Looking at getting in to it.

Your gonna have good weeks, and bad weeks. Everyone of those bad weeks is going to put you behind time and time again. What usually happens to family guys is going so far in the hole chasing the good weeks they fail and fall out because they simply can't afford to continue. There is no guarantee of pay. If you make a 100 bucks that week, you make a 100 bucks.

 

I just saw 2 kids, and $680/gross.I'd stick with the $680 a week. JMO.

Keep your eyes on it in the meantime.

 

Other than a few going home weeks I have never made less than 680 gross OTR. I honestly don't see how people don't make money doing OTR.

To the OP, if you do go OTR just make sure whatever company you pick pays layover, breakdown and detention and that will cover most of the things you can't control. A decent CPM rate and a decent reputation and you will make money. I've been OTR with 3 kids since I was released from the military and I've made enough money to buy a house and many toys. Also, I've never found a local job that pays more but that's in my area.

If you want to make money and give yourself and your family some breathing room then trucking can do that. Just by coming on here and doing some research shows me that you have the smarts to get it done.

 

"I have never made less than 680 gross OTR"

Minus personal road expenses to live on the road? You house is taking in less money per week. Orientation isn't going to cover that. Down one week. Another week to get miles. Down two weeks. Make 800? Your not out to the hole. Sure you can make it in the long run. You just gotta have cash reserve to make it to the long run. Financial pressure. Being away from home. Leaving kids. Causes more divorces than any other known reason to man.

Not trying to talk you out of it. Just know what the heck you're getting into. The first 3 to 6 months or longer is going to be real tough to bring in money to cover the house bills and yourself.

You just gotta ask yourself is it worth the risk now in order to maybe make better at some time in the future. Is it worth it to give up what you got, want to keep, or maybe lose it all for a couple 100 bucks or so a week more.(road expenses will take some of that) After its said and done you could only be sending just a little more a week home. Is that really worth it to leave your wife and kids for?

Just remember its income they promise "Up Too" not actually money they will pay a year.

 

I always wonder what the exorbitant road expenses are. If you worked local you would eat lunch everyday and at home you would eat dinner purchased at the same Walmarts you can stop at on the road. You would burn your own gas and cause wear and tear on your own car. There are way more opportunities to splurge shop at home than on the road. I dont see the road expenses.

I do agree with you that having a cash reserve would be necessary.

 

" I dont see the road expenses. "

So you're not going to spend a dime on the road? No coffee, just plain water out of a tap in reused plastic jugs? Going to eat ramen noodles every day? Not me...How about no shower credits gonna just stay dirty? Various other things you may or may not need.

Two meals a day at any place to eat that you don't cook is going to run just around twenty bucks +/-. If you buy stuff to cook thats also money not going home or if you pack it you just took money from the house. 140 a week....If you smoke? Gawd help you in more ways than one. Two packs and coffee? You just blew 20 bucks. Times 7 is a 140 +/- a week higher in some places and you ain't ate yet. Numbers vary but are ya getting the drift yet?

So you made 800 that week you spent just on the basics 280 +/- you down to 620 right there.

Now if you wan't to grub and starve and act like a poor person feel free. I'm not out here to suffer. Screw that I would rather stay at home. What good is it to be piss poor on the road? Something wrong in a profession where the Professionals who do it have to act like paupers on the road in order to do it. I guess most think is a noble thing to do some how really manly to suffer this way to support a family. I call BS. Not when there are better ways to do it.

Just the reality not some pie in the sky dream about OTR. Like I said make sure you know what you're getting into and what you leave behind.

 

Some CDL school have night or weekend classes for those that can't afford to miss work for full time school.
Schneider will reimburse your tuition plus give you a job after graduation. Their tanker division pays pretty good, on average $60K per year. Talk to a Schneider Bulk recruiter and see what you can work out.

Pulling liquid hazmat tankers your average "take home" pay will be over a thousand a week. After a year doing that you can switch to a local fuel hauler or chemical hauler job.

Where I worked we pulled liquid and dry bulk loads OTR; just depended on what the dispatcher gave us. Everyone at the terminal make over a grand a week. Could have switched to a local company any time, but I prefer OTR. Friend of mine went local and was making a grand a week delivering fuel to Shell gas stations.

Take the steps necessary to get where you really want to be.

 

Who said anything about living like a pauper? Are you also not buying coffee when your local? Do local guys not buy smokes? In fact if your local in a state with high tobacco taxes you would save money on that particular habit buy going OTR because you can stock up in cheaper states. Again what road expenses are there that are so much greater than what you have at home? I can pull into a hundred different Walmarts every night and stock up same as you except for one difference, I didn't even burn my own gas going there. I always here this justification of "road expenses" in people taking less money going local. There are no significant differences. A Pepsi cost the same at Pilot as it does at 7-11. You are way over blowing this supposed cost difference.

Just compare 680 a week local vs OTR. Local you will still eat lunch and dinner all of which cost, OTR you can have a cooler and a microwave to eat food you brought with you and not have to stop at a fast food joint, a big mac at Pilot costs the same as a big mac at a stand alone by the way. Plus the OTR driver doesn't have to pay for gas everyday. Point is you can spin it in any way you want.

Now about shower cost......I have never, not once ever been without a shower credit. 50 gallons and ones there. Heck Loves and Pilot have easily attainable fuel goals where you get all the showers you want.

I'm not saying one is better than the other and truck how you want to truck I'm just throwing another perspective out there. Only the individual can determine what value is placed on family, sleeping in your own bed etc. For me OTR is where it's at. On my time off I have seen a major league game at 17 different stadiums, I took 2 days and explored San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Seattle, I have hiked Lake Tahoe, Donner and during all that I didn't even have to pack or pay for a hotel.

Now you local guys may love it but I think your all crazy.....lol.