I hope to let mine pay for itself, but it will all be local, and 95% will be personal or my business use.Using one of these trucks to make money is a hard row to hoe. They are spartan at best in the way of creature comforts. You can add air ride seats and AC and improve the ride some.
I drove a M916 from Fort Benning, GA, to Fort Chaffee, AR, and back hauling a D8 dozer one time. By the time I got back to Benning I had had about as much of that as I could enjoy for one month.
They ride like an oxcart and there is not a lot you can do about it. Even with a heavy load they will still jar your teeth out when you hit a bad chuck hole in the road.
If you are going to do short haul or permit loads where you are in a motel every night it prob isn't a big deal. You will have to run a log book and if you don't have a sleeper you will have to prove to the DOT that you are getting the proper rest breaks. They can put you "out of service" if they think you are fudging the paperwork.
Just my input for what it is worth.
I have to admit I bought the M915A1 and M871 because of the items on my MV wishlist they were the most likely to help pay for themselves.
I do hope once paid for they will pay for a big brother, and maybe an M820.
So I guess I bought them because I wanted them first and foremost, now I need to find the use. Good thing I have a full time and part time job already.
I still can't believe I got matching paint and matching model years for the pair...weird.