What no one tells you about Landstar...

My time with Landstar left me with good feelings. My BCO was very friendly and worked dilengently protecting my interests.

All of the people at Rockford treated all of the drivers well. They said many times that without us they would have no jobs.

Freight comes and goes. Your work ethic is what sustains you.

 

Exactly.... I was always told you get out of it what you put into it. There is good and bad at every company in the trucking industry... I could sit here and complain about the company where I'm at know. To some people they are a great place to be. At one time I was one of them. Lately I have had my difference with them. It's time for me to move on... I will do so in a professional manner.... There is no point in me sitting here belittling them. What am I going to achieve in that. About 2 weeks ago I applied with ls. They are waiting for me to do the truck insp and a drug test. Since then another company found out I was moving on and wants me to come over there. They have offered my quite the deal. But I must sit down and do my home work on them as well. Funny how a drivers reputation will follow them around. If it good you'll never have a problem finding a decest company to do business with. However if your rep is bad nowone will want to do business with you.

 

Agreed. A driver's rep will follow him around. That happens by word of mouth if he's a great driver and electronically if he's a problem child.

For me, a company's reputation follows it around. This is good, as it allows me do my homework before choosing. Yeap, I would check out a company thoroughly before hiring on, just as you are doing, Sandman.

But some guys are great drivers and hire on with the rotten companies. Why? I don't know. The signs are there. Maybe they just don't like doing homework.

 

apparently some people don't care to do homework but it usually pays off in the long run. I've made more money with a ball point pen then I ever have actually driving. Cuz if it don't work on paper...it won't work in the truck.

 

Roadmedic: Didn't know Landstar was in Rockford. Then again, didn't they serve the Sundstrand and Textron plants there?

 

We have been with Landstar for a bit over a year and we agree with each of Brickman's responses to Wreckless4thf's rabid ranting. Not only does he want a fight with Landstar but he also wants to pick a fight with the moderator for this site.

My husband and I worked hard as company drivers, then after acquiring our own equipment we leased onto two different companies. Landstar is the third company for us to lease with.

Landstar has given us a lot more TOOLS to make our business (incorporated) a success. How we USE these tools is our own choice and discretion.

I'd like to add that after this year if we can have a successful year anyone should be able to.

We went to BCO days the end of Jan. this year (2007). Had a great time. After the celebrations were over we went up to GA for an over dimensional load (we were flat at the time, step now). The customer wanted this load tarped, it was an ugly site to load at. After we got the tarps spread and the sides dropped I wandered away to help another driver get backed in. When I came back after abouty 5 min. I found my husband trying to crawl back to the tractor. He had been on the deck hanging bungies when he fell off, lit on both of his heels severely crushing both.

I helped/carried him into the sleeper thinking he had pulled tendons. I finished to load securement and got headed down the road. We made in to Chattanooga where I decided I'd better get him to an emergency room. They x-rayed and gave us the news. They told us that a surgeon wouldn't be able to operate until the swelling was down. So, four big guys from the hospital loaded him back into the tractor. I hooked back up to the trailer and headed to IN with the load. Had to shut down every night because it was OD so I was on the laptop researching his injuries, researching the necessary surgery and researching surgeons who specialized in that type of surgery.

I got the load delivered in IN and headed to Southern Illinois University in Springfield IL where one of the best surgeons is.

He had his first surgery just before Valentines Day, his second surgery just after Valentine's Day and the third surgery in May.

I found a ski rope at a Walmart, wrapped it around the passenger seat, would roll his wheelchair up to the steps and he would pull himself up and into the tractor. The wheelchair JUST fit between the passenger seat and the dash.

Throughout all of this I was able to pick and choose from the Landstar load board (I had to cycle back to Springfield every two weeks for his check ups). I was able to keep our trailer loaded and running with help from Landstar agents.

One of the requirement for leasing onto Landstar is that each BCO be signed up for a Occupational Health Insurance Plan. Luckily, when my husband and I went through the orientation we picked the better of the two plans that Landstar offered (you do not have to sign on with the company that they recommend).

Not only did our Occupational Health coverage pay for ALL of his medical bills but they also paid him $600.00 per week, which made the tractor payment.

If we had been leased onto one of the other companies we started out with we would have lost all of our equipment and been bankrupt (he went back to driving in June so was out of commission for a little over 5 mos.).

We have the choice to choose loads that require no tarping, which we do most often.

I "insisted" that we get rid of the flat with the 5' deck and get the step with a lowpro 35" deck. When we purchased the trailer it went tons quicker because we were "Landstar" BCOs. The respect we are shown by shippers, consignees, DOT, shops, retailers, etc. is considerably better now that we are leased with Landstar.

In the last year with Landstar we have dealt with a couple of agents that we choose not to deal with anymore (they are independent contractors just as the owner/operators are).

I have spoke to ONE lady in the permit department at Landstar that was rude, percentage wise I consider this factor phenomenal.

It's never an issue whether we get 100% of the fuel surcharge which is critical with the fuel prices like they are.

I can imagine that it would be more challenging for a solo driver to have to spend the time looking for and booking their loads. They wouldn't be hanging out in the truckstops as much as some.

Like I said, it's the tools that they give us that is great. What we decided to do with them is what makes us successful.....or not.

Oh, we just purchased drive tires through Landstar's LCAPP program and got a fantastic deal. Plus, we get great fuel discounts also.

Life is what you make of it.

Best Regards.

 

Thankyou and God Bless.
Dave

 

Landstar is not the perfect company and certainly not for everybody but they are the best I have found.

You can be truly independent with no strings attached. Although I haven't compared rates with other companies I would go as far to say that Landstar's rates are no worse than anyone else's and a lot better than some. Remember that a lot of companies offer their O/O's a mileage contract. Landstar offers percentage which will allow a savvy operator to make higher than a normal mileage contract.

In summation I find the positives to far outweigh the negatives with Landstar. I know all there is to know about trucking and if there was a better place to be than at Landstar I would be there.