Input please, good and bad!

So he is still in training to be an OTR truck driver??

 

My guess is he's doing this to provide a better future for you guys. I hope that is the case. If so, you need to keep that principal in front of you. Write it down several places that you will encounter it daily. There are many threads on here from ladies that have walked the path that you are on. Some very good advise in those threads. I suggest you start a thread in the Ladies Room section with a topic like "Coping" and the gals here will come support you. Good Luck.

 

I know of very, very few drivers who work for any large carrier who set their own schedule.One day off for every 6 worked is the norm, but it is usually the companies final decision as to when the time off is given. MOST will make no promises as to time off. Also remember, time off is no pay. To make good wages, it takes staying away from home when there is freight to move. Not sure if this is what you wanted to hear, but he will not get much home time. With small kids, that ain't real good. Been there , done that, got the divorce to prove it. Good luck, hope it all works out.

 

What jbatmick is true except forget the divorce part that won't happen.Unless he goes regional or dedicated,he will be gone at least a month and home 4 or 5 days.With your family he needs to be home moreYour children need their daddy so once his training is over or even during training talk to him about going reginal or deicated so he can be home every weekend or every other weekend.

 

If he is still out with his trainer and you're already having a hard time then this will not work out well unless you talk about long term goals. The best case scenario is that he will be home for 2 days every 2 weeks or 3 days every 3 weeks. But that is best case, there will be times you go a month or more without seeing him. So here are your options to discuss with him:
1. Suck it up for a year until he has enough experience to find a local job
2. Focus on the LONG term and deal with his chronic absence for the next 10-20 years so you guys can build a nest egg, send the kids to college, and retire.
3. Get out of trucking.

It's important to talk and set a goal that you both understand. Because otherwise you will be in limbo, always asking "when are you coming home?"

 

Tell him to get all the endorsements; mainly tanker/hazmat & TWIC. Once his obligation is completed with Swift, he can move to a high paying job with good family benefits. Put your location on your profile so some on here can help with where the high paying jobs are near you. Some he will be home every day and some every weekend and still make somewhere between $50K - $65K per year.

Post some questions on "Experienced Truckers Advice" and "Questions from new drivers" threads" so more people can respond.

 

Personally I would never drive OTR if I had a family to support.

Well, I have family. Several in fact.
I'm divorced twice, both with children.
And my sister is the only other surviving one of my parents family. So I am pulled 3 ways with my home times.
And I am able to see each in turn, about 4 times a year - for 2-3 days at a time.

The problem is that with each home time comes a very low paycheck, or two. Getting there lowers that check, and coming back the same. So it takes 2-3 weeks to get back into a good pay cycle.
That usually means 4-5 weeks between home times, just to make ends meet.

As to making his own schedule...
He can try.
But like I said, taking home time too often results in very low pay.
And if he wants to get home every couple-three weeks, the system will begin to fight him in short order.

 

depending on location he can local. like i said location and experience. he can go local and be home daily and on weekends. and sometimes the experience isnt needed for local.

 

The whole deal with OTR trucking is total crap. Why do you have to be out 3 4 or 5 weeks and then only get 3 or 4 days off, if lucky, to make a decent wage? Have him put in 6 or 8 months and start looking for either local or reginal jobs. They are out there, it just takes some time and effort to hunt them down.
Start looking at day cab companies in your area and talk to their drivers as to pay, hours etc. Actually, you could do some of this leg work as you are driving around and start building a file folder of potential employers.
I got my start with a redi mix concrete company, then went to a end dump with the same company and now am pulling a flatbed.
Oh, I am retiring the first of the year, he can have my job.