Any one go from 18-wheelin to hot shotting?

I've been driving 18-wheelers OTR and regional for 6+ years now. For a while now, I've been very seriously contemplating buying my own truck. I've been doing lots of home work, with lots left to do. Lol. I am becoming more serious, however, but have a slight dilemma. Lol. IF I pull the trigger, I'm not sure if I want to go the 18-wheeler route and buy abig truck for 50-60 k for a heavily used one, or buy a much less used, if used at all, 3500-5500 series truck I realize one big diff would be I wouldn't need to buy a trailer with a big truck if I leased into another company and used theirs. Such as landstar. Yet, buying a 3500-5500, I'd have to look for a used gooseneck of various lengths. With those two differences aside, which would be the recommended route by any of you who've done both.

I completely understand either route includes dedication, determination, and of course hard work if you want any kind if success. I strongly believe in entrepreneurship, and understand it takes much dedication to essentially build a business from the ground up. So if any of you could give me advantages/disadvantages to starting a hot shot operation vs a traditional big rig operation, I'd appreciate it.


Of course there are also the givens such as with hot shotting, if I don't want to sleep on a hard seat, I'd need to fork out money for a hotel. Things like that.

Again, any help or suggestion appreciated!

 

Yea, I was even figuring on a few year old gooseneck for even less. Long as its not covered in rust and the deck is solid that's all I care about.

 

Yea essentially I'd like to build my own customer base. But I really just want to build a good rep up before focusing to much on specifically building my own base.

I test drove a 2013 F-350 quad cab last year with that new at the time 6.8 with 800 torque and 400 hp. Getting on the freeway at 20-25 I floored it and it actually broke the back tires loose. I was impressed for a 1-ton 4wd truck. So I've no doubt it could pull some good loads. But yea, I've not heard good things about really any ford diesel since the last 7.3. Definitely heard good about the cummins in the dodge for most part. But bad things about its transmission. GMC/Chevy has seemed kinda the middle ground between all 3 when it comes to everything.

The trucking company I drive semi for, I've gotta 14 peterbilt they gave me new with 70 miles. It's now got 118k on its cummins without a single issue. So I can understand the admiration many dodge owners have with their Cummins.

 

Btw, I meant 6.7 not 6.8 in the ford. Lol. Typo.

 

####. That's a good testimony for his dodge. I like the dodges. Just knowing my luck, the min the warranty expires, the tranny would go lol