Landstar

I interviewed to be a ladnstar agent at one time. They wanted me to have
1/2 million or more in customers and I couldn't have my own authority any more . I told them if I had a 1/2 million in business why would I need landstar? Most of their agents have no real customers of their own anymore.
If you look hard enough you can find same load elsewhere for more money.
I still haul for them a little but not like I used too. Landstar is crooks for the most part.

 

Now my question is this, say you give a shipper your business card when you pick up a load and you do a few loads for them and make yourself known to them. If they call you directly and offer you the load can you take it when running under LS authority or would you need your own? I would imagine this is often the case with a known reputable driver who has delt with the same shipper on numerous occasions.

 

What are you asking, if you are a BCO? If so, no, that load has to be booked by the agent that handles the account.

If you are saying you're an outside carrier, and the shipper calls after you drop your card directly, then technically yes you can take it, contractually no as Landstar and every other brokerage out there has a non-compete in their Broker-Carrier agreement. If the broker finds out, they can sue you and will prevail, and you'll end up owing them a buttload of money. I did get two direct customers this way, but I was solicited by them, not the other way around, and didn't get caught before the non-compete was up.

 

Crooks for the most part? I can't agree with that,are some of their agents jerks? Yep, but not any worse than any other business I deal with ,there's jackazz's in every industry,unavoidable unfortunately,just gotta roll with it. Most of the people I have dealt with at Landstar have been professional and decent to deal with, IMO no worse than any others I have dealt with and better than most.

 

I was asking what you answered first. Now what if you have your authority but are on with LS? Sorry to ask questions that may have been answered I just dont remember reading this anywhere. I just ask that because I do see guys who seem to have there own authority because of there own company name and DOT# but the truck also says leased to landstar. I know of 1 guy that does this for sure but his company and authority is used for hauling motorcycles in his special bike trailer and when he is not doing that he pulls a nice spread axle reefer in which he gets his freight with landstar for that.

 

You can not have you own authority and be leased to Landstar, contractually. Every O/O has their own DOT number, it is not the same as authority. I don't know his story, but Landstar verified my authority was revoked before leasing on, and they would terminate his lease if they don't know about it his side deal. He could technically start a corporation, get authority under that, and lease his truck to that company as well, running his own plates, but I'm sure there is something in the contract against that. You can only have one DOT# visible on a truck at one time.

 

Ok I see. I will have to ask him more in depth about it. Obviously I am wrong about something. I would guess that he use to be leased to Landstar and I know he started hauling bikes not more then a few years ago. O well not really important. Thanks for the help though.

 

In most cases I find the same load with someone else for more money.
Landstar agents are the biggest double brokers there is.
And 99.9% of shippers use ever nowdays, the days of exclusive use are gone. With that said landstar would play hell enforcing a no compete clause.
Worst they could do is not use you anymore. Landstar agent cheating me a year ago has seen a net customer increase for me of 35 new people I haul for. Piss on landstar I will still move something on occasion for them but want be screwed by them no more. Landstar will even double broker CH robinson stuff.

 

Most carriers will not allow an owner operator who is leased to them to run their own authority. Nor will they want an owner operator to take loads where the carrier doesn't get their cut. In fact, most of them will terminate your contract if they find one of their owner operators are hauling loads on their own. It is expensive paying insurance and underwriting all the costs of compliance and operations. I figure that if you want to lease to a carrier then give them 100%. If you want to run your own authority then do it and don't look back. You pay your own insurance and associated costs and then you can keep all the money.

 

Think You missed what I was saying. I applied to be a agent for them.
I already have my authority as a carrier. They wanted me to give up my authority and lease a truck to them. What a joke there.
Why would anyone want to be leased to a company now, when you can get your own authority for 300 dollars. Your already paying everything else anyway. But I remember before landstar came along there was ligon,ranger, inway and Gemini, all seperate companies. All landstar is, is a big bank and thats it. They are real greedy too. They charge every load 1.75 contigent insurance fee if you don't have a million in cargo. I doubt I ever hauled anything for them that was worth a 100k I have already. When I do my taxes every year
they are always the one that charges the most in commission type fees.
The only reason I could see to leasee to them would be for someone who can't manage their own business.