Non-forced dispatch at Landstar is very real. It’s simple – there is no forced dispatch of any kind!

With Landstar, we have ‘agents’. Each agent has their own customers, so on any given day there might be 80 different agents with 100 different loads going different ways – so, where do you want to go? How heavy a load do you want? Do you want to run hard this time, or easy? It’s really simple, want a day off? Turn off your phone and take the day off. Whatever you decide, it’s your choice!

As an owner operator you can make relationships with an agency, assuming they have the freight you like, at rates you like, otherwise don’t call them – and deal with someone else – the beauty of Landstar.

Thinking about becoming an owner operator or have questions about how non-forced dispatch works at Landstar? Chat with us online or give us a call 330-484-6013. Also check out our frequently asked questions about Landstar.

The post Lots of Trucking Companies Claim Non-Forced Dispatch. appeared first on Landstar Agent.

(EOBR) What's This?EOBRs connect directly to a vehicle’s engine control module and store data, as well as transmit it wirelessly to the motor carrier (not the DOT). There, analytics reports can help drivers and fleets manage performance more effectively to cut fuel costs, ensure timely vehicle maintenance, identify drivers for additional training before accidents occur and help provide real-time data to shippers for better customer service.

Due to a law passed by the U.S. Congress this summer, EOBR technology is now mandated for all drivers in the United States. Landstar is currently switching over to the electronic log system, with all costs of the unit paid for by Landstar.

Many people believe that the EOBR will lead to major losses of business for owner/operators within mere months. People who subscribe to this thought generally believe this is due to the cost of a traditional on-board computer being simply too expensive. However, this is a misconception – looking at the data, this technology might actually benefit drivers rather than drive them out of business.

Recent data suggests that independent drivers stand to gain more revenue by putting $35 every month into an investment in an EOBR. Since mobile technology is becoming more widespread and flexible, more affordable EOBR options are becoming available for independent drivers.

Additionally, EOBR technology can provide owner-operators with benefits such as:

• More time. Documenting Hours of Service (HOS) with an EOBR device gives you an additional 15 to 20 minutes per day. While this might not initially seem like much, these minutes definitely add up over time.
• Less chance of losing your hours. If you have ever misplaced your hours log sheet or book, you understand the frustration that this can provide. You can totally avoid this possibility with EOBR technology.
• Accuracy. Your EOBR device provides you with pinpoint accuracy in your hours. You will not lose track of how much time you spend at stops or for loading and unloading delays.

If you have further questions about EOBR technology and the impact it can have on your business as an owner-operator, feel free to contact us for more information. We help you stay on top of current legislation, perspectives on the EOBR rule and how trucking regulatory compliance will change the way you run your business.

The post Electric On-Board Recorders: Costs & Benefits to Owner-Operators appeared first on Landstar Agent.

First, a little about myself. My name is Peter Crockett and I am a retired Truck Driver. I started driving truck in 1987 as a company driver pulling a flatbed out of Oregon (before the spotted owl BS). I ran the five western states getting paid 0.18 per speedo mile – no benefits, no stop pay, nothing else.

When I decided to switch to pulling a VAN, I also decided to go 48 states, and I came to realize that I hated forced dispatch! So after much tire kicking I decided to go to Landstar (back then, it was Gemini – a company bought by Landstar). A bit later I moved to the sister company Ranger, and there I stayed (with a few name changes – Ranger Landstar, Landstar Ranger, and now just Landstar) until I got off the road.

In 2001 I got off the road and came to work for this Independent Agency of Landstar (DUV)

So, to sum it up, I’ve been in Trucking since 1987, and while I got off the road in 2001, I’ve been on the Agency / dispatch side ever since.

DUV/RKY Landstar Recruiting Agency

When I compare being an Owner Operator to being a Company driver, please be aware I am talking in general! These are my opinions, based on my years on the road. What worked for me, may not work for you – and there will always be exceptions to any statement.

The majority of Owner Operators own their own truck. Some have a small fleet of trucks. Some Owner Operators have their own authority, while others lease their equipment to a company such as Landstar. I worked for a small fleet Owner that leased his equipment to Landstar, in turn I ‘leased’ my truck from the fleet Owner. So while I did answer to the fleet owner, it was more of a partnership basis than an employee / employer relationship.
Forced Dispatch

The vast majority of company truck drivers have to live with forced dispatch! That is where the driver is told where to go, when to get there, and gets no vote whatsoever in the decision on whether or not a load is what he wants to take!

EXAMPLE: Back in the day, sometimes I felt like running hard, but other times I wanted to slow down and take it easy (perhaps sick, perhaps lazy). The basic problem with force dispatch is the dispatcher does not take into account how the driver is feeling, what kind of loads the drivers like, where the driver likes to go, when or if the driver wants some home time, etc… What if the driver’s spouse has issues at home and the driver needs some home time? With a forced dispatch system, if the load doesn’t take him home, he doesn’t go home…PERIOD!

