Landstar Questions

So what you guys are saying is with good planning, a good truck and a clean record I have a good chance of getting in? Any tips on getting my application accepted?

 

That tells us there is so much freight out there to be moved that Landstar and other companies are lowering the standards to get more drivers in.

 

Then why aren't rates rising?

 

From what i've read on here, rates have risen from .80s to 1.5 to 2.0 per mile and up. Is this not the case?

 

I don't know the rates for vans, flats, ect. HH rates are up and so is the volume. L/S hauled the highest number of loads in company history in the second quarter.

 

Are the rates getting back up to what they were in say 2005 time frame?

 

You get paid a set rate, correct? The compnay pays you the same regardless why give you the cream?

Just read an rticle in "TheTrucker" decreased freight capacity, lots of small places and indies are gone. Big ones are trying to take up the slack. Even Swift is accepting outside trucks. Never heard of that before. They say the big companies will take up the slack with independant contractors.


Rates at LS were higher in early July. Not so good right now.

Supply and demand. I went by my school a couple of weeks ago. They had an article claiming a 2-400K shortage by February of drivers.

Some companies are buying up all the equipment they can get. The yard in Laredo on Swift's property is loaded with lots of new Prostars for many places.

Everyone is hiring and they are lowering requirements.

:shruggy:

 

hi there!! i am new to this message board and first post, i just applied to Landstar, boy after reading all these post.. my head is spinning, i hope i made the right decision to try to get on with them.. this thread here was a 50 good/50bad. im a hard worker and had my own authority a while back and loved it, wife got sick, gave it up.. so i started the leasing on thing, like everything they fill ur head with lies and stuff falls apart, currently im with Mawson good people but the agent in my area load 25-30 different trucking companies and it's hard to get a load in this area... well i hope and pray i get on with them and hope i made the right decision...!! Rock on!!

 

Rug, my comment about "why aren't rates rising" was rhetorical.

One would think that if there is so much freight and not enough drivers, that shippers would be raising rates at a faster pace than they are to be first in line to get their product moved.

I've talked to numerous Landstar van BCO's and they are saying that they can book loads over $2 p/m in one direction and then take it in the shorts in the other direction, usually booking loads at $1.50 p/m or less. These rates are before LS takes their 35% and includes fsc.

So an average of $1.75 x 65%= $1.14 p/m not including deadhead. Maybe they aren't telling me everything and my numbers are therefore scewed.