Do independent contractors set their own hours?

To that extent no as a rule.

 

Well there is always that one guy somewhere that is looking for someone to share the work load

 

If you own you're truck outright (or have very small principal payments) and have no large bank notes or insurance premiums due, and can get on with the right company, perhaps you can pretty much work when you want. But most independent contractors "rent/lease" their trucks which forces them to keep moving, or default on notes and minimum payments, while their families do without a lot of basics

 

got to give the service that your customers want,,if you take off too much you won't make money dependability is important,

got a call from one of my best paying brokers,,had only been home 4 hours after being out 3 1/2 weeks ,,was planning a week or so off,
well he CALLED ME and offered me $2K to deadhead 400 miles pick up a flat bed with 4,000lbs on it and take it 4 miles to be unloaded. Really lucked on on this move,,took my rgn with me and after I unloaded the flat I ended up booking an other load the same day 100 miles away paying over $4/mile going 1800 miles. When the fish are biting you keep you hook in the water,,never know when the fish will be there next time..

 

If you have appointment times for pickups and deliveries, those have to be met. Otherwise, you can run whatever hours you desire, so long as you are in compliance with the HOS. If you want to take time off and can afford it, you just don't take any loads those days. If you've got a truck payment or a lot of other bills to pay, you'd better not take off too many days because if you aren't working, you're not making any money. Then again, if you aren't careful you might not be making any money even when you ARE working! Remember, unlike a company driver who gets paid just for running miles or who gets a percentage of the freight bill no matter how pathetic the rate might be, an I/C pays for his own fuel, wear & tear on the truck, insurance, employment taxes, etc., etc., etc... If the rate isn't high enough to cover your expenses AND pay yourself to drive the truck (with a little left over for future repairs), you may be better off sitting at home. But, on the other hand, when somebody dangles a good chunk of change in front of you for a load or two when you'd planned to have some time off, it'd be silly not to run those loads. I/C's generally have more freedom to run when they want & where they want BECAUSE they pay their own operating expenses, whereas company drivers are more likely to be under "forced dispatch" and have a set number of "personal" or "vacation" days they are allowed off before they are out of a job. Company has customers who's freight needs to be moved whether you think it is worth your while or not. As a company driver, you'll earn money whether the load was profitable for the company or not.m

 

I own my truck outright. Insurance is less than 300 a month but I have trouble taking a lot of time off the broker quits calling if you never want to work. So do the dedicated accounts. It's not a work when you want deal. As long as your on time it is a run it how you want deal

 

One of the major benefits of being an IC is negotiating better rates for yourself with the broker. With your own authority you don't have to run yourself ragged like you did in your company driving days just to make ends meet. You can negotiate better rates for shorter hauls. In fact the O/O's I work for became IC's just so they wouldn't have to work as hard as they did back in their younger days. Delivering freight coast to coast on short deadlines gets tiring after awhile. Become an IC so you can work smarter not harder.

 

If you want to make money you haul freight when it is available. That means you will sometimes be sitting when you'd rather be driving, and driving when you'd rather be sitting.

OP, if you are just getting into trucking then start out as a company driver for the first couple of years before even considering taking the step into becoming an O/O or IC. Learn the basics of driving and how the industry works, and get a couple years experience under your belt to put on your resume. If you really want to be a business owner after that, then go purchase a truck and be prepared to run a business.