​Mercer Transportation – 2018 – The Year of the Owner Operator

Last year was a big year for Mercer Transportation as the company celebrated their 40-year anniversary. “Our Owner Operators have really helped us over the years, and their success has helped to perpetuate the success of the company as a whole,” said Jason Schaftlein, Director of Recruiting and Retention. While the industry may be changing, Mercer Transportation is just as stable as it has always been.

When it comes to 2018 though, Schaftlein calls it the “Perfect Storm.” “We all knew that the ELD mandate was coming, but I don’t know if the industry was ready for the mandate. That had a big effect on overall efficiency,” he said. Couple that with the increase in open deck freight that the industry is currently experiencing, and this year is shaping up to be the best time in recent history for Owner Operators to make significantly higher earnings, and Mercer is primed to set many monthly revenue records in the upcoming year.

“We are already seeing rates continue to rise and capacity shortfalls increase, and we are just now coming into the peak season,” said Schaftlein. These things considered, Owner Operators are truly primed for success in 2018. Add to that some of the new tax incentives, there is no better time to be an Owner Operator.

He continues, “I’m pretty biased toward the Owner Operator model. It’s worked for Mercer Transportation and our Independent Contractors for over 40 years and we are committed to growing the company now and into the future. More company drivers should consider switching over to their own trucks. It is the perfect time and the industry could definitely use more Owner Operators.”

With open deck freight and rates trending up, tax credits as well as driver shortages…now is a great time to join a solid, stable flatbed carrier like Mercer. Whether you are already an Owner Operator or considering becoming an Independent Contractor for the first time, it is truly important to join a company that is an industry leader, whose expertise for over 40 years has been open deck freight, and who is expecting a record breaking year themselves in 2018.

“If you are an Owner Operator that wants to take advantage of this “Perfect Storm” in 2018,” says Schaftlein, “I urge you to give Mercer a call.”