Point of View - Service and Solutions

Customer service and transportation solutions are what set Landstar agents apart from other freight agents. That's the viewpoint of Landstar agents inducted this year into the Chief Executive's Circle.

"As Landstar agents, we provide more than just trucks. We provide end-to-end transportation solutions," says Landstar Agent and new Chief Executive Circle inductee Mike Meyer. "Whatever needs our customers have, we find a way to fulfill those needs. That's 100% how we built our business. We are there to make sure the customer's product gets delivered, safely and efficiently, no matter what it takes."

Wendy Winger, co-agent at the CRG agency in Monroe, Michigan, believes that service excellence is what Landstar customers expect and deserve. In her experience, she says, that means never assuming anything. "Follow-up when your intuition says something is wrong, pick up the phone and check on it." That's the kind of service you don't get with a mobile app. Winger says that by maintaining good relationships and communications with customers and owner-operators in the network, you are providing great service to them, and also to yourself, as a business owner. "In a soft market, they're the ones who are going to stick with you."

Landstar Agent Daniel Loeffler points out that "Especially in a soft market, Landstar really stands out with our customer relationships and technology-driven platform."

But in any market, customers want "attention to detail and good service."

In addition to details, Daniel's father Scott, who owns and operates agency J&S Distribution with his son, defines good service as maintaining a higher standard of accuracy, communication and feedback on each load, as well as 24-hour access for customers. "If you don't stay close to all your customers, someone else will!" warns Scott Loeffler.

Landstar Agent of 16 years Jay Shalabi says he's been successful at "providing service excellence by cultivating a staff he knows and trusts to buy into and uphold the agency's high standards of integrity."
According to Meyer, competing for customers on price is common. What's uncommon in the industry is being able to compete based on great service."The better the service level we provide, the less competition we have." A Landstar agent for 15 years, he approaches the customer relationship more as a part of the customer's supply chain. "We see our agency and other Landstar agents as solutions providers, not just transportation providers."