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Run one truck like a business, not a hobby.

Your true cost per mile, how to judge a load in two minutes, how to control fuel and repairs, set up cash reserves and taxes, and decide when (and whether) to grow.

Your true cost per mile, load selection, fuel and maintenance control, books and taxes, contracts, risk and when to grow.

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6 modules
8 lessons
about 10 hours
Certificate of completion
US rules and employers

Does this sound like you?

Revenue looks big, the bank balance does not

You are busy and still short. You want to see where every mile and every dollar goes.

Every load feels like a guess

Without your own cost per mile, a good rate and a bad rate look the same.

Tax time scares you

Set-asides, deductions and estimated payments are easier when the system exists from day one.

What is the Owner-Operator Business course?

Run one truck like a business, not a hobby.

What will you be able to do after the Owner-Operator Business course?

By the end of the Owner-Operator Business course you will be able to do the 3 things listed here. Each skill is practised in the lessons and checked in the final scenario exam, so you can test your own progress before you apply for work or take on a client.

Build your own cost per mile
Judge any load in two minutes
Set up cash, reserves and a tax system

What is in the curriculum?

The Owner-Operator Business course has 6 modules and 8 lessons, about 10 hours of study in total. The lessons are written in plain English, and the course closes with a final scenario exam and a certificate of completion. It starts with mindset and numbers and moves on to revenue.

Module 1Mindset and numbers2 lessons · 2 h

Lessons

The owner-operator as a business owner (read free)
Know your cost per mile

Module 2Revenue1 lesson · 1 h

Lessons

Rates, lanes and load selection

Module 3Costs1 lesson · 1 h

Lessons

Controlling fuel, maintenance and equipment costs

Module 4Money management1 lesson · 1 h

Lessons

Cash, bookkeeping and taxes

Module 5Customers and risk2 lessons · 2 h

Lessons

Customers, contracts and relationships
Risk, safety and protecting the business

Module 6The long game1 lesson · 1 h

Lessons

Growing, sustaining and exiting

Course at a glance
Module	Lessons	Study time
Mindset and numbers	2	2 h
Revenue	1	1 h
Costs	1	1 h
Money management	1	1 h
Customers and risk	2	2 h
The long game	1	1 h
Total	8	about 10 h
Price	$49, one payment, final exam and certificate included

Also included

A workbook of templates and exercises you can copy into your own files
Monthly updates when rules change

Final exam and certificate

A 25-question scenario exam covering: Mindset and numbers; Revenue; Costs; Money management; Customers and risk; The long game. Pass mark is 80%. You then receive a Truck Dispatching USA certificate of completion with a QR code that anyone can verify online.

Who is this course for?

This is for you if

Owner-operators, aspiring owners, and dispatchers or advisers who support them.

Who is behind this course?

Truck Dispatching USA LLC is a US dispatch company. This course is written by our editorial team, in plain English, around US rules and US employers. We check facts against the regulator or agency named in each lesson, show you the source, and date the page. When a rule changes, the lesson changes.

Last reviewed: November 2026. Questions: contact us or write to [email protected].

Check the facts yourself

What jobs and pay can this lead to?

The Owner-Operator Business course prepares you for roles such as owner-operator, small fleet owner and dispatcher or adviser for owner-operators. Pay depends on the employer, the state and your experience, so the figures below come from published sources and job listings. Read the roles first, then check which ones are hiring near you.

Roles this skill opens

Owner-operator

Running a truck as a business: know your cost per mile, pick better loads, control costs.

Small fleet owner

The same maths with more trucks, more people and more paperwork.

Dispatcher or adviser for owner-operators

Help owners pick loads that actually pay after costs.

Bookkeeper or back-office helper for small carriers

Many small carriers need help with books, settlements and taxes.

Ways to use it

Improve the truck you already run

Find your true cost per mile, then choose lanes and loads against it.

Grow carefully

The last lesson covers when adding a truck makes sense, and when it does not.

Official US pay figures

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (employees)

Median pay per year: $58,640
Lowest 10% under: $40,140
Highest 10% over: $79,380
Jobs in the US: 2,221,200
Outlook 2025 to 2035: 4% (as fast as average)
Usual entry: Postsecondary nondegree award (CDL training)

BLS, SOC 53-3032

Transportation, storage and distribution managers

Median pay per year: $107,230
Lowest 10% under: $65,120
Highest 10% over: $194,900
Jobs in the US: 228,100
Outlook 2025 to 2035: 6% (faster than average)
Usual entry: High school diploma plus 5 or more years in a related job

BLS, SOC 11-3071

The government does not publish what owner-operators earn. The figure shown is for employee truck drivers and is a reference point only. Your result depends on your costs, your freight and your market.

The money, with simple maths

Example with made-up numbers. Yours will be different.

Fixed costs per month: $6,000

Miles per month: 8,000

Fixed cost per mile: $0.75

Fuel, maintenance and tires per mile: $1.05

Total cost per mile: $1.80

A load at $1.95 a mile: leaves $0.15 a mile, about $1,200 a month before taxes

A load at $2.20 a mile: leaves $0.40 a mile, about $3,200 a month before taxes

The same truck, the same miles. Only the load choice changed. Knowing your number before you accept a rate is the point of lesson 2.

