Technology

Landstar Truck

Landstar Fuel Rebates Top $50 Million

The annual fuel rebate savings for independent business capacity owners (BCOs) through the Landstar Contractor’s Advantage Purchasing Program (LCAPP) is at $54,956,293 and counting!

Each year, Landstar BCOs save millions of dollars on fuel purchases through LCAPP. The previous LCAPP fuel savings record was $47,312,132, set in 2019.

When it comes to fuel savings and fuel tax charges, the LandstarOne® mobile app helps owner-operators optimize their fuel savings to find the best prices wherever they travel. LandstarOne is available for download via Android: http://bit.ly/2IkkQ9H or iPhone: https://apple.co/2XnHlk9.

*Landstar’s total fuel rebate information is calculated weekly based on information provided to Landstar from its LCAPP vendors. The year to date total, $54,956,293 was calculated from fuel savings information during the week of Nov. 2-8, 2020.

BCO Town Hall Conference Call – August 2019

During the BCO Town Hall conference call recorded on August 1, 2019, BCOs received an update about the state of the industry and Landstar’s current truckload market.

Plus, the call included a discussion about LandstarOne, a new mobile app from Landstar created to give owner-operators one stop for all of their business needs.

Visit www.LandstarOnline.com, click on the Podcast & Videos tile to access the call. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to access recordings of future Landstar BCO Town Hall conference calls. 

Save Money, Download LandstarOne Today!

LandstarOne is a new mobile app from Landstar, created to give independent Landstar owner-operators one stop for all of their business needs.

“LandstarOne makes it even easier for BCOs to save money on fuel and gives them direct access to the Landstar apps they rely on to run their businesses more efficiently and effectively,” says Rocco Davanzo, Landstar Transportation Logistics executive vice president of capacity development.

Designed as a mobile portal to house all of Landstar’s exclusive mobile applications, LandstarOne gives business capacity owners (BCOs) instant access to:

  • LCAPP® Fuel Savings
  • Landstar’s Available Loads & Landstar Maximizer® apps
  • Important Landstar news and information

“Being able to subtract the LCAPP fuel discount and state IFTA is huge, it saves me work,” said Landstar BCO Jason Mollett. “The app gives me an easy way to compare fuel prices wherever I am.”

LandstarOne is available for download for iPhones in the App Store or for Android phones on Google Play. Once downloaded, BCOs should log on to LandstarOne using their LandstarOnline.com username and password. If you have questions about the LandstarOne app please email LandstarOne@Landstar.com.

LCAPP® – Landstar Contractors’ Advantage Purchasing Program is a unique, cost savings program available exclusively to Landstar business capacity owners. LCAPP frequently adds products and services to help Landstar BCOs lower their operating costs.  Visit www.LCAPP.com to learn more about the additional savings available for BCOs.

 

Landstar Truck

Under Pressure: The Benefits of TPMS

The FMCSA cites poorly maintained tire pressure as one of the top 10 potentially fatal risks involved with operating a commercial motor vehicle. To increase safety and security on the road, Landstar business capacity owners (BCOs) are turning to technology to monitor their truck and trailer tire pressure while on the go. Continue reading

LandstarOne: Now Available for Download

A new mobile app from Landstar, created to give you one stop for your business needs.

Now with LandstarOne you can:

  • Optimize your LCAPP® fuel savings, find the best prices wherever you go
  • Use the app features to see your fuel price net of IFTA credit
  • Access the Landstar Available Loads & Landstar Maximizer® mobile apps

We are not done yet. In the months ahead, LandstarOne will include:

  • Important news & information
  • More tools to run your business

Plus, redesigned access to the Landstar Available Loads, Landstar Maximizer® & Landstar Connect® mobile apps!

The LandstarOne mobile app is now available for download on the App Store or on Google Play.

Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. 

Kevin Rutherford’s Business Advice for Owner-Operators

Kevin Rutherford, radio host of Trucking Business & Beyond on SiriusXM / Road Dog Trucking, explains to independent owner-operators the importance of investing in new equipment.

Your truck is a tool.  A tool that is instrumental for you to run your business and you can’t run a successful business with an inefficient tool. As an owner-operator, investing in a new truck is something that you may have to do a few times in your career in order to stay competitive with large fleets. Large fleets tend to get rid of trucks once they reach 400,000-600,000 miles. Although you may be able to stretch the life span of your truck longer than that if it’s well manufactured and well maintained, you’ll eventually get to a point where you start pouring more money into your truck than what it’s worth.

