10/12/2022 03:55
The U.S. truckload market is made up of
many small and medium-sized carriers. These carriers are often regional or
local in nature, and they compete fiercely for business.
The result is a fragmented market that can be difficult to navigate. But
despite its size and complexity, the truckload market is an essential part of
the U.S. economy. It allows businesses of all sizes to move goods across the
country, and it plays a vital role in keeping the supply chain moving.
Owner-operators are a key component of the truckload market, and the way
they fit into it both drives and responds to the rates and capacity you see out
there day to day.
As independent contractors, they are both nimble and reactive to changes in
the market, which can lead to higher rates when demand is high and capacity is
tight. However, because they are not beholden to any one carrier or shipper,
they can also quickly exit the market when rates drop, leading to further
volatility.
Ultimately, the more we know about the people who make up the truckload
market, the better we can make sense of its volatility.
There is over 3.5 million commercial driver's license (CDL) holders in the
United States. Many of these drivers are not employed in long-haul trucking,
but rather in local delivery, dispatching, heavy equipment hauling, truck
driving school instruction, or bus driving.
This wide range of occupations reflects the versatility and necessity of
commercial drivers in our economy.
The remaining drivers can be divided into two groups: long-haul cargo truck
drivers and those who drive for long-haul purposes.
There are 799,342 private fleets in the U.S., all of which are in-house teams of trucks that businesses use to move their own cargo. These private fleets generally use employee drivers, making them a reliable and efficient way to transport goods.
For-Hire Trucking Companies:
There are 928,647 For-Hire carriers in the United States, these are carriers
who contract with shippers to move loads. Owner-operators are within this
category.
There is no precise data on the number of drivers employed by each segment
of the for-hire market, but we can estimate that there are no more than a
million drivers working in this market.
This is due to the extreme fragmentation of the for-hire carrier market — 97% of U.S. carriers operate fewer than 20 trucks.
A mere fraction of drivers at for-hire trucking companies is independent
contractors. The rest are full-time employees of a motor carrier, often
referred to as "employee drivers."
Truckers who choose to be full-time employees do so for several reasons, the
most common being the stability and benefits that come with being a full-time
employee.
Though they may not own a truck and need to drive one owned by their
employer, they might want the stability of a regular salary and full-time
benefits like health insurance. Depending on their employer and/or seniority,
they may be paid quite comfortably.
"Owner-operator" is a broad term that covers different ways
drivers who own their own equipment can choose to work.
Although the term "commercial motor vehicle" is quite general, the
FMCSA does not choose to define it.
All owner-operators in the current trucking labor market have one thing in
common: they are all independent contractors who sell their services to
shippers and/or lease their equipment to a motor carrier company.
As savvy independent contractors, they are both drivers and business owners.
This can mean they are a team of one, booking loads and driving their own truck
with precision.
However, they also might serve as both drivers and dispatchers, working in
the field themselves but also managing loads for a few other drivers who
operate under their authority.
They are a proud truck driver who, through hard work and dedication, has earned the
privilege of owning their own business and operating their own truck.
They are a cut above the rest, providing their services directly to shippers
and/or leasing their equipment and services to a motor carrier company. They
are true entrepreneurs, paving the way for a new generation of truck drivers.
Motor carriers who choose this path typically do not have their own
authority granted by the DOT. This means they are not able to operate fully
independently from a motor carrier company.
Even though they are not technically employees of the motor carrier
they lease their services to, they typically have the following
characteristics:
One of the main reasons that independent contractor truckers choose this
path is that they may have difficulty qualifying for owner-operator insurance.
If that is the case, they can be covered under a motor carrier’s policy by
agreeing to drive exclusively for them.
True independents are those who hold their own DOT motor carrier authority
and operate as their own business entity. They are the business owners who
answer to no one but themselves, and they are the backbone of the American
economy.
The term "owner-operator" usually refers to a class of business
owner who operates their own truck or small fleet. This type of business owner
is usually a driver-dispatcher who is responsible for their own trucking
operation.
Because they are incorporated on their own as motor carriers, these
drivers:
The advantages of complete independence are alluring, but one must be
willing to sacrifice security for those freedoms as an owner-operator.
Though these drivers are free to set their prices and choose their time and
location of work, they are also burdened with the task of securing their own
health insurance and paying their own business expenses.
Now that you have a better idea of what is an owner-operator, it's time to
connect with them. In line with that, we at Labworks USA have a vast network of owner-operator for
which we offer our DOT and FMCSA compliance services.
Feel free to connect with us today.