Round table landstar drivers.I need your help

[Cam]

Gman, when you answer a question it's like hitting the motherlode. Thanks. That's just about everything I had been wondering about autohauling.

-Pays great
-not locked up by the unions, sounds like anybody can get in
-one of the 'barriers to entry' is that you have to climb around like a monkey
-Maybe 200k for a truck and trailer

I am really sorry about that fall. I hadn't heard about it. Glad to hear you've recovered.

All that climbing would be up my alley. I was 17 years old when I went into the Marine Corps. The drill instructor demonstrated this high climbing, acrobatic "Confidence course" and I thought, 'yeah right! Another psyche job. There's no way on God's green earth they're going to make us do that!' The short of it is, they weren't just trying to psyche us out Ever since then I get a perverse pleasure from climbing stuff. I love rappelling, for one.

Well, I need to get some property paid down first. But then, maybe...

[GMAN]

Gman, when you answer a question it's like hitting the motherlode. Thanks. That's just about everything I had been wondering about autohauling.

-Pays great
-not locked up by the unions, sounds like anybody can get in
-one of the 'barriers to entry' is that you have to climb around like a monkey
-Maybe 200k for a truck and trailer

I am really sorry about that fall. I hadn't heard about it. Glad to hear you've recovered.

All that climbing would be up my alley. I was 17 years old when I went into the Marine Corps. The drill instructor demonstrated this high climbing, acrobatic "Confidence course" and I thought, 'yeah right! Another psyche job. There's no way on God's green earth they're going to make us do that!' The short of it is, they weren't just trying to psyche us out Ever since then I get a perverse pleasure from climbing stuff. I love rappelling, for one.

Well, I need to get some property paid down first. But then, maybe...

Thanks, Cam. I have known of car haulers who make from $150-350M/yr. If you buy a new truck and trailer, your payments can run from about $3,500-5,000/month or perhaps a little more. :shock: That is a lot of overhead. If you like climbing, you might just enjoy climbing around on a car hauler. You still need to be careful. There isn't much room for your feet with a large car on top.

[LOAD IT]

I booked a load with SUL in Indiana.This will leave Lithia springs, Ga to a stop in Ocala and Lady Lake, Fl.The agent mentioned that if I get there on Wed. at 7am they will unload me but anything after they wouldn't until thursday.I got to that first stop in Ocala(Lowes) at 6:45am and knocked on their door.I was amazed when the lady said she booked the load for thursday and that I would have to come back the next day.I was soo pissed off.She claimed she had no room and that she had mentioned that to the agent.I then started calling SUL because I was stuck with this load that only drives 400 miles to be delivered in 2 days.I then called my BCO advisor to compolain about SUL.My advisor then called SUL to try to get me detention pay for sitting at a Lowes parking lot for 24hrs.SUL claimed the shipper had told them what they relayed to me but they still couldn't guarantee getting me detention pay.I left messages on SULs vm but I got no call back.Then again after they had recieved my truck number, they came up with the 2nd stop and tailgating which only changed the Gross to about $30 more(not palletized).I remember those cabinet fixtures fell on my forhead while I was unloading and that caused a bump on my forehead.Never again will I tailgate or unload.
That was my bad first week experience.

Word of Caution-- LOWES and HOME DEPOT only receive at the scheduled times and going in early is usually futile. Save yourself the stress and be on-time or dont run LOWES or HOME DEPOT loads. Your time is not important to them. I lost a LOWES account for being LATE and EARLY!!

[mike3fan]

I forgot about this thread,where are you at henboy1 ?
How is it going with Landstar?

[Cam]

Sifting through old threads, huh? You might find henboy over here:

bcoforum.com

[jnk2001]

You are right, Cam. I would rather deadhead 3-500 miles than take a load that I couldn't make a profit. I think every load should make a profit. I guess I am funny about that. :P No profit, no haul. :wink:

I've had time to think about all this. I too now turn my nose up at freight with no interest under any circumstances including a deadhead. But, I'll go down to even 1.10 TTT coming out of Florida right now and I'll tell you why. 1.10 covers the cost of operating the truck which you have to do anyway if you want to get out of there. It also pays 'the driver'. The only thing not covered is you, the owner and the investor. It gives no return on the capital you've got wrapped up in equipment. It doesn't compensate you for all the non-driving work you do like maintenance and paperwork and dealing with any catastrophe that could potentially happen.

