Realistically How much?

Both numbers are correct! Just depends on who you work for . But if you are topped out at 40k a year , may be time to start looking . Where is home ?

 

I wouldn't rely on trucking to give you a steady pay. Its not worth giving up 40k and being home everyday

 

Figure on 25-30k your first year, with most of it going towards living on the road.
It's not cheap living on the road, especially at first when you are getting outfitted.

Don't figure on going anything but OTR for at least your first year.
It could happen, but it is a very rare thing.

If I had a family that depended on me to be there, I certainly would not ever consider truck driver as an occupation.

Dieselforce, what is your current occupation?

 

With young kids (Under 12) I would never consider OTR or even regional that kept me away for more then a few days. I read about companies that claim to get you home on the weekends. When you investigate you will find that its typically just long enough to get your 34hr break in and you end up spending half of that getting ready to go back out (Laundry, shopping, errands etc). Its no life.

I drove previously from 1989 to 1996. My first was born in 1996 and I got out of trucking to be there for my family. If your making $40k yearly now, I would stay where you are until your kids are older. Its not fair to them or you to put them through what trucking will force you to do if you want to make more than $40k a year.

My kids are grown now, My son just graduated HS and will be off to college in Sept. My daughter is 16 and currently has no idea I exist so when I couldnt find work I decided to get back into trucking. I have a very understanding wife, else I would never consider it.

Wish you luck.

 

Parenting teenagers is so much fun, LOL.

Consider yourself very lucky....

 

Pretty much every company out there is going to give you that average for miles. The complete truth is some weeks you will make nothing, some weeks you will make good money and some weeks will be fairly average. The deal with over the road is that if you stay out for longer periods of time you can help your average out. If you get two crap weeks in a row and you are only staying out for two weeks that would not be worth it.

Do the math...

2200 miles x .28cents a mile = $616 before taxes. Lets just plug in a few more numbers. You will average at the utmost 50 weeks a year. There is 52 but I doubt you will run that solid. 50 would actually be extremely high. So 52 weeks x $616 before taxes = A grand total of $32,000 before taxes.

So there you have it. Looks like your current job may pay a little better. Just depends on what you want to do for a career.

 

$40k is pretty good money in Michigan right? I would stay at home with my 4 kids.

Now if you want to trying doing something local the way I would do it is start working nights driving forklift/ trailer jockeying at a LTL carrier and move into driving from there.