Land star start up ???

1. Yes. Or you can buy fuel cash. Your choice.

2. Take your car, leave the truck at home. Unless you have your own trailer that is.

3. I forget, but i don’t think so

4. 2 or 3 days iirc

5. You can book it for as soon as orientation is over, if you have your own trailer.

6. What is an occupational license?


If you plan to drag a LS dry van, it can take up to two weeks after orientation to get a trailer. Once you have a trailer you're golden, but getting one is a #####. I almost ripped their letters off the truck before i pulled my 1st load because of this. It was not a good 1st impression by LS!

 

I would think the first step would be to see if you can even get on with Landstar.
They would then answer any and all of your questions, and probably even a few more.
As far as a fuel card, they pay quick, unless their is a discount involved, I would just use my own. I have a fuel card in my pocket, but have never ever used a company card to pay for my fuel. I just do not want any complications arising and like to know exactly what is due, myself. Heck, when I pulled a lot for landstar, as a carrier they even paid me every day.

 

@GreenPete359 is correct.

I would highly recommend your own trailer - flat that is. Van, I dunno. I don’t personally recommend van guys to pull LS trailers in this current market.

Or even sign on pulling van freight.

 

@Dave_in_AZ - your thoughts sir?

 

Well,I can give you this much advice- If you Choose to Lease your truck onto an existing carrier like Landstar-

At Least make it to where you owe then NOTHING. Get your own plates-your own IFTA- Do your own work if possible......Have them (landstar) Find your freight and thats it, Get your 85% from them,Dont become too friendly with them- Treat it like a business- Not like a guy who just bought a truck.

I Know this is probably making your head spin- But Its the Best advice anyone can give you.

Don't Let them "Control" you as a business- All you want from them is an open book of freight from their agents- And thats it.

 

Pulling a company van you get 65%

Your own trailer - 73%

Problem with your own trailer, you miss out on 8%

Problem with YOUR trailer, you miss out on drop and hook.

Landstar will NOT ‘find you freight’.

IFTA through LS via ELD is cheap and negligible.

Plates may be cheaper yourself, but again negligible.

I recommend you excel or specialize - dog food and toilet paper depends on market and capacity, and right now, I know 2 guys doing a heck of a lot better with their own authority - if van is what we’re discussing.

 

No ####? Thats all they give them?? wow

 

It’s tough, but someday I’ll save enough to get my own authority, then I’ll get 100%

 

It's been 3 years since I worked for LS. Your tractor has to pass a safety inspection from a LS approved place and you have to pass that same inspection every 120 days. You can only haul LS loads

You want their fuel card for the discount. Paying cash price is crazy. Loves was like $0.21 cents off the cash price. TA/Petro was cost+ price. That the same price the truck stop pays at the rack. The +is you pay them like 3 cents for every gallon you buy. So they only charging you 3 cents per gallon more than the pay for fuel..

When the rates are low it's not easy to make money