Ozark Motor Lines is a go-to employer for new and experienced drivers. The company has been in operation since 1961 when Mose and Dorothy Higginbotham founded the Memphis trucking company.
They started as a one-truck operation and now has more than 700 power units on the road.
The company is now a top-performing carrier with customers that include FedEx and International Paper.
The company is different than the big, impersonal trucking outfits that most drivers are forced to work with.
When you work with Ozark, you’re working with a company that:
- Pays on time
- Offers home time
- Hauls good freight
- Allows drivers to stop and see the boss anytime
Positions at the company include:
- Company drivers
- Owner operators
- Driver trainers
- Students
Ozark Trucking has made a lot of changes in 2019, and all of the changes occurred on January 1, 2019. The effective changes offer better benefits, higher pay and help drivers prepare for retirement.
Ozark Motor Lines Pay and Benefits
When you work for the company, you’ll be joining a company that offers great equipment and the following benefits to company drivers:
- Per diem program
- Dental and vision (from day one)
- Medical care
- Flexible home time
- Sign-on bonus
- $2,000 bonus for driver referral
- 401 (k)
- EZ Pass
- PrePass
- Pet programs
- Rider programs
Drivers will also benefit from no loading and unloading, hazmat and no NYC or Canada routes.
We onl have feedback from seven employees that have submitted their salaries, with the average annual salary being $46,713.
Salary distribution ranges from $23,000 to $77,000, so there’s a lot of room to grow with the company.
Requirements for joining the company are:
- Valid CDL-A license
- 21+ years of age
- 3+ months of experience
Owner Operator Pay With Ozark
We had much better feedback from owner-operators working with Ozark. Although we use the dedicated OTR driver statistics for our comparisons, as a potential driver you may want to put more emphasis on their owner-operator pay rate.
As an Ozark owner-operator, you’ll be driving in the mid-south and will have the following benefits:
- 100% fuel charge
- $1.15 per mile
- Home time
- Paid
- Fuel
- Base plates
- Permits
- Scale tickets
- Tools
- Health insurance options
- No forced dispatch
- No NYC or Canada routes
- No loading or unloading
- No escrow
- Tractor sign-on bonus
Consistent freight will also be available, so you never have to go and track down loads again.
Trainer Truck Driver
Trainer truck drivers can help others start their careers at Ozark, with an average of $450 additional per week.
The company pays trainers by the mile and $75 a day when spending time with a trainee. The position offers:
- Competitive pay packages
- Per diem program
- Day one medical, vision and dental benefits
- Sign-on bonus
- 401(K)
- Flexible home time
- Rider program
- EZ Pass
- PrePass
- Pet program
- No loading / unloading
- No Canada or NYC routes
- No hazmat
Student Driver
Student drivers can ride with trainers so that they can start their career with Ozark Motor Lines. The company offers the same benefits to students as they do trainer drivers, but long-haul and regional drivers will have $2,000 in additional annual earnings with a new 2 CPM pay increase.
Changes Made in 2019
Ozark drivers received the following increases at the start of the year:
- $0.02 per mile increase for all dispatched miles for regional and long-haul drivers
- Per diem mileage rate of $0.16 for dispatched miles
- Discretionary 401(k) match of $0.50 per dollar with a $2,000 maximum per year
Ozark Motor Lines Hiring Area
The company’s hiring area is the mid-south, with hiring in:
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Arkansas
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Missouri
- New York
- Ohio
- South Carolina
- Texas
- West Virginia
Hiring throughout the company’s OTR hiring area always has multiple openings, but dedicated driver opportunities may not be available in all locations.
Ozark Trucking Reviews
Ozark Motor Lines has primarily positive reviews, and the more recent reviews show that the company is moving in the right direction. The most recent reviews claim:
- Ozark is a great environment for truckers to learn in
- Supervisors are good to workers, and the workplace is family oriented
- Laid back, and upper management listens to you when you have a problem
- Decent pay for new drivers
- Excellent equipment
- Scheduled to work 8 hours, but OT is available
- Adequate time given for deliveries, so drivers don’t need to rush
- Very understanding company that is tolerant of mistakes
Ozark might not have the industry’s highest pay, but the company has a family-oriented work environment, decent pay, great benefits and an eight-hour schedule with no rush freight. For new drivers or those that want to enjoy a more relaxed work environment, Ozark is a great option.