OWNER-OPERATOR GUIDE / LEASING ON
Owner operator companies: how to find the best carrier to lease on to
By Daniel, truck dispatcher
Owner operator companies are the motor carriers you can lease your truck to: you haul under their authority, they find the freight, and you are paid on a settlement. Searching for the best ones mostly turns up recruiting ads and lists with no stated method. This guide does it the other way round. It sets out what to compare, shows what a few carriers actually publish about their owner operator programs as of October 2026, and works through two EXAMPLE offers to show why the headline percentage is never the whole story.
Why there's no ranked list here
The terms that decide what you take home, the pay percentage, the chargebacks and the weekly miles, are rarely published. Of the carrier recruiting pages we checked, none stated its pay percentage. Terms also vary by equipment, by division and by year. A ranked list would have to guess at the numbers that matter, so instead we give you the criteria, the questions, and the math to rank the offers in front of you.
Ten things to compare between owner operator companies
| What to compare | What to ask for in writing | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Pay model | Percentage of what (line haul only, or all revenue), or rate per mile | 70% of line haul and 70% of revenue are different numbers |
| Fuel surcharge | Share passed through to you, and the formula | On some loads it is a large share of the gross |
| Accessorials | Your share of detention, stop-off, tarp and layover pay | Unpaid waiting time is your cost |
| Freight bills | A copy of the rated freight bill with each settlement | Required under 376.12(g) when paid a percentage |
| Chargebacks | Every deduction with an amount or formula | Required under 376.12(h); vague lists grow |
| Trailer | Trailer rental fee per week, or your own trailer and a higher share | A weekly fee can cancel a higher percentage |
| Fuel and tire discounts | The discount at named stops, and whether it reaches your settlement | Fuel is your largest cost |
| Dispatch | Forced or non-forced dispatch, and how loads are offered | Decides your lanes, home time and freedom to refuse |
| Weekly miles | Average loaded miles for trucks like yours last year | A good percentage of too few miles is a bad week |
| Escrow and exit | Escrow amount, interest, notice period, return date | 376.12(k) requires return within 45 days of the lease ending |
SOURCE: LEGAL INFORMATION INSTITUTE, 49 CFR 376.12 (LEASE REQUIREMENTS), OCT 27, 2026
What carriers publish about their owner operator programs
We looked at the owner operator recruiting pages of several large carriers and kept those whose pages loaded and stated program terms. Inclusion is not a recommendation, and we have no business relationship with any of them.
| Carrier | Pay model, as published | Fuel surcharge | Dispatch | Other published terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landstar (BCO program) | Percentage pay; "as rates go up, so do your settlements" | Not stated on the page | 100% non-forced; 24/7 load board | Discounts on tires, fuel, equipment and business services through its LCAPP program |
| J.B. Hunt (owner operators) | A percentage of the revenue collected for each load | 100% pass-through | No forced dispatch; load board access | Plan routes to get home as often as you like |
| Mercer | Not stated on the page | Not stated | Not stated | Says it has never owned company equipment to compete with its owner operators; fleet discounts on fuel and tires; fast pay program |
All three point you to a recruiter or an application for the actual percentage, deductions and requirements. That is normal, and it is the reason to ask for the lease itself before orientation.
SOURCE: LANDSTAR, INDEPENDENT OWNER-OPERATORS PAGE, OCT 27, 2026
SOURCE: J.B. HUNT, OWNER OPERATORS, HIGHWAY SERVICES, OCT 27, 2026
SOURCE: MERCER, OWNER-OPERATOR JOBS, OCT 27, 2026
Two EXAMPLE offers, side by side
The percentage is the first number a recruiter mentions and the least useful one on its own. Two made-up offers for the same dry van truck, each running 2,200 loaded miles a week at the DAT national averages for August 2026: $2.19 a mile line haul and 70 cents a mile fuel surcharge.
| EXAMPLE week | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Share of line haul ($4,818) | 75%: $3,614 | 65%: $3,132 |
| Fuel surcharge ($1,540) | 100%: $1,540 | 100%: $1,540 |
| Trailer rental | ($350) | None |
| Plates and ELD chargebacks | ($120) | None |
| Paid to you before fuel and truck costs | $4,684 | $4,672 |
Ten points of percentage apart, and $12 a week apart once the deductions come out. Now give Offer B 200 more loaded miles a week, because its freight is steadier: it pays $5,096, over $400 a week more than A. Miles and deductions decided this comparison, not the headline. Run real offers through the take-home pay calculator with your own fuel and truck costs, which come off both offers the same way and are listed in owner operator expenses.
