Canucks at Landstar

This is something that I also wondered about. Spoke with a Landstar O/O and he seemed to thing that they had a great deal for Canadians. Apparently a lot of U.S drivers can't and don't want to run into Canada. I guess it would become especially attractive if the Canadian dollar went back down to .65 or .70 cents.

 

Was wondering about eastern canadian drivers at landstar also?

 

Take this for what it's worth, as my latest exp. with Landstar is now four years old. Back in 1993 I put a couple of trucks on out of Hamilton ON for Gerry Dorsay who at the time was the biggest (only?) agent in Canada. I knew a couple of guys that had been there for years making good coin so away I went. So after their orientation and dog and pony show, they started offering loads to me and my driver. Every load they offered was incredibly cheap, or else they wanted you to head into a dead area, and bounce 500 miles or so outta there on your dime. I got one decent load out of an agent in Houston and the rest of the time (this was before the internet, so they gave you a pager and a phone directory) the loads were pure garbage. You may, however, be promised a huge jammy load that only needed you to wait three days for it. It never materialized of course, (this was thru a whole bunch of agents in their directory that I was promised the world).

When I got Jacksonville on the line to ask why the huge discrepancy between what you are told in orientation and what you are offered, I was told you had to work your way up and get in good with certain agents before the large $$$ loads became available. If you don't know a decent agent, or don't have a year or three to get to know who's who etc., I'd shy away myself. And on that note......

I along with a few other peeps was recruited to become a Landstar agent a few years ago. They wine and dine you and have a large meet and greet type of deal in Mississauga ON where you get to meet the big wigs and see how many millions you can make by giving them all your accounts and working off of a lousy 8% of gross.

Anyway, on the 2nd day they brought a lady in from their IT department in Rockford IL to show everyone their proprietary computer system that will make your life oh so simple. (yawn) Anyway, she was a nice lady and all, but when she got to the point where she showed us how to post a load on their system, she used a few real-time examples of loads that were posted RIGHT NOW! (okay)

Out of 30 - odd loads (all vans out of the Chicago area), the highest paying load I saw paid $1.12 per mile GROSS for 44,000lb. to Atlanta. HUH? When I asked if these were just examples, the nice lady proudly replied "Oh no! These are real loads posted in real time!" I thanked her for her time, gathered my stuff up and left. Now I realize that not all their loads are that cheap, but the very fact that they let people post that kinda garbage simply so they can make their points off the back of a starving driver was/is enough for me to stay far away from it.

That said, pretty much all of the outfits that employ agents are the same in that regard. If you can find a decent agent that will work with you, go for it.

 

