Please Help Me With My Situation

Hi guys,

I hope all is well. I have been reading this forum a lot and really like it. I am also in need of help. I need you guys to help me with your opinion on a few things, but first, here is briefly about my situation:

I graduated from Eastern Washington University last summer with Bachelor's in Business Administration and Finance with a high GPA. While discouraged at the rejections I had received after profusely applying everywhere, a friend of my family in Houston said to me that there is a lot of money to be made in trucking and that working as an owner-operator with him as a team would make us good money from which we can grow and buy a second truck and so on. I agreed and moved to Houston and started working on my CDL. I will hopefully have my class A CDL automatic this Thursday. I do have about 15k in cash in my bank account that I am considering using it as a downpayment for a tractor, and I do have a good credit score. At this point, I feel like I am at a crossroads and not sure what to do. Here are a few things I am not sure about:

1. Is it really a good idea to start out as an owner-operator instead of a company driver first to familiarize myself with the nature of the job and see first if fits me?
2. If I start out as an owner-operator with no experience, should I then just buy a straight truck since it requires no experience? Is it worth it?
3. If I start out as an owner-operator, should I get my MC and DOT number and start working as a team with my friend?
4. Probably my biggest question is, given my situation and my desire to make the most money in trucking, what would be your best advice for me?

Thank you, guys!

 

I am not sure how that is a helpful response.

 

No experience