Landstar Dissapointment or Deception?

First off, I am very sorry to hear about that, overall I have heard very good things about Landstar. I'm going to suggest a few companies I have driven for or that I have heard great things about as an O/O.

Schhneider (Great Company)
Sammons trucking
Southern Refrigerated
Con-Way
Melton truck lines
Tradewinds
U.S Xpress
Swift (Pretty good things about them)

Again, I am sorry to here about what happened to your son and I wish him the best of luck.

 

hang on a minute, that list of companies make me choke on my tater chips, maybe one on the list would a good owner/op company , all but one pay mileage plus surcharge.

now what was the deal with the accident in 2011. what type , etc. it will help determine what he is facing. mercer might could help him, without a long drawn out landstar process.

or he could get his authority and hire himself

 

+1 one for what Skateboardman posted. Mileage based companies are the last thing you want to look at.

LS, while a great company and one of the most honest I have found in the recruiting process, is still a carrier and can't leave offers "open". It always makes me cringe when I hear a guy get excited about any company accepting them and then they are looking to purchase a truck. 2-3 weeks is typically the longest any company will hold an acceptance before having to redo a back ground.

Now for the kicker - and what likely got your son burned - standards change as regularly as underwear. And with a company like LS they might make an exception today for you son because they need more drivers and tomorrow they have plenty so that exception is gone. We have a driver leased to us that this happened and it was because they didn't need any more Conestogas (he had an oil leak needing to be repaired that he pushed him out 3-weeks).

Even smaller companies like mine are faced with these issues. But I would suggest that anyone reading this have a contingent plan for a company to lease to if when they get a truck the LS offer is gone. We have done that a couple times for drivers that made it to LS and Mercer. Just be upfront with the company. "LS is my first choice but if it falls through we would like to lease to you."

Good luck and let us know a little more details on what the issues are. That can help us guide you better. And if you haven't seen his PSP or MVR, send me an email and I will help you get a copy.

 

you can try Trucks for you out of Oklahoma.

 

I have a friend who wanted to lease to Landstar a few years ago. They kept him hanging for over 6 weeks until he finally gave up on them. Whatever the reason, he decided to go elsewhere. Having leased a truck to Landstar at one time, I have some understanding as to how they operate. They are a good company, but I knew one owner operator who was approved and then not approved at orientation and the only reason he could think of was where he had his insurance. It was with OOIDA and they were in a lawsuit with Landstar at the time. The problem may be the illegal lane change ticket. Those are considered serious, especially when you consider the accident. I would call Landstar and see if they will give him an explanation as to why they decided to not approve him. It may even be his last employer and not have anything to do with the ticket or accident. But, both could be somewhat problematic until it is 3 years old. In the mean time, he has truck payments to make. Landstar uses an outside company to do their driver checks. I would look at Mercer, Bennett, Universal Am Can, Mason Dixon and CRST Malone, if he wants to pull open deck trailers. He will need to either rent or purchase a trailer if he wants to do open deck. But, the money can be pretty good. He may also look at Schneider if he wants to pull vans. I believe they have mileage and percentage programs. Things can change quickly with Landstar and their hiring requirements. He may also check with some of the smaller carriers. Unfortunately, insurance and whether carrier's can get a driver covered is a very important matter. Insurance companies can be very picky. Most will allow up to 2 or 3 moving violations within the last 3 years. You might have him check the company listings on this website as well as some of the other forums, such as www.classadrivers.com. They list the basic hiring requirements. He can also pick up some of the trucking magazines that are available at most truck stops, if he lives near one. There are also some online recruiters where he can fill out an application and they put you with a carrier that matches the drivers background and experience.

 

Hopefully he didnt use all his savings to purchase a truck also

 

Most carriers can approve a driver or owner operator in a few days. I think Landstar takes longer than most to approve or disapprove drivers. If he wants to get to work he should be able to find a carrier and get rolling in a week or two. Landstar seems to take from 2-6 weeks or even longer to approve drivers. Some of that is due to how long it takes former employers to get back with them. I don't know of any carriers who will approve a driver before they at least check the last 3 years of employment. We are required to check the last 3 years and have a 10 year work history on ALL drivers.

 

If he gets his authority he can still haul Landstar loads. He will need his own trailer. There is a thread somewhere on the forum that explains the process for getting your authority. In reality, you could probably apply and have your authority in hand by the time you get approval from Landstar. It usually takes 3-6 weeks.