I,m bedbugging right now. Still home in Vero/WPB area after 3 1/2 weeks with no load. My home terminal in Houston went down...just coordinated a trip thru Austin for a run from WPB (which driver packs/additional revenue), next pick up near Atlanta..going to Northeast. Not bad line haul revenue but come on...3 weeks sitting home.. Bedbugging has just about collapsed for this winter and I don't plan on going in a deep hole that will take all next summer crawling out of....That is if there is a next summer with the economic collapse this Bush regime brought about (and McCain will further destroy when this election is stolen for the 3rd time in a row)...oops sorry didnt mean to get in to politics here. I'll probably be stuck up in Boston with no backload...then my 1 day policy kicks in (I wait 1 day at a truckstop and start deadheading home...hopefully picking up a trip on the way). By the way, we are no longer paid xtra for bulkies or long carries and the lumpers are so out of control I use only Labor Ready...no agency lumpers. Right now I've been approved by 2 flatbed companies, am submitting app. to Landstar. Any one have experience with any of the 3 aforementioned companies?? Please share it . I understand that certain flatbed companies are paying up to $5/mile to the truck due to the devastation in the hurricane hit areas.

As a former bedbugger who went to Landstar (dry van division), I am quite happy here. I got out of HHG back in January of this year. I saw the writing on the wall. It takes some getting used to, running more miles, and if you can get hooked up with military freight, you are golden.

FEMA loads are a PITA. Some guys do well with them, others struggle. It is really hit and miss.

It might be that military is golden because the agents can't double broker the loads.

Mercer is recruiting for flatbeds

I have driven team flatbed for Landstar for many years. I am so angry at Landstar right now..that I don't want that to be a recommendation for or against...just saying..I do drive for Landstar... Flatbed as a Team..no accidents, no cargo claims, no late loads..but..can't give any advice beyond that

I am a recovering bedbugger. I left in February for an agent in the same van line (UVL) pulling speccom and am happy. I've done a few HHG moves since coming over, but for the most part it is tradeshows and electronics.

Lumpers did get out of control. Rates got drappy. 40 bucks extra for a bulky won't break you, but binding estimates can if you don't protest them.

BOL

I would not expect to get $5/mile from any carrier. FEMA loads will be gone by the time you get through orientation. We did a couple and I got tired of all the disorganization. Which ever carrier you go with you need to understand that we are heading into what is normally a slower time of year for open trailers. There is still freight, but it takes time to learn any new system. You should allow a few months to get up to speed.

What does 'Bed bugging' mean ??

Household Goods drivers. Drivers who move people's belongings from one house to another.

When I am not angry with Landstar, there is a lot to like about the company..and usually I recommend it highly...Just not right this minute..maybe later...
Besides...I always blame Prime for everything that goes wrong as an O/O at Landstarbecause if I hadn't been having such a good time at Prime I never would have gotten starry eyed and bought my own truck...

Finally got tired of the Landstar BC and pulled my truck. Started with Inway long time ago with a 2 axle step and worked thru several trailers to my present one, a 3+3+3. After Landstar bought Inway it has gone steadley down hill :sad: 90% of the loads on their board for open trailers are double brokered. For the three months before I decided to do it i subscribed to Getloaded and Internet Truck Stop to see the same loads posted and what they should be paying before the Landstar broker takes off 26% (in some cases 30 to 35%). Found a good factoring company that will carry high $ loads and good insurance that wrote me a "variable" load insurance policy. Had $$$s in the bank to cover rediculus permit costs so went for it.
Dead headed home from Az to Fl, which I would have done anyway, and peeled the signs off. First load back out of Fl. paid $9,287.27 extra than if I had pulled it for Landstar, who also had it listed, that more than paid the down payment on the insurance.
For some Landstar is good as after you are signed on they front all the money for permits fuel etc. but you are paying for it in the long run.

Oh, and Landstar is REAL Anal about their paperwork. Will shut your fuel card off for the least little thing, like manifest number not readable on a log you sent in three months ago, and will hold you up till it is corrected, which can take till the next day if it is after noon as all faxes go into one place and then are delivered to who they are sent to. Spent three days sitting, under a load paying pilots, one time as I sent in logs with nothing in the "Shipping documents" area. If they had looked the log before that it said Empty at XXXXXX, the one after that said Loaded XXXXX.