Should I leave my job to become an owner operator

Exactly.

 

You won't double your salary if you're making $1800 now.

Edit: I probably shouldn't say won't. I suppose it's possible. My personal experience so far doesn't bear that out though, since we're talking day cabs/home daily. I don't have a non-salary significant other who can dispatch me though either. So I guess it might happen. At least while rates are good.

 

I think to maximize your income with a day cab you need someone to find loads and book them and dispatch you while you're busy driving, so you can keep moving. Sitting is the enemy in a day cab, and it takes time to set up with each new broker. They require you to sign contracts, submit insurance, w-9, etc and then you get a rate confirmation to read and sign and send back. Once you're set up with a broker it's easier, but you may never work with the same one twice.

With a sleeper you can run a one way leg, stop and find something during your 10, and book it yourself.

With a day cab you can't take a 10 at the end of a one way leg unless you get hotels, which isn't the home daily you want. Everything you do has to be done within that 14. Stopping to book a backhaul takes away precious travel time to get home. If you're doing a live load or unload you can do it then, but lives are unpredictable so it's harder to pick something you know you will actually be able to get.

Big companies like fuel haulers, contract haulers, and such can get away with it because their routes are predetermined. Spot market is harder because it's random.

With a sleeper you can stop wherever and if you don't find anything right away, sit tight and wait.

 

Unless being a oo is your hard held dream , invest that money , index funds , mutual funds , Roth etc . Most owner operators retire with a McDonald's kids meal toy , or wouldn't last 3 months without income. You'll have far more money letting it work for you than being a one man trucking company. That's what iv been doing rather than buying a truck