where to start

Not sure of the question. Are you asking how to go about getting a truck, or are you asking what type of work you can do to be home weekends in NC?

I'd say the truck will be the easy part. What are you hauling, and to where???

 

Well, basically you need to:

Get your DOT# (FMCSA.gov)
Get insurance (vehicle and cargo)
Register vehicle with state
Pay IRS Form 2290 (Heavy Highway Use tax)
Then go to IFTA/IRP office and create accounts for both of those (will pay for sticker)

As you can see, you need some cash on hand to pay for all of these things.

 

Are you asking about how to go about buying a truck, leasing on to a carrier or getting your authority?

If you want to know how to purchase a truck, you look around, find a truck you like and write them a check. If you don't have enough cash to pay for a truck then you will need to find a lender who makes loans on class 8 equipment. You will usually need at least 10% down payment, perhaps as much as 20%, depending on your credit. You will also need money to run on and to keep you going until you start getting your money coming in. It is good to have at least 6 months expenses saved up before buying a truck. If you plan to get your own authority, you should plan on buying a trailer.

 

^^^^^Yes. Actually "getting the truck" is the easy part. Go to truck dealer, and buy one.

 

Just plan on putting down $10k to get the truck and have a MINIMUM of $15k put aside for expenses ($25k if getting your own authority) and then the rest is just paperwork and booking the right loads for your wants and needs.

If you don't have the $$ as stated above already saved up then I wouldn't even consider getting your own truck as you are most likely going to fail.