starting as an o/o with 5 mos driving???

[mike3fan]

I wasn't gonna reply to this thread because I didn't want to get into this again.

I have posted on Landstar before,my time with them(4 years) was good,but only because of the agent I was hooked up with,every agent has trucks that are domicled out of that terminal,now after all his drivers and trucks are taken care of what ever is left goes to the Landstar load boards,mostly it is the same type of stuff you see on the regular load boards and doesn't pay much better if any,most around $1.20.

I almost went broke with them until I got hooked up with my agent,who has since left the company and I went with him.

First off you only get either 67 or 75%(with your own trailer) of 98% of the line haul,where the other 2% goes who knows?And Landstar is kinda of known for mysterious charges that come up all the time,I also feel that they get more of a kickback on the fuel and tire discounts than what are given to the drivers.

It really all boils down to getting hooked up with one or two good agents that can keep you busy,and try not to pull much freight off their load boards,it really isn't that good.Some agents have freight all over the US and not neessarily in the area they are in,also other agents sometimes compete against your agent to undercut the rate.

I have heard of guys that run RGN's there that do really well and some step deck guys do fairly well,but in my experience you still need to be with a good agent.

In all fairness it has been 5 years or so since I was there,but from reading some of the other guys who run for them on here it doesn't seem like it has changed much.Read some post by henboy he just changed over to flats there I think because he couldn't find good enough rates with vans.

[mike3fan]

They have sent my print outs of the load boards for the area I would like to run and I've seen some pretty good loads going out and back hauls coming back in. Most loads in my area are 1.70+ and most are pretty light as well. I would really like more info about landstar because I don't think I'm ready to take on my own authority right now.

I wonder if they would send you bad print outs?

Ask a Lanstar O/O if you could get his sign in and password to look at some of the loads on the loadboard if it is still the way it was when I was there all you can do is look,and he has to change his password often,so it wouldn't last very long.

[merrick4]

Insurance companies will pretty much base their decision on how long you have had your CDL in the U.S. My insurance company wants to know of all experience a driver has before they will insure them. They also require at least 2 years experience. Some who lack the required experience have started with Progressive. I would just call a few insurance companies and see what they say.

So what about guys like my neighbor that did construction his whole life. Then went and got a CDL (without a truck driving school) bought a truck and got his own authority and started right out OTR?

He didn't even mention that it was hard to get insurance or anything. (we are close friends)

I don't think anyone is saying that you can't get a CDL, buy a truck and start running under your own authority. However, most will not underwrite anyone who doesn't have a couple of years experience. There is one loophole in the system. Some states have an insurance pool. The way it works is several insurance companies go in together and underwrite a percentage of the coverage. For instance, lets say you have 5 insurance companies and each one assumes 20% of the risk. My insurance agent told me about this program. I am not sure it is available in all states, but she told me that any insurance agent or broker should be aware of it in their respective state. Steve and a few others have been able to get their insurance through Progressive. They will insure the liability portion of your insurance but will usually restrict your travel to somewhere between 300-500 miles of your home base. I believe Steve was able to work something out with another insurance company shortly after securing insurance with Progressive. If I were you, I would ask your friend where he found insurance.

My key\board \broke tonight \but I think it's getting \better \but I got m,y insuran ce through www.aequicap.com

If it wasn't for them I wouldn't \be out here now as I don't think florida has the risk pool thing. I spoke with a few agents and com,e to find out all were quoting this one com,pany. The agent i have has \been un\believa\ble. As I said I think they are li censed in several southern states. anyone need their num,\ber just pm m,e.

[person]

CA makes sure that if they give some one a license they can get insurance. See how that works? No excuse for driving w/o insurance. It's called Assigned Risk. No doubt those companies that want to sell insurance to CA drivers have to participate, at least to some extent.

[solo379]

Most loads in my area are 1.70+ and most are pretty light as well.

So, you are actually will be getting like $1.25 a loaded mile?
For running NE area? :shock: You could do better with Pumpkin!
I don't even consider loads under $2.20 a mile(my cut), going in NYC and LI.
NJ and Eastern PA, for under $1.80(my cut), and that's the minimum...

[brycey2004]

Hi All
some very interesting points have been raised here, if im reading this right, i can most likely get insured, but i will be restricted to maybe 500miles, and i would find it difficult to get work, even running lwr 48, i need to go otr for another 7 months before i can buy my own truck and stand a chance of making a living. Interesting, ill try and make some calls tomorrow to Progressive, anyone know of a company out there i can lease too with 5 mos otr, 9 mos local? ive spent all day reading the forum, alot to learn!! After reading so many negative posts on many of the big trucking companies out there, i figure i would do alot better managing my own business, which i did in the UK, which is why i wanna get a truck and get started, we will see where this goes, thanks to all the people who post on here, its a tough business.
Rich