How to Deal With Life on the Road?

Nobody is holding a gun to your head forcing you to go OTR. OTR IS unquestionably difficult on relationships. You are forfeiting a great deal of companionship.

 

No way I'd do OTR if I had kids, pets, a wife or needs at home.
I'm 25 and got none of that so it's all good for me.

Plus as an OTR driver you can have....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvrKzmkdBTI




lol

 

Married when I started driving raised 4 kids, all adults now. Still married 25 years+. We found it easy. My route brought me home almost everyday if I wanted or needed. Home most weekends until the last 4-5 years. Now I get my loads from the boards on the internet and come and go where and when I want. I just chase the money. Sometimes I'm home every other night, sometimes gone for a couple weeks.
Its simple really, just keep in touch. Today is much easier than days of past.

 

Alot who start out married end in divorce, depending on how much you like seeing each other, Some companies get you home every weekend, some say they will and will not, others don't even try.
With cell phones now though, you're only a call away, instead of talking to each other on a line of payphones which are pretty much now is very rare just to see one, let alone have to use it, around a ton of other drivers trying to use the same phone.
If your spouse is able to go with you, even if it is only like once a month, for a week or so, it helps, I never got married, but I lived with a woman once for several years and was almost about to get married, when she told me, she didn't like me gone for weeks at a time, so I talked to the company and they gave me a regional position and I was home every weekend, sometimes noon on saturday, but having to leave out again either late saturday night after washing clothes, or sunday around noon to be able to make it somewhere for monday morning unload.
My ExGF didn't like that either, so I quit my job and got a local gig, where I had more home time on the regional gig because I was up at 4 in the morning and making it home like 8 that night, just in time to grab a bite, shower and say hello and be in bed by 11, and gone again by 4.
In the end she didn't like that either, and left, but she did like the money.. she has since moved on, had 3 kids by 3 different guys and now is married to another.. but hey, that's life, eh?
It will be stressful at first, on the two of you, as every change is, but nothing that can't be worked out, but as I say again, if she can go with you, & she can enjoy the life on the road, you are able to see things you would normally never be able to see. I'm at the house now, with no load as of yet, and will not know of anything til tomorrow morning.
But if you find a company that will get you home every weekend you can still have 96 days off a year, 2 day week/8 day a monthx12/year=96 plus any personal days off if you take some.
Remember, everything that has advantages has disadvantages, you just have to be able to deal with them as they appear.

 

I think a lot of people don't realize the weight this when they get started....

 

If you are wanting local jobs, there are some companies that will hire local or LTL running nearby without OTR experiance, contact Chinatown, he's good help with that section.

 

there are all kinds of jobs in trucking
I am as OTR as anyone driving 5000 miles every 8-9 days
but then I am home for a few