[sweetbillebob]

My wife and I drive for Fedex CC, W/G, TVAL. We are are considering buying a Truck leased to Landstar. I want to understand the differences between the two companies. Primarily pay expectations. We have averaged $1.91/Mile since January. And our monthly gross average to the truck is $17,800. We are thinking about making the move simply because we are not getting enough miles hence not grossing enough. What should we expect if we move to Landstar with a similarly equipped truck, (W/G, TVAL).

[geo]

i don't know but one thing you can do with landstar is going to other landstar company and getting freight and going on line and picking and chosing what you want, and have 2 or 3 loads at the same time

they are a lot different than fedexcc they have agents around the country and you have to learn there system
same way you learn fedexcc system

i think you will be able to do better
i know alot of fedexcc people who move over to there and like it alot
so good luck

[spudhead911]

I talked to a Landstar recrutier at MATS. I have a T-Val unit on with FECC also, anyway, the recrutier said I would be batter off staying with FECC. He told me that I would average right around $1.75 per mile. If I had a non T-Val truck it might be worth it to make the move.

[greg334]

I am not going to BS you;

Landstar has a lot of good things, but in your present situation it would be a hard transition and it may not be what you want.

First off there are few reefer trucks in the express fleet (shhh… state secret). I am one of them, I am under utilized to a point because there are a few agents who deal with reefer freight on a smaller scale. I understand the deal but my advertising ablilty is limited and I have not kept up on changes made with the agents and the integration. Oh and one thing, I found a niche at LEAM - won't say what it is but I think it will help me a lot.

Second the WG coddling does not happen with LEAM, you are dealing with agents who want to make money not play games and a company who seems to be a lot more professional. If I have a complaint, it seems to be handled well than any of my complaints at FedEx.

Third if you are comfortable with the program at FedEx, stay. There was/is a culture shock with Landstar. Many don’t see it while others sure do; I for one am still struggling with the employee mentality that was instilled with FedEx.

Fourth if you are making anything over $10k a month, stay right where you are. It seems that you may be doing well where you are and making a move may dump you into a bad situation.

Fifth just an FYI, favoritism is abundant at LEAM, it is not hidden like FedEx. Unlike FedEx, there are agents who have specific people that they like to deal with and that’s it.

By the way I was with FedEx about 2 years.

[Jefferson3000]

Greg,

I would have to agree with you on this: As a small carrier, my favorite of the "big boys" I have dealt with thus far has been Landstar. Very professional.

[wallytrucker1]

Teams and solo drivers at leam are two different animals. Teams have the advantage of
A&E loads , solo don't. The big difference here at leam is being able to choose to take a load offer or not with no repercussions. They offer and you say yeah or nay. The agents are independant contractors just like the drivers, not a company paid dispatcher who can make your life miserable. There are no on-time % or in-service % or all these other deals meant to compare or punish. Like Greg said, there are some niches here that reward well. I don't know about the favoritism; if I do a good job for an agent and he has a load avail. near me I'm sure he would call me versus someone he hasn't dealt with. There are numerous ex-fed teams here, they would be your best leads for comparisons. Jessica who runs the orientation class at Rockford could probaly get you in touch with them. Your $$$ sounds ok for a team, but it's not always just the money. Good luck.. P.S, Leam solo 3 years now.

[arkjarhead]

I'm gonna be the one to ask the dumb question. Are you in a DR or ER unit? Because if you are running an ER unit you would have plenty of available freight because you could pull loads for the non expedite divisions. I have never been with Landstar so I'm just telling you what I heard. That information could be false.

[iceroadtrucker]

Here is your answer:

1. Landstar Inspection on the truck and trailer is a killer and has to be done every quarter. Bear in mind this a Truck that may pass the an inspction like at Bolt Panther Just might not pass the Landstar inspection REQ..
Point I have a friend that was with Land Star and each time he did there inspection they failed the truck. But took it for a Dot using Another Company form well it then passed. So then he pulled out the Land Star Form and said can you pass now. They look at it and said they will check and guess what it failed by the land star inspection. That the truth.
SO Id say 1st off Your truck best bout be in tip top shape for Land star. Thats the truth.

