Taking a leap of faith to buy your own truck is a big risk. When deciding between owner operator vs company driver, don’t be in big rush to jump in. Time is on your side. Do NOT EVER THINK that an owner operator job will always mean more money in your pocket.

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That simply is NOT TRUE. There are many company drivers who net the same earnings or sometimes better than some owner operators. There are multiple influential factors which determine net earnings.

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The Perks Of “Company Driver Jobs”

You Get to Leave The Job And Worries Behind.

One of the best things about being a company driver, is leaving the job at the terminal when you are done working. There’s no worries to take home with you.

 

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Your Free Time is All Yours.  

Your time off is your own. You aren’t spending your time off  fixing the truck. No need to worry about company equipment, maintenance, paperwork, bookkeeping tasks, or  cleaning your truck.

 

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Money Earned is All Yours.

The paycheck you take home is your own. No truck payments, repair bills, oil changes, buy down deductible insurance, maintenance costs. Easy to change  jobs.

 

If you don’t like the trucking company you are working for or the type of  trucking jobs, you can simply walk away without the worry  of breaking any contractual agreements or losing money. It’s simply a matter of finding another driving job, more to your liking.  I think this is a HUGE perk for being a company driver.

 

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Job Security. 

With the driver shortage in full swing, company truck driving jobs are plentiful.

 

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No “Start Up Costs".

Other than your CDL driver training, there’s no upfront cash outlay.  Just jump in the truck and go and earn your pay. Overall, a company driving job is much ]less stressful than that of the owner operator.

 

Well trained, diligent truck drivers are in the position to seek out the type of trucking job they like and settle into a job with a company who treats them well  and pays them fairly.

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The Downsides Of

“Company Driver Jobs”

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Earn Less Money. 

Many company driving jobs pay a set mileage rate. Some pay rates will increase after  "X" number of years of service. A company driver wage will eventually top out to a maximum. These jobs often don’t pay waiting time. It is  NOT necessarily the case that the earnings of a company driving job will be less than the earnings of an owner operator.

 

After the owner operator pays his expenses, a company driver may very well have higher net earnings than some owner operators.

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Less Home Time.

There can be less home time, especially for OTR driver.  Trucking companies want to keep the wheels turning on their trucks. They know running company trucks are a cheaper, better deal for them, than paying an owner operator to do the same work.

 

       Tucking companies especially in the U.S., tend to keep their drivers on the road for longer periods. It’s one of the big reasons the carriers have such a high rate of abandoned equipment.

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Slip Seating. 

      Many trucking companies slip seat to maximize their profits. Trucks sitting against the fence while a driver resets his hours do not show a profit. Slip seating is a nuisance factor for a driver. You could be left to clean up the mess from the previous driver who’s a pig.

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      If you go to work and discover the driver before you hasn’t reported some damage to the truck, you can waste hours while the truck either gets fixed or until you are assigned another truck, most of which this time is unpaid.

 

     To be properly equipped when on the road, there’s a lot of equipment you’ll need to haul in and out of the truck if you’re slip seating such as tools, food, clothing, personal supplies.

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Commuting Costs. 

     If you live far away from the company terminal, you’ll incur some costs getting to work and home. It’s also inconvenient..

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Strict Rider Policy. 

    Passengers are not allowed to ride with a company driver, without permission from the trucking company.

 

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A Company Driver Must Drive the Truck He’s Assigned.

   

These are often bare bones trucks with no bells and whistles. Some truckers won’t drive anything but a certain engine/ transmission combination. Company trucks are most commonly designed for functionality, not driver comfort. However, we understand some companies are paying more attention to driver comfort to help improve driver retention.

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Less Respect. 

    Some carriers attempt to take advantage of company drivers. They \require drivers do the tasks that the owner operators at the same \ carrier, refuse to do, such as city deliveries, late night loading etc. \We hear of many abusive accounts  from mega carriers  OTR drivers who are pushed beyond reasonable limits.

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The Perks of Being

An Owner Operator!!!

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Higher Pay. 

    The owner operator has the potential to earn more money than a company driver, if he’s running his business efficiently. Usually, the owner operator gets paid for many of the extras, due to his contractual agreement where a company driver doesn’t. There can be significant tax advantages, lower tax rates, especially when incorporated, if the company is properly managed.

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Choose Your Own Equipment.  

    The owner operator doesn’t need to deal with slip seating and other drivers messing with his equipment and changing settings in the truck. The truck owner has equipment that is best suited for his needs and comfort. It’s great to be able to personalize the equipment to your liking. The comfort level can be tweaked just to your personal liking. However, these comforts come at a high price.

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Be Your Own Boss. 

     Forced dispatch is not so much of a problem for the truck owner. The owner operator usually has more choice to pick and choose loads, although this depends mostly on the company.  The truck owner has more control over his job, in general.

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Time Off

     Since the O/O is an independent business person, they can have greater flexibility to take time off work.

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Maybe A Greater Element Of Safety. 

    If comparing the overall safety of the owner operator vs company driver, the owner operator may very well have an edge. He can choose a heavier profile, better quality tire with better grip for example. Companies tend to ‘cheap out’ on certain things like tires, and will buy lower quality rubber in bulk for their fleet trucks.

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The Downsides Of

Being An Owner Operator

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Financial Risk.

       Purchasing a big rig can demand a sizeable cash down payment, and then there’s monthly equipment payments. The owner operator needs a wad of cash to start up at a new job. A credit  card, money for a float for out of pocket expenses, and a wheelbarrow full of cash is needed. As an owner operator, your financial risks are high.

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Time Off. 

       Compared to the company truck driver, the owner operator may have a more flexible schedule. However, a substantial portion of  the time off, can be spent doing maintenance and repair on your  rig. If a repair shop is doing the work, you’ll still need to take the time to drop and pick up the truck at the shop, and perhaps wait for the work to be completed. It takes away from much needed home time.

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Admin + Record Keeping Tasks

      There are also record-keeping tasks, and time needed to pay  attention to the health of your small business. Sometimes there’s  not much time left over to spend with your family and recharge!

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Greater Stress.

      Due to financial risks and pressure, truck payments, unexpected  expensive equipment repairs, unexpected illness, owner operators can endure a great deal of stress. Even when doing everything right, the unexpected can bring an owner operator down fast.

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Dependency on The Trucking Company.

      The truck owner depends heavily on the carrier they are contracted to, to provide them with sufficient miles to be financially  successful. This is why it is so important to do the research to choose the best trucking company to work for. If they don’t have the work they’ve promised, or if their company  trucks are their big priority, you can suffer financially.

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Changing Jobs Is Expensive.

      Changing carriers for an owner operator is very expensive. There’s a hold back of money involved and contractual obligations and a period of time where there may be no income until you can secure something else.

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The Unknown.

      Unforeseen breakdowns, health issues, family issues will directly influence your bottom line. Be prepared for the unexpected.

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Never Ending Responsibilities. 

      It’s so important to pay attention to what’s going on in your business and constantly be checking your profit margin. If you don’t have the skills required, be sure to budget to hire the pros to help keep you in the profit zone or else you’ll find yourself in big financial trouble.

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So! WHICH IS BETTER??

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THE REAL answer is one is NOT better than the other. 

Each situation for every trucker is different. Each trucker has different expectations of the job and different needs. Some drivers are completely satisfied with a low stress company driving job. Others have the need to own their own truck, which comes with a greater element of control, but potentially, with more headaches.

 

       It’s critical that you do the research to understand what you are getting into, whether it be as a company driver or an owner operator because there are some great rewards to be had from a truck driving career. You must make the decision for yourself what you want from your career as a truck driver.

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