Many companies will market a higher mileage rate for owner operators because it looks good, but then dig into the driver’s check for an expense here and a surcharge there. In the end, it’s not saving them money, they’re actually losing.
This isn’t the case at CTS. With our fuel program, discounted maintenance rates, and consistent miles, our Owner Operators are seeing the financial gains of partnering with CTS. Our fuel program is second to none. In 2017, the average owner operator saved $9,000, because we don’t use our fuel program as a profit center like many of the companies out there. If you go to a dealership, you’ll spend $100/hour at a shop, whereas we save owner operators because our shop rate is far lower. Due to the nature of our pay structure for owner operators, our highest earner in 2017 had a gross income of $214k.
At CTS, we have an 8.6 to 1 trailer to tractor ratio, which allows us to make turns that other companies simply cannot manage. It’s rare for our drivers to have a live load or unload, since a large percentage of our freight is drop and hook. This plays into our ability to have our owner operators running 2,700-3,200 miles per week, depending on how many days a week they want to work, and if they drive a day cab or a sleeper.
Our first priority is our driver, whether they are contracted or company drivers. If we don’t have freight in certain marketplaces, we deadhead to the next marketplace, or we’ll bring them home empty because we want to get the miles on the truck for the next day. We pay owner operators detention after 1 hour, and we don’t let them sit in the dock for hours waiting.
With CTS, you can legally get just as many miles as you would get as a long haul driver, PLUS have the convenience of getting home daily, or after a day or two. If spending time with family is important to you, it’s nice having the peace of mind knowing you can get home after your shift. At CTS, you become family, and you feel like it.
For more information, visit our website https://www.ctsgb.com/drive/owner-operators/ or call our recruiter, Tammy, at (920) 227-1011.