Part Time Local Trucking

I am currently employed full time as a Firefighter working 24hrs on duty and 72 hrs off. I have an oppurtunity to driver on my days off for a friend who owns a landscaping company. He will be buying a fifth wheel dump trailer, a lowboy for an excavator, and a water tanker to fill pools. He is also looking to buy a tractor. I will be his only CDL driver until he completes his cdl classes. All of this work will be inside the 100 air mile radius. My question is this. Would it be worth it for me to purchase the tractor and use his trailers? This way if I saw fit I could use the tractor whenever he has no work to be done? Or should I let him assume all of the responsibility? For refrence he and I are looking at tractors pre 2000 mainly KW W900's and Pete 359/379, but also dreaming about some really nice W900A's, K100 Aerodynes, and Pete 352/362's lol. Also to address any Hours of service questiuons I have found FMCSA guidance on working the 24hr shifts at the fire department as follows below.


"Question 29: Although firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and other public safety professionals are often exempt from the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations under the governmental exception [49 CFR 390.3(f)(2)], they sometimes have second jobs with interstate motor carriers for which they are required to comply with the HOS rules. When one of these individuals has a second job with an interstate motor carrier and works a 24-hour shift for the fire/rescue/emergency services department, is all of the time spent during the shift considered on-duty time?
Guidance: No. Fire fighters and other public safety professionals working 24-hour shifts may record time during which they are required or permitted to rest as off-duty time. However, all time that the public safety specialist is required to perform work (e.g., administrative work, cleaning/repairing equipment, operating equipment, etc.) would be considered on-duty time."

 

I am sure there are a million possible problems that could arise. The owner of the company is in no way suggesting this. It is my idea that I am researching. The original plan is for the company owner to own all the equipment and pay me an hourly rate. As for jeopardizing my firefighter career I have no clue why I would be doing that as this would be on my days off and I would continue to work. This would be a side job to firefighting.

 

I would have th ability to utilize his trailers with my tractor.

 

A

I totally get it with getting your feet wet. I guess I should have prefaced the post with before becoming a firefighter I drove truck full time for about 10 years. I also completely get leaving the ownership to the company rather than being an owner operator for him. I am just playing with different ideas. At the end of it all I will be retiring in 8 to 12 years and am doing what I can to pad my retirement. Thank for all the input as I truly appreciate it.