Landstar Questions

You have no clue. For start, your Workers Comp # I believe you said $5 per week. It depends on the state you live in. Me, I pay $67 per week.
You won't make it with a new truck payment sir........believe me. And what new truck will you be buying for $2,000 a month. For starters, you are a first time buyer, no experience as an O/O. The interest rate they are going to charge you will eat you alive, IF you can get the finance. You must be talking about putting up a huge down payment but I didn't read that anywhere.

 

I first and only brand new truck, I bought in Syracuse NY when freightliner was on Bear St. drove home 123 miles north picked up my dog and my gear, made it down to mm101 where DOT proceede3d to pull me in for inspection because of no visible plates or HUT tag. And after driving a whole 235 miles in a new truck just off the lott they then shut me down because a brake air line was rubbing on the drum. I called Freightliner, the very same one that I had just picked the truck up at and they came out a whole 15 miles and three hours later replaced the airline then tried to charge me $140. (The part was free, labor, service and road call was not) I complained loudly, after threatening to leave the truck in their driveway, they did not charge me.(11 months later the truck burned to the ground) but the point of the blathering is a freightliner warrenty needs to be read very carefully. If you break down on the road and need to be towed or repaired, that stuff is not under warrenty

 

it's a 09 volvo 780 I Shift trans. I do have expierence working for an o/o that was a complete *&#$^ idot. and pretty much left me to get my own loads. Hell the only thing i didn't pay for was trk payment and isurance.. I even paid for fuel out of my #### pocket more than a few times along with the #### trailer! I learned a lot from at arse..(ie: if he doesnt have the $ to keep you running, LEAVE) Kinda hard to find a automatic truck in good condition with OUT a cluctch in it as I am an amputee. Hell If I'm going to get my own truck, it will be something I want. cuz we all know if your not confortable in it you'll be looking in every direction to get out of it at every given chance! I prefer to stay in my truck and work..
As for those who say you can't make it.. I'm sorry to say but not everyone is as dumb as you might think they are. But thanks for the heads up.
Boone I'm sorry to hear about your bad luck w/ your freight shaker

 

$1.20 mile? For your truck?That is a lie.They will pay you that money to get you from A to B and after that you will get just about $0.30 cpm or less.And for those people with truck payment either brand new or used,wish you good luck at LS.Seems like some the people don't know what is takes to be an O/O.Ridiculous said:quote: I will make it on $600 a week......you must be one of those cheap people destroying this country and the American dream,to have a decent house and family(not sleeping in your truck)to have a decent level of living(not the one like those people coming in this country and working cheap) and your business to have a future not a bankruptcy.Buying a brand new truck in this kind of economic down turn its almost a fail future.Buying a used truck in this kind of economic down turn you might make it if you buy the right truck with the right mechanic and with the right job.You might ask your self ? Do I care about you? Yes I do,and I do a lot because the more business fails,the more all of us suffer in long term.Somebody will claim a loss and that loss is transforming in all kind of financial future situation for this country,so i do care about anybody because I am a good citizen,not a cheap #######.Before you wanna make it as a O/O you need to know few little facts about this kind of job.You need money for starter,you need lots of commitments,you need to know how much its to much and how much its to little,you need to know the real math of owner operator and not the math of the agent,because the agent don't care about you and your success for future business(seems like the agents are not part of this country)you need to remember that if you fail,that means your business was bad for your self and was bad for everybody around you in this country.Tons of drivers are complaining about low pay and failure but they do not complain about their bad practice of business.And to the end,you will never make more than $0.70 cpm at LANDSTAR after tons of unpaid driven empty miles unless your end of week don't figure all your realistic expenses.And that $0.70 cpm its a good week,than start cutting other expenses out of picture,like fuel,maintenance,monthly truck payment,insurance,repairs of any kind registration,permits and so many other expenses and you will be broke in very short time.My advice to any of you:Go and find a decent paid by mile(all practical miles) and make sure the company its very small.The bigger the company is,the less money you will get.Good luck to all of you with LS and their BCO ########.

 

I call it like I see it and as far as "trustinfuture" you are nothing but a negitive person. So far every post I've read from this person has never been positive or offering constructive help.
I'm just looking for an o/o to be willing to show me what I need to change in my plan I had origianlly posted. Without all the "you'll never make it, you don't know anything, and your dystroying the Ameican dream". Excluding the issue about the truck payment I might have that issue figured out today with some help from the small business association. Someone who understands that the $1.20 was a worst case scenario. Knowing that I would draw my personal line at 1.30 for bottom freight. If there isn't anyone, I'd like to thank all those who replied.

 

$1.20 a mile on the board is in reality about .72 cents to your truck. That's if you don't have your own trailer.

About $35.88 for workers comp. Depending on where you live.

$19.99 per week for bobtail for my truck.

Permits about $190 and Plates and reg about $1650. Landstar will take out about $100 per week for about 19 weeks.

Prepass is about $2.50 a week.

I myself would not buy a new truck right now with the false sense of a poor economy.

I paid $900 a month with my truck and I bought a Freightliner because parts are cheaper and you generally get better mileage off a lower horsepower Detroit.

With the new direction that Landstar is taking I would not recommend signing on right now. From what I've heard this is one of the lowest times for Landstar.

I came in almost two years ago and got to learn the system when it was good. From what I heard it was even better before I joined.

Landstar is favoring the brokers and agents at this point in time. Wait if you can until it favors the driver.

Two many Landstar drivers are hauling the $1.50 and under freight right now. I realize they have payments and bills but they are supporting the low rates right now.

Anywho, your $2200 per month and $576 insurance payment is bold right now. I would recommend against it right now. A used truck has less risk if you had to walk away. An new truck does have the reliability factor, however you pay way too much for it in my opinion.

2500 miles a week # 620 Gallons? How do you come to this figure?

That's like 4 miles to the gallon! You won't make much off 4 miles to the gallon? You better slow down or haul light and not buy a Pete.

If you take your $1.20 per mile scenario with 2500 miles per week you'll end up owing Landstar about $427 bucks to have their name on the side of your truck.
Plus you will have hauled part of that freight for free and even paid to haul some of it for the customer.

$2.00 per mile should be your minimum. However with drivers hauling the $1.50 per mile or less and going broke , it's making it harder for the drivers that won't haul the cheap freight.

If no drivers would haul the cheap freight it would all but disappear.

Like I said before, with Landstars new direction toward being a Broker Company I'd recommend in my opinion, for a used truck to start off with. And if you are making money right now somewhere else I would recommend staying there until things pick up.

So if you come aboard, welcome.

I wrote some post in the past about protecting your self against the lying, cheating thieving agents. There are lots here at Landstar don't make any mistakes about that.

Drive smart and safe and save your money. Because things break and need fixin.

Oh yeah, I'm sure by now you know that the rates are all inclusive unless otherwise stated.

 

Thank you so much Chirichahua. I came up with 620gals figuring on the worst side of things ie: heavy load with bad weather etc.. My plan was basied off the worst case senirao (sp). 620 being a real bad case LOL.
Monday, I'm going to try and find out more about govt' grants for people starting a small business. I think I got a chance at that in a way had already of been a business owner in the past that was profitable in a different industry other than trucking/transport. Maybe that might help things along. I'm really in no real rush. I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row if you know what I mean.

 

I had looked into them when I started my last business years ago thinking I'd need money to start but I was good on my own. If i remember right, they want a business plan and other papers to back up your theories of your plan. Fill out lots of forms. I have a few things going for me I think.. IE: Being a female, minority, and handicapped. From what I remember from what thethe SBA said, they hand out money hand over fist for people in that catagory?