Yearly Pay Numbers For 2019

Forgive me for reviving an older thread, but I thought it might be helpful to insert something here. I was just reading (Freightwaves) a report based on comments from Todd Amen, the president of ATBS (American Truck Business Services). Check out his recent comments regarding 2019 average O/O income...

Other economic conditions Amen discussed included the average owner-operator net income in 2019, which was $63,722. It was a decrease of around 2% from 2018 net income of $65,000.

Doesn't that look remarkable when you compare it with some of the company driver's pay numbers revealed in this conversation? It's also right in line with what some of our owner/operators here in our forum have told us they are earning.

That's a bit more than my take-home pay for last year as a company driver.

...the average owner-operator net income in 2019, which was $63,722. It was a decrease of around 2% from 2018 net income of $65,000.

So owner-operators are paying about $20,000 per year for the privilege of owning their own truck. So every two years they're giving up enough money to pay cash for a new pickup truck and every 7 - 10 years they're giving up the equivalent of paying cash for a house.

But owning their own truck isn't the only privilege. They also have way more stress, take huge financial risks, and do way more work than a company driver.

I respect a person's decision to take their own path in life. After all, I do things with my life that plenty of people would find crazy. But I can't imagine giving up $20,000 dollars a year just to own a truck when you're doing the same job as a company driver anyhow.

Brett, you're missing one of the biggest perks of being an O/O!

I can put as many stickers on as I want to!

It's more about the chrome than anything else. If these company trucks came chromed out nobody would buy a truck.

Brett, you're missing one of the biggest perks of being an O/O!

I can put as many stickers on as I want to!