Hey there, everyone-

I'm another one of those annoying students doing research about the trucking industry and understanding the lives and stories of those behind the industry. This project started as a conversation with my roommate (whose dad has been a trucker for nearly 30 years) about how truckers and the trucking industry affect literally everything we touch. So I've been lurking on this forum for a while and thought it best to throw the question out to you all.

My focus is on home life - how does it change when home, how to keep in touch with it, what's it like, what do you - things like that. And I'm asking here because there's no general way to categorize it (nor do I want to).

So, I'm throwing this out to truckers, trucker wives, trucker husbands, whomever. And before I just dump a bunch of questions, I want to make sure it's ok to ask you all about your lives.

I hope you all can help.
-Andrew

Well it can get tough sometimes. As a trucker you miss a lot of things at home. Most of it depends on what you have at home when you get there. My wife is a tough old bird that can handle herself well. She could go bear hunting with a switch if she wanted to, but all women have an emotional side and sometimes it is hard on them being married to a trucker. I normaly get home on friday sometimes, but this week I got in early Saturday morning. As I walked in the door her alarm went off for her to go to work. I will leave out sometime Sunday. She has had a hard time with things this last week. Stress at work, stress at home caring for a daughter that just had surgery and is recovering. Plus she had a wreck last week when I was gone. Some lady ran into her and she left work early today and told them she needed to be home today. They did not like it when she said I need time to be with my husband. My wife is a manager at walmart and her boss said that she does not see her husband much either.

There is a difference. Being a general manager at walmart is more hours than a dept manager like my wife is, but my wife's boss sleeps in the same state as her husband does. The general public does not understand the concept of being married to a trucker. So my hat is off to all of you ladies that heve hubbies out on the road. I know it is tough on you and there are good days and bad days just like any other job, but trucking takes a certain type of couple to make it.

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My childhood dream of becoming a truck driver turned into a nightmare!

The one thing I always like to stress is that there is a gargantuan range of truck driving jobs out there. You can work 40hrs a week, home every night and all weekend. You can be gone for 3 or 4 months at a time. Then there's everything in between! I've done nearly the two extremes and am currently somewhere in the middle. I drive 7 to 8 months a year. During those 7 to 8 months, I'm home anywhere from 2 to 8 days a month. Those 2-day months tend to be the middle of the summer (as a household goods mover, I'm slave to the market. Everyone wants to move in the summer while the kids are out of school.) The summer is rough. But... Then I get 4-5 months off to spend with my wife. That part, of course, is awesome. I start back to work about the last week of April in the spring. If I have enough money put away to last the winter, I stop at Thanksgiving. If I'm not quite there yet, the fallback is to do another few trips and stop at Christmas. My wife and I are into rental properties these days so the plan last year was to buy a property during the winter and I use my 4-5 months to rehab it. The plan is to repeat that process this winter. I'm still working, obviously, but completely on my own schedule. My wife and I get to spend tons of time together before I head back out in the spring.

You'll find that there are all sorts of guys/gals on here that aren't necessarily "gone all the time."

So what are the actual questions? I own the sister and partner site to this one,[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. and it's for the families of truckers and their friends to keep n touch as well as talk about the problems that each person faces in a trucking family environment. I think if you go there and read some of the blogs and the postings in the groups you might get some answers to your questions. You'll get some here as well. I'm not trying to get you to join, just look around over there and maybe you'll get some more help. You are welcome there as is anyone. Good luck and have fun. Hope you get a good grade.

i have no actual home can i crash at your place.

Andrew that is an outstanding question and sure to bring many great responses and points.

I will gladly offer my input.

Before trucking I worked your typical 9-5 job. Home every night, predictable life, rather boring to be honest.

Since I decided to do this, my time with my wife and kids is something I now appreciate more. The response I get from them is certainly different as well. It is hard to be gone yes. But thru staying at home as I used to I learned that we all took a lot of things for granted. I now have a stronger relationship with all of my family, all the way up the food chain to my in-laws. We all appreciate our time together a lot more than before. I dont think it really brought us closer, but we do show it more to each other.

As for communication we do that every day. I talk to my wife daily after my drive shift.

I will say it takes a special kind of spouse to tolerate being married to a driver tho. I cant tell you how many times I have called home just to remind myself of why I do this. She hears the days aggrevations and more, and always has a smile and loving words to offer me.

I guess what I am saying is it is ONLY due to a strong home life that I can return to the truck when it's time to roll. I love what I do, and I love my family. But if the day ever came I had that choice the family would win without question. Knowing I have their love and support makes not only my home time better, but my days away from them easier to accept.

I would however like to take a moment to thank all those at home. You are the strength that drives us each and every day. We draw so much from you that we can never repay. Our familes are what makes this life what it is, and I am sure each and every driver here agrees.