Before you consider a road job, be sure that you compare the benefits offered where you are as compared to where you are going.  Some road jobs dont offer any benefits, just high pay.  When you consider these type jobs you have to pay for your own life, health, retirement etc.  It can be done but you have to be fanatical about setting the money aside to pay your own.  Most permanent jobs have a benefit package that is worth 15-20 bucks an hour.  Also if you are going to rely solely on your CWI cert, you may want to consider getting some training in Magnetic Particle, Liquid Penetrant and Radiography.  These additional NDE certs will enhance your employment opportunities.  Make sure that your family is supportive of your decision to do road work.  Is your spouse self reliant? She needs to be able to handle all the things that you wont be there to handle.  Good luck.
Dave

What are you willing to give up for the $$$???
Can you stand having the wife call at 2 AM and her mother has died and you are two days away from home. It is the dead of winter and getting a flight from somewhere close will cost you $1300 and you will loose 4 days pay?
Or you havent seen the wife and kids in six weeks. You pull up to the house and something is different. And the three days you are home something just dosent feel right. No one wants to talk to you. You get back on the job and wife calls and tells you she is filing for divorce.
Or you are throwing back a few, you havent been home in 8 weeks and a warm thing slides up to you and ask you to buy her a drink.
On the positive side, you will have the opportunity to work in places you cannot dream of. Some good, some bad.
Your family will have the opportunity to travel and experience new things and people.
I have done this a long time and I want to say it ballances out.
But it does not.
They pay you more because they own you soul. You are selling your skills and most importantly yout TIME for $$$. That makes you a prostitute. If you have the attitiude for what it takes to be a road worker, are really good at it, and stay with it for more than 5 years there is something a little off about you.
And when you try to stop, and settle down, it is HARD. On the road, you are the only one who counts. You send the check home and you feel importan because you are providing your wife and family with a higher standard of living.
Balderdash! Your wife and kids will remember the TIME you spent with them more than the $$$ you made.
BABRT's too damn long   

I prefer being at home as much as possible. I did my "roadwork" in little spurts (spring and fall paper mill outages etc) which helped with short term $ and also helped me appreciate being home. I was also blessed with living within 5 minutes of 2 fabricators that were fabricating various types of equioment for air pollution control at power plants.

One thing to look for is possible work for customers of fabricators that may be a "day trip" distance away. A couple of days a week with that type of work can provide some cash flow. Insurance, no-unemployement , doing your own billing/accounting, etc can add up.

Best wishes with your decisions

Gerald Austin

Hello Dave, your first post is a whopper. I agree with hogan if you follow the link & read bigk's post on 12/20/07 a better description will be hard to find.

"So my question is, for all you road warriors out there, is it worth it?" Unfortunately the answer to that will be revealed after the damage is done.
For what it's worth here's my story. I worked at home for 8 yrs, then neighboring states doing outage & new construction. I could drive home in less that a day if necessary, and due to deaths, accidents, etc. it was.

Then I worked 10 yrs w/company that flew you to jobs mostly in the USA but many overseas jobs too. Turn too many jobs down and you loose your position as a "key employee' or you will be punished with too much time off and the sorry jobs. I really enjoyed the work we did, the company and most of the places we worked. My family occasionally traveled w/me in the summer and lived in England for 3 months. Without the job that would not have happened. I'm grateful for the opportunities it afforded me and my family. But... I missed way too much of my family and did not see the signs of damage or I didn't want to see the signs until it was too late. Your wife may or may not resent you for not being there; same with your kids if you have any. If I had stayed on the road I am sure that my relationship with my children would not be as good as it is today and maybe divorced as well. It's been 10 yrs since I have traveled (aside from some minor traveling) and all is well w/kids and wife. I got off the road when kids became teenagers. I knew guys that had no family problems due to their traveling. But the norm was trouble and divorce.
Like bigk said it is like a drug. I still look at and have opportunities elsewhere but with one child at home and young grandchildren I doubt I travel again. If work holds up I shouldn't have to travel but if I have to I will.
I'm afraid there is no absolute right or wrong, yes or no answer for your question only stories. That is mine and I'm sticking to it.
As I'm typing this my oldest daughter called me(the one most affected by my traveling) and said her wedding ring was just stolen at a nail salon in a local mall. I'm glad I'm home and can be here for her.

Sorry if that was too much information.
Good luck with your decision.