When an owner-operator asks what a truck can make in a week, gross revenue is only the first number to look at. What matters to your business is what remains after fuel, equipment, insurance, maintenance, and other costs.
SHOD Express lists an average weekly gross of $12,000–$15,000 for its owner-operator opportunity, with a 12% dispatch fee. Gross means revenue paid to the truck before expenses—not a paycheck or a promise of take-home earnings. Your results will vary with freight, miles, market conditions, your equipment, and the costs of running it.
Gross revenue is not owner-operator pay
A truck that grosses $13,500 in a week has not earned $13,500 in profit. Fuel, empty miles, truck and trailer costs, insurance, repairs, and deductions can materially change what the owner keeps. Compare programs on the full settlement, not the headline number alone.
A weekly example
Suppose a truck grosses $13,500 and travels 2,800 total miles. At 7 miles per gallon, it uses about 400 gallons of diesel. At the U.S. Energy Information Administration's national on-highway diesel price of $6.529 per gallon for September 21, 2026, fuel alone would cost about $2,612.
That leaves $10,888 before any other expense. If a 12% dispatch fee were applied to the entire $13,500 gross in this hypothetical, it would be another $1,620, leaving $9,268 before insurance, equipment, maintenance, taxes, and other costs. This is an illustration, not a SHOD settlement or a profit estimate; ask which revenue and deductions your actual agreement uses.
Costs to account for
- Fuel and DEF
- Truck and trailer payments
- Insurance
- Maintenance reserves and repairs
- Tires, tolls, permits, and taxes
- Empty repositioning miles and downtime
- Dispatch, factoring, and other applicable program deductions
Some costs rise with every mile. Others continue when the truck is parked or freight is slow.
Count every mile
A $3,000 load over 1,000 loaded miles pays $3.00 per loaded mile. Add 200 empty miles and it pays $2.50 per total mile before expenses. The truck still uses fuel and accumulates wear on those empty miles. Track revenue and cost over all miles, not just loaded ones.
What can improve the result?
- Reduce avoidable deadhead and consider the next outbound market.
- Plan fuel stops and use available fuel-card discounts.
- Track actual fuel economy for your own truck.
- Set aside a maintenance reserve before a breakdown.
- Know your fixed cost per day and your all-in cost per mile.
The honest answer
There is no single weekly owner-operator salary. SHOD's $12,000–$15,000 figure is average weekly gross, not guaranteed take-home pay. Before you commit, ask how settlements are calculated, which deductions apply, and what support is available. SHOD lists fleet maintenance help, fuel-card discounts, 24/7 support, and steady dedicated lanes in its owner-operator offer.
Explore the owner-operator offer or apply to drive with SHOD Express.
Source for the September 21, 2026 diesel-price example: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly U.S. On-Highway Diesel Prices. All calculations are educational illustrations, not earnings guarantees. Actual results depend on miles, market conditions, equipment, expenses, contract terms, and driving performance.