I'm with Landstar since September, 2010. I'm living in Montreal. I'm pulling a dry van. It's more then OK with Landstar if you are happy with 3000 CAD/month into your pocket after all expenses. And I really mean that. If you want to see about Landstar, don't ask the drivers if they are happy or not. I've met O/O at Landstar they were very happy before we did some math together. Run the numbers, don't take in consideration their "happiness system". Don't take for granted that lie with non-forced dispatch. It's non-forced as long as you have options. When you see 3 loads on 500 miles radius and all of them are paying only for the fuel, you will "force dispatch" yourself.
I don't believe in '' you have to build your agents network" for one simple and common sense reason. If all of the drivers need to build relationships with some agents, why do you have to pay such a high fee for loads?! If they have enough loads, why do you have to make one LSTR agent or another happy? If I'm getting loads directly from agents, that means somebody will be left out, isn't it? Guess who! If this business is relying on a network of agents, why do you call LSTR a non-forced dispatch company? One agent or another, doesn't have loads Go&Back, so you will need to find yourself a load. Where? On the load board, of course. So, here we are back to the starting point.
1)The vast majority of the loads are 3rd party loads and you have to pay a high fee for that. Are the same loads you can find on other load boards but you have to pay from 28 to 35% out of a load for that.
2) Regarding the " agents network". Since the new management came to LSTR, it's a lot more profitable for an agent to move the load with a 3rd party carrier then with a LSTR truck.
3) "The power of one" is working when is about their CSA score or their money. When it's about you ... good luck! You are all alone.
4) The LTL loads are almost nonexistent at LSTR, in and out of Canada. We all know Canada is about LTL.
5) The agent will screw you at any given opportunity. I'm not saying all of them but... the good agents are fewer and fewer. They are just a drop in a ocean. Talking to some of them, they are thinking to quit LSTR, too. Actually, some of them told me LSTR is trying to overtake their customers. customers they've had before to come to LSTR. About that, I've seen some good loads that were hold by some agents years ago and now these loads are coming from different agents,the ones I used to know are not with LSTR anymore. I don't know how but all these loads now are coming from agents located in or around Jacksonville, FL.
6) Actually, the CEO declared that they are intending to become one of the biggest ... freight brokers.
7) Couple of days ago, I've ran into a some news saying Wells Fargo downgraded Landstar and JB Hunt for the low prices they are practicing. But despite of that, some BCOs are very happy. Looking to the stocks, are loosing slowly but steady in value.
The bottom line is, I'm just looking for an opportunity to get out of this company. Sooner is better.
I'm keeping a P&L file that is open to anyone wants to see it. You can see very clear there, Landstar is making, always, more money then me. On any load. So, I'm doing the 95% of the work, I'm taking all the stress, are my money at risk (If you don't know, LSTR is a non-asset company) it's me that one who stays in the truck for weeks not them. Despite all that, they are making more money on a load then I do. Sounds fair to you??
Here I have a story about recruiting. Here in Montreal was a truck show, not long time ago. I went there with my best friend, he's owner operator, too. While we were on the route to the truck show my cell phone got flooded with calls. My friend made a joke on me : " Man, you are some kind of Donald Trump, you are so busy". Actually, all of the calls were load alerts. Did i mentioned was Saturday!?? I was shocked! I'd never got so many load alerts in three years. And it was Saturday!!! I was about to think I'm the biggest idiot because I'm planing to quit LSTR. We arrived at the show, talked to people over there and when we are about to live... I 've found LSTR there!!! They had a big screen showing their load board. 2-3 guys looking around ... and a LSTR agent from Montreal and a Canada manager from ON trying to hunt new O/O for LSTR. Was a Chinese there who was barely abe to articulate couple of words in English and the guy was fair telling to the manager he doesn't master English so well so he will be in trouble at LSTR. The answer came out that manager almost mechanically :" You will be fine! don't worry!". I've just left. Do I need to mention here how much fun my friend made of me and LSTR that day after this story??
Another lie. They are telling you at the orientation and all the time after that " plan ahead" " you have to figure out yourself" and all kind of things that seems to me rather communist party slogans then principles of business. Here are some stories about me and LSTR.
A) I'm booking a load out of GTA going to Laredo, TX. Knowing the city is not the best place for a Canadian BCO, I "planned ahead". I've found a load out of Laredo, going straight home. I knew also there is a shortage of empty trailers. So, the back haul was for two days later. Plenty of time to get an empty! Well, after three days, not even a track of an empty and I lost the back haul. I talked to (actually, I've tried to) Lstr on the phone and they passed me from one department to another and finally, when I mentioned that magic word "money" they hanged up on me.
B) I'm booking a load out of QC going to KY. My home was on the way to delivery so I stopped, planing to send the customs papers from home. 4 days later, the load wasn't cleared because the agent and the automotive dep of Lstr didn't know how to write the ACE. They paid 150 $ for this detention. Of course, again, they blamed everything on the driver.
C) I've had a load to deliver in Mississauga. Instead of going home, I'm choosing ( because I had too much money) to book a load going back to Laredo, where I've just came from. The agent wasn't so convincing and I had a feeling so I asked him couple of times : Are you sure that load has only 20000 pounds? He said yes each time. OK! I went for the delivery and I'm going in Milton, ON to pick up the load. While I was at the dock I'm getting a call from an agent with a load I delivered exactly one week before in Laredo. "Where did you dropped the trailer?" "At he Lstr Yard, I said." No, it supposed to be dropped into another place." i didn't know that and you didn't anything in write to me. So, you said the trailer needs to be dropped in Laredo and the best place to drop a Lstr trailer in Laredo is their yard there. "I will charge you to have somebody to move the trailer from there" Did I mentioned that conversation took place after on week of the delivery day? Hold on! This is not the end of the story. I'm loaded and I'm pulling out of the dock... Ooops, my engine went out. It's pulling so hard for 20000 pounds load. I'm looking to the gauge, 62 PSI. No kidding! I'm going to the shipper to get my papers. I'm reading and there are indeed 21000 ... but not lbs. there were kgs. Nice! I've got mad, seeing all kind of colors in front of my eyes from red to black. I'm calling the agent who told me he did couple of loads like that and never happen such a thing. The trailer was full, full, full with big engines. But he doesn't know that! the load was paid less then 1,80/mile with trailer dropped into Laredo. Wouldyou haul such a load, paying 35% out??? Knowing you will wait couple of days for a trailer? Knowing out of there you will get about 2$/mile for 40000 pounds load? The agent is telling me he will put more money into that but i need first to start rolling. How much? "I don't know, we will see". I suppose this means non-forced dispatch. So, I said i don't need the load and he needs to find another sucker, oh... sorry, trucker (it rimes!) to haul that. That pulled the trigger of the machine gun from the other end of the line : "I will call LSTR, I'll make a complain about you, I'll do that and that... and that" I was so impressed that I thanked him for his time and effort and I hanged up. Couple on minutes later somebody from automotive dept was happy to talk to me. " You have to move this load, you booked the load, you move it" I'm sorry, this is not my load, I booked a 20k pounds load at about 1,80 a mile and that the minimum price for such a load. This is not my load. "No, it is" No, it isn't. "Yes, it is". This kinder garden conversation type, took place for couple of minutes and the female voice got tired and said " We will cancel your contract". I asked with a low voice if that it supposed to be anything bad for me and if I have something to loose. More then 10 seconds of silence and... " We will put more money on this load. How much money do you need to move the load?" Just 2,20/mile. "that's not gonna happen". You are wright on the subject, it's not gonna happen. I'm going home. And I did that. "We will cancel your contract!!!!" OK, go ahead. So, this is non-forced dispatch!!! Hold on, the story goes on.

