Owner-Operator Analysis
Should You Add Them as an Owner-Op?
Enter the details of the owner-operator you're considering. The calculator will tell you if it makes financial sense, recommend the right split, and show your true net profit per load and per month.
📋 Operator Details
STEP 1
What you expect them to generate
They cover this, not you
💰 Your Carrier Costs
STEP 2
Per truck added to your authority
0 if you don't use factoring
0 if you dispatch yourself
Typical: 20–35%
They have their own trailer
Reduces your liability exposure
Family / trusted relationship
Affects risk assessment
Driver has 2+ years experience
Key for insurance rates & safety
💰 Revenue Split Breakdown (Per Load)
Employee Driver Calculator
Driving Your Truck – What Should You Pay?
When a driver operates YOUR truck, the pay structure is completely different. You own all the revenue, cover all costs, and pay the driver a wage or per-mile rate. Calculate the right pay and your true profit.
🚛 Truck & Load Details
STEP 1
$/mile for semi drivers
Used for hourly calc
⚙️ Your Truck Costs
STEP 2
You pay ~7.65% employer share
💡 Industry Pay Rate Reference
2026 STANDARDSNon-CDL Hotshot Driver
$0.35–0.50/mile
OR $18–24/hour
Driving your pickup + trailer setup. Less liability, easier to hire. Common to pay hourly for local runs.
CDL Hotshot Driver
$0.45–0.60/mile
OR $22–28/hour
CDL required. More experienced, more pay. Often used for heavier hotshot loads over 10K lbs.
Semi / OTR Driver
$0.55–0.75/mile
OR $55K–75K/year salary
Full CDL Class A required. Industry average is $0.60/mile for experienced drivers in Texas market.
Local / Drayage Driver
$250–400/day
OR $28–35/hour
Port of Houston container moves. Paid by move or hourly. 2–4 moves/day typical in Houston metro.
Live Market Intelligence · May 2026
Texas Market Rates by Setup
Current spot and contract rates by equipment type in the Texas and South-Central corridor. Updated based on DAT Trendlines data. Use these to set your minimum acceptable rate per load.
🚚 Dry Van – Texas Market
AS OF MAY 2026TX – Northeast
$2.50–2.90
Per mile. Houston/Dallas to Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta. High-demand outbound corridor.
🔥 PREMIUM LANE
TX Cross-Border (Laredo)
$3.00–4.00
Per mile northbound. Mexican imports via Laredo/El Paso. Highest paying dry van in TX.
🔥 TOP PAYING
Houston – Dallas (Local+)
$2.20–2.50
Per mile. I-45 corridor. High volume, competitive. Good for building dedicated lanes.
📊 SOLID LANE
TX Regional Spot Rate
$2.47–2.68
Per mile all-in including fuel surcharge. National spot avg is $2.68 as of April 2026.
📊 MARKET AVG
Port Houston Drayage
$250–400
Per move. 2–4 moves/day possible. No trailer needed – container comes with chassis.
🔥 FAMILY PLAY
Dallas/FW Local Market
$2.26–2.60
Per mile. Consumer goods, imports, industrial. Chicago–FW averaging $2.26/mile for vans.
📊 ACTIVE MARKET
Market Conditions – May 2026
Dry van spot rates up 6.3% month-over-month. Capacity is 89.6% tighter year-over-year. This is a carrier-favorable market – rates are recovering and load volume is increasing. Contract rates running $0.17/mile above spot average. Best time in 2 years to lock in dedicated lane contracts.
🏗️ Flatbed – Texas Market
AS OF MAY 2026National Spot Avg
$3.46
Per mile. Flatbed is the highest-paying standard freight type. Up 12% month-over-month.
🔥 STRONG MARKET
TX Oilfield / Energy
$3.00–4.50
Per mile. Permian Basin, Eagle Ford, Gulf Coast corridors. Consistent demand year-round.
🔥 BEST IN TX
Construction Materials
$2.80–3.40
Per mile. Steel, lumber, equipment. Southeast/Southwest infrastructure spending driving demand.
📈 GROWING
⚡ Hotshot – Texas Market
NON-CDL & CDLNon-CDL Hotshot Spot
$2.20–3.00
Per mile. Your current setup. Oilfield and construction equipment runs paying top end.
📍 YOUR LANE
Oilfield Parts / Urgent
$2.80–4.00
Per mile. Time-critical oilfield parts. Highest hotshot rates. Requires reliability track record.
🔥 PREMIUM
Construction Equipment
$2.40–3.20
Per mile. Job site deliveries, equipment moves. Steady demand across Texas metro areas.
📊 SOLID
🚢 Drayage – Port of Houston
LOCAL OPPORTUNITYPer Container Move
$250–400
Per move. No trailer needed – chassis comes with container. 2-4 moves/day typical.
🔥 FAMILY PLAY
Daily Earning Potential
$500–1,200
Per day per truck. 20 working days = $10K–$24K/month gross per driver in drayage.
🔥 HIGH UPSIDE
Your 25% Carrier Cut
$2,500–6,000
Per driver per month – passive income to Route 713 per family member added.
💰 YOUR PROFIT
Why Drayage is the Move for Your Family
Your family has their own semis but no trailers. Drayage containers come with the chassis – they literally don't need a trailer. Port of Houston is one of the busiest in the US. They register as drayage carriers at the port, you add them to your authority, and they run 2–4 container moves per day staying completely local. Zero deadhead, zero empty miles.
❄️ Reefer – Texas Market
AS OF MAY 2026National Spot Avg
$3.12
Per mile. Up 4.7% month-over-month. Capacity 145.5% tighter year-over-year.
🔥 TIGHT MARKET
Rio Grande Valley (Produce)
$3.50–4.50
Per mile. McAllen/Laredo produce season. Mexican produce imports. Extremely high demand.
🔥 PEAK SEASON
TX – Southeast Reefer
$2.88–3.40
Per mile. Grocery and food distribution. Contract rates 15–30% above spot.
📊 SOLID
Structure Comparison
Owner-Op vs Employee Driver
Not sure which structure is right for a specific driver? Enter one set of numbers and see both scenarios side by side so you can make the right call.