Possible to have more control over the loads you accept
Possible to go home when you need to with in reasonable time
Becoming an owner operator is not all glory. There are things that you should consider before becoming an owner operator. It takes a higher level of responsibility, attention to detail, and good business aptitude. Many owners operators that fail, do so either because they are connected with poor companies or because they simply lack business skills. Owner Operator Trucking Jobs is your business.
Being an owner operator doesn't mean all of a sudden it's your world, you call all the shots and no one else matters. You still need to have a positive attitude and realize that everyone is part of a team to get the job done. Guess what, you still will have to do some things that you don't necessarily want to do or go somewhere you don't want to go.
Owner Operator Trucking Tips and Advice Videos and Info
Listen to the words of successful owner operators. This is Casey an owner operator out of North Carolina. He hauls cars and will give more advice about car hauling on the
types of trucking jobs
page but here he will tell you about the mindset an owner operator should have to help him be successful in the trucking industry.
More Advice For The Lease Owner Operator
Trucking as an owner operator can be rewarding or it can be a disaster. This video is more great advice from Ro leased on to US Express about how to handle your job as a owner operator lease driver.
Owner Operators can either lease on to an established trucking company or they can
get their own authority
and start their own. It can't be said which direction is the best way go, it depends on the individuals situation (his contacts, money in the bank, family, equipment, etc)
Owner Operators are responsible for paying most of the expenses associated with moving that freight (there are a few companies who pay tolls or other expenses). Weight ticket, tolls, permits, violation tickets for inspections, fuel (full tank will run you about $750 right now), maintenance, repairs, parking, lumpers, etc.
If they are leased on to a company then the dispatcher there sometimes gets paid by a percentage of what that load pays the owner operator.
If the owner operator has his or her own authority when a broker is used he usually get at least 10% of what the load pays the driver. (A broker and dispatcher are other options for entering the trucking industry)
Should You Become an Owner Operator?
Hard to say, you must ask yourself that, based on what you have learned and what you already know.
I became an owner operator after about 7 months of driving. I learned many things the hard way. Plus, I was blessed to buy a good truck and lease to a good company. I have meet drivers who started off driving as an owner operators. Most of them were retired from somewhere else and had money saved for emergencies.
I don't recommend anyone to become an owner operator until you drive a year or so. The best way to determine depends on how well you handle business and how fast you learn about things you are involved in. (In this case the trucking industry.)You need to know about the ins and outs of the industry to take on the responsibility of an owner operator.
I will give you an example of what i mean. After being a driver a while you learn that it's hard to get a load out of some parts of Florida a certain time of year, same thing for California. You learn that freight coming out of those places are going to be real cheap in the slow season. If you jump in this off the street you wouldn't know those types of things, which mean you would loose money going to those places at the wrong time of year because your expenses stay the same and your profit is shot either in low freight rate or delay time waiting on a load.
You could have driven 3 trips from North Carolina to Chicago in less time and ended up with more money. You don't jump in the game with that knowledge. You learn that with experience.
Furthermore, the way things are right now, I would talk to a lot of owner operators before I became an owner operator.
Remember as an Owner Operator you'll be paying these high fuel prices and all other expenses associated with driving. The expenses have gone up but the rates haven't!
Owner operators do best when they find a nich or find companies to do business with directly. (cut out brokers)
Or hauling some
specialized freight like
household, heavy hauling, or shrubbery, etc. I've heard hauling bread dough pays pretty good.
Even being leased on to a specialized hauler can bring in a decent wage I would think, lets wait on some driver feed back on that.
In any case, owner operators hauling regular freight quit often don't make any more than a company driver at the end of the year.The biggest advantage he or she does have is more control over where they run and not having to run as hard to make it(Unless they got a new truck payment. Then you don't have much time to break)
How much does Owner Operators Make
People always wants to know how much does an owner operator make. There are many variables to how much an owner operator makes. It mostly depends on the
type of truck driving jobs
he's chosen (what he's hauling) and how he's paid.
They may get paid percentage of the freight charge or paid by the mile. Just like a company drivers, the more specialize the freight the more is paid.
Typically a owner operator hauling regular freight over the road can expect to gross $100,000 - $150,000.
Remember this is gross!
At the end of the year after taxes and all the expenses come out an owner operator (depending on how his operation is set up) end up with anywhere from $35,000 - $75,000.
Larry is an Owner Operator Trucking with Fedex.
