[GMAN]

You will need to call your dispatcher or different agents to see what freight is available and what it pays. You will receive a list of agents at orientation. They do have a load board for their brokered freight, but not their owner operators. And like Landstar, not all their loads get to the load board, anyway. You may not hear about the better paying loads until you prove yourself. The same is true with Landstar and most other agent based carriers. They pay 75% of the line haul plus 100% of the fsc.

[marcel27208]

ok thanks alot GMAN you seem yo know alot about both Landstar and CRST Malone....now i guess my next question is it seems i would be better off with my own trailer at both CRST and Landstar.....how do i go about getting a trailer??? do i go about it the same way as i did my truck? do i go to an Xtra lease place or somewhere to that nature? Any recommendations for a good place to buy a USED trailer? Websites? i know of truckpaper.com

[GMAN]

If you expect to pull a flat bed for either Landstar or CRST Malone you will need a trailer. If you don't own a flat bed, you can rent one from either of these carriers. I believe both charge around $165/wk, flat rate, with full maintenance. Other than tires, there isn't much maintenance on a trailer unless you have a seal or bearing go out. You can buy a good used trailer for about that much in a monthly payment, depending on how much you pay for the trailer, interest rate and credit. Used trailers seem to be bringing a premium price right now. I bought a new trailer from K & L Truck and Trailer in Knoxville, TN last year and got a good deal. Their used trailers don't seem to stay on the lot very long. Of course, that could be said of most trailer dealers. I would start with the Truckpaper. They always seem to have a lot of dealers advertising. You may also want to check with TMI and Superior Trailer Sales. The last used trailer I bought, I purchased from an individual and got a good deal. I just took my time until I found exactly what I wanted. Landstar has a section on their website that advertises equipment for sale by their BCO's. You can view it without being leased to them.

[sidman82]

Hey guys, I just wanted to jump in quick and ask what would be the best size flat for Landstar or Malone. 45ft or 48ft. I can get a real good deal on a 42ft trailer. Should I bother with the small trailer?

[Jumbo]

You probably could get a good deal on a 42, but I don't believe anybody would want that short of a trailer. I would think a 45 would be the minimum you would want. And some places only want 48's

[One]

Malone prefers you to have a 48fter because they do get a lot of pipe to haul...I guess it depends on where u are.

[sidman82]

Thanks for the info, I will most likely just get a 48FT.

[GMAN]

Originally Posted by sidman82

Hey guys, I just wanted to jump in quick and ask what would be the best size flat for Landstar or Malone. 45ft or 48ft. I can get a real good deal on a 42ft trailer. Should I bother with the small trailer?

Your best bet would be a 48'. I have known of some owner operators who started with a 45' and later bought a 48'. I would not buy anything shorter than 45' unless I were going to pull doubles. A friend of mine hauls steel almost exclusively and he has a 45' aluminum East trailer. He has thought about buying a 48', but has kept the 45'. He runs primarily in Pennsylvania and Ohio. It hasn't affected his income. A 48' works better when you have steel beams that are long. I prefer a 102" width but a 96" will work just as well. I have both width's. The 102" can come in handy when you have a load that covers most of the deck and you need to walk around it to secure or tarp. You can sometimes get a better deal in a 96".