How to compare owner-operator lease-on programs in 2026
The six numbers that decide your Friday deposit, how to read them, and where LoadMo stands on each. Written for dry van owner-operators comparing carriers.
Compare the deposit, not the percentage
Two carriers can both say “88%” and pay $600 a week apart. One applies it to linehaul only and splits your detention; the other applies it to linehaul plus fuel surcharge and passes accessorials through. The only fair comparison is the same load, run through each carrier’s real settlement. Here is what to line up.
| Line | What to ask | Typical range you will see | LoadMo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split | Applied to linehaul only, or linehaul + fuel surcharge? | 70–90% of gross; FSC often excluded or partly kept | 86% of linehaul + FSC |
| Accessorials | Detention, layover, TONU, lumpers — split or passed through? | Often split at the same percentage | 100% to the operator |
| Rate visibility | Do you see the rate confirmation before you accept? | Sometimes after dispatch, sometimes never | Before every load |
| Weekly deductions | Every line, in writing, before you sign | $400–$1,200; extra fees for ELD, plates, “occupational” add-ons | $650 fixed: insurance $350, trailer $200 (optional), admin $100 |
| Escrow | Amount, cap, what it can be used for, and when it comes back | $1,000–$5,000; return terms vary | $250/wk × 10, $2,500 cap, back within 45 days per 49 CFR 376.12(k) |
| Dispatch | Can you decline a load without consequences? | “No forced dispatch” is common on paper; ask what happens next | Decline any load, no penalty |
| Home time | Actual lanes from your home state, not a slogan | Regional weekly / OTR 2–4 weeks | Regional every weekend; OTR 2–3 weeks out |
| Insurance | What the carrier carries under dispatch, what you must buy | $1M liability / $100K cargo is common; bobtail and occ/acc often required | $1M / $150K carried; occ/acc and bobtail not required |
| Getting started | Orientation location, days without revenue, fees | Terminal orientation 2–5 days; sometimes a fee | Remote, two hours, 2–3 days to first load, $0 |
“Typical range” describes what dry van owner-operators commonly report across lease-on programs; individual carriers vary. LoadMo figures are the published terms on this site as of September 2026.
Run one week through the numbers
Pick your home region and a week. The planner shows loaded miles, gross, the 86%, every deduction and the Friday deposit — the same arithmetic as a real settlement, with nothing hidden in the table.
Verify any carrier in two minutes
USDOT and MC on FMCSA SAFER, the insurance filing on FMCSA Licensing & Insurance, the business entity with the Secretary of State. LoadMo publishes its own papers so you can start there.
Straight answers
What percentage do owner-operators typically get when leasing on?
Most percentage-pay lease-on programs in dry van fall somewhere between 70% and 90% of gross. The number alone means little: what matters is what the percentage is applied to (linehaul only, or linehaul plus fuel surcharge), what is deducted each week, and whether accessorials are split. LoadMo pays 86% of linehaul plus fuel surcharge, passes accessorials through at 100%, and publishes fixed weekly deductions of $650.
Is 86% a good split for an owner-operator?
86% of linehaul plus fuel surcharge, with accessorials at 100% and no hidden weekly charges, is at the strong end of what dry van lease-on programs offer. A higher headline percentage can pay less in practice if it excludes the fuel surcharge, splits detention, or carries a long list of weekly fees. Compare the Friday deposit on the same load, not the percentage.
What should I check before leasing on with a carrier?
Six things, in this order: the split and what it applies to; whether the rate confirmation is shown before you accept; every weekly deduction in writing; escrow amount, cap and return terms (49 CFR 376.12(k) requires a written accounting and return within 45 days); whether dispatch is forced; and what the carrier's insurance covers versus what you must carry. Then verify the carrier's authority and insurance on FMCSA before you sign anything.
Which lease-on carriers are home every weekend?
Regional dry van programs are the usual answer. LoadMo's Regional program runs 2,000–2,600 loaded miles a week out of Midwest and Southeast lanes with the operator home every weekend; its OTR program runs 2,800–3,400 miles a week with two to three weeks out. Ask any carrier for the actual lanes out of your home state rather than a promise.
Does LoadMo have forced dispatch?
No. Operators may decline any load without penalty, and the next offer is not affected.
How do I verify a carrier like LoadMo is legitimate?
Look up the USDOT number on FMCSA SAFER (LoadMo is USDOT 4364163, MC-1708262), check the insurance filing on FMCSA Licensing & Insurance, and confirm the business entity with the state (LoadMo, LLC is an Ohio LLC formed February 14, 2025). LoadMo publishes its certificate of authority, insurance certificate and IFTA license at loadmo.llc/verify.
Three questions. Tina calls the same day.
No SSN on the form, no fee, nothing to sign until you have read the lease.