2ndly. Land star as U know and was stated does have a good ole boy club. Yes they do. Them boys do all the High end moves for the GOVT. Viably ones all the other expedite companies out here cant do. And are not qualified to do Now that goes hand in hand with there drastic DOT inspection they require on there trucks Quarterly.
and no sir their inspection isnt the same as the rest either.
and The Goodole boy club they have is the big reason. But then again GOVT Contracts have a lot to do with things.

Now as far as LandStar yup you got a load board off the internet and Yup You can put 2 or 3 loads on at a time unlike the other companies. The money may not be as high as with the other expedite companies but one thing if you got a team as the man before said you can pop vice sit.
Now far as a reefer let me tell you a secret that the million dollar plan man didnt tell you. IF you got a reefer and its TVAL and its less than 7 years old U might have a chance at joining the Good Ole boy Club. But catch 22 if your a fleet owner dont expect your trucks to be part of it unless U the ower are in that truck not to mention the back ground checks you got to pass and such ect. Like I said must be an OOP driven with a Co driver not two hired drivers.

By the way I knew about the goodole boys before I ever left the service. Now thats food for thought.

By the way U realy cant compare the two companies.

Each does their own thing.

Landstar there has its divisions and FedEX has its own as well Just like Panther and the rest.

One thing I will say LandStar Goodole boy club is all run by ower ops in the trucks. In other words they own the truck and have a Co Driver as its a Req for Certain Contracts.

Whos the best it depends on which side of the fence your on.

If your going to Quit the FedEX realy think about it. Just becasue I have a realy good offer to go some where else well let me put it this way. If the Good ole boys arnt calling ya then stay where your at.

Have a nice day.

By the way FedEX is an outstanding company to work for if you own the Truck, and for goodness sake dont lease the truck from some ower operator as if U do it will show it as on his fleet and under his control if the truck isnt in your or your companys name. So Just cover your rear.

Again FedEX is a Good Company I wouldnt Jump. All U got to do is change the circumstances to suite Yourself.

Have a nice day.

[greg334]

Wally,
The favoritism is this;
When you get to know a couple agents and do really good work for them, they will look for loads for you. I have one agent who calls me with every load that will fit on my truck regardless where I am at,sometimes it works out great..... sometimes not. This agent says that they can't 'see' where I am because they are a ranger agent but even then they will call me first.

OH and I'm sorry I forgot about the stats thing. Opps, and it is a big contention for me too.

[iceroadtrucker]

Originally Posted by greg334

Wally,
The favoritism is this;
When you get to know a couple agents and do really good work for them, they will look for loads for you. I have one agent who calls me with every load that will fit on my truck regardless where I am at,sometimes it works out great..... sometimes not. This agent says that they can't 'see' where I am because they are a ranger agent but even then they will call me first.

OH and I'm sorry I forgot about the stats thing. Opps, and it is a big contention for me too.

Greg stop please dont make this an issue,
Here is your answer:

1. Landstar Inspection on the truck and trailer is a killer and has to be done every quarter. Bear in mind this a Truck that may pass the an inspction like at Bolt Panther Just might not pass the Landstar inspection REQ..
Point I have a friend that was with Land Star and each time he did there inspection they failed the truck. But took it for a Dot using Another Company form well it then passed. So then he pulled out the Land Star Form and said can you pass now. They look at it and said they will check and guess what it failed by the land star inspection. That the truth.
SO Id say 1st off Your truck best bout be in tip top shape for Land star. Thats the truth.

