Those of us in trucking have long heard about the state of the industry in terms of driver shortages and turnover rates. Consequently, the common focus of carriers like Landstar is how to increase owner-operator satisfaction and retention.

Having worked at Landstar and with owner-operators for 40 years, I can tell you that our business model is a huge factor in attracting and retaining owner-operators who value the freedom and opportunities to run their own independent businesses, each with their own unique needs.

Freedom

They are, in fact, CEOs on wheels. At Landstar, they have the freedom to operate their business their way – whether that means choosing their own loads from the load board or developing long-standing relationships with Landstar freight agents to keep the truck loaded.

They have the freedom to choose their own work–life balance, and so, at times, they may choose not to run at all, or to stay closer to home to be near family. Some choose to run hard while the money is good and save the profit in a rainy-day fund in case of an economic downturn or put the money toward truck repairs to avoid downtime.

These are financial, risk, and planning decisions made by typical CEOs of any kind of business, and that is why we at Landstar have a special name for these rolling entrepreneurs – Landstar business capacity owners (BCOs).

Saving Money

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking about one such BCO who was honored for his business sense: Landstar BCO Jay Hosty, named Overdrive magazine’s Trucker of the Year for 2023. I was asked to take part in an “Overdrive Radioˮ show about Hosty to shed some light on his relationship with Landstar and explain what a Landstar BCO is.

According to Hosty, one of the ways he stays on top of his business's financial standing is by regularly calculating his cost-per-mile. “Also, I am a frugal person by nature,” he explains, “so it's not hard for me to save money.”

Landstar recognizes the efforts BCOs like Hosty take to save money on their business expenditures. That’s why we offer a variety of discounts that allow them to stay safe on the road without spending as much of their own hard-earned money.

Specifically, BCOs can access these discounts on fuel, tires, equipment and more through the Landstar Contractors’ Advantage Purchasing Program (LCAPP).

Between programs like this one and our non-forced dispatch model, as explained earlier, owner-operators discover an environment tailored to their financial and operational freedoms at Landstar.

Retention

“I have been in the trucking industry as an owner-operator for 42 years, and I've been leased to quite a few companies,” says Hosty. “I’ve never before had the real freedom that Landstar offers.”

Hosty echoes the sentiments we’ve heard from so many Landstar BCOs over the years.

“I don't have any plans on retiring yet. I plan to stay with Landstar until I'm finished,” says Hosty. “I don't see any reason to change, because I see a good opportunity with Landstar.”

Overall, when Hosty and owner-operators like him feel in control of their lives, their money and the figurative road ahead, they’re more likely to stay the course and map out their future exactly where they are.

For more information about becoming an owner-operator leased to Landstar, visit LeaseToLandstar.com or call 855-578-7226 to speak to a recruiter.