Becoming a truck driver means having to make a difficult decision: Will you be a company driver or an owner operator?
Becoming an owner operator means you’re in control. Owner operators take responsibility for all parts of their trucking business, including the vehicle fleet, finances and how you spend your time.
As a small business owner, you enjoy lots of perks of the job, but it also means dealing with the consequences that come along when situations are challenging.
Company drivers, by comparison, are employees. They follow a set schedule and are assigned a truck and do not spend their own money to run the truck or perform the necessary maintenance to keep all parts of the business running smoothly.
In general, most owner operators start out as a company driver to gain experience in the industry and build their confidence on the road.
Which Should You Choose? Company Driver or Owner Operator?
The only person who can answer this question is YOU, but there are some ways to tell which may work best for you.
For example, it is important to consider the obligations that you have outside of work. If you require your time off to be spent with family or taking care of health issues, you may want to become a company driver.
Being an owner operator gives you complete freedom to schedule your time the way you like.
Another thing to consider are your short and long-term goals. If you have a specific financial goal in mind, you may benefit from being an owner operator because this will allow you to have more control over your financial future.
You may not want to deal with the additional costs of running your own business and being a company driver may work better for your savings.
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