But, if I can get my operational costs and pay 'the driver', I can make up for everything else on nice, fat Midwest loads. I either take the operational costs and the driver pay or I take nothing, those are the only real choices sometimes. And, my sincerest appologies to any cents per mile drivers I may be offending right now. :shock:

Seriously, on that last I went to Pumpkindriver to check out things over there. Lots of advantages to a huge freight base and someone just giving you loads. I love the thought of nice terminals all over the country, overstuffed chairs and I'd like to rediscover my lats and triceps. Schneider pays 'shortest miles'. The rates just don't get it. I think you'd be better off as a company driver over there.

BTW, 1.10 TTT still prices you out of most freight coming out of Florida right now.

[mike3fan]

Sifting through old threads, huh?

Loadit dug it up I replied... 8)

[Cam]

Sifting through old threads, huh?

Loadit dug it up I replied... 8)

I didn't mean anything by that.

[LOAD IT]

Sifting through old threads, huh?

Loadit dug it up I replied... 8)

I saw the comment that dispatch said LOWES would take the load early. I had to respond because that is a favored dispatcher lie to get you to move the load. LOWES, HOME DEPOT and WALMART are not going to take you early 99.99999% of the time. Those companies taking you early is probably an urban myth.

[henboy1]

Just like LOADIT said you are right about those lies from the agents.Not dispatch as far as Landstar is concerned but the damn agents.
I have been lazy and I have been running local but I need to get up on my ass and go out there on the road.My FL bad experience keeps me local.I am really learning the business.For the big retail shots like the Walmarts,Home Depot, Kroger and Publix I make sure I am not late or else I will be behind the line and will be waiting for hrs.I am not taking routes like the experience in Johnson City TN.Yes, you are also right about BCOFORUM.com.I lurk there more and those guys showed me the ropes with Landstar.It is a shame because most Landstar drivers are fighting among these cheap freight.For ex...I found a load paying 1.72 ($800gross) to Ohio(good for freight because I would be guaranteed a trip back to GA).I called the agent and he said The FSC was all included.From Ga-Ohio is about 600 miles and I will only get about $1.09 TT.To make things worse those were carpets which are not palletized.
These days on all my bookings I call the shipper and the other end to confirm what the agent said.I recieved a load alert which leaves GA to Florence , AL monday morning and then returns from that same shipper to GA and it pays 1300 gross.Not bad for 2.10 gross/mile.It is still tough at landstar I am even staying away from dealing with lumpers and all that retail freight BS.FL will be out of my base plate in OCT.
I am OK for now with no Truck note and the strees from my previous container hauling.

[LOAD IT]

Hang in there Henboy, i'm glad to see you havent thrown in the towel! How's the truck holding up? I know hauling those containers was rough on it.

[Cam]

Hang in there Henboy, i'm glad to see you havent thrown in the towel! How's the truck holding up? I know hauling those containers was rough on it.

He says he changed the oil. That's usually a positive step

[henboy1]

I was scared when I chaned the oil and they found metal shavings on top of the drain plug.Through research on this site and asking my uncle mechanic it was more likely normal.Some of these TA out of school mechanics should have known that it was normal and not scare me.It is doing Ok for a $7000 truck that came with all the flat bed equipment and a former Landstar Inway truck from the previous owner.Just this pass weekend I learned to change the Hub Seal myself.At Landstar I sometimes haul 2000ibs, and the last time I hauled something over 40k ibs was 3 months ago.What a relief from containers!

[LOAD IT]

I was scared when I chaned the oil and they found metal shavings on top of the drain plug.Through research on this site and asking my uncle mechanic it was more likely normal.Some of these TA out of school mechanics should have known that it was normal and not scare me.It is doing Ok for a $7000 truck that came with all the flat bed equipment and a former Landstar Inway truck from the previous owner.Just this pass weekend I learned to change the Hub Seal myself.At Landstar I sometimes haul 2000ibs, and the last time I hauled something over 40k ibs was 3 months ago.What a relief from containers!

You should have an oil analysis run. You may be able to prevent a larger problem. What kind of engine does it have? I bought a tractor for $6000 once, ran it for 2-3 years and the top-end went. Cheapest rebuild I found was $10000 for B model so I sold it to the junk man for $3000. I wish I had kept it and fixed it later. My point is dont let that big problem sneak up on you and shut down your revenue.

[GMAN]

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Henboy, but it isn't normal to have metal shavings in the oil. You may have minute particles, but not metal shavings. Like Load It, I suggest getting an oil analysis. It isn't expensive and could point you to something that could be repaired now without spending too much money. If you wait too long to check it out, it could cost much more to repair. You may want to drop the pan and have the lower end inspected.

[henboy1]

http://www.classadrivers.com/phpBB2/...ic.php?t=26243