Landstar

I have a friend who was leased to Landstar several years ago. He used to haul slot machines out of Reno to Colorado or other western states and then pull mail back to San Francisco. I don't think he usually loaded anything east of Chicago. It is a matter of finding the right agents and developing a relationship with them. I have another friend who is currently leased to them and does well with trade shows. He does a lot of Vegas and other western states. He has been with Landstar for about a decade. It took him a while to find his niche. He owns his trailer and doesn't do any drop and hook. I have known some who do well with drop and hook and others who run their own trailer. Hot spots can move around depending on the time of year and what is going on with the economy. My friend also hauled Christmas trees out of the northwest to Arizona and New Mexico during the season.

 

I cant give you much advice being i dont run out west much/anymore, and i own my own trailer so i dont do any drop n hook. But i do know there is an agent that has loads from all over going to i believe its a TJ maxx there is N las vegas. Loads from all over the US going there drop n hook. Hot spots are Carolinas and Chicago. I dont know about dallas or the others.

 

Christmas trees are one of the best paying seasonal freight along with melons out of FLA. After dealing w/agents and seeing the board for years you will learn who has what. There are slot machines out of SC going to Vegas. MI to Vegas also. Trade shows arent paying what they use to and alot of times it pays the same as general freight but, other times its 2x what general freight is. You just gotta know the agent and have a relationship with em. trees were paying upwards of $3 a mile coming back east out of Oregon this year.

 

That is a good rate on the trees. It is too bad the season is so short. I hauled mail during Christmas when I was leased to Landstar. It paid well at the time. I think rates have dropped on those loads since that time. I also hauled watermelons out of Florida for them. They paid well, too. There are also onion and potato loads that come out of the northwest that used to pay well. Some will load a vented van out of those areas. I have known owner operators who haul onions out of south Texas and New Mexico and work their way up to the northwest as the season matures. A friend of mine used to haul onions out of the northwest and other freight out of the east. He mostly used one agent for the onion loads. The agent helped him find some contacts that would bring him to his onion loads.

 

Back when I leased to Landstar there was an agent who had office furniture out of Alabama that would go to Las Vegas. Las Vegas has become more of a distribution center in recent years. I don't know how it is getting out. There is usually something that can be found in California. Fontana always has freight.

 

thanks guys, thats a big help. I have heard of the TJ Maxx DC, its right by my yard now and i see a litter of LS trlrs out back, also at the TA on the south side of Vegas is the inway agent and he ships alot of jukeboxes to LA then I guess you can get loads out of so cal from there. I just wanna get my feet wet running vans then see about buying a trailer when I find my niche if its the right way to go.

 

You could probably get some leads by talking to some of the Landstar drivers you see parked at the TA.

 

ya i have asked a bunch there also. Every single one of them says they love it at LS, gotten the general rundown from guys doing van, flats, have their own trailers, its just about finding your niche from what I get out of it. but you could say I try to over do it gathering info.

 

G/MAN...Thank you for the advise..I know one of my employers YRC takes forever to submit info.

 

Appreciate that...PM sent