How To Become A Driver/Owner Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a driver/owner operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A Driver/Owner Operator is in possession of a truck and is not afraid to use it. He/She or she has a CDL driver's license, too, and ample experience in driving large vehicles.

Owner-operators steer clear from drugs and respect road rules, at least on the job. They are responsible for making sure both cargo and the truck they are driving arrive safely at the destination. They keep their rigs clean and fully operational, checking regularly for damage.

They also have to load and unload their trucks, communicate with dispatchers, plan their routes, and log their deliveries. As they usually work on a freelance basis, they have to find their own clients as well, submit their taxes, and make sure they make more than what they spend.

ScoreDriver/Owner OperatorUS Average

Salary

9.4

Avg. Salary $169,793

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.82%

Asian 3.81%

Black or African American 12.77%

Hispanic or Latino 21.60%

Unknown 4.77%

White 56.23%

Gender

female 10.57%

male 89.43%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.6

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

1.4

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a driver/owner operator

Explore driver/owner operator education requirements

Most common driver/owner operator degrees

High School Diploma

44.1 %

Associate

16.6 %

Bachelor's

14.0 %

Start to develop specific driver/owner operator skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	36.39%
DOT	26.23%
OTR	24.53%
PET	3.16%
Hazmat	2.28%

Complete relevant driver/owner operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New driver/owner operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a driver/owner operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real driver/owner operator resumes.

Gain additional driver/owner operator certifications

Driver/owner operator certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific driver/owner operator certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for driver/owner operators include Commercial Driver License (CDL) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

More About Certifications

Research driver/owner operator duties and responsibilities

Train new students to help them accomplish there goal of obtaining there CDL license.
Direct daily operations of four profit centers, managing all financial functions to include A/R, A/P, payroll and purchasing.
Load and unload crude oil with PTO and lack.
Follow all safety procedures including wearing proper PPE, able to thief, gauge and test the oil.

Prepare your driver/owner operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your driver/owner operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a driver/owner operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable driver/owner operator resume templates

Build a professional driver/owner operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your driver/owner operator resume.

Apply for driver/owner operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a driver/owner operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do driver/owner operators rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Driver/owner operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022

Cons

Cinema

Pros

Experience 8 year GCC county almost work driving responsibility passenger drop location and food delivery timing driving delivery I am work hope

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

The ability to gain the trust of a customer to know satisfied and happy with the assignments set all personal belongings and artifacts have not been touched or moved and deliver to him one time it is a sure note for return business which Fields customer service and repetitive returns safety orientated and knowledgeable have a special detail and driving skills safety assured first and foremost

Cons

The sitting gets blow drug out sometimes I pretty much get all the ins and outs out of the way before I start the detail or accept the assignment so there's really no Lykes to say about I love my job

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019

Pros

Independent. I'm my own boss.

Cons

The money is NOT coming in as fast/regular as i need it to.

What is a driver/owner operator and how to become one

Driver/owner operator career paths

Key steps to become a driver/owner operator

Explore driver/owner operator education requirements

Most common driver/owner operator degrees

Start to develop specific driver/owner operator skills

Complete relevant driver/owner operator training and internships

Gain additional driver/owner operator certifications

Research driver/owner operator duties and responsibilities

Prepare your driver/owner operator resume

Choose from 10+ customizable driver/owner operator resume templates

Apply for driver/owner operator jobs

How did you land your first driver/owner operator job

Average driver/owner operator salary

How do driver/owner operators rate their job?

Driver/owner operator reviews

Driver/owner operator jobs by state