Landstar Rookie of the Year Finds Success Selling Capacity

What makes a new independent Landstar agent successful in the first year? According to Landstar’s
2021 Rookie of the Year Matt Emer, his customer-focused background, access to Landstar’s network of capacity providers and the backing of a recognized leader in the transportation industry all contributed to his success. After joining the Landstar network in July 2020, Emer’s agency, Golden Logistics Solutions LLC, based in Highland Park, Illinois, generated more than $5 million in Landstar revenue in its first year. This earned Emer the title of 2021 Rookie of the Year, which was presented at the 2022 Landstar Agent Convention earlier this year.

Emer, while a rookie by Landstar’s definition, is not new to transportation and logistics. “My career in shipping has been almost entirely customer focused,” shared Emer, who has more than 10 years of experience in the industry with a strong brokerage background and an understanding of both operations and sales. “Having worked with customers for so long, I had a few lined up when I joined the Landstar network. It was easy to get them on board and up-and-running pretty quickly.”

In the first few months as a Landstar agent, Emer focused on ways to differentiate himself from the competition while continuing to build his customer base. One way he did this was by selling Landstar’s vast capacity network of leased owner-operators and third-party carriers. “I tell customers that we’ve got trucks rolling all over the country, in Canada and in Mexico. If you need wheels, I can provide them,” said Emer. “Coming from a brokerage background, I never really had the chance to sell capacity assets. Landstar and the owner-operators leased to Landstar have certainly provided that. It’s a great way to stand out to customers.”

Another way he differentiated himself is with expedited and partial truckloads. “For those types of shipments, customers don’t want to pay a full truckload rate, but they want that truckload service. So I’m able to provide that,” shared Emer. “Customers would tell me that other expedited providers had good rates, but it would take them a week to ship 200 miles. I’m able to get it done next-day or in two days. That’s really set me apart.”

Emer said he chose to join Landstar’s network of agents for several reasons. “The main reasons were that Landstar is a very stable company that has been around for a long time and it has had a lot of growth year-over-year. That was very attractive to me.”

Landstar’s technology, which helps Emer run his business more efficiently and provide better service to his customers, also was enticing.

“I am currently a one-man show and Landstar’s TMS helps me to manage all of the details of my customers’ loads from beginning to end, easily and in one place. Also, the Landstar Clarity^TM tracking technology helps me stay on top of active loads and communicate any issues to my customers quickly and efficiently.”

As the Rookie of the Year, Emer said he’s gotten the “what’s next for you?” question multiple times. For now, he is eager to continue growing and said he hopes to double his revenue from 2021 this year while continuing to deliver the level of service his customers expect. When asked when he might add to his staff, he joked, “I’ve got a lot of hair right now. If I notice it receding or falling out, I think that’s probably the right time.”

Who Qualifies for Landstar’s Rookie of the Year Award?

Landstar defines a “rookie” as an independent agent who is new to the Landstar network but not necessarily new to the industry.

Nominees must have been a part of Landstar for less than two years. For the 2021 Rookie of the Year Award, nominees joined Landstar’s network between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.

During the agent’s first full year in the Landstar network, the nominee must have demonstrated both outstanding revenue performance and excellence in customer service.