Should I go Owner Operator now? Advice is appreciated.

Get your own authority. No sense in leaving what you’re doing now if not.

 

If you were to run your own gig right now, you'd most likely be making more than what you do at your job but there is no guarantee for how much longer it will continue.
Your current pay is excellent. You are home every week to do reset at home. As a matter of fact you are making more than many o/o with own authority do on average, myself included.
Yes, there are moments like the last 10 months when the money that they pay us is outstanding but this is not something we can hope to last, as the past shows. When you take the average from the last 10 years, it may not be 90k for the most of us.
So if it were strictly based on financial reasons, I would not be allured to the current euphoria, especially that your are in a great earning position.
However, I like the romantic idea of you and your wife traveling together and make money. It is not all about money...!
As a matter of fact, I and my wife were thinking about the same when the right time comes - closer to my retirement and when our teenage son is on his own.

 

Let me ask the op this.

do you have 6 months to pay the bills when the economy tanks?


We are on the front lines and there are serious changes coming to this industry soon.

 

Sometimes the lifestyle is more important than money. I haul out of a mill 15 minutes away and never more than an hour from home. I’ve had two offers at other mills in the last month that pay better, but I’m happy where I am.

My point is, if you want to do it I think you should. Money is nice, but it’s not necessarily always better. That is good money though for being a company driver. I own my truck and don’t pay myself that well by a ways.

 

High 90k per year? Whow, that's good money when considering to leave and become an O/O something I've also been debating after 26 years of trucking earning similar money (high $80k/annually). However, being in Canada the rates seem to be changing and only certain lanes (East coast) mainly seems to earn the most whiles running to California too. But unless you're running team to Cali from here the time restraint because of Elogs opposes to 20 years ago.

I'd say go for it if that's what you want because everyone has a dream and that's understandable.

 

I think submarine freight is where it's at.

 

Your insurance is gonna be your biggest obstacle. And having like already mentioned, a maintenance fund.

 

Seriously doubt you'll make as much as an O/O for the first 2-5 years as you're making as a company driver now. Insurance alone on your truck and your personal medical insurance will eat up a ton of your profits. If you really want to see all 48 states, get a job with a small to medium sized carrier for an OTR job. I'm not saying it isn't possible if you really hustle, but it sounds like you have a sweet gig now, and should think long and hard before giving it up.