Please explain this to me... Landstar rates

For me I dont look at it as cheap freight or high paying freight. I look at it as the freight that based on my numbers helps me keep my operation profitable. Can I pull for 1.50 all month,hell no but I can for a day or two if its taking me to the land of 3.00+ freight. Knowing your numbers is crucial but alot of O/O's dont have any type of accounting system in place and therefore have no clue what its costing them to operate so how do they know when their hauling cheap freight. There really is no right or wrong when it comes to cheap freight,its how you use each and every load to help improve your bottom line.

 

i haven't been at this game too long. but from what i've seen so far. good paying frieght is good becuase it goes out to the sticks. and they know your going to have to bounce for the next load. so in the end it's not so good.

but if you want to keep around the populated areas. plan on nothing but CHEAP freight. becuase you won't have to bounce too far for that next CHEAP freight. and some of the populated areas. don't have freight anyways. but still pay cheap to get there. (denver, albuquerque, etc.)

as for booking loads in advance. some drivers are lazier then others. some like to keep rolling while others like to take a break.
the preferable choice would be to book in advance. as soon as he's loaded. but if he wants to wait till delivery. the i guess he wants to sit a few hours or day is you case is happening right now.

i've hauled TONS of 500 mile loads that i delivered next day while the other o/o's hauling the same freight scheduled there delivery for the day after. 24 hours for my delivery. 48 hours for there delivery.

o/o's just don't like to run seems like.

i was in new york 2 weeks ago. after 2 days of finding nothing but crap to go farther east. i was ready to start looking into ohio. but i got called for a cross country load. not even PA had anything to haul. (pittsburgh, philadelphia)

 

You two need to sit down and get that cpm number set in stone. My magic numbers are 2.25 and <25K. Do I get away fom my magic numbers,why yes I do but thats okay its a work in progress. To be honest I can stumble along at 2.00 but it makes Mrs desert skies nervous and thats not a good thing.

Do you have an accounting system in place that helps you understand all your numbers? Its so nice to look at my P+L each month and see where I need to make improvements.

 

You two have a lot to learn about this business. You are going to have to pay for this knowledge too. This board can help you from making the bigger mistakes. Bottom line is acknowledging the fact that you don't know what your doing yet, and keeping an open mind so you can figure out what you're doing as cheaply as possible. Another thing to remember is that you need to always strategize on to the truck revenue, not Landstar revenue. Start searching the boards looking for revenue opportunities by putting dollar per mile and gross revenue qualifiers, and for state, use all. This is one way to find opportunities.

 

rolling with schneder doesn't teach you about the business. it just gets your feet wet.

being on your own is a whole different ballgame.

 

You might want to have him try something different each time he goes out until he gets some lanes figured out and gets some solid agent contacts. Right now I have been going out at the start of the month and I am staying out until I gross 25k then I go home. My goal is to be home four or five days then go back out. Because I live in So Cal Im able to get by the house at least once a week depending on which of my two lanes Im running. Landstar is all about freedom and indepedence but it takes skill and discipline to be successful. Your doing him a great service by asking questions then helping him with the answers but your also helping yourself to be a better support person. The only thing Mrs desert skies knows about trucks is that they drive slow on the freeway.