Landstar brokers.....bottom feeders of the load boards.

They will be bottom feeders if you let them, who wouldn't, it's all about the $. Never really had a problem getting more than the posted rate from most of them, mainly depends on which board you get the load from
I just dislike their deductions $2 transflo, $1.75 for "Contingent Cargo Program" which the later I believe comes from taking the load from the wrong board. Still no biggie just up the rate to cover it.

 

CHEEP as in bird freight or, cheap freight?

 

Even worse in 2024….

 

Are you dealing with brokers you have a relationship with or just the load board?

 

Makes a big difference! The only decent LS brokers are the older ones, everyone on the load board is a foreign rep reselling garbage. But even the old LS brokers I've run for for years don't have good rates these days.

 

It's definitely tough on the spot market, these days.

 

Both. Agents that I have a relationship with will call if I’m in the area. On the load board. Same load posted multiple times and with $100 difference. Most from other load boards. Lots of foreign agents and the overall rates are bad. You might find a decent load here and there for 5-7k but you have to be in the right area at the right time.

 

I’m starting to regret my decision about going to Landstar. The other day I sat at Pilot and made about 30 calls to agents. One was American. The others were Indians or Pakistanis / Russians or some other Eastern Europeans. The American agent was the only one with an actual load. The others said the load was gone, or they would have to “check with the agent” and get back to me. I said I thought you were the agent? They said no we’re dispatch. Really I don’t have time for this BS. I’ll try to network with some legit agents and find a good lane.

 

Stay away from landstar. They take too much and most of the fright on the board is covered. It’s not their freight. They have to “call their customer.”

For what you pay LANDSTAR they should dispatch you and not make you stare at a load board until you get something. And forget relationships. None of them want one. I was told by several agents when I was there they can make more NOT using a LANDSTAR truck. They have no reason to use a landstar truck. The freight isn’t exclusive to them because it’s not LANDSTAR freight.

landstar has changed and for the worse. The market changed and they refuse to change with it.

And don’t knock those foreign agents. They are harder working and take less money. I worked for an Ukrainian for years and years. Knew trucking better than anyone I ever met and I made great money.

 

You just need to find the right brokers. I started with Landstar almost 7 years ago and for the last 4+ years I only haul for 3 different brokers, and most of them loads never hit the board. Rare is it that I get something off the board.

Edit: This is a load I just came across a few mins ago (FLP agency) posted in their comments section of the load (3.50+ a mile):
SAY NO TO FAKE POSTED LOADS!! WE ARE 100% AMERICAN OWNED VETERAN RUN BUSINESS PRELOADED READY TO GO - YOU CAN PARK OVERNIGHT AT FT MYERS SITE EASY $$$ - RETAIL GOODS - NO TOUCH PRELOADED TRAILER - DROP AND HOOK PICKUP - NO TOUCH LIVE UNLOAD DELIVERY CALL OR TEXT TO EITHER # / 941-527-0150 OR 941-249-3742 SAY NO TO FAKE LOADS - LOOKING FOR AN AGENT WHO ACTUALLY HAS THE FREIGHT THAT IS POSTED? - THEN CALL ME MY LOADS ARE REAL LOADS DIRECT BILL TO CUSTOMERS - TIRED OF WASTING YOUR TIME WITH AGENTS WHO DON T ACTUALLY HAVE THE FREIGHT THAT THEY HAVE POSTED? THEN CALL ME!