[?] Subscribe To This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines


Home
Becoming a Trucker
Trucking CDs
Do u Qualify for CDLs
CDL Training/Schools
Trucking Jobs
Home CDL Training
Company Drivers
Owner Operators
Felonies
Trucker Interviews
Disadvantages
Ask A Trucker
A Truckers Life
Words of Wisdom
How To Get Experience
New Driver Tips
Heatlhy Trucker
Comments
Good Food
Cafepress Shop
Truck Stop
The Economy
Advice  For You
Trucker Terms
Trucker Forums
Trucker's Wives
Impact on Family
Member Profiles
Used Trucks For Sale
Used Equipment
Best Companies
Women In Trucking
Relationships
Better Parenting
Truckers motivation
Crazy Trucker Stories
Trucking Blog
Show Trucks
Driver's Lounge
Truckers Spotlight
Truck Stop Store
Truckers Videos
Truck Wash
Inside A Big Rig
Trucking News
Guestbook
DAC Reports
The D.O.T.
Privacy Statement
Teen Real Talk
Weather Map
Job Listings
CSA 2010
Trucker Resources
CD/ DVD Distributors
The DVD



Owner Operator Please help with research

Attention: Owner Operators Do You Need A Driver?

Ex Truckers Wants To Get Back On The Road
Truckers who want to drive part time (O/O want more time at Home?)
Drivers Who Need a 2nd Chance


Owner Operators

Find Loads Fast and Free

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 Be an Owner Operator

Hard to say, you must ask yourself that based on what you learn 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've been driving 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.

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?

Enter your title with what your comment is in reference to.

Give me some comments (Go ahead breaker!) [ ? ]

Upload 1-4 Pictures or Graphics (optional) [ ? ]

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional) 

Click here to upload more images (optional)

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

Your Name

(first or full name)

Your Location

(ex. City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

Check box to agree to these submission guidelines.


(You can preview and edit on the next page)

Comments from other visitors at Life As A Trucker

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Onus of Operators  starstarstarstarstar
Although it is true that unless an owner operator finds a lucrative niche market, he will not even earn what a union driver nets at say ABF, UPS, USPS,...

Retired and Reaching out to OOs who need a hand up  starstarstarstarstar
There's this company that has started a Green up your truck program, where any one with a 630 or better credit score can automatically qualify for a low ...

i am an owner operator - looking for info  starstarstarstarstar
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%...

It's all over with!   starstarstarstarstar
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 ...

Owner Operator Need To Give The Truck Back !  starstarstarstarstar
I need help here & I just thought that I would ask you helpful men what is the best thing to do & to how to go about it?

I need to turn in my truck ...

tips for becoming an owner operator  starstarstarstarstar
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  starstarstarstarstar
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 ...

Potential Owner Operator with Questions About Trucking  starstarstarstarstar
I have a cousin who has been a truck driver for 6 years now. My father is willing to buy a truck and pay for the expenses (gas, insurance, taxes, etc....

is there more freedom and control as an owner operator vs company driver?  starstarstarstarstar
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT LOOKS LIKE AN Owner/Op WILL MAKE THE SAME IS A COMPANY DRIVER. I STILL THINK THAT THE BETTER WAY TO GO IS BEING AN O.O. BECAUSE ...

Interesting trucking website site  starstarstarstarstar
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 ...

Nice website and very Informative...  starstarstarstarstar
...breaker 1nine..breaker 1nine.come on..breaker.. got your ears on?...this is more than just a website, this should be considered a web based institution ...

I'll Stay in touch :)  starstarstarstarstar
I drove in the late 80's early 90's loved it,
stopped - long story
Found your sight on a search.

Great sight.

Favorite Helped with some questions ...

Not even a trucking newbee yet  starstarstarstarstar
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 ...

truckers life is same everywhere but still have a great life !  starstarstarstarstar
truckers are great. it is a great job. i am a electronics engineer but still in this buisness.i enjoy my job.my company name is VIRK CARGO MOVERS.

starlifter168 - This Trucking Website Works  starstarstarstarstar
I really think the site is good, I had some trouble this last year with a weather related incident.

Being unemployed and not knowing what to do. I happened ...

answer to my?  starstarstarstarstar
i left a long list of ?did u get them the sites cool alot of info

Primary Liability Insurance $1,000,0000 coverage  starstarstarstarstar
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 ...

thanks for the insight about trucking  starstarstarstarstar
I think I know now why there are so many advertisements for trucking companies looking for drivers - they don't pay squat, from the sounds of it.

I ...

Thanks!  starstarstarstarstar
I am thinking about becoming a truck driver and this site has helped me a lot. Thanks!

How much does O/O make? lease payment on new freightliner?  starstarstarstarstar
Thanks for the info on How much OO make. By the way, how much is the lease payment on a new Frieghtliner/sleeper with nominal accessories? What kind of ...

FREE SERVICES FOR OWNER OPERATORS!  Not rated yet
NEVER A CHARGE

We take care of the Truckers because they take care of all of us. Without trucks the country grinds to a halt!

We don’t treat you ...

Truth  Not rated yet
good writer

60 YEAR OLD MAN WITH CDL LOOKING FOR PART TIME DRIVING JOB  Not rated yet
60 YEAR OLD MAN WITH CDL LOOKING FOR PART TIME DRIVING JOB

If you become an owner operatot things you will need  Not rated yet
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  Not rated yet
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 ...

I need a owner/operator with 53' van trailer for a 5 hour job in Philly...  Not rated yet
I am producing a media project on "hijacking" in the trucking industry. Seeking owner/operator with 53' van trailer for a 5 hour job in Philly on March ...

Our experience as an owner operator trucking outfit  Not rated yet
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 ...

truck driver 15 years experience becoming an o/o  Not rated yet
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 ...

Leave Owner Operators and go to Helpful Information

footer for Owner Operators page