Why pay Landstar over 30% of the load when you can have 100% with your own numbers?

4 of my friends have their own authority. They vary from barely to highly motivated. Some are college graduates. None are setting the woods on fire.
The risk they take is far higher, literally putting everything they own on the line if something goes south, serious accident as an example. Incorporation does not insulate you from having to defend your self in those cases.
They spend far more time attending to the backroom details, or spend money to hire it done. For some of them trucking now consumes their whole life
Can it be done? Sure. Tells us how it worked out 5 years from now. Maybe you will be able to explain why the vast number of motor carriers (750,000+)out there are all but dormant according to the numbers they must file with the DOT.

 

That's probably why it's so cheap, all the exotics included, because it's spread over 9500 trucks, and that's 9500 guys with good records. Cause if you start to screw up, they'll drop you.

Also depends on the value of the truck. I'm certain dude with $180K Petey pays more than I do with my trustee Freighty.

 

They don’t just unladen liabilty, about 1000 a year. Which you can buy from them or provide a approved policy from a insurance co.
Insurance on your truck is up to you, not required by LS, but your finance Co will require, buy wherever you want. No different than if you are on your own.

 

So LS requires you to pay your share of the general liability insurance on their policy. Or is that 3500 just the non-trucking liability/bobtail insurance with physical damage?

 

I have heard about some bad agents at LS. Guess it’s not that common, but still suprises me how those bad agents get to work for LS in the first place since they are very picky about drivers

 

Just checked my last load, I got 80%, of the billed amount, direct customer, no brokers involved.
My base %is 77%.
LS pays for my base plate and all other legalization, does ifta, provides liabilty and cargo, fuel was .60 off the pump price at Petro, I use paper logs. I got 35% upfront ( cost me 1.75)and get the rest on Tuesday
Load paid me almost $4 a mile for 800 Miles home, load was a f350 ford truck had to get out four short chains and four binders.

Should I go on my own? Maybe I could do better?

 

It's going to be very much dependent on the freight you like to run and where you run. I ran their van for 6 months. Very few where drop and hook for me.

My trailer is also lighter than a LS trailer so when I need to I can grab an occasional heavy load.

 

They are forcing ELDs for new contractors now.

 

I want to add to this - seeing Dave has been there for only a year, I've was with them for 6 as a BCO and as a fleet owner since 2008.

It isn't about the agent screwing you, there is a lot of bs with that going on and I wish LS would do something about it so nothing is perfect but what does make a difference is their clearing house of info for planning and the access to the key (large) agents who have a lot of work. You don't sit idle and let them call you, you get a list of agents, sent out emails, and act like you want their loads. Being proactive means you are willing to make good money without the BS. I have my favorite agents and people who work there, a bunch get visits from my drivers, two agents we make sure they get thank yous and when a driver is headed to one or another of their lanes, we give them a heads up.

The other thing is that if you get an agent who is screwing around, you have LS being the final say. Example, I had a local new agent change the rates when we completed the run, the driver agreed to the run being $3657 and the agent knocked it down to $2899, which pissed all of us off. I filed a complaint with LS and they paid the original amount and took the money from the agent. Nothing ever said to us about how unfair it was or if there is a chance of it being adjusted later. They corrected it and that was it.

There is a lot more to that 25% that they get, a lot more and I would rather give up that 25% so I have that access than to have to deal with not having a truck sitting for a day or two where I know loads are outbound.