Landstar how the “ “ do you stop the Agents from calling you?Any advice on how to keep

I used to say the same thing about certain agents calling me until one of those agents got access to some great loads..... sometimes it’s just being courteous and politely saying no can lead to better things.....I’m not saying your being rude to them at all though.... just something to ponder on.....

 

I used to deal with Landstar agents under my own authority. I would be glad when they called because they had some really good loads to offer. Last year I took a bunch of loads to the NE and they paid $3.70 plus. There were some agents that I didn't care too much for, but I usually just blocked their number. It's not hard to do.

Your not "truly" a business owner running under someone else's authority. Thats like borrowing your moms car to make money delivering pizza. You seen what Landstar did to Lori didn't you, even though she did break the rules by blocking the highway. I wouldn't make them too mad because you might find yourself sitting at a truck stop on the phone begging for a way out

 

Did to Lori?

 

Yea on Black Smoke Matters. She had been with Landstar for like 30 years and she was part of that BS Joe and them started. She blocked the highway in Alabama as part of a protest and they let her contract go the very next day... Even though what she did was legal as far as freedom of speech goes, they didn't acknowledge any of her 30 years loyalty to them...

 

Like me, you may be experiencing prosperity working the loadboard, contrary to conventional "wisdom". Like you (with the exception of only one agent), I wasn't getting offers from agents that made me smile. i found better loads on the loadboard, so I lead with it.

While I'm not entirely sure of what agents can see about my truck and preferences, prior to the last 72 hours, all but one agents' calls I've received quoted rates near my last search minimum--usually below. (I started at $1.75/mile, but now use $2/mile as my standard search.)

Before my dpf engine warning light came on a couple of days ago, I'd constructed a nice, 10-day long network of four loads, from the loadboard, not less than $3.00/mile. Unfortunately, the last one in the network was canceled (allegedly) by the shipper and its pickup was rescheduled (allegedly) from 4-22 to 4-29. While searching for a load to replace that one, I received a call from an agent offering me a load at the end of that stack for $2.08/mile. Considering everything I had booked was over $3/mile, I reasoned agents likely aren't basing offers, when they call us, on rates we're actually running (unless they "know" us, perhaps). And, again, that $2.08/mile offer is consistent with a pattern I suspected before, that agents may be able to see what our last search minimum was and make offers to those of us they don't know at rates near, but usually below, that minimum...and hope we bite. I've no proof, but I suspect that is what is happening.

Theorizing the above is true, over the last 72 hours I changed my minimum to $3/mile, saved it, searched on it, then closed the portal. $2/mile is still the minimum I actively search on, I just NOW ensure I save the search at $3/mile. After that, my next agent offer was $3.15/mile from Houston to Odessa, TX (yesterday)! I literally LOL'd! Was that purely a coincidence? Or, are agents indeed seeing our last minimum rpm we searched and/or saved to search, and making offers near that minimum???

That load runs 5 days per week with weights ranging from 18k to 40k. At those weight ranges and distance (@ 497 miles), my projected fuel costs for the $1565 offer ranged from 10% - 14%, which is below my fuel cost threshold--I'D HAVE TAKEN IT. (Agents are holding a LOT of freight in Houston!) Anyway, I couldn't take it, because I've had to cancel that GREAT stack of runs I had, because my truck is still being held hostage at a Rush Truck service facility waiting for a dadgum turbo sensor to arrive, then follow-up dpf testing once installed! I didn't have much choice. Had I unwisely tried to keep driving with a dpf engine warning, the engine would've gradually derated down to about 5 mph, making things worse.

Nevertheless, the point is, if the agents are able to see the last minimum rpm we've searched/saved(?), perhaps saving a HIGHER rpm for your last search, before leaving the portal, may yield only agent offers near that higher rpm, which you WOULD be willing to receive? I'm ASSuming you'd want to get calls for offers that are paying a minimum you know is beneficial to your company.

if you choose to try this, please let me know your results...

 

Is that on Facebook or something? I searched on here but didn’t find it. I don’t have Facebook

 

The video was on the Facebook group black smoke matters. I'm not a member of the group anymore but she done a video after they let her go.

 

She broke the very well know cardinal sin known as the sitting duck policy at landstar. shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone that parking your truck in the middle of the interstate to protest would get your contract canceled

 

it didn't help that she posted the video on some landstar facebook paged