What does a driver/owner operator do?

Driver/owner-operators are self-employed commercial truck drivers who operate trucks to transport goods for their customers. Most of these operators started working as drivers for trucking companies to gain experience and decide if it's the right career path for them. They are allowed to haul freelance or agree to a lease agreement dedicating their equipment to one product or customer. To become an owner-operator, one should consider many things, including business set-up, vehicle type, and licenses.
Driver/owner operator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real driver/owner operator resumes:
- 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.
- Roll off, tractor trailer, dump truck and heavy equipment operator all dot inspections on truck, equipment inspections
- Complete log sheet on QUALCOMM.
- Follow FMCSA rules and requirememts.
- Transport various commodities in smooth bore tankers.
- Deliver liquid pet food to nestle/purine in a tanker
- Follow all company and OSHA safety policy requirements.
- Haul various commodities, by way of tanker/flatbed/Dump/Van.
- Transport LTL freight in single and double trailers.
- Possess TWIC card and have an excellent safety record.
- Operate pneumatic tank trailers (semi and doubles).
- Deliver LTL freight to service centers and turn around points.
Driver/owner operator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 36% of Driver/Owner Operators are proficient in CDL, DOT, and OTR. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Physical health, and Visual ability.
We break down the percentage of Driver/Owner Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CDL, 36%
Performed all duties associated with a Class A CDL drive and 24/7 on call driving and towing.
- DOT, 26%
Obtained & maintained proper deliver authorization & pickup documentation, conducted daily DOT inspections.
- OTR, 25%
Time off, Home time, Hours of Service, Daily Communication with Drivers OTR, Pay Advances
- PET, 3%
Leveraged solid exposure to veterinary medicine to recognize medical problems and direct owners in seeking veterinary care for the pet.
- Hazmat, 2%
Participate in the control, prevention, and cleanup of oil spills and other Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) incidents.
- Safety Regulations, 1%
Followed regulations governing taxi operation and ensured that passengers followed safety regulations.
Most driver/owner operators use their skills in "cdl," "dot," and "otr" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential driver/owner operator responsibilities here:
Hand-eye coordination. One of the key soft skills for a driver/owner operator to have is hand-eye coordination. You can see how this relates to what driver/owner operators do because "drivers of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers must be able to coordinate their legs, hands, and eyes simultaneously so that they will react appropriately to the situation around them and drive the vehicle safely." Additionally, a driver/owner operator resume shows how driver/owner operators use hand-eye coordination: "manage others to organize coordination of efficient transportation and customer service. "
Physical health. Another essential skill to perform driver/owner operator duties is physical health. Driver/owner operators responsibilities require that "federal regulations do not allow people to become truck drivers if they have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure or epilepsy, which may interfere with their ability to operate a truck." Driver/owner operators also use physical health in their role according to a real resume snippet: "achieved all loading and unloading weight requirements from 25 to 70 pounds and assured completion of dot physical exams annually. "
Visual ability. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of driver/owner operators is visual ability. This skill is critical to many everyday driver/owner operator duties, as "truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "conduct and, if applicable document, pre and post vehicle inspections, site inspections and visual tank inspections. "
The three companies that hire the most driver/owner operators are:
- Cws Dedicated Service, Inc2,043 driver/owner operators jobs
- Premier Transportation1,851 driver/owner operators jobs
- ContainerPort Group1,173 driver/owner operators jobs
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Driver/owner operator vs. Tractor-trailer driver
A tractor-trailer driver is responsible for picking up and delivering goods and services from distribution centers and warehouses to different locations across the country as required. Tractor-trailer drivers manage the best route planning to prevent delays. They should also have extensive knowledge of the mechanical industry, inspecting the vehicle's condition regularly, repairing any inconsistencies, and replacing defective components to ensure smooth operations. A tractor-trailer driver must have excellent communication and organizational skills, responding to the clients' inquiries and concerns and escalating complaints to management for immediate resolution.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between driver/owner operators and tractor-trailer driver. For instance, driver/owner operator responsibilities require skills such as "pet," "eagle," "dump truck," and "end dump." Whereas a tractor-trailer driver is skilled in "customer service," "pallet jack," "commercial vehicles," and "delivery schedules." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Tractor-trailer drivers tend to make the most money working in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $58,745. In contrast, driver/owner operators make the biggest average salary, $155,268, in the energy industry.tractor-trailer drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than driver/owner operators. In fact, tractor-trailer drivers are 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Driver/owner operator vs. Transportation driver
A transportation driver is responsible for transporting people and goods from one place to another. A transportation driver must have a clean driving record to operate vehicles carefully and efficiently. Transportation drivers must ensure that the passengers are safe and comfortable during the trip and that goods are in proper condition to avoid damage and defects. They should strictly adhere to the transport schedules and assigned routes to avoid delays of operations. A transportation driver should also understand maintenance basics of vehicles to perform repair and reconditioning of any engine malfunction.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that driver/owner operator responsibilities requires skills like "pet," "safety regulations," "traffic violations," and "eagle." But a transportation driver might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "tractor trailer," "cleanliness," "patients," and "shuttle bus."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Transportation drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than driver/owner operators. In fact, they're 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Driver/owner operator vs. Over the road driver
Over the road, (OTR) drivers are the truckers driving the big semi-trailer truck that hauls all types of goods to their destinations across the states. Their journey typically begins with loading the freight onto the trailer, requiring them to lift heavy materials and load the cargo properly to avoid shifting while in transit. They often sleep in the sleeper berth at a truck stop to eat, freshen up and refuel. They are allowed to go on a 30-minute break after an eight-hour drive.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, driver/owner operators are more likely to have skills like "dot," "otr," "eagle," and "dump truck." But a over the road driver is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "ltl," "dot regulations," and "cleanliness."
Over the road drivers earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $62,648. Driver/owner operators earn the highest pay from the energy industry, with an average salary of $155,268.When it comes to education, over the road drivers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to driver/owner operators. In fact, they're 0.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Driver/owner operator vs. Cdl class a driver
A CDL Class A driver is a driver with a Class A commercial driver's license. A commercial driver's license is necessary to operate large, heavy, and placarded vehicles. There are several classifications of a commercial driver's license, and Class A is for a car towing a trailer with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds (5 t). Drivers with this type of license are entitled to operate a commercial motor vehicle such as passenger buses, tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and dump trucks. They have the choice to add endorsements to their CDL, which allows them to operate particular types of commercial motor vehicles.
Types of driver/owner operator
Updated January 8, 2025











