Thinking about going owner-operator - is it even worth it? Need some real talk.

I've been driving for a mid-size company for about 4 years now, and honestly? I'm tired of watching someone else pocket most of what I earn per mile. Been crunching numbers and it's eating at me. But going solo scares me. Got questions, and Google ain't cutting it.

Finding loads - do you spend half your day calling brokers and scrolling through DAT? Is it a full-time job on top of driving?

Rate negotiation - I've never done this. Do brokers just lowball you constantly?

Paperwork and updates - what about all the broker check-calls and status updates? Heard some guys are glued to their phone just keeping brokers happy.

The money - are you making more per mile after expenses? Or is it "looks good on paper"?

I'm considering going solo after I stumbled across an ai dispatcher that finds loads, negotiates rates, sends updates, all that stuff. Got me thinking if ai handles the dispatcher side, maybe going owner-operator isn't as impossible as I thought? If it does broker calls and load hunting while I focus on driving, the math might work out better.

But I don't want to jump in blind. What am I missing? What's the stuff nobody tells you until you're committed?

Appreciate any real experiences. Thanks.