This owner operator always needs top notch team drivers with a clean record.
Larry in the video below is a Owner Operator leased on to FedEx looking for Team Drivers to run East to West. Based out of Dallas.You must have a clean driving and criminal record to drive for this owner operator. I talked to Larry for long enough to feel confident that he is someone you probably would want to drive for. A problem he runs into is clowns who don't appreciate the opportunity. It's a shame because finding good people to work for is not easy. For me, I think this is a very serious message to all parents about how important it is to teach good work ethic to your children and make them appreciate opportunities and other things in life.(ok, didn't mean to go into all of that...)
If there are any owner operator with anything to ad please do so
Let me know what you think about the Website.
Positive, negative, good, bad, doesn't matter I take it all like the man that I am!
What's good,what's missing, what did you like or didn't like. Did it give you a good enough insight about driving to make a decision. Did you realize it is a lot more to the decision to drive than you initially thought.
LOL Did you realize that being a driver is a little more complicated than you had thought.
Talk to me! How did the site help YOU, or DID It?
Comments from other visitors at Life As A Trucker
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Onus of Operators
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We don’t treat you ...
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do you know or know how i can find out how much a company can legally take in percentage from an owner operator? it started out my company paying me 70%...
Trucker Concerns and Questions
Sunday, March 21, 2010 Hello. This is Gearjammer and I have started this Blog...to hear the concerns and complaints, from every Truck Driver who has ...
It's all over with!
I just thought id give you all the update on what when on in the past few days as I know you all wanted to know & I had said I would keep you informed ...
tips for becoming an owner operator
well i have been a trucker since 1967. We have been up and down but i have learned if you want to make it trucking you either buy new under warranty equipment ...
Advice for Becoming an Owner Operator
I do think you are correct on the owner operator section, however also as you have said, starting out right out of the gate as a owner operator, I did ...
Interesting trucking website site
Hi, I am plotting a novel and at least one of my characters will be a trucker. My neighbor up the street is leased on to Swift, and has promised to let ...
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I'll Stay in touch :)
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Great sight.
Favorite Helped with some questions ...
Not even a trucking newbee yet
I currently own a business (carpet cleaning) and am sick of the ridiculous winter slow downs every year. I would like to get my CDL and eventualy do line ...
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answer to my?
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Primary Liability Insurance $1,000,0000 coverage
First and foremost I want to say your site is very encouraging. I have been a truck driver for 11 months and now purchased my own tractor. I learned quickly ...
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What a great website for people who want to be a truck driver. it is very informative. i personally like your site very much,and i spend my time look over ...
Our experience as an owner operator trucking outfit
well i have been a trucker since 1967 we have been up and down but i have learned if you want to make it trucking you either buy new under warranty equipment ...
Your web site!
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Thank you sir for a great web site! I have gone over, (I believe), every page on your site! Very informative and thought out on every subject! I intend ...
O/O beyond the illusion
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Numbers dont lie!! Owner operator buys his tractor&trailer cash 60k drives for one year , after expenses He nets 60k , 100% return on investment.. Good ...
Looking for owner operators we pay 90%!
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We are looking to add a couple of owner operators to our company. We pay 90% and right now we are working with JB Hunt so if you don't own a trailer, that'...
looking for help
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Your website has been very helpful over the past few days. It has been the first site that has allowed me to reach out to other trucker.
TruckersEdge.net Load Board
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TruckersEdge is part of a set of offerings powered by DAT and targeted to Owner-Operators. The DAT name (originally known as Dial-A-Truck) is well known ...
If you become an owner operatot things you will need
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You will need a good truck a good accountant and good contacts and if you lease with a company don't always pull heavy loads sometimes they will stick ...
feedback on the website in general
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This site has given me some new hope, man my situation with DMV will be clear in about 30 days or so, my father has been driving for 30 plus yrs and I ...
truck driver 15 years experience becoming an o/o
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I am in the process of becoming an o/o and I have been company driving for 15 years. The site was very informative. It has been hard being a black female ...
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Freight Broker Training
Get training to become a freight broker online or in a classroom. Check with your local community college and if they don't have a program check out the school I went to.
Owner Ops, do you need a load of freight to get you back home or to a desired destination, this is how your likely to make it happen the quickest. Freight brokers are the middle men that keep you moving. Just make sure you use reputable brokers or agents. Loadboards are another option.
