Today’s economy is hitting everyone hard - from the store shelves to filling up the family car. Let’s face it, even manufacturers are cutting back – does this mean the trucking industry is in trouble as well? Freight is said to be down and rumor is carriers are beginning to pit one against the other. A domino effect is upon trucking that is hurting the truck driver.

Even with these troubling times, I wonder why many continue to stay in the business of trucking, why not become company drivers and forget the hassles of being an independent contractor?

I’ll tell you why, Owner-Operators on the roads today are the reason why many family owned business are a success and will continue to be successful; they are a team of players that know the bottom line must be met to overcome obstacles. Those who thought owning their own rigs was “fun” are slowly being weeded out, the real business men and women are the survivors of trucking.

Driving a rig is what most only know - it’s been their life. A driver once told me, “being leased to the right outfit means success.” Although he says he’s not getting rich and is just sliding by, “I like having the independence of being an owner operator. I don’t have to be jumping jobs as a company driver to get better pay. I am able to control my life and my outlook in this industry. It’s like a love hate relationship but it’s something I know how to do and what to do.”

Starting from the beginning is what will consider a successful journey or not. I suggest that those wishing to still enter trucking to “lease to a larger company; one who assists in paying expenses like tags, insurance, trailer repairs, etc. As what many full independent carriers are finding is the new business to continue to be profitable. It’s important that anyone wishing to attempt going into being an owner operator now days, don’t only talk to the owner operators who are leased on to a carrier, talk to the company drivers as well, get a complete feel of the carrier.

Many enjoy the freedom of the road, to get out and move around. It’s provided us the ability to put our son through college, buy a home. The only way we can keep paying the bills is to keep on trucking. We’ve been in trucking 25 some years and have learned that many do a lot of their own work on the truck that they possibly can to save costs like shocks, batteries, pretty much anything but electronics.

Although we are going through some rough times in this industry, the professional owner operator is continuing to survive. As in any avenue in life, learning experience is how to be successful.