Long miles start here
Owner-Operator CDL-A OTR Jobs in Nebraska
Nebraska is I-80 country. From Omaha to the Wyoming line, a big share of the freight moving between the coasts rolls past Lincoln, Kearney and North Platte on that one highway. Drivers who grew up with open interstate in every direction and a crosswind that never quits tend to settle into OTR life without much trouble. The distance is familiar. So is the wind.
Questions? Talk to a recruiter: 1-888-283-6958
At a glance
Position
Owner-operator, independent contractor
Equipment
Rental. No lease-purchase
Runs
OTR. 2 to 3 weeks out, then a few days at home
Requirements
Class A CDL, 2+ years OTR, no DUI, no SAP
Endorsements
None needed
Potential take-home
$2,500+ per week after all expenses. Many drivers earn more.
MB Global Logistics brings on owner-operators from Nebraska in any month, no seasonal cutoff and no quota by state. If you are hunting for owner operator jobs in Nebraska and you carry a Class A CDL with at least 2 years of OTR behind you, the six questions below are the fastest way to get a recruiter on the phone.
Potential take-home pay
The advertised figure is $2,500+ per week in take-home after all expenses. It varies by driver: experience, miles, fuel and time out change the math every week, and many drivers clear more than that.
Who qualifies for owner-operator jobs in Nebraska
Class A CDL with a current expiration date
Minimum of 2 years OTR behind the wheel
Resident of the Cornhusker State
No DUI or DWI on your record
No SAP history on file
DOT medical card, not expired
How our owner-operator program works
01
Your own business
Owner-operators run with MB Global as independent contractors. You are not driving a company truck and you are not on anyone's payroll. The deal is between your operation and ours, and you keep the independence that comes with it.
02
No lease-purchase here
Equipment is rental, period. MB Global does not sell tractors and does not run a lease-purchase program, so nothing you pay goes toward buying the truck. If a lease to own is what you want, look elsewhere.
03
Out for weeks
Runs are OTR only. Plan for 2 to 3 weeks on the road, then a few days home. With I-80 across the state and I-29 at Omaha, the road back out is rarely far away.
Freight corridors OTR drivers run from Nebraska
Freight and rail go together in Nebraska. Omaha is the headquarters of a major Class I railroad, and North Platte has Bailey Yard, one of the largest rail classification yards anywhere in the world. Trucks feed those yards and pull from them. On top of that, the state's beef packing plants and grain elevators ship in every season, so the loads do not dry up in winter. Drivers here earn a median wage close to the national median, and living costs in most of the state stay low, which helps when you are building an owner-operator business.
I-80 runs the full width of the state, from Omaha through Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney and North Platte before it reaches Wyoming. Near the western edge, I-76 splits off toward Denver. Around Omaha, I-680 and I-480 move trucks through the metro, and I-180 serves Lincoln. For north and south freight, US-75 and US-81 do the work, and I-29 is right across the river at Council Bluffs.
Wind and snow on Nebraska I-80
Nebraska 511 posts current conditions. Use it. Winter wind across the Platte valley can push a trailer around, and blowing snow turns long stretches of I-80 into slow going or a full closure. Check before you roll, especially west of Kearney where there is less between you and the weather.
What the data says about Nebraska drivers
23,160
Truck drivers employed
$58,390
Median annual wage
2,790
Openings a year
In May 2025, BLS reported a median wage of $58,390 a year for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers here, compared with $58,640 across the United States. The count was about 23,160 drivers. The state projects a 4.1 percent change from 2024 to 2034 and about 2,790 openings each year, most of them from drivers leaving the field. These figures cover wage and salary drivers, not owner-operator earnings. Use them to judge demand in the state, not to estimate your own settlements.
Orientation, travel and lodging
Orientation
A remote portion you do from home, then the in-person portion at our terminal.
Lodging
Covered in full by MB Global for the nights you spend at orientation.
Travel
Arranged and paid up front by MB Global, then charged back to you at $50 per week. It is not free, so ask about the total.
Orientation has two halves. The first you complete remotely from home. The second is in person at our terminal, where MB Global pays for your lodging in full. Your travel out and back is arranged and paid up front by MB Global and then charged back at $50 per week on your settlements. Get the number of weeks and the settlement line item from your recruiter before you go.
See if you pre-qualify
Start with six quick questions. About a minute of your time, and it is not the full federal application. The answers go to recruiting only, never to advertising or analytics tools.
Six questions, one minute
Goes to recruiting, nobody else
The full application comes later
Your answers go only to our recruiting team. We never share them with advertising or analytics tools.
What happens next
Three steps from here to the road
1
Answer the six questions and send the form in, any day you like.
2
A recruiter reaches out to qualified drivers here to go over the program.
3
Complete the FMCSA driver application and set your orientation dates, remote and at the terminal.
What you'll need for the full application
After pre-qualifying, you fill out the federal driver application under 49 CFR 391.21. Pull these together first and the form goes faster:
CDL details: issuing state, license number, expiration date, and any other CDL or learner permit you hold.
Every place you have lived in the past 3 years.
Employment for the past 3 years, plus any employer you drove a commercial vehicle for in the 7 years before that, including names, addresses, dates and reason for leaving.
Your experience by equipment type, such as tractor-trailer, straight truck or other.
Accidents and traffic convictions over the past 3 years, and any license suspension, revocation or denial at any time.
Your current DOT medical card, including its expiration date.
Consent to an MVR check, to inquiries with past employers about safety and drug and alcohol testing, and to an FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse query (49 CFR 391.23).
Nebraska owner-operator FAQs
Why does this state matter for OTR freight?
Because so much of it passes through. I-80 carries freight between the coasts across the whole state, Omaha is a Class I railroad headquarters, and Bailey Yard in North Platte is among the largest rail yards on the planet. Add beef and grain that ship year-round, and you have a state where trucks are always needed and the on ramps are close.
Is the 511 site worth checking for a short run?
Yes, every time in winter. Conditions on I-80 can change fast when wind picks up and snow starts blowing, and a closure west of Kearney or North Platte can cost you half a day. The state 511 shows current conditions statewide. Drivers who already handle Plains winters tend to be well prepared for OTR work across the northern states.
What are the real openings for drivers in the state?
The state projects about 2,790 openings each year through 2034, with a 4.1 percent change over the decade, and BLS counted roughly 23,160 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in May 2025. Those numbers describe wage and salary drivers. For an owner-operator the point is simpler: shippers here need capacity all year, and MB Global contracts with drivers here all year.
How strict is the two years of OTR?
It is a firm minimum. You need at least 2 years of OTR experience with a Class A CDL before a recruiter can move you forward. No endorsements are required, but the experience is. If you are close but not there yet, the form will still be here when you hit the mark, since we contract with drivers here in every month.
What is covered during orientation and what is not?
Lodging is covered in full by MB Global while you are at our terminal. Travel is different: MB Global arranges and pays for it up front, then charges it back at $50 per week on your settlements. Ask your recruiter how many weeks that lasts and what the deduction looks like on paper, so there are no surprises on your first checks.
Can I drive a company truck instead of contracting?
No. MB Global contracts only with independent contractors on rental equipment. There are no company trucks and no payroll positions. The driver is a separate business working under contract. If that structure fits how you want to operate out of the Cornhusker State, the six question form is the place to begin.
Apply now
Nebraska owner-operators: answer the six questions and let a recruiter take it from there. Prefer to talk? Call 1-888-283-6958 between 7 AM and 5 PM, seven days a week.
Hiring in nearby states
We contract with CDL A OTR drivers in these neighboring states as well: