What does an Owner/Operator do?
Owners/operators manage the business in all aspects, especially in those related to operations. They ensure that every aspect of the business is running smoothly. They oversee finance, marketing, logistics, sales, and even the human resources of the whole organization. They set business goals, create action plans to achieve them, and make sure that the plans are followed through. They set strategic direction and make business decisions that would be the most beneficial to the organization. They ensure that the business has enough funds to continue operating and that the quality of the products and services they offer continuously improve.
Owner/operator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real owner/operator resumes:
- Create and manage a free subscription, advertising- base facsimile publication and franchising system.
- Manage all inventory for eBay store, including its labeling, storage, sales, and overall organization.
- Design, implement and manage processes base on ITIL best practices, standards and relate support tools across the organization.
- Direct daily operations of four profit centers, managing all financial functions to include A/R, A/P, payroll and purchasing.
- Create and manage print and electronic co-op advertising program
- Manage end to end business operations including hiring, scheduling visits, conducting customer consultations and performing pet visits.
- Programme large scale web applications for government clients using Java, GWT, HTML, XML, JavaScript and SQL.
- Handle full charge bookkeeping tasks, including general ledger, A/P, A/R, journal posting, payroll and billing/invoicing.
- Assess and provide EHS training to affect employees.
- Produce new maps as system expansion occur using SQL.
- Debug JavaScript menu system to work in more browsers.
- Watch cash flow closely to make sure the operations run smoothly.
- Resolve vendor inquiries and run payable reports for senior management and association board members.
- Develop analysis tools using MATLAB to help design and optimize concepts for several Boeing programs.
- Involve with the development and continuous improvement of the SDLC to infuse ITIL best practices.
Owner/operator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 57% of Owner/Operators are proficient in CDL, PET, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Hearing ability, and Physical health.
We break down the percentage of Owner/Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CDL, 57%
Owned and operated semi; CDL Class A license; Loads consisted of dump, van, refer, and tanker
- PET, 16%
Leveraged solid exposure to veterinary medicine to recognize medical problems and direct owners in seeking veterinary care for the pet.
- Customer Service, 12%
Own and operate business services company offering virtual administrative assistance, email and chat based customer service/support and travel planning.
- Payroll, 4%
Staff management, payroll and interface with Homeland Security for acquisition of legal documented workers.
- Human Resources, 1%
Provided accurate and organized cross-functional service in business administration/human resources, accounts payable/receivable, training, public relations and sales.
- Windows, 1%
Work Independently as a computer technician supporting local windows users with printer, wireless networking and various hardware/software computer issues.
"cdl," "pet," and "customer service" are among the most common skills that owner/operators use at work. You can find even more owner/operator responsibilities below, including:
Hand-eye coordination. One of the key soft skills for an owner/operator to have is hand-eye coordination. You can see how this relates to what owner/operators do because "drivers of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers must be able to coordinate their legs, hands, and eyes simultaneously so that they will react appropriately to the situation around them and drive the vehicle safely." Additionally, an owner/operator resume shows how owner/operators use hand-eye coordination: "managed the complete operation from schedule coordination & equipment maintenance to budgeting & marketing. "
Hearing ability. Another essential skill to perform owner/operator duties is hearing ability. Owner/operators responsibilities require that "truck drivers need good hearing." Owner/operators also use hearing ability in their role according to a real resume snippet: "negotiated marketing business plans with hearing aid manufacturers to provide sales and service of its products. "
Physical health. This is an important skill for owner/operators to perform their duties. For an example of how owner/operator responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "federal regulations do not allow people to become truck drivers if they have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure or epilepsy, which may interfere with their ability to operate a truck." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an owner/operator: "educate clients in maintaining the grooms for maximum longevity and to ensure the health of the pet. ".
