Being an Owner Operator vs. City Unionized Driver

Dude, stop trying to justify your want to move to something that we - experienced drivers/owners - think you will regret.

You think all of that crap doesn't happen on this side of the fence?

It does and worst.

Try getting fired 2000 miles from home with your crap thrown out of the truck at a truck stop.

Talk about traffic, I used to do a number of loads that went up to Connecticut, I always got a load out of Philiy Friday afternoon and always hit that outbound NYC traffic. You want to talk about traffic, that was bad.

Just an FYI, the failure rate as an owner is over 85%.

You have protection, seniority and a pension, keep doing what you are doing, retire and get an rv to see the country.

 

Sounds like you have about the easiest job in trucking. If you get paid more than minimum wage, you should definitely stick with it.

 

I see your question backward to the way that you asked it. If I understand you you're not asking whether an owner operator would switch with a senior Union driver, you're asking if a senior Union driver would switch with an owner operator.

Decisions like you are contemplating are really about risk and reward. For you to leave your position to become an owner operator there is much greater risk than reward.

If you are a senior driver and you are less than 10 years from retirement, and you will get a full pension, and you are making around $80,000 a year, as far as risk and reward it is better for you to stay where you are.

This is assuming that you can deal with whatever crappy trucks you have to drive, whatever crappy management scrutinizes you, whatever crappy customers you deliver to or crappy routes that you do. As long as you can deal with that you're in a really good place.

You asked about gross earnings but really it's about the net. There are owner-operators that make well over a hundred thousand, but most are probably making what you are making or less without the benefits or the pension, with a lot of work and headaches.

Now if you are someone that has always wanted to run your own business and you hate where you are and your stomach is in knots everyday and you don't know how you can continue, then you'll have to think about what to do.

But as long as you can handle what is going on where you are, the grass is not greener.

 

My last company was Cali. Twice a week. That's all his trucks do. With an occasional Phx. Or OR/WA

 

It Definitely was for me, but I still wouldn’t try to talk anyone in to leaving a good job they like. The reason being is that two people can do exactly the same thing and get different results.

 

I was not the one fired and left at a truck stop, I used that as an example, but I have fired people and left them where they were, this resulted from one or another very serious legal issue, the last had to do with a hitchhiker and drugs.

But that said ... even if I had 17 years left, I would not move.