At a precipice

Good afternoon all. First, I apologize if my typing skills suck - I am connected via my iPad, using a dinky BlueTooth keyboard to type.

I want to seek some advice from the pros, so let me start by giving a bit about myself. I am 39 years old, married with two kids, 13 and 5. For most of my adult life, I have worked in the customer service field, playing the corporate man's game. Work hard, go to college, all that nonsense. Despite playing by the rules, earning a Bachelors, I cannot get out of this field due to the Achilles heel of, "no experience."

I'll get to the point. I am beyond burnt out with this b.s. I am exporting the route of teaching, but am afraid of the "no experience" biting me. Interestingly enough, when my father in-law was showing us his rig, I was bit by the bug when he let me sit in the front seat of it. It was an epiphany.

"This is it. This feels right. I CAN do this."

I have discussed with my wife, and done some research on it, so now it's down to the questions.

First - I know OTR is away, a lot. Any advice for someone with a wife and two kids? I know there's Skype, cellphones, and home time, so it's not like I'm in the "olden days" as my daughter would say. But it's not easy on the wife and kids. Military families are conditioned to it - if that is the right word. Mine isn't.

So, any tips/advice?

Second - Pay. I know I'll need to do a few months worth of training, most of which will be without pay. I'll need to look at a loan/contract for the school. I'll just add it to my pile of student loans. LoL

But how soon can I start making money? If I cash in my 401k, I'll net around 8-months that I can go without pay before I'm in trouble. After that, I'd need to bank around $40k at least, a year. I've been told by an old co-worker, her and her husband team drive, that I can make some serious cash with good, old fashioned hard work.

Is this true? Or am I delusional?

Third - How easy is it to get hired on? I consider myself intelligent. I'm not "bench press a Beamer" fit, but I'm not at death's door. I have clean driving record, and I don't partake in the pharmaceutical stuff.

Do I even have a chance in hell of being hired on? My former co-worker, both her and her husband are former nurses. So I'm guessing I can. But still. How easy is it to get hired on with a good company?

In closing, I know I probably sound like a mid-life crisis case. To be honest, I've worked a soul sucking office job for most of my life. I need a change. I need to be doing something that makes me feel content.

Trucking, like teaching, I know is a calling. I've felt that tug before, but sitting in that cab... it was an eye opener. It's the spirit of the open road - the adventure - that's calling to me.

So please, any advice, thoughts, comments, etc, are welcome. After some research and talking it over the wife, I am looking at taking this plunge within the next year. If I'm crazy, please tell me. If I'm a POS husband/father, please be honest.

Thank you for reading this very long post.

 

Thank you for the response. So as I guessed, is does boil down to hardwork. I dont have a problem with that at all.

That's good about the paid training - that will take some of the edge of the finances. As for fulfilling a contract, no problem. I'm old school - I try to remain faithful to my employer. Reason I've been here for ten years.

I'm not concerned about my record - I try to not do things that attract the attention of Officer Friendly. LoL. So I'm confident it's clean.

For the hire on, within the probationary period. Is it safe to say you'll be hired on, provided you work hard, take the loads, and don't do anything stupid?

 

Looking at reefer or van. I'll hold off on the flat bed & tank until I can build more experience. Plus, my wife - she has a CDL to drive a small bus - mentioned how the tankers get squirrely with the contents following the physics of the trailer.

 

kw550cat - my coworker mentioned the regional, said a few companies contract with Coke Cola, and do around the region, SE US for me. My understanding, OTR is the best for pay though.

Dave_in_AZ - Used to SE AZ. Miss it - been 20 years since I left. Thank you for the info on ABF. I'll check them out.

 

Thank you for the info. I'd probably look at 3 weeks out, 1 week in. If it can be done.

What does regional usually average in pay?