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The Daily Insight

How much does a big rig owner make?

Author

Andrew Ramirez

Published Mar 24, 2026

Owner Operator Truck Driver Salary in California

Annual SalaryWeekly Pay
Top Earners$352,443$6,777
75th Percentile$271,336$5,218
Average$184,851$3,554
25th Percentile$111,090$2,136

Is owning a big rig profitable?

While there are a lot of truck drivers making the determination that now is not a good time to become an owner/operator, thousands of truckers have found a way of remaining profitable – regardless of a sluggish economy, low freight rates, and high fuel costs.

Owner-operators tend to make around $100 – $150k (USD) per year gross, normally placed right around the $141,000 mark.

How to become a successful owner operator in 2021?

How to Become a Successful Owner Operator in 2021 1 2. You’ll need a good credit rating. **Good solid credit. 2 6. Be prepared for a long term financial commitment. **Long term financial commitment. 3 10. Just because you’re an awesome driver, doesn’t mean you’ll be an awesome owner operator.

How much does an owner operator make per year?

In reality, many owner-operators will only take home $45,000-$80,000 per year with a 1st year average of $52,500. Of course, this will vary depending on how much they gross and their actual expenses. Why do owner-operators take home less than half of what they gross? One word: expenses. What kind of expenses do owner-operators have to deal with?

Which is the key to success as an owner operator?

Whether you are a first time owner operator just starting up or a seasoned veteran who knows his operation inside out, we’ve all heard the adage- preparation is the key to success. The more you can plan for your operating expenses, the smoother things will go and you and your trucking business will thrive as a result.

Can a business be run by an owner operator?

Owner-operators have businesses attached to their names and can operate under their authority. This means they can lawfully deliver cargo on their own without being hired by a company. All owner-operators are independent contractors. However, not all independent contractors are owner-operators.