Pros And Cons Of Teaming With An Owner-Operator

Pros and Cons for driving team with an owner operator right after CDL School?

Pros: I got nothin...

Cons: No autonomy. You are subject to the whim and mercy of the O/O

The O/O will be motivated by revenue to the truck. This means if you get paid by the mile, your paycheck will suffer every time a shorter, more profitable load to the O/O comes along.

There's more, but I have to go.

You really cannot be, or at least should not be that negative on owner/operators. Every big trucking company and small one has there roots in starting as an owner/operator then expanding. I drive for a company that is smaller than what would have been recommended on this site but it has been very good for me. I might have just been lucky which is OK. But he started as an O/O then added trucks over the last 35 years to still be considered small but well established.

I might have just been lucky which is OK.

You definitely were lucky.

Joseph, we have no problem with somebody being an O/O. We have a huge problem when they come in here trying to tell rookies that they are making several hundred thousand dollars per year. That's nonsense.

We know the trucking business. We know the numbers, the risks, the liabilities, and the pleasures of being on the road. We're thrilled you are enjoying working at a small company, but we would never advise people just getting started to follow your example. Why? Because we teach best practices. We teach the most reliable ways for newbies to start their trucking careers.

So far, you've done well, but for each person like you in our forum, I can think of about 15 people who took your route and didn't survive it. That's just the ones I can confirm. There are others who didn't want to admit to us what happened.

Yes, you got lucky, but it's not OK. You were fortunate, and we are all glad to hear it. We simply can't recommend your method just because it worked for you. It has backfired terribly on most who attempt it.

As for the OP, Danny B, I think you'll find that most O/O's will consider the additional insurance for an inexperienced driver to be cost prohibitive. I know something about this because I've had trucks and drivers in my former career. I would be wary that any O/O hiring inexperienced drivers was somehow skirting the rules or being dishonest. It's very rare for newbies to find this type employment.

You're on a roll lately, Joseph, going against the experienced drivers on most every post.

I'm in TNT with an lease operator.

The last pay period, we drove 5,200 miles. I drove 3,200 of those miles.

You really cannot be, or at least should not be that negative on owner/operators.

Show me where I was the slightest bit negative on an O/O in my reply.

The question asked was pros and cons of team driving with an O/O. I answered with my honest opinion on the subject, in no way reflecting my thoughts on becoming an o/o.

There are good and bad trainers, either company or o/o's. I would say generally, o/o's care about their equipment more than company since they are on the hook for repair bills. But on the same token, may not get something fixed like a company driver because they are on the hook for paying.

You also get a chance to see how the financials work when leasing on to someone else's authority, if they will show you.

Either way, you should be open minded and understand the differences between an o/o and a company driver. Good luck!

Imagine living in a bedroom with your boss.

If you're interested in teaming go to a company that offers teams.

As for "right out of CDL school", I would recommend going to a company that offers thorough training. School and the real world are not the same. When I was training I had all the space in the world for maneuvering. In the real world, I'm watching my back and front at the same time and constantly getting out to assess situations.

Your license is your resumé. A ding here and there will make it very difficult for you to find another job if this doesn't work out. Go to a company that can is willing to nurture your career through the growing pains.

Imagine living in a bedroom with your boss.

HA!

Imagine living in a half bath with your boss, right next to the EL Train rails in Chicago, situated in the crosswalk of Time's Square.

Now also throw in you're in a rowboat on a calm lake. Then, maybe a pair of bumper cars. Next, think of whitewater rafting. Then a peaceful trail in the mountains. But you're also on a giant Ferriss wheel, attached to a roller coaster, moving towards a double rainbow that has a black hole in the middle, but with a desert isle on the ground floor. A hyena shuffles beside a pea****, offering a jellyfish or caviar.

You will likely encounter all of these in a week, maybe in as little as a day.

Company sponsored CDL school instruction is what most of us are going to recommend to you.