If you're not, freelancing might not be for you. Sure, with the current shortfall of skilled IT workers today, finding work is fairly easy. But times change, and there could come a day when landing contract work isn't so easy. You'll have to keep up on invoicing, on keeping up to date on your taxes, and managing multiple projects. And that's just to begin with.
Organizational skills are a critical skill for the contract professional.
By working independently, you'll have the opportunity to work on multiple projects simultaneously, rather than getting locked into just one system. Often, particularly with on-site contract work, you have power over how many hours you want to work. Companies don't want to rack up obscene numbers of hours. This can be particularly advantageous if you have children, allowing you to spend more time with family. Many contractors report they spend a lot less time in pointless meetings.