What kind of money can I expect....

Yes, you will take a cut, but going percentage, and running flatbed (IIRC), you should make out better than the dry van rookies at SWIFT, etc . . . it won't be as painful at least.

 

You can expect to win the lottery. Truck drivers average $20 per hour. So you will make $38,000 to 54,000 normally. You will work between 30 and 60 hours per week, again there are exceptions. You will have times you love the job and times you hate the job. But like the military, you are joining a brotherhood. You will never be alone.

 

The best money is tanker/hazmat & 2nd best is reefer. I did both OTR & stayed in the mid $60K with tanker/hazmat & in the $50K's with reefer. Like you, ex-military & had family to support, I ran hard all the time & was the go-to driver on days off, because they knew I would run hard, coast-to-coast & border-to-border & Canada. That's what it takes to stay in those pay ranges.

 

Something else to consider; artransport.com average driver pay is $65K per year. I knew a couple of those drivers that made over $70K per year consistantly. They require previous OTR experience. I was with a different tanker company, but crossed paths with them often. They are a drybulk carrier. The company I was with was drybulk & liquid, so I stayed qualified to take any load available. It's a company you can prepare for in a couple of years if you're interested.