Landstar Sprinter Question

[FlyingVan]

I decided to put this thread here because I want to get some input from the other people that cannot post in the Landstar forum.

One of my friends that drive a Sprinter for Landstar got a nice Christmas gift from them. He got a call that his Class C commercial license is not adequate and he needs to upgrade to a Class B to continue to drive his Sprinter for Landstar. Then a few days later he got a letter in the mail that he has 90 days to upgrade or he is gone. He has been driving with his current license there for years.

My question is: Has any other Landstar Sprinter driver got a similar call, or what happened to my friend is just a fluke? He tried to talk to the big guy there but no luck yet.

I know a carrier can make any rules they want, but this makes no sense at all to me? The state issued him a CDL with hazmat endorsement appropriate for his Sprinter. So why would he need a class B CDL to drive his 8550 lbs Sprinter? What do you all think?

 

[Living the dream]

I would say its a fluke. I have 2 transit t350 lease to them for 2yrs. Both drivers have C license an hazmat. Thats what they require. An if they are changing van drivers to b class lic. They will loose all van drivers. You can all ways get a hold of driver relation too. So I say it's a fluke.

 

[Mailer]

• For tractor-trailer, Class A CDL with HazMat (H) or combination (X) endorsement. For expedited, Class A or B CDL with HazMat (H) or combination (X) endorsement.

According to their website.

May be changes are coming.

 

[Treadmill]

I worked for LEA from 2002 to 2010. As far a I know the requirement was at least a Class B with an Hazmat endorsement when I was with them. I still have many friends that drive for them and they all have a class b or higher. Sounds like to me somebody in compliance is not doing their job correctly if they are letting a class c license sign on.

 

[Treadmill]

• For tractor-trailer, Class A CDL with HazMat (H) or combination (X) endorsement. For expedited, Class A or B CDL with HazMat (H) or combination (X) endorsement.

According to their website.

May be changes are coming.

It's always been that way.

 

[Treadmill]

I decided to put this thread here because I want to get some input from the other people that cannot post in the Landstar forum.

One of my friends that drive a Sprinter for Landstar got a nice Christmas gift from them. He got a call that his Class C commercial license is not adequate and he needs to upgrade to a Class B to continue to drive his Sprinter for Landstar. Then a few days later he got a letter in the mail that he has 90 days to upgrade or he is gone. He has been driving with his current license there for years.

My question is: Has any other Landstar Sprinter driver got a similar call, or what happened to my friend is just a fluke? He tried to talk to the big guy there but no luck yet.

I know a carrier can make any rules they want, but this makes no sense at all to me? The state issued him a CDL with hazmat endorsement appropriate for his Sprinter. So why would he need a class B CDL to drive his 8550 lbs Sprinter? What do you all think?

I'm surprised they let a class c license sign on. Always been class b or higher.

 

[Treadmill]

I would say its a fluke. I have 2 transit t350 lease to them for 2yrs. Both drivers have C license an hazmat. Thats what they require. An if they are changing van drivers to b class lic. They will loose all van drivers. You can all ways get a hold of driver relation too. So I say it's a fluke.

It's a fluke because they let class c license on when they have ALWAYS have been at a class b or higher.

 

[FlyingVan]

I decided to put this thread here because I want to get some input from the other people that cannot post in the Landstar forum.

One of my friends that drive a Sprinter for Landstar got a nice Christmas gift from them. He got a call that his Class C commercial license is not adequate and he needs to upgrade to a Class B to continue to drive his Sprinter for Landstar. Then a few days later he got a letter in the mail that he has 90 days to upgrade or he is gone. He has been driving with his current license there for years.

My question is: Has any other Landstar Sprinter driver got a similar call, or what happened to my friend is just a fluke? He tried to talk to the big guy there but no luck yet.

I know a carrier can make any rules they want, but this makes no sense at all to me? The state issued him a CDL with hazmat endorsement appropriate for his Sprinter. So why would he need a class B CDL to drive his 8550 lbs Sprinter? What do you all think?

I'm surprised they let a class c license sign on. Always been class b or higher.

I'm not surprised that thy did allow it at all. Allowing the right class CDL for a specific vehicle make sense to me. Requiring a class B CDL for a Sprinter makes just as much sense as requiring a class A CDL for a straight truck.

 

[Mailer]

Any requirements can be changed with the interim letter insert.

Ya, rules can be broken. Lol....

 

[Turtle]

The problem in requiring a Class B for a Class C vehicle, other than the obvious, is that you have to obtain a Class B vehicle for the road test, which seems a tab bit above and beyond the reasonable.

 

[Treadmill]

The problem in requiring a Class B for a Class C vehicle, other than the obvious, is that you have to obtain a Class B vehicle for the road test, which seems a tab bit above and beyond the reasonable.

