Some carriers have age restrictions on their trucks. Those are usually the ones who pay the least to owner operators. If I were planning on leasing to a carrier it would not be either of those you listed. They don't pay enough. I would go with one of those carriers which pays percentage. There are several around, depending on they type of freight you want to haul.
I would not worry so much about the age as I would the condition of the truck. If you plan on driving team, you will probably need more experience before you will be able to go with most of the percentage carriers. Most require at least 1 year of experience. Those who require less are usually the ones which don't pay very much. If that is the case, then you would both be better off staying company drivers. You cannot run for less than $1/mile and make any money, whether you run team or not.
I have had good service out of International, KW and Peterbilt. I would probably go with International because of the lower investment in used and they have more room in the sleeper than any of the standard Paccar models. Volvo is a comfortable truck as is Freightliner. The main problem I have with Freightliner is that most have been owned by fleets and may not have had the best maintenance. You may want to find a fleet that is selling their own trucks. Some do. I think this is a good time to start the planning process, but I doubt whether you will be able to find a decent carrier who will lease you on with only 3 months experience. However, it doesn't hurt to check around. If your husband has a good MVR and 20 years experience, that might over come some objections to them also taking you on along with him.
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