Landstar Questions

I almost forgot this leading factor... I personally felt that at least $2.00 per mile to the truck was a good paying load + the FSC. You've got those agents that post loads claiming to be LTL because it's only 15 feet long and it pays $1.25 per mile. Well, it may only be 15 feet long but it weighs 41,000Lbs. and that to me is not a LTL! and that much weight COMMANDS way more than $1.25 a mile.....what else are you going to put with that big hunk of ....... So that's why I was telling you in the other posts about asking the questions about what it is and the weight so you won't accept a load that claims to be LTL because of foot print on your trailer and then realize you gotta tote it 2200 miles up mountains! (AskmehowIknowthis). That's also part of the learning curve. Once you book a load like that and realize YOU.... not THEM but YOU booked that heavy load that ain't paying crap you'll learn to ask questions next time. (Thinking...Well, I figured I was gonna put something else with it! NOT! It's too heavy). I'm not sure what everybody elses idea load is but I think $2.00 a mile is a starting point... I could be wrong but do what works for you.

 

Do you think you could run regional with L/S and make money im like you i have kids at home 2 and 4 so i like to stay around home as much as i can now im only on the road 2-3 nights a week and thats fine by me anymore than that just not for me

 

overdalimit,
you sound like a guy who knows how to stay in alignment and let it come to you! I am an o/o and thinking of going to ls in may. We agree on many of the points you made; esp the one about a good cheap truck will make u more $ at the end of the mounth. My reason for leaving the company I am with is: I don't like my future in the hands of a dispatcher that doesn't really know or care about me. More importantly, the company is planning to go to electronic logs by the end of the year. I don't mind running leagal at all, but I want to have the ability to stretch the truth just a little to make it home,or make that appt on time. You know what i mean? I enjoyed reading your story. Stay in allignment, stay possitive and it will be there for you.

 

Yes, I'm sure I can. I'm kind of thinking maybe runs to Fl, Ga., AL, Ms, Tx, Tn, Ar. and stuff like that. I've done that quite a few times when I needed to be close to home for an upcoming event or dentist appt. or something. I would still stretch out every now and again but maybe not as much as I was doing. I like the money though so I can see me now...(looking at the board). Dang! $6000.00 to go to California! I'm gone! ..... but I don't think that would be as bad as staying out and actually running around the world. I had an agent that I hauled for that loaded out of Port Allen, La. going up to Illinois and I woould find a backhaul to La. My brother lives in Illinois so that allowed me to go and see him all the time and grab a steak in Downtown Chi-Town!

They (recruiting) sent me a list of the current loads (for that day) and all I saw was long runs. I saw a couple really good Pa. loads and alot of backhauls to the La. area.....

Then I forgot too.... the dry van rate is 64% of 100%.... Now I remember why I had considered buying my own Van trailer when I was there. My reason for not doing that was I did a bunch of drop and hooks and you can't do that if you have your own trailer...

 

Yeah, I had a KW T2000 then, that I bought from Rush Peterbilt in Houston. It served well. Tranny exploded in Colorado, Cam follower (C-12 Cat) let go in Illinios and took 4 cam lobes with it and finally at 1,400,000 everything else let go to the tune of burning 5 gallons of oil in 20 miles while smoking up the highway.... I got my use out of it though and none of this happened while in warranty! go figure...
So, I parked it last year and bought a Columbia with a 14.0 liter Detroit. in which the engine started burning 7 gallons of oil in less than 700 miles so I had to take it to Detroit and write them a Thank You check for an Inframe! and that puzzled me because I checked that truck from top to bottom. I brought coveralls and crawled under the truck and inspected the frame,wheels,brakes,leaks, and I mean everything! The Tech at Detroit told me that he didn't understand it either but cylinders #2 & 3 let go (rings). Oh yeah! and I got the DARN EGR motor..... not to mention the actual last DDECIV motor to come off the assembly line and they had hell finding parts... I mean they called Detroit themselves because they were having trouble finding parts and Detroit told them according to the serial number I got the last motor on that DDECIV line and the next one in line was a DDECV..... what's the odds of that happening?

Main thing is just checking it out and getting an oil analysis and a dyno if possible.... That'll allow them to use a pedometer to determine if the engine has allowable blow-by or not or is excessively worn. Engine wear is not a problem, as everything has wear, but excessive wear ain't good....

One more thing.... When you buy Caterpillar, make sure it's in good running condition cause Cat parts ain't cheap! No parts are cheap but Cat parts REALLY AIN'T cheap. I personally would stay away from the C12 Cat engine (as I had in my first truck) unless you see some maintenance records because earlier models had cam follower problems, which mine had and the Cat house in Montana introduced me to a nice $5300.00 love letter for that reapir and 2 batteries. If you want the Detroit then see if you can find one with the DDECV setup which will normally be set at 515HP, mine is 500HP and a DDECIV. All of the newer trucks past what 03, I believe will be EGR so get ready for it....

 

do you think i could lease on with ls pulling their van and gross 4k to 4.5k per week? i am a runner and don't mind going where the money is. i would try to get home every 6 or 7 days.
also i thought about going to step deck but i don't have resent flat exp. they told me i would have to go to a class. what i am asking is, is it worth it to take the time and go to school? or is the pay close enough to van that i should just hook and run.

thanks,
deep pockets

 

I know that you could gross $4-4.5k a week. The fact that you don't mind running is what will help you. I've found (by talking to other bco's) that the only ppl that didn't make it were the ones that had limits. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't have limits but some limits to me are just being lazy. For instance, LS trailers are equipped with 'Logistics' posts. There are times when you may need to use them (ie. furniture, show setups, etc.) and the agent will ask if you have straps.... Not load locks... but straps, which click into the Logistics post track. I bought a whole box off Ebay (forgot how much) but it paid off several times. Many drivers didn't have them.