How to put it to work

Work out your own cost per mileUse the worksheet in lesson 2 with your real receipts.
Set a rate floorWrite the lowest rate you will accept per mile on each lane type.
Track fuel, maintenance and settlements monthlyLesson 4 and 5 give the system.
Put contracts and risk on paperLesson 6 and 7 cover customers, insurance and safety.

Risks, said plainly

Fuel, repairs and insurance move against you at the worst times.
Low rates can look fine until you divide by your real cost per mile.
Taxes and bookkeeping mistakes can hurt as much as a bad load.
Educational only. Get your own tax, legal and insurance advice.

Reported pay ranges

Trucking dispatch

Employee dispatcher: $35,000 to $60,000 a year (median $47,500)
Entry-level freight dispatcher: $45,000 to $55,000
Intermodal dispatcher: $65,000 to $70,000
Trucking dispatcher, Charlotte NC: $60,000 to $70,000
Independent dispatcher (6 to 8 trucks): $85,000 to $180,000+ (industry-quoted; depends on fleet, lanes and fee, see the maths table)
Dispatcher fees: 5% to 10% of gross revenue (most 6% to 8%)
Flat weekly fee: $150 to $400 per truck
Per-load fee: $30 to $75 per load

Freight broker

Average: $64,803 to $65,698
Experienced, first year: $75,000 to $100,000+
Top earners: $144,384

2026 reported ranges from public pay sources. Pay depends on state, employer, shift and experience. Official national figures: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dispatchers.

Hiring sectors and demand

Freight dispatching: "Not oversaturated. Most people quit within months. Demand for skilled, reliable dispatchers remains steady."
Aircraft dispatcher: reported 21% job growth through 2028 (an older projection, faster than average; check the current BLS outlook).
Flight dispatcher: reported +13% year-over-year vacancy growth globally.
Largest dispatcher employers: land transport (12.3%), specialised construction (6.2%), employment and staffing (2.6%).
Health care and social assistance employs the largest share of dispatchers.
AI impact: job growth, not contraction, may be the near-term story for dispatchers willing to learn the tools.

How to apply

Where to look

Indeed
LinkedIn
ZipRecruiter
FlexJobs
FreightWaves Classifieds
TruckingJobs.com
DAT Job Board
JobsInLogistics.com

Your resume

One page, plain format that applicant-tracking systems can read. Put numbers on what you did. Add your Truck Dispatching USA certificate and the course name under training.

Many entry-level roles say: no experience needed, training available.
Small fleets hire by referral, phone call and trial.
Resume: 1 page, readable by applicant-tracking systems, 6 sections, quantified track record.

Start today

One payment. No subscription. Your access is linked to your email.

$49 ~~$79~~

Launch price until 30 November 2026. One payment, no subscription.

6 modules, 8 lessons, about 10 hours
Downloadable templates and checklists
Final exam and certificate of completion
Updates when rules change

What do people ask before they enrol?

These are the questions people ask most before they enrol: who the course is for, what it covers, how long it takes and what the certificate means. If your question is not answered here, write to [email protected] and we will reply by email.

Do I need experience?

No. The course starts from the basics and builds step by step. Lesson 1 is free to read, so you can check the level before you pay.

What do I get?

8 lessons (about 10 hours of study), a workbook of templates and exercises, a 25-question final exam and a certificate of completion with a QR code anyone can verify.

How long do I have access?

Your access is linked to your email and stays open. You can study on any device, at your own pace.

Where do the pay numbers on this page come from?

From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (pay: May 2025; jobs and outlook: 2025 to 2035). They are national figures for related jobs, with a link to the source under each one.

Will this help me get a job or start earning?

The course gives you the skills, checklists and numbers people in this field are hired for. Finish the lessons, pass the exam, put the verified certificate on your resume, then apply. What you do with it depends on your effort, your market and your decisions.

How much does it cost?

It is $49 at the launch price until 30 November 2026, then $79. One payment, no subscription.

What about refunds?

This is digital content, so there is no refund once access is unlocked. Read lesson 1 free first. The full terms are on the Training Terms page.

Is it for the United States only?

Yes. It teaches US rules and US freight. Outside the US, local law and tax differ, so get professional advice before you act.

Is the content kept current?

We review the courses every month and update them when rules change. The Courses page shows what changed.

Which courses come next?

Browse every course by field on the Courses page. Already read about the trucking basics? Start with Truck Dispatcher Pro.

Want the whole field? This course is also in the Trucking Career Bundle. One payment covers every course in it.

Hiring or looking for work? Browse the US truck dispatchers directory or the directory of dispatchers outside the US.

Start today.

Learn the skill, finish the course, apply for the jobs or build the business. The only wrong move is waiting another month.

Get the course, $49

$49 ~~$79~~Enroll

Educational material for the United States. Not legal, tax, medical or financial advice. Truck Dispatching USA LLC is not affiliated with any certifying body named on this page. Last reviewed November 2026.