6) You Own, and Therefore are Responsible for E-V-E-R-Y T-H-I-N-G
As an owner-operator Truckie-D says, “Trucking is a whole lot more than just “steering and gearing.” And he reminds all his readers “You’re not buying a truck, you’re buying a business.” Owner-operators have complete liability.
And that is the bottom line isn’t it. But when you own the means of production, not only are you responsible for every aspect of its safe operating performance but the rig has to comply with all regulations and be subject to regular safety audits. One industry source says to keep a truck on the road legally the average annual cost of operating a tractor trailer for one year is approximately $180,000 or $1.38 per mile, depending on the number of miles the truck drives during the period.
What’s left? If you do everything right, and experts say, E-V-E-R-Y T-H-I-N-G, drivers still have to keep ahead of safety technologies and incumbent regulation as well as demonstrate compliance by providing documented proof.
https://www.smart-trucking.com/becoming-an-owner-operator-in-todays-trucking-market.html
https://truckied.wordpress.com/so-you-want-to-be-an-owner-operator/