Profile For Bob O.

I love driving. period. end-of-story. When going on family vacations, I would ask the wife and son if we could drive instead of fly (they both hated this part of the trips), but I loved it...being on the road was the BEST.

For 22 years I have successfully worked in the I.T. industry. I currently earn $78,000 making sure technology stuff doesn't break. But I am burned out.

I have a clean driving record, and a clean background (meaning I'd pass the TSA Hazmat background check).

Is there any chance that I'd be able to earn 60K as an OTR trucker or Hazmat trucker?

I have been doing my research, but oddly, I have more questions now than I did before I began researching. For example, I see salary surveys that put OTR salaries in the 60-70K range, but then I find the naysayers who post negative stuff that might be closer to the truth.

I totally understand that my first year will be rough...and I know that on day 366, my pay won't magically go up, but can I realistically make a living as a truck driver? (I define make a living as: pay mortgage/utilities/groceries).

My wife will be done with nursing school in December 2018, and then I wouldn't worry at all about this salary crap...but I need to make sure that between now and December 2018 she can focus on school and not worry about bills.

(Sidebar: I am also considering working in IT for 2 more years, until she graduates. Right now, as I type this, I am laid off...for the first time ever in my career I'm laid off...but I am also back at work! I have been off for like 6 weeks and I already have an offer letter, but I don't want to sign it...I really want to go to CDL school then become an OTR trucker instead...I had hoped a prolonged layoff would rejuvenate me, but I literally began interviewing 4 days after my layoff, so technically I have working this entire time...in short, I will be back to work before my 2 month severance ends).

I know that entire sidebar sounds like a complaint *and* a good thing all at once, but trust me when you are burned out (even if it's something you love), it is hard to see the good parts.

So question #1 is about salary realities.

Question #2 is one I haven't found an answer to yet: Are salaries consistent month-to-month or do they fluctuate? It would suck to make 4k one month then only 2k the next. Does that type of financial swing occur, or are the salaries consistent once you start driving?

Thank you