Thinking About Starting a Trucking Business?

Thinking About Starting a Trucking Business?

How Much Does It Really Cost to Run a Truck?

Thinking about starting a trucking company or becoming an owner-operator? Here’s a realistic breakdown of costs you’ll face and what it takes to stay profitable.

Example: John the New Owner-Operator

John runs a dry van, operates under his own authority, and hauls 100% brokered load board freight. He drives weekdays and is home on weekends.

Monthly Expenses

  • Truck Payment: $1,500
  • Trailer Payment: $600
  • Maintenance: $2,000
  • Insurance: $1,200
  • Fuel: $5,000
  • Driver Salary: $6,000
  • Plates, IFTA, Misc: $1,000

Total Monthly Costs: $17,300

Owner Compensation & Revenue Goal

To pay himself $1,000/week, John needs to earn at least $22,000/month or $5,500/week.

Additional Fees

  • Factoring: ~3%
  • Dispatcher: ~5–10%
Semi truck in repair shop
Unexpected repairs can cost thousands

Unexpected Costs

  • DEF system repairs: $6,000+
  • Towing: $1,000+
  • Engine rebuilds: Up to $40,000
  • Time off = revenue lost

What It Really Takes to Succeed

Being an owner-operator isn’t for everyone. You’ll need grit, discipline, and negotiation skills to survive the ups and downs of the freight market.

  • Make 50+ calls a day to secure loads
  • Manage cash flow and expenses tightly
  • Handle tough brokers and rate pressure
  • Keep your truck running with preventive maintenance

Jay Schmidlapp
President, Freight Girlz & We Got This Trucking LLC an asset based trucking company.