Larry's Weekend Rant: Landstar's Load Board - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

April 27, 2019 - Larry W. Long

This Weeks “Weekend Rant”…with a twist.

As all of you know by now, I staunchly defend on a regular basis, our unique business model that we collectively refer to simply as “Landstar”. Often, BCO’s, Agents and outsiders openly criticize Landstar here on social media. Since I have put together a successful fleet operation here over the years, I am quick to point out the “equal opportunity” that LS offers everyone. Usually the criticism is misguided by the “complainant” and the problem likely was theirs, not Landstar.

Larry W. Long

However, today I am going to join in with the complainers on a popular topic. Unlike them, besides complaining, I’m going to offer suggestions to “fix” my complaint.

My primary concern is the LOAD BOARD; It’s integrity, usefulness and ability for new BCOs to reasonably have a chance to “make it“ here until they form relationships with Agents. This is a complex problem but primarily is caused by unscrupulous Agents posting loads that do not exist, “copy and paste” loads from outside load boards, and just shady business practices of undercutting other agents attempting to “steal” loads that they did not go out and work to get themselves. The general attitude amongst drivers is that the load board is a useless, frustrating tool and because it’s unreliable, so are the tools that have spawned from it, i.e. Maximizer, load alerts, etc. On any given day over one third to one half of the loads on the board cannot be “booked” by its listing agent. Most are already “covered” when inquired into or the agent must call a third party and never returns the call back to the BCO seeking the load. Many loads are listed multiple times by different agents and none of them can actually book you on the load. It is not an exaggeration to say that a BCO could make 30 to 40 calls seeking a listed load and come away with nothing, yet at LS we brag about how expansive our load selection is when recruiting new BCOs.

In my opinion, this is a simple fix and the fault can be squarely laid at the feet of the Agents and the supervisory personnel at LS over the Agent force. Agents have contracts, much like the BCOs. When a BCO violates a regulation or policy, they are dealt with swiftly and sometimes harshly, up to and including termination of contract. However, Agents are frequently reported to “Corporate” and nothing comes as a result of the complaint. I know this because I have reported several and upon follow-up, I get vague and ambiguous excuses why the Agent is still here. Agents should be held to a very high standard, just like BCOs. When an Agent gets multiple complaints (and we all know who they are), they should be terminated and their business spread around the remaining agent population (if they ever are terminated, according to their contract, LS retains their customers for a certain number of years). A few of these disciplinary events will tend to send a strong message to the others who may be operating in a questionable way, that you cannot operate like that here at LS. A more readily available reporting process for BCOs or customers to complain about an Agent is also necessary. Currently, you have to call “Customer Service “ to report a problem and that in itself can be a half/day event. Many BCOs aren’t even reporting problems because they don’t have the time to spend on the phone or waiting for a call back hours later.

Since the load board is an essential tool for the success of many BCOs here at LS, we need to repair the integrity of it and some of our Agents. I fear that the future success of LS and its ability to attract quality BCOs will be harmed and the “star” will lose some of its luster.

This is my opinion, I welcome yours.
Have a good weekend, and if you’re not making top dollar in your current driving job, check us out at Blue Ribbon Logistics, a small fleet at Landstar, specializing in mentoring and training new O/Os.