Landstar Questions

so much info, but none i feel comfy with. we are husband and wife team our truck is 10 years old. we just ran for ups o/o division. worked 3 month to get hired and lasted 4 weeks. yikes. great company to make lots of money, but micro management the worst we ever had. so we are looking at landstar, but dont know if we could do ok, all the deduction are confusing.the % is lower than what you all are talking about.we need all the help we can get. can't afford to make another mistake

 

What deductions are confusing to you? The 10 year old trk is no problem as long as it passes inspection.

 

Yeah if it passes it's OK. When I got in you need a truck five years or newer. They have lost so many drivers that they have indeed lowered their standards. But the freight still isn't here anymore.


Landstars load board for it's BCO's is easy to use. It's getting what you should out of the agents that makes the learning curve go up.

Of course you'll need to get your own laptop with a good internet connection card. Extend your cell or get a wifi account.

Pulling a Flatbed is better than a van or step right now in my opinion. But I do pull a flatbed.

Get your self a GPS program or device. You need to double check all the mileage posted by the agents. Some will try to short you. By Landstars standard they only have to be with in 10%. I don't haul 10% for free for anybody. If the agent doesn't post the right mileage or change it i won't pull it.

Same as the fuel surcharge. If they won't break it out of the linehaul I look elsewhere.

I use Microsoft Street and trips and Copilot to check mileage and to route my self.
I also check the climbs I'll be doing on the route and match those climbs to the wieght of the load. If the load is heavy and I have to do too much climbing, I'll take another load.

Better to sit and wait for a load that is profitable than to haul someones load for cheap or free. A profitable load will pop up.

You can also get a TV tuner card for your laptop and have no need to carry a tv in your truck.

You can also watch you DVD's on the laptop and route the audio through your trucks stereo system for surround sound.

You can use you laptop to send and recieve faxes and to edit video and digital pictures of your loads for your protection against claims.

Get yourself a Printer/Scanner/Copier. (HP All in one is about $79.00)

You can scan all your loads paperwork using a downloaded version of Transflo to your laptop if you have the scanner. And you don't have to look for a truck stop once you make your drop/drops

You can also print out from online, Logs, Fuel envelopes, Coversheets and also scan your logs to Landstar and or e-mail them.

Then get yourself E-Fax or Rapid Fax. (About $16.00 or less per month)

Then only take loads where the Agent will fax you the Landstar Confirmation sheet with the break down for the line haul, fuel surcharge and accessorial fees, (Like Tarp, Stop pay)

Also when you call on a load from Landstar's site you can do a print screen of the load details.


I also record all my phone conversations. (Bit much, but it works for me)

99% of the time that I have a problem and call customer service, it swings my way.

These are all legal contracts, (Posted load details, Confirmation sheets and verbal agreements.

I have found that there are allot of great honest landstar agents out there.

That said, the reality is that I have found about 60% of the other agents to be dishonest and willing to do anything to cheat you out of your rightfully earned monies.

You can make good money here but you have to lookout for yourselves. Landstar will take the side of any agent that makes them money before they take one driver's side. (Unless you have proof)

Its just good business.

Allot of the agent's double broker the loads to himself or herself. They are the Agent and Broker and many times they are two brokers in the same office.

As much as they cut the loads you can still make good money by saving your diesel and cashing it in at the end of each trip. Make sure the agent gives you what rate Landstar has stated for the week. It changes every week. When it goes up some of the agents try to give you the lower rate form the previous week.
A call to landstar can sometimes clear that up quickly.

I've found that allot of the landstar drivers call Landstar the best of the worst.

In other words they let you keep more money from way better freight than most other companies, therefore you have money to pay your bills and replace your worn tires and what not.

It works but it's not fool proof. You still have to be very vigilant and do the work. If not you won't last long.

Talk to as many Landstar drivers as you can and listen to the solutions that worked for them and see if when you hit that same type of problem that their solution may work for you also. Maybe not.

After all, everyone's as different as the truck that they drive.

Most of this is a repost of one that I posted but I added a few more items that helped me out.

Be safe and I hope it helps now that there's even less freight out here.

It's just my opinion, which I'm not sure even I'm entitled to. (LOL)

 

good info Chiricahua...so glad I drive for an agent and he has to worry about all that you posted !!!

 

LS its a big piece of trash.Get your self a decent lease company contract and be home every day or every other day.Find a local or regional to lease,not a long distance carrier.It does not pay to be in a cab 2 or more weeks at the time.And yes,its possible to run as a team even on regional loads,because at LS most of the time,time will be wasted at the truck stop or parking lots searcing for loads.The agents don't care about anybody but the dispach cares about just about everybody,since they been hire to move loads for one Company,big difference,if anybody its looking for the real picture.At this time hauling for LS its like shooting your self in the leg.Maybe on better economie,its worth it,but not at this moment.Also,if somebody its looking to be a real own boss,the buying your own use TRL. and open your own authorities,its not such a bad idee.Their is planty work working under your own authorities and nobody has to put with LS crap rules.I have the most horrible experience at LS and I don't want anybody to sit some place into a parking lot for day's at the time and burning money like I did.Worst happen to me........I have to pay money to move agent loads.........YES.....It happen at LAND STAR to me,so I will never pull one single load for LS ever again.Don't forget to have your HM with you,because lots of time loads are not advertise or paid for HM,so ots another scam of LS agent.So ........get your self a decent contract with your regional or local trucking companies,and yes........money will be either the same or more then LS bull.........t.
HAVE FUNN and be realistic,its not much gooing on at this time,maybe next year,but its planty to get a decent life.

 

Leave it alone (talking to myself)
But can anyone tell me if the 75% of 100% pulling you own reefer on all loads or just reefer loads

And I am confused about the insurance when I called I was told I would have to take their Unladen Liability

 

trustinfuture, So you lost your butt at L/S? You were not the first or last to do so. Don't come here to cry. Many people make money at L/S but, they won't hold your hand. If you or any one else don't know how to run a truck and make money at it stay with a dispatcher who will tell you to pick up at point A and take it to point B.

 

Don't kow if reefer pays a higher % or not. I think the % is 65% to the truck. With your trl ADD 8% The unladed ins is some what like bobtail except it covers an accident with an empty trl hooked to your trk. ( $ 18.99 per week)

 

Thanks Heavy I am waiting to be approved been a little over a week But in the packet and on their website it say 75% with your reefer but I cant see them wanting to give up 10% more because you have a reefer so I imagine it only under reefer loads to compensate for reefer fuel

 

With your van you would get 65% for the trk + 8% for the trl. for a total of 73% With your reefer you would get 65% for the trk + 10% for the reefer. I don't know if the 10% is all the time or just under a reefer load. It may take some time to get approved, took me 6 weeks. (not kidding) L/S checks every thing in your background and that takes time.