You own the truck. Now the real question: do you lease on to a carrier and run under their authority, or go get your own DOT authority and run everything yourself? Both are legitimate paths. They just suit very different owner-operators.

Here's the honest comparison, plus where ARI fits.

What "your own authority" really means

Getting your own DOT/MC authority gives you total control. You're the carrier. You pick every load, set your own relationships, and keep 100% of the linehaul.

But you also carry every cost and every task yourself:

  • Your own commercial insurance, often the single biggest line item
  • IRP plates, IFTA filing, ELD, and ongoing FMCSA compliance
  • Billing, collections, and chasing brokers who pay slow
  • Finding and negotiating every single load yourself

The hardest part isn't the paperwork. It's load access. As a brand-new one-truck authority, you're starting cold on the load boards with no track record and no relationships. You take what you can get until you build credibility.

What "leasing on" really means

When you lease on, you run under an established carrier's authority. You still own your truck and run as an independent business, but the carrier handles the authority, the insurance, the compliance, and the back office.

The trade-off is a revenue split. The upside is you skip the startup grind and plug into freight you couldn't reach alone on day one.

One thing to be clear about: ARI is a motor carrier, not a broker. ARI doesn't broker loads to you. With ARI you lease on and run under ARI's own DOT/MC authority. That also means you do not and cannot run under your own authority with ARI — leasing on is the model. If running your own authority is your goal, that's a different path entirely.

The load-access difference most people underestimate

This is where leasing on to the right carrier pulls ahead. A single owner-operator with fresh authority simply can't access the freight that a carrier moving real volume can.

Because ARI moves serious freight, has established shipper and broker relationships, and runs steady lanes, running under ARI's authority opens the door to better, higher-paying loads than you'd land alone. That's not a small thing — your rate per mile is what determines whether the whole operation works.

And you don't give up control to get it. ARI runs no forced dispatch: you still choose your loads, routes, and home time. You even bring your own freight — find a customer, tell your dispatcher, and ARI runs their credit and books it under ARI's authority.

Running the numbers honestly

Own authority can pay more per load, but only after you cover insurance, plates, filings, billing, and the slow loads while you build relationships. Many leased-on carriers keep splits modest, around 70-75% to the driver, and some hold $2,500-$5,000 in escrow on top.

ARI is built differently:

  • True 82% revenue share — you keep 82% of gross linehaul
  • Zero escrow — ARI holds $0
  • Same-day pay with no quick-pay fees when you deliver before noon EST and submit paperwork
  • A dedicated dispatcher (max 7 trucks) who negotiates your rates and knows your lanes
  • Fuel discounts up to $0.45/gallon and a 40% fuel advance at pickup

Compliance, billing, and insurance are handled while you keep the larger share and haul better freight. See the full breakdown on why owner-operators join ARI.

So which is right for you?

Go for your own authority if you want total independence and you're ready to own every cost and chase every load yourself. Lease on if you'd rather keep more of your time, get paid faster, and run better-paying freight without building shipper relationships from scratch.

If leasing on sounds like your fit, take a look at running under ARI's authority — keep your truck, keep 82%, and let the back office and the freight access work for you. Questions? Call (888) 600-9098.