I live just outside Chicago and have done local both with a flat/train and van.

Flatbed has much higher revenue between Chicago/Detroit but you will not be home every night. Sitting in line at the mills then getting a sameday appt at one of the auto plants or factories is a whole nother thing! But the money is descent and I was able to be home everyother night and off the weekends.

Van freight is very poor. There is a lot of deadheading unless you want to pull stuff for under $1.25 a mile, which I won't.

Best money I had made (before going to tankers) was doing rail work, moving containers. I was able to avg $700 a day, home everyday (I ran 8pm-5am) and off weekends. Easy work, especially being done at night as there are no lines to wait in.

Now I am on a dedicated gig, I clear $1,000 a day and am only gone from home for 3 days each week pulling tanks.