BY SUSAN ROSE
There’s something intoxicating about the idea of over-the-road (OTR) business—multi-hour or -day jobs feel like growth with a capital G. After all, how different can a longer trip be? According to industry veterans who operate in this space on the regular, the answer is simple: It is an entirely different operational discipline.
L to R: Session moderator Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide with speakers Joey Mills of Olympus Car Coach and Ted Hernandez of Premier Transportation of Dallas At the CD/NLA Show in Dallas last October, two experienced motorcoach professionals—Ted Hernandez, director of motorcoach operations for Premier Transportation of Dallas, and Joey Mills, founder and CEO of Olympus Car Coach in Knoxville—in a session moderated by Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide, broke down what truly defines OTR work and what it takes to do it successfully.
In practical terms, OTR work generally involves trips of several hundred miles, often with overnight components and multi-day itineraries. But the mileage alone isn’t what makes it different.
“I think one of the things that really differentiates over-the-road is you’re going outside your comfort zone,” said Mills. “A lot of us operate in our comfort zone every day within our city. When you get over the road, you’re probably going at least 200 or 300 miles at a minimum, oftentimes overnight, which creates a whole different barrier.”
That “barrier” includes driver lodging, per diems, hours-of-service (HOS) compliance, unfamiliar routes, and increased exposure to mechanical, regulatory, and safety risks. Hernandez summed it up from an operational and dispatch standpoint: “It’s when I have to think about routes and planning for how we’re getting the driver or drivers down there and how we’re getting the drivers back.”
And it’s not just limited to larger vehicles like motorcoaches. As Sharenow pointed out, even sedan and SUV operators find themselves handling long-haul work under unusual circumstances. Once a trip stretches beyond your typical market radius, you are operating in a different risk and compliance environment. This is where research becomes critical, but what you don’t know could hurt you.
Tip 1: Start planning the moment the quote comes in.
Successful OTR work begins before the contract is signed.
“For us, our trip starts when we get the initial quote and the itineraries,” Hernandez said. A detailed itinerary allows operators to determine whether a relief or “boost” driver will be required, overnight lodging must be built into the cost, and if the requested timing is even legal under HOS rules.
Route planning is equally critical, but so is thinking on your feet. Mills shared an example from the Smoky Mountains, where a collapsed roadway turned a routine drive into a six-hour detour around the park. “Anytime you’re doing something, you have to contemplate the job and the possible risks,” he said. His company generally limits drivers to about 525 miles per day to reduce fatigue and risk.
Technology matters here—and we’re not talking about Google Maps. As any motorcoach operator will tell you, commercial GPS systems programmed with vehicle height, weight, and length are essential for larger vehicles. Consumer navigation apps often fail to account for truck restrictions and low clearances. Regional conditions also demand preparation—from extreme heat affecting cooling systems to winter travel requiring tire chains or block heaters. That’s critical if you start your day at the top or bottom of a mountain where conditions could be drastically different than your destination.
The lesson: if you’re not thinking several steps ahead, you’re already behind.
Tip 2: Respect compliance, because it will not bend for you.
OTR work dramatically increases regulatory exposure. HOS compliance becomes central to every decision, because, as you know, drivers are limited to 10 hours of driving time and 15 hours on duty, not to mention the mandatory rest time. If an itinerary pushes beyond that, a relief driver—or drivers—must be scheduled in advance.
Beyond HOS, operators must manage fuel reporting (IFTA), toll passes, and municipal permits. Some cities impose significant fines for operating without proper authorization. Mills cited Savannah, Ga., as an example, where fines can reach $1,000 per day for noncompliance. Yikes!
Medical certification documentation is another area where small errors can create major consequences. A driver who is missing proper documentation during a roadside inspection can be placed out of service immediately. Sharenow talked about building redundancy into compliance systems, particularly around medical cards and documentation, because discovering a gap during an inspection is a terrible moment to start troubleshooting whose responsibility it was.
