How do big companies operate?

As Owner Operators, they are the Boss. They can take the load as is, negotiate for a better rate, or reject the load. To do otherwise makes them an employee. Company drivers are employees and based on their job description, take the loads as assigned to them as long as they are legal and reasonable.

 

Sounds like a recipe for disaster. When an owner operator comes to work for me I explain the rate sheet to him, what we do where we run and the percentages, they say yes or no then. After that it’s load and go.

 

Your dad sounds like a good guy. All the truck owners I know who lease on with companies that let them run the way the want are the happiest.

Guys who get on with Scrooge McMoney on the Brain24/7 PushThemDrivers are not so happy.

As long as the truck is making the motor carrier some money, what's the big deal?

 

It’s works any which way you can imagine. My guess is your Dad is afraid of losing them so he lets them lean on him pretty hard. His turnover is pretty low I bet though. I personally wouldn’t let someone tell me how to run “their business” when without my business, they are out of business.
Fact is he may do better for them if he did it without his arms tied behind his back. Or, he may do worse and that’s one reason they have so much say.