One must remember Landstar is always one step ahead of DOT. That's way it always was when I was there.

 

[Turtle]

The problem in requiring a Class B for a Class C vehicle, other than the obvious, is that you have to obtain a Class B vehicle for the road test, which seems a tab bit above and beyond the reasonable.

One must remember Landstar is always one step ahead of DOT. That's way it always was when I was there.

The only changes in licensing that the DOT is even considering is requiring all vehicles between 10,001 and 26,000 pounds, that travel in interstate commerce, to have a CDL (instead of just a medical card).

 

[Treadmill]

The problem in requiring a Class B for a Class C vehicle, other than the obvious, is that you have to obtain a Class B vehicle for the road test, which seems a tab bit above and beyond the reasonable.

One must remember Landstar is always one step ahead of DOT. That's way it always was when I was there.

The only changes in licensing that the DOT is even considering is requiring all vehicles between 10,001 and 26,000 pounds, that travel in interstate commerce, to have a CDL (instead of just a medical card).

 

[Treadmill]

The problem in requiring a Class B for a Class C vehicle, other than the obvious, is that you have to obtain a Class B vehicle for the road test, which seems a tab bit above and beyond the reasonable.

One must remember Landstar is always one step ahead of DOT. That's way it always was when I was there.

The only changes in licensing that the DOT is even considering is requiring all vehicles between 10,001 and 26,000 pounds, that travel in interstate commerce, to have a CDL (instead of just a medical card).

Just as you understand how Panther operates, I understand how Landstar works. In order to driver a sprinter and as a matter of fact a cargo van, one must have a CDL B w/Hazmat endorsement. That was what they required because Landstar wants to
be #1 in Saftey. They want to set the standard for the industry.

 

[Turtle]

I'm not questioning your knowledge on this at all, and I do not pretend to know the ins and outs of how Landstar works. It's just that I know several Sprinter drivers (and one cargo van driver) who are with them, and have been for years, and they all have Class C CDLs. For all I know, exceptions could have been made for every one of them, for whatever reason. The only direct experience I have with them is I filled out an application, and a year later they sent me a letter and then a recruiter followed up with a phone call to recruit me, and I remember talking about the Class C with HAZMAT and it being exactly what they wanted. But, that was more than 10 years ago, so I don't think it's all that relevant.

I'm just having a difficult time in understanding, even in the context of wanting to set the gold standard, the reasoning behind requiring someone to obtain a license for a vehicle they do not own and will never drive. Unless, of course, the goal is to as quickly as possible eliminate cargo vans from the fleet. That'll do it.

 

[davekc]

I'm not questioning your knowledge on this at all, and I do not pretend to know the ins and outs of how Landstar works. It's just that I know several Sprinter drivers (and one cargo van driver) who are with them, and have been for years, and they all have Class C CDLs. For all I know, exceptions could have been made for every one of them, for whatever reason. The only direct experience I have with them is I filled out an application, and a year later they sent me a letter and then a recruiter followed up with a phone call to recruit me, and I remember talking about the Class C with HAZMAT and it being exactly what they wanted. But, that was more than 10 years ago, so I don't think it's all that relevant.

I'm just having a difficult time in understanding, even in the context of wanting to set the gold standard, the reasoning behind requiring someone to obtain a license for a vehicle they do not own and will never drive. Unless, of course, the goal is to as quickly as possible eliminate cargo vans from the fleet. That'll do it.

Insurance and your last sentence would look to be the focus if that is indeed their request.

 

[ntimevan]

Just as you understand how Panther operates, I understand how Landstar works. In order to driver a sprinter and as a matter of fact a cargo van, one must have a CDL B w/Hazmat endorsement. That was what they required because Landstar wants to
be #1 in Saftey. They want to set the standard for the industry.

Around 8 years ago i was told Class B cdl by a Landstar recruiter ... but i didn't like the Hazmat requirement ... i had both from driving my Str-8 truck ... but i don't care for Hazmat myself ... also an Ex-Bolt friend tried 2 years ago with Landstar and was told Class B plus Hazmat ... he instead applied with RRE and was leased on .... ..

Sent from my SM-G900M using EO Forums mobile app

 

[danthewolf00]

They flop back and forth at landstar office in rockford,ill but the main office in jacksonville,fl always tells you class b. Even most of the staff I hear have to have have a class b to understand what the driver has to go thru.

 

[Treadmill]

They flop back and forth at landstar office in rockford,ill but the main office in jacksonville,fl always tells you class b. Even most of the staff I hear have to have have a class b to understand what the driver has to go thru.

Everything thing is done in Jacksonville. Rockford is where orientation is done at for LEA. They also have a qualification office in Rockford. Also the offices for Inway are in Rockford.

 

[scottm4211]

I see very few Landstar Sprinters/vans these days. Do agents not concentrate on keeping them moving?