The journey begins - purchased a truck.

If theres one thing ive learned in my 20+ years of being in this crazy business is LISTEN to the Old Timers, and I mean really pay attention to what they are sayin when they are talkin about truckin, how to stuff, getting to the shipper after hours then going to sleep and the being the 1st load in the morning etc.
Wow you know what?? im becoming a Old Timer.......####

 

I've been driving all but 6 months since 1973, you do the math.
Started before most on this forum were born.

 

Let's see, you've driven all but six months since 1973 and show a picture of your great looking setup parked...

... in front of a trucking museum...

... sorry, couldn't resist.

That's a sweet looking setup and load.

 

This is the problem with most people they selectively read things or either have comprehension problems.
I didn't say landstar agents get all their loads off load boards. I said and read it slowly they get load postings from boards, blast emails and forwarders. Now you can tell each other what ever makes you happy, but brokers get very few loads from actual personal in person contact.
Since you didn't read the first part correctly let me try and explain the second part again, MY revenue is down because I refuse to haul cheap. What I still move pays me good. 950 for 135 miles. I have pictures to.
Freight rates are down industry wide so I don't have to guess at what you and the others make I know it isn't what it was a 18 months ago.
Next thing you'll want me to believe is you can actually pick a turd up from the clean end. I remember landstar before it was landstar, just a twinkle in gemini and inway's eye. I worked on trucks since 76 I wasn't always stuck on the steering wheel holding end.

 

950 for 135 miles is not that great, I moved a legal load across town for way more than that.
If you think you are going to find top paying freight on a public load board , good luck,it takes time and proving yourself before a agent will trust you with freight from their best customers.
I don't think you get email blast from Boeing, GE power systems, locked Martin, ford, gm, the pentagon(yes we moved stuff for them last fall)
What I am saying unless you have worked with the people I do you don't have a clue what some of us do.
The flatbed load on my trailer would have never been brokered out, it has to be delivered 7 am Monday without fail and they are paying for it, you cannot trust freight to someone that you don't know. It would never go on a public board. No, I am not special, just reliable, but they still call me 3 times a day to make sure I will be on time.

 

Old Man, what you know, who you know, and the reputation you have with shippers is something most newer drivers will never understand. It takes being reliable, honest, a can-do person, part driver, part mechanic, great common sense, someone who does what he says, means what he says, says what he means, and years of doing all that to build relationships that open up those doors closed to all but a select few.

I don't know, some today have it, most don't. When I started many years ago an old hand gave me a break on his truck. He taught me to get the job done the right way, and to listen to those that have been there and are successful, not the also-ran. He praised me, threaten to whip my donkey, and helped me greatly. I have been helped by many in the past, and have tried to help those as a way of passing it on. Unfortunately, many don't want help.

 

Just trying to be like the big time flat rack truckers.

 

I've moved stuff for more myself at times, but not of late. The load pictured, landstar had it posted at less then 500 dollars. I have moved stuff to ford before was up in MI last year. Moved some of the aircraft peoples stuff before also. Biggest problem is I don't have air ride. I figured the cost to add it and the potential and found it wouldn't be a wise investment. The main point I've made which runs concurrent with OP is that during first year or two of operating new to OTR is landstar is a good starting point, after that they are basically a bottom wrung company if you placed it on a ladder scale. You find this time and time again here and othe rplaces if you take the time to read. This isn't to say there isn't exceptions to the rule but overall I would say you'll never reach your full measure running with landstar.