SOURCE: DAT NATIONAL AVERAGES, AUGUST 2026, SEP 15, 2026
Flatbed, car hauler and specialized owner operator companies
The same ten checks apply, with a few additions by equipment:
- Flatbed owner operator companies. Ask whether tarp pay and securement equipment are paid to you in full, who supplies tarps and chains, and whether the carrier deducts for tarp damage.
- Owner operator car transport companies. Damage claims are the big risk. Under 376.12(j)(3), the lease must say when cargo or property damage can be deducted from your settlement, and you get a written, itemized explanation before it is taken.
- Reefer. Ask who pays reefer fuel and whether the surcharge covers it, and how a load claim from a unit failure is handled.
- Tanker and hazmat. Ask about endorsements, required training and who pays for tank washes.
Questions to ask any recruiter
- Can I have the lease to read at home before orientation?
- What percentage do I get, and of what exactly?
- How much of the fuel surcharge and accessorial pay comes to me?
- What is every chargeback, with the weekly amount or formula?
- What did trucks like mine average in loaded miles per week last year?
- Is dispatch forced? Can I refuse a load without penalty?
- How much escrow do you hold, how is interest paid, and when is it returned?
- What notice do I give to leave, and what happens to plates and escrow then?
A carrier that answers in writing makes comparison possible. One that won't let you see the lease before you commit has told you something useful too.
Leasing on or your own authority
Leasing on is the cheaper way into the owner operator business. The carrier supplies authority, freight, liability insurance and often plates, and in return keeps part of the revenue. That trade can be worth it while you learn your real cost per mile. Once you know it and have a cash reserve, your own authority lets you keep the full rate, and the question becomes who will book your loads. If you go that way, read what an owner operator is for the full picture, and see how dispatch for owner-operators works when the authority is yours. If a lease comes with a truck attached, read lease purchase trucking first.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Have an attorney who knows trucking review any lease before you sign.
Sources
- Legal Information Institute, 49 CFR 376.12, accessed Oct 27, 2026.
- Landstar, J.B. Hunt and Mercer owner operator pages, checked Oct 27, 2026.
- DAT, national spot rate averages for August 2026, published Sep 15, 2026.
Questions owners ask
Q01What is the best company for owner operators?
There isn't one for everybody, because the best fit depends on your equipment, lanes and home time. The best company for owner operators is the one whose written lease, run through a calculator with your own costs, leaves the most per week in an average week. Get at least three leases and compare them line by line.
Q02How do owner operator companies pay?
Usually a percentage of each load's revenue, often of the line haul only, or a rate per mile. Many pass the fuel surcharge through to you, some in full. Deductions for insurance, plates, trailer rental and the ELD come out of each settlement and must be listed in the lease under 49 CFR 376.12(h).
Q03What are 100 percent owner operator trucking companies?
Carriers that haul with leased owner operators instead of their own company trucks, so they are not filling company tractors first. Some say so on their recruiting pages. It can mean more freight for leased trucks, but check average weekly miles for trucks like yours rather than relying on the label.
Q04Is there an owner operator franchise?
Not in the usual sense. Leasing on to a carrier is a contract under the federal truth-in-leasing rules, not a franchise you buy into. Be careful with any program that charges a fee to join or sells you a business package before you haul a load, and read its contract with an attorney.
Q05Should I lease on or get my own authority?
Leasing on costs less to start and the carrier finds the freight, insurance and plates, in exchange for part of the revenue. Your own authority pays the full rate but every cost, every load and every risk is yours. Many owners lease on first to learn their numbers, then go out on their own.
By Daniel, Truck dispatcher
Daniel is a truck dispatcher with 8 years of experience in trucking. Daniel writes and checks the guides, calculators, factoring and compliance pages on BuddyLoads.
UPDATED OCTOBER 2026