While I was landstar I used to take Cummins engine out to Portland regulary to Swan island. I would pick them up in Columbus, IN. I used to get load to California, Texas quite a bit.
I have heard tell (based on 1999 information) that Landstars offices used to get one or two loads a week out of Portland. I do not know how they are doing there now. There is some freight coming out of the west just not a lot of it. I would say 50% of the time in the west I would deadhead out.
I have heard a Roberts Express salesman say once that only 20% of the expediting market had been tapped. Companies for some reason don't seem to want to put effort into solicitating freight west of the Mississippi. I have always assumed that the reason was that they viewed the auto industry as "the golden calf". It would seem to me it would be everyones benefit to go out and canvas the entire western region.
I once picked up a load in Phoenix, Az. The load was called into Roberts by a company back east. The lady in charge of shipping and receiving had never seen a truck like mine and asked what it was used for. When I explained what expediting does she was estatic. She said "We have emergency load come out of here all the time and can't get them delivered on time." and begged for the company's telephone number. I feel many of the large cities in the west have factories just like the one in Phoenix. Screwups and deadlines aren't just an eastern thing.
Stay safe.