Waters Still Rough for Independents

March 31, 2004
Despite an improving U.S. economy and rising freight volumes, Dale Lawless believes owner-operators still face tremendous difficulties in today’s trucking market – largely due to rising operational costs. “Many owner operators are having trouble, largely because they lack business skills,” he told Fleet Owner at the recent Mid-America Truck Show. A U.S. army veteran, Lawless is president of consulting

Despite an improving U.S. economy and rising freight volumes, Dale Lawless believes owner-operators still face tremendous difficulties in today’s trucking market – largely due to rising operational costs.

“Many owner operators are having trouble, largely because they lack business skills,” he told Fleet Owner at the recent Mid-America Truck Show. A U.S. army veteran, Lawless is president of consulting firm LPS Inc., which helps carriers locate and hire qualified drivers and owner-operators.

“Honestly, in today’s market where insurance rates are very high and fuel prices are out of sight, at 82 or 83 cents a mile, the only thing independents will pay for is their truck if they don’t manage their funds carefully,” he said. “Carriers in particular haven’t put anything together to teach someone to be a businessman. Some [independents] are good on the business side and some aren’t.”

Helping owner-operators better manage their finances is critical, said Lawless, as many carriers are hoping to rely on independents to increase their capacity. “The freight is there now and fleets are looking at ways to bring their fleet up to capacity to match it,” he explained. “To do that, they have to help owner-operators be smarter about freight and their business.”

About the Author

Sean Kilcarr | Editor in Chief

Sean Kilcarr is a former longtime FleetOwner senior editor who wrote for the publication from 2000 to 2018. He served as editor-in-chief from 2017 to 2018.

 

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

What challenges are top of mind for fleet professionals in 2025? Get exclusive insights from the 2025 Fleet Trends Survey and discover where the industry is headed next.
The most successful fleets accomplish more than delivering freight. To accomplish this, fleets need a fuel that’s reliable, more economical and more sustainable. That fuel is ...
Are your KPIs driving real fleet improvement? Learn how to set smarter, data-driven benchmarks, track success like top-performing fleets, and apply proven strategies to optimize...
Learn how eets can enhance truck utilization and minimize safety incidents using business intelligence and AI. Delve into innovative practices, technology integration and real...