Part of your business planning will necessarily be aimed at answering the question of just what sort of work you plan to do as an owner-operator. That is, what sort of freight will you specialize in? Figuring out the type of work you want to do will help you determine how to spec the equipment you buy, and whether or not you should consider buying a trailer.
Specializing in some niche hauls -- such as heavy-haul, auto hauling, livestock and others -- can add to an owner-operator’s earning potential with higher-paying loads. Better revenues isn't just charity, however. There is added expense in getting involved in various freight niches, often with more expensive trailers and other equipment.
For auto haulers, for example, a new eight-car trailer can cost upwards of $110,000. A full-on stinger-steer setup with a tractor and trailer could run upwards of $300,000 in today’s market.
Livestock haulers also are looking at $80,000 or more for a well-built rigged-out livestock trailer. Used road-ready livestock trailers might run from $35,000 to $50,000. Trailers needing repairs can run as low as $15,000 to $20,000, but the repairs might cost you another $10K.
Comparably-conditioned but more versatile dry vans, reefers and flatbeds come at just a fraction of those costs. If you’re looking to pull tankers, those can run upwards of $65,000 new, depending on the type of tank you need for what you haul. There are a variety of segments -- niches within the niche, if you will -- within liquid tanker freight, including hazmat chemical hauling, food grade, asphalt and others, nearly all requiring their own specialized tank equipment.
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As with tankers, heavy-haul and specialty oversize-freight trailers come in a wide range of configurations, depending on what you need them to do. One example is a removeable gooseneck (RGN) trailer for oversized freight that features outrigger slide-outs or flip-outs to accommodate wider loads. Slide-outs can make for a more expensive trailer -- $65,000 or more new -- due to their configuration allowing a piece of equipment to sit about four inches lower than the main deck. The most elaborate and specialized of modular heavy-haul trailers can well exceed $100,000 in price themselves.
Browse Overdrive's "Niche Hauls" archive via this link for a wealth of in-depth coverage of a variety of specialized freight niches and exceptional owners dating back decades. You'll find features on automobile hauling, houseboat hauls, military freight, oil-field work, hotshot trucking, cargo van work, intermodal drayage, heavy haul, concert tour work and much, much more.
How about the no-trailer niche?
On the flipside, some specialized niche hauls might not require a trailer at all. Growth in the “power only” segment, where an independent with motor carrier authority operates in a broker or shipper’s system pulling those partners’ trailers, has been huge in the last decade. Drop-and-hook opportunities there can help maximize miles run with less time spent loading and unloading.
This feature is part of Overdrive's coproduction with business services firm ATBS of the Partners in Business manual, a comprehensive playbook for owner-operator careers. Browse the 2025 edition in its new dynamic online library format in eight sections via this link.
[Related: To own or not to own a trailer: How COVID fast-tracked a boom in power-only trucking opportunities]
Home time often can also be achieved more easily, given vans are capable of well more than double the typical fuel mileage of a Class 8. There’s a lower barrier to entry in terms of equipment costs and licensing. For most van operators, a commercial driver’s license is not a prerequisite for obtaining non-hazmat work. Sticker prices on new gas or diesel vans of optimal size for hauling are far less than prices for new Class 8s, not to mention those specialty niche trailers.
Before you abandon the trailer altogether, though, know that the easy-in reputation isn’t always justified. Operating with motor carrier authority can be difficult for new entrants in cargo vans. A unique multicarrier expediting model also brings its own costs and problems.
Nonetheless, those who find ways to set themselves apart with extra credentials or unique equipment have found profitable homes within it.
