But he doesn't have someone a) charging him for training and b) dictating when he's available for business in a manner that suits their bottom line and not his,

But he doesn't have someone a) charging him for training and b) dictating when he's available for business in a manner that suits their bottom line and not his, does he? If these employees were truly independent contractors, that's fine, I have no qualms with that. What shits me to tears is when businesses claim an employee is an independent contractor when they're very much not able to be independent because of the demands of the company employing them.