“If you’re going to do something, you have to research it first,” Chris Fick says.  He wanted to know everything about being an owner operator before making the transition from company driver to owning his own trucking business.  To learn more he attended Keys to Profitability and Success, a class that Dart offers contractors to sharpen their skills as business managers.

In fact, he attended the class three times before he felt confident enough to buy a truck, his 2006 Freightliner, from Highway Sales, Inc., a truck and finance vendor to Dart contractors.

In Keys to Profitability and Success Chris learned about fuel-buying strategies, break-even points, choosing routes, techniques to improve fuel economy, and many other skills to successfully manage a trucking business.

All of his homework and preparation paid off.  As an owner operator Chris makes more money than he did as a fleet driver, and he loves the independence and flexibility of being an owner operator.  “As an owner operator, I’m in control of what I do, especially my home time.  Family is important to me, and as an owner operator I have more flexibility than I ever had before,” Chris says.

Owner Operator Stats

Time in industry: 11 years
Truck: 2006 Freightliner
Fuel economy average: 6.7 mpg
Type of Dart contract: Dedicated
Key quote:  “To me this isn’t just a job – it’s a way of life.”