Visual ability. A big part of what owner/operators do relies on "visual ability." You can see how essential it is to owner/operator responsibilities because "truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical owner/operator tasks: "drive business sales through optimizing visual merchandising, marketing, and facebook. "
The three companies that hire the most owner/operators are:
- Dunavant3,772 owner/operators jobs
- CFI Mechanical
1,870 owner/operators jobs
- CCws Dedicated Service, Inc1,125 owner/operators jobs
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Compare different owner/operators
Owner/operator vs. Cdl class a driver
A CDL Class A driver is a driver with a Class A commercial driver's license. A commercial driver's license is necessary to operate large, heavy, and placarded vehicles. There are several classifications of a commercial driver's license, and Class A is for a car towing a trailer with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds (5 t). Drivers with this type of license are entitled to operate a commercial motor vehicle such as passenger buses, tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and dump trucks. They have the choice to add endorsements to their CDL, which allows them to operate particular types of commercial motor vehicles.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, owner/operator responsibilities require skills like "cdl," "pet," "payroll," and "human resources." Meanwhile a typical cdl class a driver has skills in areas such as "otr," "hazmat," "customer locations," and "math." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Cdl class a drivers tend to make the most money working in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $57,733. In contrast, owner/operators make the biggest average salary, $168,776, in the technology industry.cdl class a drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than owner/operators. In fact, cdl class a drivers are 4.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Owner/operator vs. Truck driver
The truck driver transports goods and materials by land from and to manufacturing factories or retail businesses and distribution centers with the use of heavy trucks or tractor-trailers. Truck drivers assist and supervise the safe unloading of cargos to the destination. They must always check their cargo if complete and secured with cables, rope, or other materials. They should keep their truck clean, neat, and inspect prior the trip and ensure to be in good working condition to operate safely. It is very important that they follow with all appropriate safety procedures and comply with federal and state regulations. They must also be knowledgable and comfortable in using maps or GPS to navigate the safest and most efficient routes.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that owner/operator responsibilities requires skills like "payroll," "human resources," "windows," and "inventory control." But a truck driver might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "otr," "dot," "hazmat," and "pickup."
On average, truck drivers earn a lower salary than owner/operators. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, truck drivers earn the most pay in the retail industry with an average salary of $58,554. Whereas owner/operators have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $168,776.In general, truck drivers achieve similar levels of education than owner/operators. They're 3.9% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Owner/Operators in the next 3-5 years?
Susan Meyer-Goldstein
Associate Professor, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
In addition to pre-pandemic tech development, many organizations are transitioning into new technologies, including more extensive use of some and experimentation with others. Recall that, while Zoom existed a year ago, most organizations barely used it. Now, it is ubiquitous, along with similar communication tools. The health care industry will likely be significantly transformed by technology over the next few years - not just telemedicine, but home-based medical treatments, artificial intelligence creeping into many processes, and enhanced use of information to drive activities across the industry - from tech development to insurance, pharm, elder care, etc. Many other industries will experience similar.
Owner/operator vs. Cdl driver
A CDL driver is responsible for the transportation of goods from the manufacturing warehouse to specific store locations. CDL drivers' duties include inspecting the items before and after the delivery to ensure that the orders are correct with the right quantity, providing proof of delivery from the receiving customers, following the delivery schedule and report any delays immediately, monitoring the vehicle's engine for efficiency, and escalating concerns of incorrect deliveries and defective items. A CDL driver must have excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills, following safety procedures and road rules at all times.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from owner/operator resumes include skills like "cdl," "payroll," "human resources," and "windows," whereas a cdl driver is more likely to list skills in "dot," "cdl-a," "otr," and "hazmat. "
Cdl drivers earn the highest salary when working in the retail industry, where they receive an average salary of $63,457. Comparatively, owner/operators have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $168,776.cdl drivers typically earn similar educational levels compared to owner/operators. Specifically, they're 3.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Owner/operator vs. Transportation driver
A transportation driver is responsible for transporting people and goods from one place to another. A transportation driver must have a clean driving record to operate vehicles carefully and efficiently. Transportation drivers must ensure that the passengers are safe and comfortable during the trip and that goods are in proper condition to avoid damage and defects. They should strictly adhere to the transport schedules and assigned routes to avoid delays of operations. A transportation driver should also understand maintenance basics of vehicles to perform repair and reconditioning of any engine malfunction.
Types of owner/operator
Updated January 8, 2025
