Thinking of going O/O

Before everyone tells me I'm "NUTS" for wanting to buy my own truck in these economic times, let me say "I'm running out of options".
I am tired of being someone else's mercy as to whether I can work or not.
My question is....do most companies have a requirement for recent experience for O/O like they do for company drivers?
I have driven FOR owner operators before, and owned my own tractor and low-bed, so I kind of know some of the details of owning your own truck.
But before I buy a truck, I want to be sure I can work it!
I was laid-off from my job as a superintendent for a construction co and thought "oh well, I'll go back to driving". Talk about being slapped back to reality. I found out very quickly that it is not that easy!
Back in the day(can't believe I said that) I could work construction for 10 years and get a job driving for 5-6 years and go back to construction. Those times are over! Now if you don't have experience in the last year, no company I have found will hire you.
After many hours of discussion with my better half, we decided to check into the prospect of owning our own truck.
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks Alot, Maverick