From 3 Trucks to 60: How Daria Built a Trucking Company Entirely on the Owner-Operator Model

Amy Chavez

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July 22, 2026

Daria started driving trucks because she wanted to see the country.

Today she runs 60 trucks

She’s a first-generation immigrant. She came to the US, fell in love with the road, and decided she wanted to build something in trucking that she could pass on to her family.

She started with three trucks. Today she runs 60 trucks under Mountain Lane Trucking — every single one an owner-operator hauling reefer, flatbed, and dry van freight.

In this episode of This Week in Trucking, Daria Kapustina, Founder and CEO of Mountain Lane Trucking, breaks down exactly how she built it, why she pivoted her entire business model during the freight recession, and what the real numbers look like for owner-operators under her authority.

https://youtu.be/zt2WxSA6Ktc

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Episode Highlights

It Started for Fun. Then Became a Business.

“I really love trucking. That was my biggest love of my life. I love the road, the truck stops, all the views. It was challenging, but once you did it, you feel yourself really great.” — Daria

Daria started as a company driver in 2019. By 2021, the post-COVID freight market was booming and she made her move — opened her own authority and told herself she wouldn’t lose money.

She was right. Until the freight recession hit in late 2022.

The Freight Recession Forced a Complete Pivot

“The company drivers started making me not even zero — they’ve been making negative. The owner-operators always gave me good balance.” — Daria

When the market crashed, Daria didn’t panic. She read the numbers.

She’d been tracking every truck’s performance from day one — even before she had software, she was writing it down on paper. That habit saved her business.

The data was clear: company drivers were costing her money. Owner-operators were keeping the business alive.

So she pivoted. She offered her company drivers the chance to buy or lease their trucks. They agreed. She got out of debt and started building exclusively with owner-operators.

That decision changed everything.

Why the Owner-Operator Model Works for Mountain Lane

“We don’t own trucks anymore. They own their trucks. They’re paying for everything.” — Daria

Mountain Lane runs a clean model. Owner-operators are responsible for all expenses — fuel, maintenance, their own trucks. In exchange, they keep 88% of revenue for a single truck. Drivers with multiple trucks get a discount on each additional truck, down to 10% on the company side.

The company covers compliance support, dispatch, and operational infrastructure. Insurance is the company’s biggest expense — around $1,200 per month per driver with a clean record.

Real Weekly Revenue Numbers by Equipment Type

“One guy made 13K on reefer. Jesus Christ, what’s going on with the market?” — Daria

Here’s what Mountain Lane’s owner-operators are grossing per week right now:

Flatbed / Step Deck: $9,000 to $11,000 — season is heating up and open deck demand is climbing

Reefer: $9,000 to $13,000 — the reefer market is especially strong right now, driven by strong broker relationships

Dry Van: $7,000 to $9,000 — lower than reefer and flatbed, with most drivers staying regional and home on weekends

These are revenue numbers, not take-home. But at 88% going to the driver, the math is real.

Counting Every Number Saved Her Business

“I was doing analytics all the time. Even before I knew any programs, I was writing on a piece of paper. And even that saved me and my business.” — Daria

Daria didn’t wait for a dashboard or a fancy analytics platform. She tracked every number, every month, by hand.

When the freight recession hit, she already had the data to see what was working and what wasn’t. She didn’t guess. She read the numbers and made the call.

Her advice: you don’t need expensive software to know your business. You need discipline. Track your cost per mile, track your revenue per truck, and do it every single week. The carriers who know their numbers are the ones who survive market shifts.

The Compliance Challenge with Owner-Operators

“Unfortunately, they are not taking care of their vehicles as good as they have to.” — Daria

Daria is honest about the biggest challenge with the owner-operator model: vehicle maintenance and compliance.

With company drivers, you can force them into the shop. With owner-operators, you can support them, remind them, and help them — but you can’t make them do it.

Mountain Lane offers a full support system: help with registration, 2290 highway use tax, trailer registration, even opening a company or paying taxes. Daria calls it a “babysitting service” — and she means it as a compliment. The goal is to remove every barrier so drivers can focus on driving.

