As Georgia-headquartered owner-operator Raeshawn Lucas has it, higher earning potential as an owner-operator is certainly a prime motivating factor for the decision to strike out on one's own as a business in trucking. Yet that's certainly not all when it comes bedrock goals.

Respect, freedom of choice in so many aspects of how you do business... Truth is, owner-operators go into business for themselves for all sorts of reasons, and that was well evident in the discussion we had at the Mid-America Trucking Show with owner-operator Lucas, leased under a longtime friend and associate's authority; Landstar-leased David Nihart, who's worn a variety of trucking hats over a long career so far; and Pete Anderson of Georgetown, Texas, a vocational fleet manager with plans to move into over-the-road as a small fleet owner.

That conversation followed Overdrive’s Partners in Business seminar at MATS with ATBS Vice President Mike Hosted and Overdrive’s own Gary Buchs, both of whom you'll also hear in today's Overdrive Radio episode, in addition to the three owners. If you missed the PIB session, find a full video of it here: https://www.overdriveonline.com/partners-in-business/video/15290282/record-owneroperator-income-could-be-longerterm-trucking-trend

Sit in on the first part of a wide-ranging discussion for insights on:

**The benefits and tradeoffs of filing taxes as an S Corp.

**Why independents' quality-of-life goals can explain an outsize drop in miles for year 2021.

**The value of a large leasing partner in a high-fuel-cost environment.

**Fuel-purchasing strategy to make sure you're getting the best price (minus state taxes).

And more. Part 2 of the conversation will follow in the next Overdrive Radio edition.

If you haven't as yet, you can download the Partners in Business manual, coproduced with ATBS, via this link: https://register.overdriveonline.com/pib-manual/