That class LS refers to is given in Grand Prairie, Tx. and is a day (I think it was just a day or two). There's class work and then a trailer on site that has this huge press and another trailer that has another piece of machinery on it that the instructor shows you how to PROPERLY SECURE! I personally had 50,000 questions about a fb/sd before going to the class and I got the answers before I left the class... They go over alot of in and outs like, how many chains you need per weight of what your trying to secure. How many straps you need if the item is 40 foot long, etc....etc...... Now, you AIN'T gonna be an expert after you leave the class, but you'll have enough common sense (hopefully) to be able to load and secure the load to the trailer after the class. The rest of your learning will be aquired in the field because NO class can show you everything. I kinda overdid my securement sometimes. I loaded a load and it took up the entire bottom deck of the trailer... I put the first strap on.. then another 3 foot back, then another a couple more feet back then I jumped a ways and used some more straps. I knew the rule was the second one had to be at least 5 foot (or was it nomore than 5 foot... i'm a little rusty) from the 1st. so when I was summoned into the scale house in California (Weeds) the officer checked my load and determined (dude had a darn ruler) that one of my straps had a 3 inch cut and I could only have 2.... after he finished he said " Ok buddy, walk with me..... The cut in this strap is more than allowed..... but! You can remove this strap or replace it because this one isn't even required... you are good with this other one here" .......

Now, I learned that from the LS class. I also read different sections of the "little green bible" while I wasn't doing anything.... Thats that thick book that every driver has along with the hazmat book. So, like I say, the class does teach you the basics but the rest is up to you. It didn't teach me that I should make sure my tarps weren't flapping in the wind. I learned that on my own with my first tarp job after that huge piece of steel ripped em' up like butter.... A FRIGGIN BRAND NEW TARP! ...... The class didn't teach me to go to the nearby carpet store and get some remnants so that I could cut up 'tarp savers' which are pieces to use as padding....

But Yes, go to class... It's a REQUIREMENT anyway if you don't have experience...... So your GOING buddy! lol....... the pay is substantial from the van side versus the platform side. Here are the current rates:

Company Van ----64% of 100%
Comapnay fb/sd ---- 72% of 100%
Company stretch,dd ---- 73% of 100%

Your own van ---- 71% of 100%
Your own refer ---- 74% of 100%
Your own fb/sd ---- 72% of 100%
Your own specialized trl (dd, etc) ---- 73% of 100%
Your own heavy haul trl ---- 74% of 100%

1% increase to any trl after 120 days.

So lets say you get a $3000.00 load..... You'll get $1920.00 with the van and $2160.00 with the fb/sd. That's only $240 difference but pull 60 loads like this a year and that's another $14,400 to your pocket, not to mention that the fb/sd has accessorials like tarping and the rates are generally higher. I pulled a $8000.00 load (5 bobcats) that had 5 stops before on the stepdeck but I've never seen a van load straight out pay that much, except for the times I hooked up a 'LTL' van load.

Now, lemme bore you with another story.....

I took that 5 stop bobcat load and finaled in PE (Prince Edward Island, Canada). Bailed out and headed back to Maine. The alert system called me on a load from Mass. going to Laredo, Tx. paying $10,000... I'm like what the hell is that! I call..... Agent tells me that its 2 x-ray vans going to the border (Mexican/USA Border).... with 2 stops but I have to have ramps. (####! I bought some used ramps 2 weeks ago, but guess where they are??????? MY FRIGGIN HOUSE!).... I tell him that I do have ramps but not on my truck but if he can load the trucks, I've gotta swing by my house to get to Laredo anyway...... "Nope! they don't have a loading dock" ...... ####! can we see if someone in the area has a loading dock?..... "No, they're worth a million and insurance won't allow them to drive em' anywhere"...... MAN....MAN...MAN (Now, I'm almost in tears because I knew I should put those ramps on the darn trailer)..... yadda yadda yadda.... I ended up setttling for the load of mulch going to Jersey the next morning (Home Depot)... Moral of that story??????? Some equipment you'll never hardly use but when you do, most of the time the payoff is HUGE! .... Needless to say I put those friggin ramps on my truck when I got home.....

Now, here's the kicker....... I told that same story to another driver months later.... He laughed!.... (what's so funny, I thought) ...... He said "Yeah, I know how you felt but.......... why didn't you call a nearby towing company to see if they had a rollback??? he coulda loaded one van then back up to your trailer and unload it, then do the same for the other van" .......WHAT! Dog-On IT! .... "Dude! I don't even own ramps... I just call for a rollback whenever I need to load vehicles..... they couldn't have charged you over $100 bucks!".................................. Now, I really wanted to cry!

 

Word is out, LS is projecting to have all LS leased truck to have EOBR by the 4th qtr of 2011. They are currently checking into different EOBR suppliers. They are estimating a cost of $1200 to $1500 per truck and monthly charges

I know of 6-7 drivers that have already declared they will be leaving when it comes time.

 

Well that kinda takes my interest away from them now also. Is EOBR just a tracking system of is that the electronic logs also?