Cargo van O/O independent loads?

I wouldn't.

Remember, the loads on the boards are the ones that went untouched by those with contracts to bid. Usually they are Cheap and Heavy, if you catch my drift.

Add in the Net30+ billing, and you'd go broke pretty quickly.

When I did this, I contracted under a broker, but non-exclusive. Therefore if for whatever reason he didn't have anything for me, I could go my own way and grab loads (thereby not sitting in one place too long). I rarely hauled a load independently that paid me the rate that I got when he secured the freight via direct contract. He knew the market, followed the trends, and bid so many loads that he always knew the breakover point between getting the load and coming in too high. He also knew the costs of doing business and would never load out a van for under $1.40/mile to the contractor (this was a decade ago), and I averaged $1.81/loaded mile. I drove an early Sprinter that got 24 mpg, and my $1 million liability with $100k cargo rider policy was only $224/month back then.