2ndly. Land star as U know and was stated does have a good ole boy club. Yes they do. Them boys do all the High end moves for the GOVT. Viably ones all the other expedite companies out here cant do. And are not qualified to do Now that goes hand in hand with there drastic DOT inspection they require on there trucks Quarterly.
and no sir their inspection isnt the same as the rest either.
and The Goodole boy club they have is the big reason. But then again GOVT Contracts have a lot to do with things.

Now as far as LandStar yup you got a load board off the internet and Yup You can put 2 or 3 loads on at a time unlike the other companies. The money may not be as high as with the other expedite companies but one thing if you got a team as the man before said you can pop vice sit.
Now far as a reefer let me tell you a secret IF you got a reefer and its TVAL and its less than 7 years old U might have a chance at joining the Good Ole boy Club. But catch 22 if your a fleet owner dont expect your trucks to be part of it unless U the ower are in that truck not to mention the back ground checks you got to pass and such ect. Like I said must be an OOP driven with a Co driver not two hired drivers.

By the way I knew about the goodole boys before I ever left the service. Now thats food for thought.

By the way U realy cant compare the two companies.

Each does their own thing.

Landstar there has its divisions and FedEX has its own as well Just like Panther and the rest.

One thing I will say LandStar Goodole boy club is all run by ower ops in the trucks. In other words they own the truck and have a Co Driver as its a Req for Certain Contracts.

Whos the best it depends on which side of the fence your on.

If your going to Quit the FedEX realy think about it. Just becasue I have a realy good offer to go some where else well let me put it this way. If the Good ole boys arnt calling ya then stay where your at.

Have a nice day.

By the way FedEX is an outstanding company to work for if you own the Truck, and for goodness sake dont lease the truck from some ower operator as if U do it will show it as on his fleet and under his control if the truck isnt in your or your companys name. So Just cover your rear.

Again FedEX is a Good Company I wouldnt Jump. All U got to do is change the circumstances to suite Yourself.

Have a nice day.
__________________

[davekc]

If your doing $1.91 for all miles, I would stay were you are at. If that is just for the loaded miles, I would be looking elsewhere.

[greg334]

Originally Posted by iceroadtrucker

1. Landstar Inspection on the truck and trailer is a killer and has to be done every quarter. Bear in mind this a Truck that may pass the an inspction like at Bolt Panther Just might not pass the Landstar inspection REQ..
Point I have a friend that was with Land Star and each time he did there inspection they failed the truck. But took it for a Dot using Another Company form well it then passed. So then he pulled out the Land Star Form and said can you pass now. They look at it and said they will check and guess what it failed by the land star inspection. That the truth.
SO Id say 1st off Your truck best bout be in tip top shape for Land star. Thats the truth.

Well that is true, every quarter. They pay for them, so whats the big whoop?

I found that the inspection levels that Landstar have seem to be a bit better than FedEx. I won’t get into the what I think the issues are with some, I experienced my first OOS violation due to a problem with an inspector but on the other hand I have had an inspector tell me that my backup lights were not working with the key off – you figure that out. I do keep my truck in great shape, it is a class 7 so I have to be vigilant in making sure it passes every time.

Originally Posted by iceroadtrucker

2ndly. Land star as U know and was stated does have a good ole boy club. Yes they do. Them boys do all the High end moves for the GOVT. Viably ones all the other expedite companies out here cant do. And are not qualified to do Now that goes hand in hand with there drastic DOT inspection they require on there trucks Quarterly.
and no sir their inspection isnt the same as the rest either.
and The Goodole boy club they have is the big reason. But then again GOVT Contracts have a lot to do with things.

Yea, it is all on the surface, no hidden agendas, no BS, no playing games – if an agent does not like you, you won’t get a call from them.

This is not about popularity, it is not who has the flashy truck, who likes you, who you BSed into getting to that position without experience or how you look in a uniform, it is about making money.

It is far better to know the rules up front than to find out what goes on in the background that limits you.

