that have expanded, and their biggest complaint is finding quality drivers, who have the same work ethic they do. Nope, not interested.

A final note I will add, I’m blessed to have a wife that makes over $100K a year, so I’m not the sole bread winner. My kids are grown and gone (except a 24 year old daughter that keeps coming back). So when deciding to buy a truck it helps to have a wife that brings money into the household.

JohnBoy · Oct 2, 2021

runningman0661 said: ↑

………….A final note I will add, I’m blessed to have a wife that makes over $100K a year, so I’m not the sole bread winner. My kids are grown and gone (except a 24 year old daughter that keeps coming back). So when deciding to buy a truck it helps to have a wife that brings money into the household.
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It also helps as a company driver when your spouse makes over $100K per year.

BDT6472 · Oct 2, 2021

Mine does as well. I’m not chasing every last mile out here.

GYPSY65 · Oct 2, 2021

runningman0661 said: ↑

1. Short answer, No. I’ve owned two other trucks previously, and to be honest I made a ton of mistakes and wasn’t successful, but I learned valuable lessons. At FCC I built up a maintenance fund as quickly as possible, I’ve done the same here. I also put more money aside for a rainy day fund. The mistake I made, and I see other new owner operators make, is not running it like business, not putting money away for repairs and maintenance, not putting money aside for quarterly taxes, and going out and buying tons of new expensive toys.

Sure you can transfer from a company driver to Landstar if you can find a reliable and affordable used truck. Have a minimum of 10K set aside for an immediate breakdown.

2. I already dealt with the part shortage, (that’s what my rainy day fund is for) . I try and keep up on maintenance, but a breakdown is inevitable, I’m financially prepared for it.

Eventually the rates will normalize or correct themselves, they always do. I was profitable at FCC making $1.34 all miles., and my truck payment was $654 more a month than it is now. I will be fine when things correct themselves, until then I’m going to make hay and put in the barn.

3. I’ll never say never, I like the freedom of working when I want, running where I want, but if I had to go back to driving a company truck someday so be it.

4.ABSOLUTELY NOT! I have zero desire to run other trucks and deal with finding reliable and professional drivers. I have friends that have expanded, and their biggest complaint is finding quality drivers, who have the same work ethic they do. Nope, not interested.

A final note I will add, I’m blessed to have a wife that makes over $100K a year, so I’m not the sole bread winner. My kids are grown and gone (except a 24 year old daughter that keeps coming back). So when deciding to buy a truck it helps to have a wife that brings money into the household.
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Profitable at a $1.34?
Please!!!!!!

And we wonder why rates are what they are

At a $1.34 you have ZERO business competing with other owner ops
You’d be way ahead just being a company driver
Your truck payment and driving that $19k truck doesn’t make your profit line any better
It only shows your lack of business sense

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