LRT, Landshark, or Errands 1st

wvcourier

Expert Expediter
Im looking to sign with a second carrier, and was wondering wich of the above companies would be best for solo cargo van..thanx

Sent from my Milestone X2 using EO Forums
 

idtrans

Expert Expediter
Im looking to sign with a second carrier, and was wondering wich of the above companies would be best for solo cargo van..thanx

Sent from my Milestone X2 using EO Forums

Better search the boards about the companies. I can confirm stay away from Landshark "bad checks and very slow pay", LRT " owner loves yelling at drivers many reports of him treating drivers very bad".

I know nothing about Errands 1st must be a new company getting into the huge world of expediting !!
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
I think I would just go and run "Errands". No point in chasing any of them for cheap loads or chasing the pay. Never heard of a company called Errands.
 

wvcourier

Expert Expediter
Errands 1st located in Maumee Ohio.Ive read good and bad about all of them. I see alot of animosity with alot of the startups..im just trying to figure out if its the Big expediting companies upset about losing business or if they are legitimate claims..are thier any current drivers.

Sent from my Milestone X2 using EO Forums
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
I would do some heavy research on all of them. Most are reliant on the big carriers for their freight.
 

wvcourier

Expert Expediter
Ok, can you, or someone else, pm some other companies who are taking solo cargo vans. Is business slow right now? Ive been waiting on first call since Friday morning? (Charleston WV)

Sent from my Milestone X2 using EO Forums
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
May want to move where the smaller companies can get freight. Like in where the larger companies are likely to run out of trucks.
 

idtrans

Expert Expediter
I have no clue on cv at moment I quit vannin after lrt screamed at me and landshark bounced $2000+ and said forget it went back to tt.
 

wvcourier

Expert Expediter
Did landshark keep you busy
why you were with them? did you get your money back? How long were you with them? was this recent? Sent from my Milestone X2 using EO Forums
 

wvcourier

Expert Expediter
Whats the typical freight for a cargo van...what will I be hauling mostly? Can you get by without plywood?

Sent from my Milestone X2 using EO Forums
 

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Typical freight is anything that fits in your van. Youll see a lot of auto freight. You need plywood, tie downs or etrack and you need straps and a tow strao or pallet hook.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using EO Forums
 

LisaLouHoo

Expert Expediter
Whats the typical freight for a cargo van...what will I be hauling mostly? Can you get by without plywood?

Sent from my Milestone X2 using EO Forums

You name it. You will have the potential to haul it. Egg McMuffin mix. Rolls-Royce jet engine parts. Hubcaps. Lumber for the military to build a prototype pallet (yes, a pallet of pallet lumber). Plastic beads for injection molding. Powdered flavoring for coffee creamer. Industrial stove rangehood. Fluid control valves. Spongebob Squarepants costume. Three spools of empty Lay's potato chip bags. Custom exhaust systems. Anything from 2 oz to 3,000 lbs. You never know. In expedite, it's whatever someone needed the day before.

Sent from my ADR6300 using EO Forums
 

BigCat

Expert Expediter
I have read alot on here about lrt not paying or sending tax forms because someone "stole their computers and office supplies".

I would also look to larger carriers because like someone said the smaller ones handle the freight the big ones dont have trucks/vans to cover.
 

idtrans

Expert Expediter
landshark at times moved the van good but the slow pay wasn't good. yes I finally got my money.
 

Rocketman

Veteran Expediter
Wow....somebody that doesnt even know what he will be hauling and hasnt even done enough research to find a thread as recent as the Landshark thread ...... and he figures we're just upset about losing business...lol

If I were you, I would lease to all 3 of them....nothing like just finding out on your own. Then, you can come back and tell us all about your bad self and how you "got er done"!
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Yep these type of carriers get the overflow from the big carriers and the crappy loads nobody will run....and if it is slow..there is no overflow...and they have a hard time on load boards because a carrier with a 4 or 5 star rating will get it first....and the kicker...the lower the rating the lower the price..so you'll be lucky to see anything more then.90 all in...and that 150 mile DH it'll be on you....better go with 3 carriers just so you can make what we do....
 

chefdennis

Veteran Expediter
Wow....somebody that doesnt even know what he will be hauling and hasnt even done enough research to find a thread as recent as the Landshark thread ...... and he figures we're just upset about losing business...lol

If I were you, I would lease to all 3 of them....nothing like just finding out on your own. Then, you can come back and tell us all about your bad self and how you "got er done"!


LOL, i was goin to post almost that same stuff...lol has no idea how to equip the van..has no idea what he might be carrying..has no idea where he should be and then ask which carriers to sign wth....but figures that "we" are upset because the "little guys" are taking the business...

Yeap, you might want to sign with all 3, then you will have 4 and have us all covered!! Oh and when you make your 1st $100 grand in a Cargo Van running for all those carriers, let us know...in the mean time, most of us will continue to run for just 1 good professional carrier and enjoy life and the business....
 

blizzard2014

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Preacherrich run for quite a few different carriers and for my company and he does better than I ever did out there. You can make money with the multiple carrier deal - but you have to be really organized to do so. My cargo van is on with 3 companies and is doing about 5k miles a month. I have had to load it twice myself through my own company - but the other companies are also coming through for my driver. Right now as it stands, i'm done with cargo vans as far as owning them. Once my driver quite or my van takes a crap i'm going to be done with owning anything that small. It's a really tough gig to get into right now.

I own the company and I'm struggling to get a dollar a mile on cargo van loads. It was really good in 2009, but right now it's bad. I'm gearing myself more towards straight trucks because the rates for those types of loads are still pretty high. Just be prepared to break even for a while in the van, and if you have a payment, you better plan to be on the road 24/7. Good luck. If you need to add another company please send me a message and we can talk some more and I can give you some really good advice on which direction to take in this business!
 

LisaLouHoo

Expert Expediter
Not to sound mean, but really: research the forum for every aspect. What it actually costs to operate. How to equip the van, and not just e-track, tie down straps and flooring, but insulation, bedding, clothing, inverter, auxiliary batteries (not necessary but highly recommended), generator. As we hang now in Phoenix wearing shorts and t's, where it is sunny and 83 degrees at 11 am, I look to the back of the van and see our spring and winter coats on hangers. We never know, we could be in the UP of Michigan in 3 days. Pack light but pack for all climates. We carry 2 large gym bags each. In those we manage to pack 2 weeks worth of underclothes, warm and cold weather gear, toiletries, medications, first aid. A few things on hangers, coats and jackets, that can hang from the interior side rails of the cargo hold.

Remember, when you pack, you must allow for freight, because that is what you will be out there for. A couple of loads, all of our personal stuff was piled between the seats and on the passenger floorboard. It just had to be.

It helps if nothing you carry is wider than your wheel wells. Rarely does a skid have to be broken down to accomodate all freight, but it happens now and again, especially in a standard cargo van. If you are going solo, you may want to remove your passenger seat to allow yourself more room for your personal belongings.

More questions will crop up as you go along. Everyone here was a newbie once. No one was born knowing how this business works. Good luck getting started...it will not be easy, never be 100% smooth, it will at times be the lesser of other evils.


Sent from my ADR6300 using EO Forums
 

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I dont see the point of dealing with multiple companies for 1200 miles a week. I drive a Sprinter and know it's tuff for regular cargo vans maybe that's pretty decent miles.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using EO Forums
 
Top