One of the things we did not miss when we changed carriers was the way our previous carrier used the Qualcomm device. We now receive fewer beeps (or the voice announcement "A new message has arrived") in an entire month than we would receive in one long run with FedEx Custom Critical.
After making the change, we jokingly wondered, how can Landstar move any freight at all when its Qualcomm unit beeps so little? We serve the same customers, haul the same kind of freight (except TVAL and art loads) and drive the same truck, but the Qualcomm unit barely beeps. How can that be?
The peace and quiet is nice.
Ultra-low paying loads are not offered at all because the agents know they will be refused. If a directional need is expressed, an agent might look for something that will get you home or wherever it is you wish to go, but otherwise no one bothers to offer a load that pays a straight truck a shamefully low rate. Why would they? It makes little money for them and wastes time that can be spent on better loads.
Loads are offered to drivers by telephone with a human being on the other end. Questions can be immediately asked and answered because the person calling knows the customer and the shipment.
When a load is accepted, the Qualcomm beeps ONCE. That message includes everything you need to know to do the pick up and delivery. It usually includes contact names and numbers for the shipper and consignee so you can confirm times and work out truck parking and other stuff directly.
That's it; ONE beep per run (one additional beep on certain kinds of loads).
You send in a pick up event message when you are loaded. You send in a delivery event message when you deliver. Most agents like to be called when pick ups and deliveries are done but there is no departure call check list like at our former carrier. There are no hold times either. If the call goes to voice mail, you simply leave the message that the pick up or delivery is complete.
Certain loads that have security protocols attached require additional outbound Qualcomm messages that go to a monitoring agency. Those are identical to what was sent at our former carrier when on such loads.
Fleet messages are rare. The Qualcomm will beep some days with load announcements but those are different than load offers. There are no penalties for refusing a load. The Qualcomm almost never beeps for any reason after business hours.
Since almost all offers are made by telephone, we simply silence the Qualcomm unit when we want to take an uninterrupted nap in the daytime. We do so without fear of missing anything important.
It continues to amaze us that Landstar can run a business without beeping the Qualcomm as often as our former carrier did. But they do, and like I said, we enjoy the peace and quiet.
We also enjoy the trust that drives the quiet Qualcomm phenomenon. The reason our Qualcomm beeps so little, check-ins and check-outs are not required, and few phone calls are needed is that Landstar trusts its BCOs (contractors) to do the job and do it well. They don't feel the need to verify your activity every step of the way because Landstar BCOs are worthy of the trust that is placed in them.