But vehicle compliance remains the top ongoing challenge.

The Trailer Rental Fraud That Cost Real Money

“We were a victim of a trailer rental fraud.” — Daria

About a month before this episode, Mountain Lane got hit. Owner-operators rented trailers from a third party that turned out to be fraudulent. The real trailer owners came after Mountain Lane with business loss claims — and the company had to cover it because they had allowed the rental.

Daria’s response: tighten the rules. Mountain Lane is now much more strict about where owner-operators source trailers. It was an expensive lesson in vetting every part of the operation.

Mountain Lane’s Full-Service Approach

What sets Mountain Lane apart from other trucking companies leasing owner-operators is the level of support:

Dispatch and load planning Compliance assistance Registration and 2290 filing State-specific trailer registration Help opening an LLC or handling taxes Strong broker relationships that drive higher revenue per truck

Daria’s philosophy: give owner-operators everything they need to succeed. The better they do, the better the company does.

Cash Flow Is What Keeps the Model Running

Whether you’re an owner-operator leased onto a company like Mountain Lane or running under your own authority, the gap between hauling a load and getting paid for it is where businesses get stuck.

Fuel, maintenance, insurance, tolls, food — all of it hits weekly. But broker payments can take 30 to 60 days. When the reefer market is hot and you’re running hard, the last thing you need is cash flow slowing you down.

That’s where Bobtail comes in. Same-day pay on loads you’ve already delivered. No hidden fees. So your money moves as fast as your truck does.

Check out Bobtail’s financial tools for cash flow →

Talk to our team about your operation →

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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions: E-Commerce Freight, Drayage, and Small Carrier Growth

How much can an owner-operator gross per week in 2026?

It depends on equipment type. At Mountain Lane Trucking, reefer drivers are grossing $9,000 to $13,000, flatbed $9,000 to $11,000, and dry van $7,000 to $9,000 per week.

What percentage do owner-operators keep at Mountain Lane?

Owner-operators keep 88% of revenue for a single truck. Drivers with multiple trucks receive a discount on each additional truck, with the company’s cut going as low as 10%.

What does Mountain Lane cover vs. what the owner-operator pays?

Owner-operators are responsible for all truck-related expenses — fuel, maintenance, and the truck itself. Mountain Lane covers dispatch, compliance support, insurance on the authority side, and operational infrastructure.

How much does truck insurance cost per month?

At Mountain Lane, insurance runs about $1,200 per month for drivers with a clean record. Drivers with violations pay more. Insurance is the company’s single biggest expense.

Is the owner-operator model better than having company drivers?

During the freight recession, Daria found that company drivers were losing money while owner-operators kept the business balanced. The OO model shifts equipment costs to the driver but gives them higher revenue percentages and more independence.

What is the biggest compliance challenge with owner-operators?

Vehicle maintenance. Owner-operators don’t always take care of their trucks as well as they should. Mountain Lane provides full compliance support — registration, 2290 filing, trailer tags — to minimize this gap.

How did Daria survive the freight recession?

By tracking every number from day one. She identified that company drivers were costing her money, pivoted to an all-owner-operator model, sold trucks to her drivers, eliminated debt, and rebuilt around a leaner structure.

Which equipment type pays the most right now in 2026?

Reefer is currently the highest at Mountain Lane, with drivers grossing $9,000 to $13,000 per week. Flatbed season is heating up at $9,000 to $11,000. Dry van is steadier at $7,000 to $9,000.

How can owner-operators keep cash flow steady when broker payments take weeks?

Fuel, maintenance, and insurance don’t wait for broker checks. Bobtail’s financial tools let you turn unpaid invoices into same-day working capital, so you’re not floating expenses out of pocket while revenue catches up.

How do I find the most profitable freight lanes for my equipment type?

The This Week in Trucking free newsletter breaks down the hottest freight markets by equipment type every Monday — plus broker alerts so you know where rates are moving and which players to avoid.

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Don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel so you never miss conversations like this one. Drive safe, everyone.

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