Please advise...

Hi all. I'm new to the board and hoping to get some great advice from some of you seasoned vets. I'm considering buying a truck to become an o/o. I live in Jersey City, NJ and I'm trying to find out what freight lanes are available in my area. I've been a company driver for Schneider for the last 6 years but I really don't wanna lease on with them. I'd much rather be on my own. I'm trying to understand how some of these load boards work or would like to land something direct in my area so that I could avoid using brokers. I'd perfer something that runs from Jersey to the Hampton, VA area. I got family in VA who have a direct contract with Hampton Farms. They typically ship from VA to Maryland, parts of south Jersey and PA. I just need find work to get me headed south. Any info would be greatly appreciated.