Would you go if you were me?

Depends on where you're at financially right now. If you're relatively debt free, and can afford live off less than the $15 an hour you're used to for a while, you might be better off in the future. After all, $15 an hour is around $32,000/yr. After "paying your dues" so to speak, you should do a lot better than that.
Short term sacrifice can lead to long term reward...

 

Stay where you're at.

Yor family is worth it !!!!

 

Being with your kids every day for a cuople hours is better than seeing them only a couple days a month, IMO.
Plus, you'll likely take a big income cut that first year or two - and much of that you will need to live on the road, so your family will see an even bigger drop.

 

Easy. Stay put.

 

You are not likely to make $40,000 for about 1-2 years as an otr driver. Your income should go up dramatically once you get through your first year. Your first year earnings should be in the $30,000 to $35,000. The second year you should be in the range of $35,000-40,000. If it is something you really want to do and your family will be all right with the lower pay the first year then you should have a higher income potential ahead of you in the longer term. You will usually be home 1-2 days and on the road for about 2 weeks at a time. Starting out you could be out longer until you get into your own truck. Before making the decision you need to sit down with your wife and look at your finances. Be realistic about the time away from your family. You need a lot of support at home when you are in this profession.

 

OK, your last sentence bothers me. A lot. Why do you have so many write ups that you are close to getting fired? I am not asking for a reply on the forum here, but I am asking you to try to analyze this to yourself. And be honest with yourself.

If you can honestly say that you are working for a jerk, (or a jerk company,) then by all means, make a change before they fire you. OTOH, if you are a screw up, then you should NOT consider trucking. Only you can answer these questions.

If you ARE a screw up, then you need to take a long hard look at yourself and where you are going with your life. I'm not trying to put you down here, nor am I saying I believe you are a screw up. I am, however, asking you to do some heavy thinking.

I don't believe that any of us are really qualified to tell you what to do here, as we don't know you, or know what your situation is. Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

 

To quote a financial genius...

"If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else."
- Dave Ramsey
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You may make a little less your first year, but once you pay your dues, it'll be worth it.