What are benefits of working for Landstar if you are an experienced O/O?

Get your own authority and be a Independent O/O not a Lease operator.
You won't limit your work or rate possibilities if you become a independent MC.

 

Have you checked the ins lately to have your own authority? I did they quoted me $17000. Per year for a 2014 Pete and 2015 utility reefer. That's why a lot of us don't get our own authority, if you know something I don't know then feel free to share the secret with everyone. I had my authority since 09 and let it lapse 3 yrs ago and now I'm considered a "new" company! Been driving since 87 with no claims in over 3 years like they ask, so that is why you don't just jump out there on your own , you act as if we are idiots, we're just trying to make it like everyone else on here.

 

Depending on what you do there landstar provides a trailer pool and some drop and hook freight. Landstar BCOs get discounts on some things based on the purchasing power of a 10,000 truck company including fuel discount. They get paid weekly without giving up additional percentage to factor and the company handles much of the back office paperwork.

Seems it depends on your personality and business savvy as to whether or not you're better off on your own. Some guys claim to be better off with their own authority and some say they're better off leased to a company.

 

That's about right given your equipment.

$17,000 a year is nothing compared to what you're throwing away by paying another MC their "cut".
Most reefer trucks will do $200,000 a year+ , at only a 15% cut, you're losing $30,000+/yr on a 85% lease.
What's your current lease % ? Is it better than 90% of rate?

Most leases these days aren't even 85%....some as low as 75% or less.
Many guys are giving up 15-30% of the revenue or more by leasing under someone else's authority......and the MC is quite happy to collect your profits!!

That little $17K/yr is a fraction of what you lose by leasing. Do you think the MC does it for a loss just so people can go trucking? Cmon,LOL

 

Why don't you give me the down payment on the ins, get a broker or company to pay me every week instead of factoring,keep up with ifta, highway road use tax, quarterly payroll taxes.. Etc..., how long you had your authority? How many trucks you run? Need an o/o ? I need to be around smart people , maybe you can inform us of who you haul for and so on.

 

What area do you live and what lanes do you like to run?

Insurance depends on the provider as you know. Start calling around and getting quotes.

And regarding payment, you cannot expect weekly payment as a business owner. Factoring is a poor business model if it's your principal method of receiving payment.

Being an employee or lease operator is allot different, you don't do billing , collections, etc. A weekly or bi-weekly settlement is the norm.

If you're not ready or capable of operating on a budget farther than a week or two, then you're not ready to be a independent MC. Sorry to seem blunt.

Regarding ifta, hut, 2290, etc. You need to do your own research and make that decision.
IFTA, HUT and 2299 are relatively easy, there are numerous ways to do it. We do IFTA & HUT by actual miles and paper trip sheets backed up by gps logging data.

Pretty much everything you need to know to get started is available with a [search].

The way you run your business is up to you....but the key is it's yours, 100% yours as a independent.

Being a company driver, lease operator and a independent are all completely different and progressively harder with each step.
Are you ready? I have no idea, that's up to you and it should be a decision you've put some time into.

 

I did a year with a company. I just completed a year with LS. Next step is getting my own authority. I'm in no rush though. I want to get an aerodynamic truck and I gotta get a wagon. I also need more put back in savings.

I'm also still on the fence on getting into open deck. I'd like to get a step deck and try it out. Anyone can yank a van and the rates don't leave a guy much profit. Direct freight pays well sure, but I'm still running on the board and struggling.

Before I knew anything and was getting my CDL I thought of LS as the last step, but now just see them as a stepping stone if I want to stay hooked to vans.

I'm rolling at a slow and smooth pace. I don't run real hard, and don't feel the need to rush on getting my numbers.

The first truck I bought was a fld classic. Best I can do running light is 7mpg on all miles. I'd really like to get something aerodynamic. If I do swtich trucks I'll want to run it a while and make sure it's solid.

Another issue is getting an apu. All this takes time and money. I don't mind LS taking a cut till I figure it all out. Heck, just a little over two years ago I didn't know anything about running a truck, and LS is great for someone building confidence before taking the full independent step.

So back to the OP title. Experienced owner op leasing to LS, I don't see why for most. Some don't mind a pay cut to have a carrier deal with the carrier issues.