How to become an Owner/Operator

Keep your overhead as low as possible. To me, that's the golden rule. As far as the areas that you want to run, can't help you there. In that part of the country, I can't tell you if flatbed, reefer or van is the way to go. I guess, what I'm driving at is that you need to continue your research, set a budget, reserve and the like. Have a business plan that spells it all out.
Regarding load boards, you see a load, you call the party that has it listed and negotiate your rate. If you both agree on the load parameters (rate, delivery, etc) then you'll be faxed or emailed a confirmation which spells it all out for you to sign and return. First time dealing with a broker or company, they'll want you to sign their carrier agreement, a W9 and will want copies of your Authority and insurance for starters.

 

I know there's a flatbed company up there (Bulldog) that only runs in the east and can afford to pay their company drivers .50 per mile. There's a few guys that I've seen that only run up in that area. One of them only runs in Maine. They seem to do just fine.

 

There are some who do live and stay in the northeast. I had an owner operator that I used to dispatch and he wanted to stay in the northeast. I was able to get him decent rates and keep him running. I was able to keep him running from about Baltimore and north. Running short can wear you down when you are tarping every day, but this guy liked it. He was able to get home every weekend. I would not want to advise you one way or another about what type of trailer to pull. I don't know of anyone who pulls reefers and stays in the northeast. There is van freight, but again, I don't know how much of it picks up and delivers in the northeast. Before making a decision, I would suggest subscribing to some loadboards or check some of the free ones and see what may be available. You can also check with some of the larger brokerage firms such as CH Robinson, Contech, Schneider, JB Hunt, UACL and Landstar. There are some who most likely have a lot of freight in that area. If you can make the right connections you should find a few who can keep you busy. Most people don't want to run in that area. Wanting to stay in the northeast could work to your advantage.