The difference to me is that I don’t have to deal with five dispatchers, a lack of caring between all of them or being dispatched around to help someone out. I work with professionals who understand when I say that I can’t do this because of my hours, they don’t sit there and tell me “we promised the customer we would get it there now” or have to deal with someone on the other end offering me a load for $1.03 a mile and complaining that the company won’t make any money if I don’t take the load offer. Should I go on?

Yes nothing hidden, no problem.

Originally Posted by iceroadtrucker

Now as far as LandStar yup you got a load board off the internet and Yup You can put 2 or 3 loads on at a time unlike the other companies. The money may not be as high as with the other expedite companies but one thing if you got a team as the man before said you can pop vice sit.

No I can’t get a load off the internet, I can get loads off the internal Landstar board. I can also put 2 or 3 loads on my truck and have done that already, making good money. I am learning but here is the catch to Landstar – opportunity. I didn’t get that with FedEx, I got “you can’t” more often than not, other times it was a change of subject.

Originally Posted by iceroadtrucker

Now far as a reefer let me tell you a secret IF you got a reefer and its TVAL and its less than 7 years old U might have a chance at joining the Good Ole boy Club. But catch 22 if your a fleet owner dont expect your trucks to be part of it unless U the ower are in that truck not to mention the back ground checks you got to pass and such ect. Like I said must be an OOP driven with a Co driver not two hired drivers.

What?

You got the corner on reefer knowledge?

Afraid not.

Do you know what T-Val is all about and why FedEx uses it?

Come on give me some specifics ……

7 Years?

The age of the unit does not matter, what matters is the age of the box. One thing I am glad about with Landstar is I am not worried about my trucks age as I was with FedEx. The latter wanted newer trucks for image, not load hauling.

The real secret is learning where to make money, not sitting in an express center and waiting. I used to do that, I am sitting today and will tomorrow but it is not because of lack of freight.

Originally Posted by iceroadtrucker

By the way I knew about the goodole boys before I ever left the service. Now thats food for thought.

By the way U realy cant compare the two companies.

Each does their own thing.

Landstar there has its divisions and FedEX has its own as well Just like Panther and the rest.

One thing I will say LandStar Goodole boy club is all run by ower ops in the trucks. In other words they own the truck and have a Co Driver as its a Req for Certain Contracts.

Whos the best it depends on which side of the fence your on.

Well there is some truth to that, but you can compare the two companies like you can compare Panther and FedEx. You are right each does its own thing and each is part of a larger company but there is some common ground.

[iceroadtrucker]

Originally Posted by davekc

If your doing $1.91 for all miles, I would stay were you are at. If that is just for the loaded miles, I would be looking elsewhere.

Well 1.91 all miles only if no tolls but Ill agree but to me thats cheap freight.

Just remember Raising the FS but to only lower the Price of the Freight dont put the food on the table so to speak.

[greg334]

Originally Posted by iceroadtrucker

Well 1.91 all miles only if no tolls but Ill agree but to me thats cheap freight.

Just remember Raising the FS but to only lower the Price of the Freight dont put the food on the table so to speak.

Well IRT,
Some have been saying that revenue is up with FedEx for the past five years, I assume that that means that taking the FSC out of the picture to see the rates have increased. Is this true, rates increasing?

[iceroadtrucker]

What?

You got the corner on reefer knowledge?

Afraid not.

Do you know what T-Val is all about and why FedEx uses it?

Come on give me some specifics ……

7 Years?

The age of the unit does not matter, what matters is the age of the box. One thing I am glad about with Landstar is I am not worried about my trucks age as I was with FedEx. The latter wanted newer trucks for image, not load hauling.



Greg I can see through you just like radiation and U sure arent wearing your Lead Jacket are u If you dont take the hint then U truely dont know and have a clue as u try so hard to lead everyone to believe u do.

Opertion green Glow Greg are U part of it???
Hey it deals with the Good Ole Boys at land star.
Oops guess not. So sorry.



Have a nice Day