Can they be trusted?

I'm not an o/o but one thing you wrote struck a chord with me ...electronic logs. They suck. I drove in the '80s for a few years while paying my way through college. Just came back to the industry after retiring from my previous career. Qualcom and electronic logging suck. Many drivers out here don't have a problem with it but that's only because they don't remember "how it used to be" way back when (real freedom) and less hassle. I don't break the law so that's not an issue with me but I have issues with the problems these computers provide on their own. A perfect example ... after stopping for my 30 not long ago and eating lunch, I logged back in and took off down the highway. Ten minutes later the darn thing starts sounding an alarm, indicates it must reset and shuts off for about 15 minutes. When it came back on, it indicated the log-in attempt failed and flashed, "Please log-in an active driver." In order to log-in, you have to find a place to pull over and stop the truck. I wanted to toss it out the window. This isn't the first problem I've had with it, either. I experience these Qualcom power failures about once a month.

 

I am with LandStar, and I have never hauled a load for so little. Most of our loads pay over $1.80 to the truck after the company takes their cut. It's not unusual for short haul loads to pay over $5 per mile, and I have personally hauled loads less that 100 miles that paid $800 on same day delivery. Plus, we generally pay between 20-50 cents per gallon less than the pump price for our fuel at T/A and Petro, with discounts at pilot and loves too, as well as really good prices on tires and accessories.
I would strongly suggest that you buy an inexpensive truck for starters until you figure out how things work. Landstar is extremely lenient with regards to truck age. It has to pass D.O.T. inspection, and your good to go. Make your money and then buy the bigger truck. You'll find a good selection of what you're looking for on the company site for private sellers when you're ready. They're not always there, but there's usually one or more a month for sale.
Check out some of the threads on here and you'll get a pretty good idea of how things work.
I suggest if you do want to come here, start the process now. It usually takes at least 6 weeks to get approved before you can start.
By the way, LandStar will not keep you loaded. That's your job. If you don't book your loads, you won't get any. Nobody dispatches you here. You go where you want, when you want, hauling what you want. You choose your loads from the load board yourself. If you want to work for a company that will get your loads, this isn't where you want to be.
Good luck with your decision.

 

By the way, electronic logs are going to be the law of the land in a year or so, so you might as well give in. At least at LandStar, since you're in charge of what and where you go and when, you just don't book a load that will make you illegal.
Anybody who doesn't think electronic logs will be on every truck in a year or so has their head in the clouds. Remember CDL's and mandatory drug testing and hazmat fingerprinting and back ground chacks? I do, and I also remember a bunch of drivers who said they'd park them if it ever happened.. They're still out here driving. Remember, the government could care less what makes sense. They just regulate without thought of the consequences. They always have, and they always will.

 

I am leased to landstar to landstar and consistently make more than that. I pull a van and have a 379 with 120" sleeper,set my cruise at 65 and do pretty good on mpg. Biggest thing is learning freight lanes and where to run at what time of year. Check out lcaap site,for sale by owner,can usually find some pretty good deals on trucks and equip. Good luck!!!

 

Landstar absolutely cannot be trusted.
If you are prepared for continuous problems and constant headaches, go ahead and lease with them. A better choice might be to look for other more reliable options. This comes from over 5 years experience in hauling for Landstar Ranger. It is a constant battle with not only their poor freight and rates, but also their internal staff. They will nickle-and-dime you to death...but think about it. When they do this to thousands of drivers they are reeping millions of dollars in profits. My main warning to any Landstar BCO is to WATCH YOUR WEEKLY SETTLEMENT STATEMENTS VERY VERY CAREFULLY! They don't pay loads at the correct amounts and if you merely go by the amounts they deposit to your account you will be shorted hundreds to thousands of dollars! The fees seem low at first, but in reality they excessively add up unreasonably. The new EOBR requirements they say they are not mandating out of one side of their mouths, but then make requirements for out of the other side of their mouths is generating millions of dollars in profits to Landstar. Don't let them fool you! When they are telling you $1.69 per mile plus fuel sur charge for van freight is possible but anything beyond that in reality is far-fetched. We haul deck freight. Also strongly keep in mind the % of the line-haul that they keep....and....the % that they reduce from numerous other services you will provide that you will not get paid the full amount for. Example: Stop Offs Landstar takes their cut on not only the line haul but also many other break out items. Then, surprise-surprise, you don't find out until your weekly settlement statement is done. Often you will book a load, travel to pick-up the load incurring your own expense, then the load gets cancelled or voided and Landstar refuses to pay you for a Truck Order Not Used! Believe me, we are sitting right now with over $1,000.00 in submitted trip numbers and records for several loads that were cancelled this way and Landstar refuses to make their customers pay for a load they ordered, booked and later cancelled. Many of these were cancelled last minute after the loads were booked and dead heading to pick-up the loads. Warning in general, stay as far away as possible from Landstar. We are in the current process of leaving too! What are your honest opinions on Mercer?

 

You in Ohio, you could probably do pretty good just running Auto Rack loads in the Area... You would do well out of Ohio, and much better than $1.69 per mile

 

Honestly with the 90% brokered loads finally being revealed on their freight board and the EOBR's, I don't know why any O/O would lease onto them. You can haul the same freight on your own through the same brokers that LS uses and keep the 25% that LS is raking off the line haul. LS is no more. They are just a glorified version of CH Robinson.

 

I remember the days of paper logs and "real freedom". Since I went on elogs in 1995 I have always done very well,meaning 65k in 1995 to just shy of 100k last year. Most years were touching 90k. It all comes back to being smarter than the box. Some drivers just dont have the ability to be "smarter than the box".

 

My dry van average for a long time was 2.69 all in ,I changed things up a bit and am now at 2.55 which is about a 1.81 to the truck. My average weight in the box is 15k and since my fuel cost per mile is .48 I almost always beat my FSC,if I pay anything for fuel its a penny or two per mile. There are alot of us doing real well over here but its not for everybody,if it was then everybody would be here making money.