Can I get access to Landstar’s loadboard?

With the price of fuel in 05. Those rates might have been worth considering.

Looks like a slap in the face now.

 

Are you looking platform or van?

Rates out of Southern Cali:
on the platform side have been kinda marginal for a long time.
SoCal Van side rates took a dump over the winter. Before that they were O.K. (some could be good).

Cali central/San Fran/Sac area. Van was less affected by the softening this winter. Did not really look at flats.

I believe this thought process is valid. Leasing on gets you up and running with good discounts and lower cost insurance. It also allows you to make contacts and get on the agent's Rolodex. If you network well you should be able to get a few agents to keep you busy with good freight.

When you get to that point, one option with Landstar is to become an "Approved Carrier" and run your MC while continuing to work with those Agents. Then start adding outside brokers as you find some worthy of your time. Keep track of who the agents get the loads from. Those people may become your brokers of choice after you are done with Landstar.

 

So look at things the other way. What pays good money going to home?

I kept a load alert running in the background going to my e-mail for everything west of I35 going toward home that paid more than $3 per mile for a van. That way I could watch for a hot spot for "go home loads". Then I also knew where to shoot for if I got bribed to head east of I15.

Learned that tactic from a guy that lived near Denver. He knew outbound would be thin revenue. So get to someplace that puts him in a loop to go home on a "money load". Or pays enough to deadhead out to good freight.

 

Somebody else posted this for another thread. You may want to take a look at it. Explains the softness in the market better than I can.

Truck drivers see orders, miles fall in latest U.S. slowdown signal - Reuters

 

Cost of Operating a Truck Up 6% to $1.69 Per Mile, ATRI Report Says

One of the Landstar orientation focuses is "know your costs". You will need to figure out what it costs to run your truck and pay the driver enough to pay the bills at home. Some look at this as a cost per mile. I look at that cost per mile, but I temper it with cost per day. If the driver is not at home on the sofa he still needs to get paid weather he is running or not. Running a van I needed to book $800 per day minimum, Was actively pushing to book better than $1000 per day average with the unobtainable push goal of $1200 per day.

That is based on most personal expenses are paid every month, truck note and other truck expenses will either be every week or month. So make sure enough money is flowing into the bank every week and month to cover the outflow. You also can then work on building up your Maintenance or equipment purchase account. Or if you end up being paid by brokers you will need to have float money to cover the "net 30/60".

$20.00 per mile load sounds good. But if it is only 20 miles and takes overnight to unload I may not be interested.

Bottom line: pennies per mile is short sighted. Set a weekly/Monthly revenue goal and use the daily number to find loads that reach the longer term goal.

 

If you get your own MC as a single truck owner op it only takes one OOS order to give your MC# a 100% OOS safety rating. Getting loads after that may not be possible.

Id consider staying leased on until i had enough of a handle on the game and sufficient $$ to add a 2nd truck and driver.