The main takeaway: Compliance is not an administrative task; it is a protection strategy.
Tip 3: If you price it like a “normal” job, you’re going to hate the ending.
Many operators underestimate the financial complexity of OTR work.
“You can lose a lot of money quickly if you get the incorrect quotes on these kinds of trips,” Mills warned. “When you maybe underquote an over-the-road trip by a few thousand, it’s enough to hurt.”
Unlike traditional hourly work, multi-day OTR trips require comprehensive cost modeling. Operators must account for driver wages, per diems, hotel stays, tolls, parking, fuel, relief drivers, and, in some cases, the cost of having a vehicle unavailable for other revenue during that time.
Most experienced operators move away from hourly pricing for multi-day trips and instead present a total trip price. Both Hernandez and Mills warned that clients often struggle to understand 72 hours of hourly billing, and hourly structures can underprice the true cost of the trip.
Mills uses a tiered pricing model with multiple profit targets depending on demand and season. The key is consistency and clarity.
Bottom line: If you do not know your exact cost of operation, you are gambling every time you quote OTR work.
Tip 4: Not every driver is built for OTR. One of the most overlooked elements of expanding into OTR is driver suitability. Overnight trips disrupt routines, and we all know how important it is for them to be well rested so they can manage extended duty windows and navigate unfamiliar markets. It also requires maturity and a bit of self-discipline. Some excel in that environment, while others prefer local shuttle or day work.
“Some drivers don’t like over-the-road,” Mills said. “You really need to talk to your staff.”
Equally important is equipping drivers to maintain compliance without fear of client pushback. “They want to protect their tip. But you have to empower and support your drivers,” Mills said about the awkward quandary drivers are sometimes put into when the customer wants them to go just a little further. Hernandez echoed that sentiment: “Let me be the bad guy.” When clients attempt to push itineraries beyond legal limits, management must step in and reinforce boundaries for everyone’s protection.
The moral of the story: A profitable OTR program depends on having the right drivers—and backing them without hesitation.
Tip 5: Protect your off-duty time and manage risk proactively.
Understanding what qualifies as on-duty versus off-duty time is critical. According to Mills, anything that furthers the trip—fueling, opening luggage bays, cleaning the vehicle—counts as on-duty time. True off-duty time means the driver has no responsibility to the vehicle and is free to leave.
Overnight driving also represents one of the highest risk exposures in the business. Fatigue, darkness, and long highway stretches amplify liability. As Sharenow pointed out, overnight trips often keep operators closely monitoring telematics and vehicle tracking systems.
Tip 6: Friends in other cities are worth their weight in diesel.
Breakdowns, venue surprises, weather interruptions—they’re part of the territory. What determines the outcome is often the strength of the relationships you’ve built before you need them. Local affiliates at the ready with backup equipment or even just a helping hand or friendly advice can turn a disaster into a minor delay. The long and short of it: Building partnerships with affiliates and service providers along common routes is an important layer of protection.
Tip 7: Start small and build systems first.
For operators considering entry into the OTR market, the consensus advice was clear: Grow deliberately. Like everything else, time and research lay the foundation for an effective and profitable program.
What does that look like? It’s developing pricing models, establishing compliance protocols, identifying which drivers are suited for multi-day work, building affiliate relationships in key markets, understanding permit requirements before selling into new cities, and maybe even talking to others who have done it. Essentially, it’s all of the above.
As Sharenow advised: “Know your limits.”
OTR work can become a competitive differentiator, but it requires disciplined planning, precise pricing, regulatory fluency, and strong driver communication. “You have to double-check and double-check,” Hernandez added.
Final Thoughts
For operators considering stepping into this segment, the path forward is clear. Start with systems. Build processes before selling aggressively. Educate your clients. Support your drivers. And know your costs as closely as possible.
Done right, OTR work can become a powerful revenue stream. Done casually, it can become your most expensive mistake. [CD0326]
