Search results

It seems important to you that Diane and I do worse at Landstar than we did when at FedEx Custom Critical. Is that correct?

Assuming that $0.71 per mile is in the ballpark of a breakeven rate for a van, the case for either decision could be made. A) Drive at breakeven over the weekend when freight prospects are poor to be positioned in a good freight area on Monday morning. B) Stay put and hope for a better paying...

I don't know how often that SAFER number is updated. The current number is a little over 250. I was not with Landstar years ago but have heard from old hands that a lot of trucks left when Qualcomm was put in and the recession took out a number of others. I met recently one of the drivers who...

True enquiring minds would already know by reading my daily blog. There was little to say about freight volume and rates with our truck this winter since we were home in Minnesota for Christmas and then at our Florida vacation house through the first week of March. The spring months were...

We have problems already. It appears we have already lost 1/3 of the staff to a watermellon venture, and Bruno, we're not going to sell many pizzas with you constantly talking online about how great all the other pizza places are. Best for now to live in a truck with my wife, I think.

Go for it, Bruno, but be careful too. Keep your Plan B at the ready as all wise expediters do. As well connected as you may be at Panther things may develop such that you will not be the first to know. Do you remember this post? The man at Panther knew full well that the company was for sale...

You said it yourself. Thirty percent is not bad when compared to 90 percent. I have never seen turnover statistics published that drill further down and distinguish between owner-operators (self-employed) and company drivers (employees). That information may be publicly available somewhere but...

Landstar posted on Twitter that driver turnover at truckload carriers is now at 90 percent (see this) and that Landstar's is under 30 percent. Landstar Express America's (Landstar's expedite component) turnover rate is about 10 percent. Not bad, 'eh?

Can a converter dolly be attached to a straight truck or cargo van? Puss 'n Pups! ;)

What did parts 2, 3 and 4 say?

The revenue number was more interesting to compare to the number from other years.

I'm looking through old files now because I am curious too. Found this from an August, 2010 Journal of Commerce article: "The $158 million non-asset-based transporter lost $43.3 million in 2009, according to documents filed with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission Aug. 6." Still...

News organizations are saying that Panther reported $215 million in revenue (and $24 million of adjusted EBITDA ) in 2011. At a purchase price of $180 million, Panther was sold for less than one-year's worth of revenue (84 percent) and there were multiple bidders, including XPO. No point to...

From this MarketWatch story: "The current Panther management team is expected to remain in place to manage and grow the business."

From this Reuters story: "Arkansas Best, XPO Logistics XPO.A and private equity firms Jordan Co and MidOcean Partners had made offers for Panther, sources told Reuters in May."

I guess I was unware of such requests since I am already clean-shaven and face-metal free.

Zooming out and looking at the bigger picture and a longer time frame, it is interesting to see that the two largest expedite carriers in the industry -- Panther and FedEx Custom Critical -- have come to be subsidiaries of large LTL carriers. Panther now reports to ABF. FedEx Custom Critical...

I don't doubt what you are saying but I am curious. What kind of customer requests a clean-shaven driver with no face metal, and how often is such a request made?

True, but how often does it happen that any customer of any kind actually requests a driver or team whose personal appearance is professional? How often does it happen that a shipper offers to pay extra because the driver looks good and less because the driver looks like a slob? Don't get me...

Yes, in most cases. Which is why some customers are asking for branded trucks from brand-name companies. They can be sealed and the seals will likely be respected. Diane and I were at a busy dock once where the owner of the high-value freight had flown in trying to find it. This was one of...