Many freelancers are coders and temporary employees.
There are freelancers who have the skills and experience necessary to become members of the consultant class, but there are many freelancers who don't. Just because you can code doesn't mean you're a business problem solver or entrepreneur, or want to be.
If I need to hire somebody to knock out some code for a few months, I'm not going to hire somebody who is pitching himself or herself as a panacea for all of my business problems. Solos should be thoughtful about the personal and professional implications of their positioning. It's one thing to want the financial rewards of consulting, but it's another thing to deal with the day-to-day demands.