Oh man....that's a good one.

Bed Bugger - Interior home placement professional

I know quite a few single truck carriers who still consider themselves to be owner operators. They are owners of the truck and they do operate it. The odd thing is that every time I get something from the Feds about my authority they always address me as "motor carrier." :? Oh, I get it.....it must be because I have more than one truck. :roll: :wink: What about the guy who owns a single truck and doesn't drive it. He has a driver in it? Would you consider him to be a carrier or owner operator? Maybe he is actually a owner non-operator. :lol:

Since 'leased-on' owner-oprators are actually employees (without the benefits of WC and other benefits) of carriers with their own authoritiy, it seems the 'distinction' of motor carrier is more appropriate for truckers with their own authority.

I will stick to 'carriers' for those with authority to clearly define between the 'two worlds.'

I would address this as an 'absentee owner-operator' if equipment is leased-on and simply a motor carrier if trucking with own authority.

I'd rather B more 'specific,' I'd certainlly want to know who I'm dealing with.

-My 2 cents, THX for your input.

....and all these years I thought O/O on the side of the truck meant he was on percentage.

If you are leased on, you may OWN the truck, but you are OPERATING the truck under that CARRIERS authority, insurance, direction.

Before I got my own authority (interesting word authority), I always thought owner operators were just as the name implied, self employed, and they are, just in more like a franchise form. Just like when a business is franchised, you give up some of your autonomy (authority), for potential increased efficiency and productivity, due to greater purchasing power. Some people like this form of business, and others find it too restrictive. To each his own.


jonboy

I, myself, am a certified freight relocation engineer!! :roll:

Re: Owner-Operator / motor carrier difference?
 

Big D...I hate to point out the obvious here...but by having your "OWN" authority, as well as your own insurance that meets DOT qualifications, you are a "MOTOR CARRIER". In fact..you yourself could lease in "Owner-Operator's" if you chose to do so.

That DOT number as well as the MC number that accompanies it, are what makes you a Motor Carrier.

I was talking to some guys at a truckstop tonite, and they asked me if I was an owner operator, and I told them I was a carrier, and they said you're a what?

They were a little loaded so I was messing with them a bit....

I told them I was not an owner operator, but a carrier, just like JB Hunt or Swift or whatever. They told me there was no way I could be that.

It just cracked me up. :lol:

They somehow didn't think it was possible for a regular person to be a carrier, certainly not someone as green as I am, and with only one truck and trailer.

It is a bit comical as I think about it.

I wish this site's search feature were at least 10% as effective as Google. I have trouble finding most search terms. 'Motor carrier NOT FOUND?' Gimme a break!

Is there a trucker's website that caters to motor carriers/small fleets?

I did the exact search you did. I found 236 matches. Perhaps it's the operator, and not the site.

http://www.worthless1000.com/search.jpg
http://www.worthless1000.com/search1.jpg

Pssst. There's a little button below the search box, that says search any words, or search all words. :wink: