Any other truckers with young kids? How do you handle it?

I disagree with the "distract the kids while I sneak out" method. I explain to my kids that's it's time for dad to go to work. Kids are brilliant. They understand. I call when I can. It sucks every week when I leave. But I learned early on to separate my mind from home when I'm on the truck. I focus on my loads and my job. When I get home I switch to family mode.

 

My daughter is 4. She is at the age where she loves trucks. She cries sometimes when Im gone, it hurts me too, but the bills need to be paid. I hate that Im missing this part of her life. But she will always have a roof, food and clothing. She will have what I did not.

I have a great wife, she engages my daughter to make silly videos and pictures too me. We skype as often as we can. Skype has been a god send!

Get skype, and make the time spent with them meaningful.

 

Yeah they are just fine but what kind of a relationship do you have with the grand kids? Your kids? Have you ever asked your kids their TRUE feelings about you being gone all the time?
A guy here had his 17 year old daughter ask him all kind of questions one day. When he asked why she hadn't said anything before, she answered "Dad you were never here".....

I have a 17yo daughter. Saturday she went to her first prom. I should have been there when she got home to hear all about it. Just one of the many things I have missed out on.

 

Little girls will break daddy's heart.... but little boys will be excited that daddy is driving a BIG truck.

If you have a company with a rider policy, you can take them with you when they get older. I remember my dad taking my brother and I one time. It was great for us.

I grew up with my grandparents but my siblings and I always looked forward to dad coming home and the quality of time we spent with him. He would take us fishing and camping practically every time he came home.

Just like mother nature, kids are more resilient than people give them credit for. Hell we never got to talk to dad but when he came home.

 

Tell the rugrats if they like to eat, a roof over their head, and electricity. They will pipe down, because you still got some swimmers in the tank and you can make more that will be content Remember Freight before Family!!

 

Lol Dinomite! I can't recall, what company are you an ops manager for?

 

The economy is in shambles and other than trucking, the only jobs coming available are low paying part time jobs with no benefits.

At least with trucking along with the proper endorsements you can make more than most college grads and also have a full benefits package with family healthcare. You can also give your family a good standard of living in a nice neighborhood. That's just the way life is these days.

Get some tanker experience and should be able to land a high paying local tanker job in a few months & potentially right out of CDL school. Get the TWIC and get a passport in case you have to go OTR for awhile.

As far as future grandchildren; they will be too busy with their electronic gadgets and grand parents are just a pain the grandchildren have to deal with. Lots of hugs and smiles as long as the expensive birthday and Christmas gifts are on time. I wouldn't even factor grandchildren into the equation.

 

My father was a small business owner which meant he worked 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. His sacrifice provided a great childhood.

Thanks dad !

 

My single mom ran a business too, god love them. Difference is she, like your dad, wasnt possibly a 1000 miles away when we really needed them. Not saying, just saying, I couldn't have trucked when my kid was young, that's just me.