EXAMPLE: I remember a number of years ago, going down the road on my way to Newark, NJ late in the month of December, listening to the chatter on the CB. A bunch of us were all running the same direction and talking about the upcoming holidays. I’m bragging about planning to be home by the 15th (after dropping the load I was under, was planning to deadhead home), and some guys were whining about how lucky I was, and who did I have to pay off to make this happen?

After explaining how Landstar is a complete NON Forced Dispatch System, and why I loved it so much, this guy driving for one of the of the big companies (won’t say the name – but they got blue trucks and trailers) talked about how he has a wife and two little kids, how he lives in eastern PA, and how last year right before Christmas he was on a load to Jersey, how the load took him past the house (less than 100 miles out of route) but because the load HAD to be delivered on the 26th, he was unable to be with his family at Christmas! And no, he never did get home til the end of January! And companies wonder why drivers quit??!

Now, the above is a rather extreme example, but a true one. Some companies have modified their dispatch system to one degree or another, but when crunch time comes, the customer will ALWAYS come before the driver!

As an Owner Operator, there is no forced dispatch! You, your spouse, and your bank decide how and when you run. You (the owner) get to decide if you can afford to slow down, or to go home, or take a holiday off. Or not to! Since it is your choice, even if you may not like the choice you had to make, you can live with it more comfortably than if some dispatcher TOLD you that you had to do it.

This is where some of you that aren’t in the trucking industry won’t understand! You think, “we all have jobs, we all have bosses who tell us what to do, so what’s the big deal?”. The difference is this, when it’s 5 o’clock you get to go home! Drivers are tied to their truck! If a driver “gets done with his work early” (by getting to the consignee the night before), he can’t go home, he’s stuck in his truck, in some parking lot, with no bathroom, or food – unless he planned ahead and brought it with him. So ya, he’s done for the day, and he can relax – but no beer – he’s in a commercial vehicle! He’s off-duty for the night, but no shower, or any of the other things the rest of us take for granted…

This is why forced dispatch – or the lack of it is a really big deal to most drivers! To me, it was a deal-breaker! I tried a big company for all of about six weeks – couldn’t hack it either! I was born and raised in Oregon, part of the Great Northwest! What did the company do when I got hired? Kept me east of the Mississippi the whole time! I was totally lost – too many people, too many rude 4 wheelers, was completely out of my comfort zone, and I wanted to go west, but no, they wouldn’t send me that way… they simply DID NOT CARE WHAT I FELT OR WANTED!

Some companies are now offering guaranteed home time – earn one day off for each week out, etc… or, they offer to have you drive in a region of the country of the drivers choosing, or, minimum length of haul, and so on… These all help, and can make life on the road more bearable, but when it’s all said and done, some drivers will say yes to forced dispatch, and some will say no – and most that say no either get off the road, or become an Owner Operator.
It’s all about the money

Drivers are on the road for reasons beyond counting. Most will say it’s all about the money, that it is just a job, and so on… Some got into trucking cause it’s what their family has always done, some because they got too stressed out in their corporate career paths (guess how many attorneys become truck drivers?), some because of wanderlust, some because they got laid-off from the factory.

My point here is to most it’s NOT just about the money! We all need to make a living, we all have to pay bills. But to most of us, it’s more about how we’re doing it, do we enjoy most of our days? Do we feel satisfied with what we did today? Are we looking forward to the scenery we’ll see today, or hoping for a great sunset tonight, or watching God’s light-show during a storm?

EXAMPLE: When I was on the road, I was making money, I was doing a job that many could not do (pride in job), I sometimes helped others in times of need (road rescue), I sometimes made someone’s day a bit brighter, a few times I saved a life (or helped save a life), but one thing, I was never bored! Now, I’m off the road for good, and am still in trucking, but in an office, doing basically the same thing day in and day out – still making money, but life feels a bit dimmer (to me) now, and I miss the life on the road at times.

At the end of the day, or end of the year, most company drivers bring home more $$ than Owner Operators do. Because an Owner OP bears the costs of doing business, things like rising fuel costs etc tend to hurt the bottom line. Whereas company drivers tend to get paid by the mile, and usually their only costs are road money (funds to live on, food, showers, etc), a map or minor office supplies, and the odd expense like a ticket

So if Owner OPs don’t (generally) make more take-home income than company drivers, why become one? Freedom. Freedom of choice. Life-style. For all the same reasons that anyone becomes a business owner! ‘Cept it’s all about the road – it gets into your blood, and will never let you go! I know many “retired” truck drivers. None that I know regret their time on the road. Many go back on the road at least once or twice (I did).
Landstar, my home, my life

Is truck driving for everyone? Nope. Is the trucking industry for everyone? Nope. Is being an Owner Operator for every driver? Nope. Is Landstar for every Owner Operator? Nope. But, it is for most!