 

After one month I decided to give another try. I came home bobtail, so no trailer. I've found a pre-loaded and booked that, two days in advance. I'm picking up the trailer full home appliances. Now it's time to make the trip advance. Ooops, not working! Calling Lstr, they are telling me I'm on hold. When I asked why they passed me from one person to another and in the I've found that I cannot haul any load because "You said you will quit LSTR! Bring the trailer back!" UAU!!! So, look at me, in Montreal, with a load of appliances at my discretion... I have to say they are lucky, too. A bad guy, would make some good money out of that. Their luck, I'm not such a kind. That was during the weekend. Monday, I'm looking for an empty. Only Thursday they found a trailer at 60 miles away from me but they don't know the exact location of the trailer. The trailer was couple of feet from the border line, US side but they don't know where exactly. What Am supposed to do? to drive the truck bobtail around the border line and customs will say "bravo!" to me or what? It's well known that Skybiz (satelite tracking on the trailer) is so precise that they lost in the court against DOT for that. Lucky me and lucky them, I use to know people around me and I know there is an LSTR Agent yard over there. I'm calling them and I'm telling them to please the agent to look for that trailer when he has time. 2 minutes later, a LSTR female voice was so proud to announce me that the trailer was found, thanks to their system and capacity of the people LSTR has. The trailer was located into the that agent's yard since two month ago. Nice!!!
Now, I figured out that I've written so much. Time goes by when you have so much to say. I have a lot of stories like these but I have some business to do now. I have a print screen too. It shows the load board with only one load on a 500 miles radius, for dry vans. It was like that for 2-3 days in a row. I've sent that picture to Landstar and i asked them what should I do in such a situation. The answer was short but very relevant to me "We don't know".

 

you better don't start me, again! I could write so much about my experience at Landstar that the administrators of this website will think it's an internet flood attack. A lot more and worse happening to me here. I'm just looking for an opportunity to get rid of them. I have equipment for a B-Train flatbed sitting into my locker just waiting to go to work. The problem is my financial sittuation agravated so much that I can't afford to get a trailer and my own authority. If would afford that, I was gone by now. Long time ago.
I know a turkish guy from GTA who went trough all the forks of Landstar applications and one day he got the plates, decals and everything. He drove for Landstar 0 (zero) miles and one week later, after looking to that load-board like a dog to a smoking barbecue, he sent everything back to Landstar with many thanks. He got fouled by a load-board demo.