Wannabe Team driver with husband.

My husband and I are wanting to become team OTR drivers when I retire from my current career in March 2019. As you can imagine, my head is swirling with questions.

Right now the main question is:
1. Would we be better off buying an older Pre DEF, Pre ELD, rig and starting out debt free as an o/o?
(Hubby is a mechanic and training me to be one too) (He wants an older cabover/sleeper)
2. Or would we be better off working for a larger company and driving their trucks for a bit?
3. Or get into that whole leasing hassle?

Our goal is to work as much as we can and stockpile $$ for a few years, then officially retire and travel around in our 1983 Bluebird Wanderlodge that we have been rehabbing.

 

Sure. My grandfather and uncle were both OTR truckers and I went on runs with them as a child.

They have both past, years ago so I can't pick their brains about any of this, plus they did trucking back in the 70's and 80's. I know a lot has changed since then.

 

My thoughts are to sell this place down here in SWFL, or rent it out for a year. Either way, I am moving from this h#$% hole, just not sure where I want to move to yet. I plan on living in my 36ft All steel, All American 32,000# bus that has a 3208T Cat and Allison trans with a Jacob drive line retarder and a 12.75Klwt Perkins Generator. We can plant the bus anywhere in the US as our home base. My kids are grown and I have no responsibilities at home so I will be ready for this adventure. I also have some $$ set aside to get this venture rolling so we will not be in any debt starting out. We also both have our own health insurance courtesy of our former careers. I just think my $$ will grow faster OTR than it will sitting in that IRA.

 

That's nice and all but I have been reading that there is a trend now to go with shorter tractors so you can pull heavier longer trailers, plus the shorter tractor is easier to maneuver. We are both little people and do well in small spaces.

 

Do you guys know if companies are prohibiting older tractors or demanding newer rigs? I know the DOT is cracking down on glider kits, so we are not looking to go that route.