Web pages like this are all about opinions. And if you have read this far, you have kind of got an idea of what makes Peter Crockett tick to a degree. I left a family business to become a truck driver, by luck (and the grace of God) I found my way to Landstar. To me, this is home, and will be home til I stop working (or win the lottery) unless I am somehow forced to leave!

Long ago I chose a career path that tends to control my whole daily life. Some people truly can work 9-5 and go home, and be off week-ends, and do that for their entire lives – leave the job at the door when they get home, and pick it back up when they leave the next morning.

/SHRUG

And some people win the lottery too
I love Landstar! Landstar blue is in my blood! There are good points and bad points in all we do, in any job we choose, in any family we have. Landstar is all about the people.

Landstar is a trucking Company.
Landstar is the largest Owner Operator Company in the USA.
Landstar is 100% NON Forced Dispatch.
Landstar has career paths for retired truck drivers!
Landstar has small fleet Owners that are always looking for drivers (and those fleets tend to be NON Forced as well)
Landstar lets you chose when to go home.
Landstar lets you chose where to run.
Landstar lets you decide what loads to take.
Landstar let’s you decide what equipment is right for you.
Landstar wants Owner Operators to stay with them forever.
Many Landstar Agents (and Agency personnel) are second generation!

Trucking is a service industry. Landstar is all about service. And guess what? Professional drivers tend to take pride in what they do, they’re all about service too! Customers don’t care why you are late – either you did the job right, or you failed – trucking tends to be a rather black or white career. One thing about a good driver, whatever he does, he does right. And Landstar doesn’t lease on just anyone, they’re after the best (ya, right, we all hear that…) – but if that ain’t the truth, why is it, if you can qualify for Landstar, you can get on with ANYONE?

Am dead serious here! Ask anyone you know either with Landstar, or who used to be with Landstar. If you’re good enough for Landstar, everyone else wants you! Why? Safety! Reliability! Stability! Doing the job right, every time! If you can’t walk the walk, you’ll be down the road shortly! But, if you can… Then, you’ve found your home!

And just like moving into a new home, it can be a bit different at first. Like trying to find a light-switch in the dark in a new home. Getting used to the sounds of a new truck. Sleeping on a new bunk mattress…

On the road, you’ll hear a phrase like this… “Landstar is a great place to be, once you learn the system!”. – The point being, learning who has what freight in what parts of the country, why call an Agency in Ohio when you’re looking for a load in SO-CA? Drivers are creatures of habit. And it takes time to make Landstar a new habit. But IMHO, Landstar is a great habit to have.

Written by Peter Crockett, 17 years with Landstar.

The post Company Driver vs. Owner Operator appeared first on Landstar Agent.

Landstar helps owner operators who are looking for a new home or company drivers looking to become their own CEO on wheels. Landstar made the Top 20 2012 Best Fleets to Drive For by providing an outstanding work environment for drivers and owner operators. Combine this with the personalized support of one of the top Landstar agencies (DUV/RKY Agency), and drivers across the country are afforded the opportunity to run a successful and profitable business.

Unlike other owner-operators, Landstar BCOs (Business Capacity Owners) receive a percentage of the revenue paid for each load they haul. With non-forced dispatch, Landstar BCOs enjoy the freedom to choose their own freight, run where they want to go, and when they want to go there. Landstar has thousands of loads to choose from at any given time with driving opportunities for van, flatbed, specialized freight and heavy haul. Drivers are given the tools, technology and training to move their independent business forward with minimal upfront costs.

Learn more about becoming a Landstar BCO or fill out our short application today!

This content is written the staff of DUV, an Independent agent for Landstar Ranger. While we are part of the
Landstar family, the views on this and the following pages are solely the views of the writers at DUV.

The post Landstar appeared first on Landstar Agent.

Landstar helps owner operators who are looking for a new home or company drivers looking to become their own CEO on wheels. Landstar made the Top 20 2012 Best Fleets to Drive For by providing an outstanding work environment for drivers and owner operators. Combine this with the personalized support of one of the top Landstar agencies (DUV/RKY Agency), and drivers across the country are afforded the opportunity to run a successful and profitable business.

Unlike other owner-operators, Landstar BCOs (Business Capacity Owners) receive a percentage of the revenue paid for each load they haul. With non-forced dispatch, Landstar BCOs enjoy the freedom to choose their own freight, run where they want to go, and when they want to go there. Landstar has thousands of loads to choose from at any given time with driving opportunities for van, flatbed, specialized freight and heavy haul. Drivers are given the tools, technology and training to move their independent business forward with minimal upfront costs.

Learn more about becoming a Landstar BCO or fill out our short application today!

This content is written the staff of DUV, an Independent agent for Landstar Ranger. While we are part of the
Landstar family, the views on this and the following pages are solely the views of the writers at DUV.

The post Landstar One of the Best Companies to Drive For in 2012 appeared first on Landstar Agent.