Who becomes an owner operator?

There was an article that came out a little while ago that said there is some giant number of people that have gotten their motor carrier Authority, I think within this last year, and it's some super gigantic ginormous number that surpasses anything in history.

I'm curious who actually it is that becomes owner operators.

So in other words, are they people that have been working for a mega? Are they people that have been working for small fleets? Are they lease operators that have decided now is the time to run their own authority? Are they people with no experience that just decided they want to be in trucking? Some other group that I'm not thinking of? Curious of the percentage.

I am also wondering how it affects truck load capacity. So for example if someone becomes an owner operator but they were working somewhere, are the loads that they're pulling as an owner operator just another load that a company somewhere else is not pulling? Is that job that that person left simply filled by someone else in the industry or is it an addition to the available number of drivers to loads?

I wonder what percentage go into dry van/ reefer/ flatbed?

 

I was one of those people this year. Was all ready to go and decided to go with a carrier instead.

 

When things slow down again, it's gonna be just like in the 2nd half of 2018 and 2019 years. Contract rates are gonna hold kinda steady, but spot market is gonna be a complete crap

 

When the rates go up everybody and their brother buys a truck and gets authority. Then they give it back to the bank when the rates go down

 

Some are spare authority to keep things moving when they lose their current one .

 

I think the number is 156k authority granted so far this year? Next closest was 2019 at 44k granted.

I started my authority this year. I was leased on somewhere else the last 6 years and I was not replaced there, so I’m a wash in the market.

I think a lot of the reason for the higher numbers is the AB5 law in California and the potential it has to go national? Its one of the MANY reasons I moved forward and got my own numbers. I had a good deal leased on and I’m not really making more money at the end of the year but my independence is the whole reason I got my own equipment in the first place.

 

‘Beyond unprecedented’ surge in authorized drivers continues to flood market

@JonJon78 posted it in another thread.

 

Probably for the same reason people still get married today,,

 

I believe it's all of the above. A little bit of everything. All I really care about is when are they going to leave so I can get back to making better coin?! This time last year, my phone would explode the minute I posted my truck because there were simply no trucks available in my area. Now it's the opposite. It's not that I'm hurting but the capacity issue is blatantly obvious around here.

 

The article was the first I heard about actual numbers. I had been wondering. Certainly seeing a lot of new O/Os mostly with dry vans and Reefers. The ones who were previously leased on, will probably stay. The ones that bought new equipment may have a harder time with large payments on equipment. I’m just happy to see more working for smaller Companies, whether leased on as an O/O or Company Driver. Hopefully that will translate into less Political Power for the Megas. Now would be a great time to Combat their Propaganda of a Drivers shortage. Keeping pay up for all of Us. We’re all in the same boat. O/Os Independant or Leased. Small Fleets, and all Company Drivers. We all have the same forces driving our pay, Tax rules, subsidies and Regulations that are too many times tailored to the Megas. Any decrease in their Power and influence is good for the Industry. Drivers especially. We’re all Drivers. We make it happen. We should be concerned about our survival above all else. Instead of being devided by Titles.