IF I decide to go and actually gamble (got to be in the right mind set to do so), I usually have decent luck.......knock on wood. In fact the last time I was here, the casino paid the "down payment" for this truck thus allowing to save my own money.:clap:

 

With Landstar, some make it and some don't.The many complaints on Bco Forum is unimagineable.From San Francisco, I dh to Oakland and then posted my my truck on LandstarBroker.com Load Board -.
I must have had 2-3 calls from agants looking for loads to La.At that time I had found a load from the landstarbroker board, and this was from from Exeter,ca to luboock Tx.
While there, I had never had a call from an agent that I was pleased with.It was either too heavy,going to bad areas or a 53ft step needed.Sounds like you're getting good rates for either posting your truck or they seeing your truck in an area.After I left I also realized that even with a step and a bridge, I was struggling.I was loosing money with a step.Most shippers did not even want to deal with a bridge when it was a flatbed load.Good thread you got going!

 

You're right, I think one either does well here, or no good at all. I don't believe there is a middle ground. I thought about getting a step with the bridges that double as ramps, but as I watch the loads, there seems to be more and more shippers that do not want their loads on bridges. Some of it I can understand, but some seem ridiculous. But what can you do, it's their load right? So I've decided to stick with a flat for now.

As for heavy AND cheap loads, there are tons (no pun intended) out there and it's not just a LS issue, EVERYONE wants to put as much on your truck as possible and pay as little as possible.

As for that BCO forum, I am a member there but rarely ever go anymore as it seems like there is way more bitching and whining then anything. It gets real old real fast. Oh, and thanks for the compliment on the thread.

 

DD, Don't know where you are running this next week. I deliver in Ontario, Canada tomorrow. I will reload in West Virginia Monday night with a load going to So Cal for Friday delivery. Passing thru KY/IN/IL/MO/OK/TX/NM/AZ along the way. If we cross pathes, then dinner is on me. :lol: I am still driving the white Pete with red fender and pulling a black roll top stepdeck. I will be looking for your purple Pete.

 

No telling where I will be next week, but if our paths do cross, I'll take you up on the free dinner

 

Friday morning I started looking at the load board and making a few calls to agents to let them know I was in the area and available for a load.

Late morning time a load popped up that was paying $10,300 on 6,200 and some change miles. I immediately called the agent. It was a round trip load from Santa Ana, CA to Peabody, MA and back to Santa Ana. It weighed 25k and no tarp. It came out to be only $1.65 a mile, but on those kind of miles I was all over it. It was going to make a nice payday. As we are finalizing the details, the agent hesitates and then starts reading off the dimensions.......it was 2 pieces 30ft long, total of 84 inches wide and........109 inches tall. Dammit!!!!! He realizes it's too tall for a flatbed and needs a step deck :cry:. Talk about a let down. One thing that sucks at LS is that they will not allow over height on a flatbed unless it's a special case, i.e. the product can not be loaded on anything other than a flat.

Now I'm a little bummed out and there is nothing else on the board that is worth my while. By late afternoon I am just about convinced I will be stuck in Nevada for the weekend when one of those agents I called earlier called me and offered a no tarp, light weight load from Golconda, NV to Cheyenne, WY. Picked up Friday and delivered on Monday. I HATE going into WY because it is extremely difficult to get out of for platforms, but this load was paying $2.13 a mile and it would get my wheels turning for at least the weekend so I took it.

I bounced over to Golconda, got loaded and rolling down the road. Since I had a ton of time to get it there, I decided to stop at the Pilot in Wendover, NV for the night. Went across the street to the casino and a few hours later walked out with $300 extra in my pocket. That made this trip just a little bit better .

Come Saturday morning I lazily got up and rolling down the road. Made it to the Love's in Cheyenne and shut her down. I am now about 9 miles from the job site and will just relax here for the remainder of the weekend and cross my fingers I can catch me a load out next week. The last time I was in the area I sat for 4 days before I gave up and started deadheading south. At that time everything was paying in the $1 range and was 45-48k. I am sure it's no different now but will still cross my fingers none the less. Again, wish me luck!!!

 

That wasn't a bad rate for plastic pipe. I almost forgot that plant was out there! Still surprised that it is working.

 

yeah I wasn't complaining especially since it got me moving. Now I have to try and get out of an even worse place :roll:




Made my delivery this morning. Unfortunately the directions were not very good. When I called the customer Friday afternoon, I told him where I had picked up and which direction I was heading. He proceeds to give me directions which were realitivly simple.....take this exit go left, 3rd light turn right, 4-way flashing light turn left and the job site is right there.

I take the exit, go left, 3rd light turn right......I go about 2-3 miles down the road and I still don't see this flashing light so I decide to pull over and give him a call. To make a long story short, this yahoo thinks I am coming from NE (I told him the company name, city and state not to mention the direction on I-80 I was traveling). Needless to say, I am completely in the opposite direction to where I need to be.

I get back on the interstate and am now heading west on I-80. I take the exit and proceed to follow his directions......go left, right at 3rd light, left at 4-way flashing stop. Well fortunately I can see the job site because it was not 3 lights it was 2, and it was not a 4-way flashing light but a 2-way stop sign! :roll:

There are 2 other trucks there so I pull in behind them. Turns out that the spot where they want the loads is right next to where I'm sitting. In other words, even though I was truck number 3 I got unloaded first. I tried to explain to the guys that those 2 other trucks are ahead of me and his response was "I don't care, you're right here so you're first".

I unsecured everything and went over to explain and apologize to the other drivers. They weren't all that thrilled but told me not to worry as it's not my fault.

Anyways, I am sitting at the Pilot here in Cheyenne and will be calling agents to let them know I am available as well as looking vigerously for a load out of here. Hope I can get lucky!

 

if nothing else theres always lovell/greybull loads


nice talking to you this am.....be safe

 

Hope ya got out of there....or else you are buried in SNOW!!