well, first thing is, no one is actually their own boss, yes you own the wagon and it’s your name at the top of the invoice but there’s always someone pulling the strings, the firm you sub off or a regular customer your relying on for work etc,
if you want to make it pay you’ll end up with someone dictating what you do and when.
is it for the money? yes, although there’s no fortunes in it, you can (and should) make a fair bit more than as an employed driver doing similar work,
if your not, the rates are crap, it’s as simple as that.
is it to drive what you want? no, finances and time in the game and the type of work determine what you run, we’d all like to climb into a brand new wagon every morning but unless you on something you know is going to last for the next three or four years that pays good money then new wagons are just a dream.
would i do it again? definitely, if i could walk into the work i’m doing now or something else that paid similar money.
to sum up, in twenty four years of working, mainly self employed, it’s the best thing i’ve ever done and would be quite happy to spend the rest of my working life doing, in one form or another.