Recruiting owner-operators
Short answer
Owner-operators compare what they keep, not the headline rate. Post the pay as a percentage of the load or a rate per mile, whether the fuel surcharge passes through, every deduction and chargeback with its amount, the escrow amount and when it is paid back, how often you settle, and the lanes. In the US the lease must spell these out under 49 CFR 376.12, so put them in the post and save both sides a call.
What owner-operators compare
An owner-operator runs a business with one truck. Before leasing on they work out what is left each week after every cost, so they read a post for these lines:
- Pay basis and rate
A percentage of the line haul (and whether that is of the gross or after a broker's cut), or a rate per loaded or all mile.
- Fuel surcharge
Whether it passes through in full, in part, or not at all. On a percentage deal this can matter as much as the percentage itself.
- Fuel price
Fuel card, discounts at which stops, and whether the discount reaches the owner-operator.
- Every deduction
Insurance (liability, cargo, physical damage, bobtail or non-trucking liability, occupational accident or workers' compensation), trailer rental, plates and permits, IFTA and IRP, ELD, tolls, scales. Each with an amount.
- Escrow
How much is held each week, the cap, what it may be used for, and when it comes back after they leave.
- Settlements
How often you settle, and whether they see the rated freight bill on percentage loads.
- Freight and freedom
Lanes and freight type, loaded miles in a normal week, whether they can turn down loads, and home time.
Show a sample settlement
A worked week in the post answers more questions than a page of promises. Label it an example.
| Line haul on 3 loads | $6,000.00 |
| 78% to the owner-operator | $4,680.00 |
| Fuel surcharge, 100% passed through | $900.00 |
| Insurance | -$420.00 |
| Trailer rental | -$250.00 |
| Plates, permits, ELD | -$95.00 |
| Escrow (until $2,500 is held) | -$100.00 |
| Settlement before fuel and the owner-operator's own costs | $4,715.00 |
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Our sister site truckpaypro.ca explains settlement statements, deductions, escrow and chargebacks line by line; it is a good link to send owner-operators who ask.
The US lease rules
An authorized carrier that runs leased trucks needs a written lease under 49 CFR Part 376. Section 376.12 sets out what it must say, including:
- The pay, stated clearly, whether a percentage, a rate per mile or a flat rate.
- Every item that may be charged back to the owner-operator, and how each amount is worked out.
- The escrow: the amount, what it may be applied to, an accounting with each settlement, interest paid on it at least every quarter, and its return within 45 days of the lease ending.
- For percentage pay, a copy of the rated freight bill or another record of what the carrier was paid, before or at settlement.
- When pay is due: within 15 days after the owner-operator turns in the paperwork the lease lists.
- That the carrier may not make buying or renting from the carrier a condition of the lease.
Putting the same terms in the job post costs nothing extra, and it screens out drivers who would leave in the first month.
In Canada
Owner-operators are independent contractors. Spell out in the post and in a written contract who pays for insurance, workers' compensation coverage (which differs by province), plates and permits, and whether the pay includes GST or HST. Cross-border owner-operators also need to know who holds the US operating authority, the CBSA carrier code and the SCAC.
Where to find owner-operators
- Trucking job boards that let drivers filter for owner-operator and lease work. On TruckerPro Jobs, owner-operator and lease posts must give the fuel surcharge, the deductions and the escrow, and lease-purchase posts must show the total cost of the truck.
- Trucking groups on Facebook and WhatsApp, and driver forums.
- Your current owner-operators: a referral from someone who already leases on with you is the strongest pitch there is.
- Fuel stops, truck shows and owner-operator associations.
If you offer lease-purchase
Show the full cost: the truck, the down payment, the weekly payment and how many weeks, the final payment, who pays for maintenance and repairs, what happens if the driver leaves early, and whether they may haul for anyone else. Drivers have learned to distrust lease-purchase posts that hide these. TruckerPro Jobs requires all of them on a lease-purchase post and adds up the total.
Drivers find these posts on pages such as owner-operator jobs and lease-purchase truck driver jobs.
Questions carriers ask
What do owner-operators look for in a lease-on job?
What they keep each week: the pay basis and rate, whether the fuel surcharge passes through, fuel discounts, every deduction (insurance, trailer, plates, permits, ELD), the escrow terms, how often settlements are paid, the freight and lanes, and whether they can turn down loads.
What percentage do owner-operators get?
There is no standard split. It depends on whether you supply the trailer, insurance and permits, and whether the fuel surcharge passes through. Post your number and what it covers so owner-operators can compare the net, not the gross.
Do I need a written lease with an owner-operator?
In the US, yes: an authorized carrier that uses leased equipment needs a written lease that meets 49 CFR 376.12, including the pay, the chargebacks and the escrow terms. In Canada, use a written contractor agreement that covers the same points and who pays for insurance and workers' compensation coverage.
Should I list chargebacks in an owner-operator job post?
Yes. Owner-operators who find deductions after they lease on leave early. Listing every chargeback and its amount up front brings fewer applicants who stay longer.
Sources
Laws and prices change. We checked these on 14 November 2026; read the source before you rely on it. This guide is not legal advice.