Costs of an Older Truck vs. Costs of a Newer Truck

There are four major costs that you need to keep in mind as you’re looking at newer trucks – truck payment, truck insurance, fuel and maintenance costs. It’s simple to compare the new payment and insurance costs to what you’re currently paying but fuel and maintenance costs can be a little difficult to calculate. Look for the most reliable sources, do your research and make your best guess. Understand that this isn’t always going to be an absolute numbers game.

Now, think about these costs on a per-mile basis, then compare it to the costs for your current truck. For example, what is your truck payment per mile with your current truck? What would your truck payment per mile be on a newer truck? If you discover that the new costs are similar to the current costs, it doesn’t make sense not to buy a newer truck.

In fact, you may find that purchasing a new truck would be cheaper than maintaining your current truck especially when it comes to fuel costs. Let’s say you have an older truck getting six or seven miles per gallon and see that a newer truck would get you eight or nine miles per gallon. On average, that one or two mile difference could save you $15,000 per year.

Throughout your research, maybe you’ll discover that a new truck is going to financially cost you more but will save you time. Service intervals are longer on new trucks therefore you would spend less time in the shop. Less time in the shop means more time on the road and more money in your pocket.

Purchasing a newer truck is a long-term investment so you need to look long-term before you make a decision. Maybe your purchase won’t save cash today but it could two years from now. The costs of maintaining an older truck will eventually get more expensive and ultimately, you’ll need to invest in a newer truck.

Trucks Made In 2012 and After

It’s hard to forget the years 2004-2011, otherwise known as “the decade of don’t own those engines.” Trucks that were manufactured during this time period were expensive to maintain, had a lot of emission related problems and constantly had to be serviced. Luckily truck manufacturers learned from the mistakes of previous years and implemented newer emission standards in trucks made in 2012 and after. Owning a truck that has these newer emission standards will even get you into California, which could open up a brand new market for you.

The dreaded decade may make you hesitant to purchase a newer truck but trucks have improved a lot since then and continue to do so each year. Pay attention, look around, talk to other owner-operators and you’ll see that purchasing a truck manufactured in 2012 and after is a good investment.

Upgraded Comfort and Safety Features

Thanks to better manufacturing processes and advancements in technology, newer trucks have safety and comfort features that your older truck probably doesn’t have. Some of the safety features common in newer trucks are lane departure warnings, front looking radars, automatic braking and adaptive cruise control. Having a truck with these features will help you remain competitive with other fleets.

Newer trucks are known for being better designed to support the modern truck driver’s lifestyle. The cab and sleepers are comfier and there’s better electrical outputs to sustain your kitchen appliances, laptops and cell phone chargers. While you’re driving, you can expect better aerodynamics, a smoother ride and a reduction in noise.

Investing In Your Business

We are in the autonomous trucking revolution therefore staying up to speed with other carriers and fleets will be crucial to the future of your business. Old trucks will be phased out before you know it and you’ll eventually have to spend the money on a newer truck. Outdated equipment isn’t going to cut it. If you think it’s time to start shopping around for a new truck, remember to look for one that has overall good value, will help you minimize future costs, is equipped with up-to-date safety features, and will be a smart investment for your business.

Kevin Rutherford is a business trainer, author of national articles on trucking and finance, small fleet owner, tax preparer, and radio host of Trucking Business & Beyond on SiriusXM / Road Dog Trucking. He started his career as an owner-operator 30 years ago, running a one-truck operation. He has authored several books on how to be successful as an owner-operator and has given seminars to thousands of owner-operators, drivers, and fleet executives in the U.S. and Canada. He also has prepared thousands of federal and state tax returns for owner-operators and company drivers. Visit www.letstruck.com for more information on Rutherford’s business and tune into his show, Trucking Business & Beyond, on SiriusXM Channel 146 every weekday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET.

Maximize Revenue Opportunities

Landstar independent owner-operators can save time and maximize revenue opportunities with the Landstar Maximizer™ mobile app, now available for Android or iPhone.

With one click of the app’s Ask Max™ button, owner-operators can start planning multiple loads – all at the same time. The Landstar-exclusive technology is a robust search engine that puts together the best combinations of back-to-back loads, creating multi-leg, full-week runs from which to choose.

Watch this video about how the Landstar Maximizer mobile app gets Landstar BCOs where they want to be:

The app is available to BCOs with a current LandstarOnline.com username and password. Download it today for Android or iPhone smartphones.