Lol your so all over the board I'm not even really sure what point your trying to make so I'll ask. Are you saying that if our operating cost was 10 cents then running for 20 cents would be ok because, hey that's 100% profit? I don't know about others but I kinda see some value in pushing for...
If you kill or seriously injure someone you can bet the carrier is getting sued right along with you. Many of us that run as o/o buy insurance through our carrier and that's often for only when we are empty. The carriers insurance covers it when we are loaded, so yes accidents very much affect...
We had guys doing office Depot deliveries, prescriptions, matresses, Avon and even tropical fish routes but the majority was still small package.
In the end yes you should be able to use it as experience if your a little creative.
Most courier work is delivering envelopes and small packages not ltl. I was in the biz for years. Sure it can work for experience it did for me. Two different niches but in a van neither is rocket science just two completely different lifestyles.
Most likely just before a new president is elected we will dip into another recession. It seems to happen near the end of most two term presidents run in office.