New here.... Struggling to deal with the life of a trucker...

What state do you live in?
How old are you?
Do you have any children?

 

Well, on the plus side there's the chance to make more money, an experienced driver with a good record can usually have his choice of where to go & can hold out for a good company (better pay, benefits, security, etc.). On the down side, if he goes truly OTR; then he could be gone weeks at a time (depending on where you live, company home time policy, etc.); so you need to be able to handle all of the homefront issues yourself. Like Moon_beam asked, do you have kids? That will be a big issue because school events WILL be missed, and kids might not understand why Daddy's not home much anymore. You two need to have a serious discussion & unless you can get behind it 100%; then I would suggest he not do it. Maybe he could look for a regional or a dedicated position. The money might not be as good, but most of those will allow him to be home every weekend & maybe 1-2 times during the week. Either way, both of you need to be on the same page....that is a MUST. Good luck to you both.

 

I'm a fairly new OTR driver myself. Wonderful wife of 8 yrs. And 3 beautiful children at home... It is a tough time for all parties concerned but its very important to understand your husband is probably driven by the urge to provide for his family the best way he knows how. He does this out of love and the pride of knowing you will be better off in the end. Remember this when you miss him the most. And know that he probably misses you more. Also you will both better value family time together instead of taking it for granted like most people do. The little things you worry about day to day tend to seem less important when you are with the ones you love and miss. Hope this helps some. Be supportive and make him proud to have a wonderful wife and he will probably shine from it.

 

I have been trucking for a long time.the best advice I can give you is if you are going with him or you are not going with him trust and love him and stand behind them but whatever you do always be straight up an honest this lifestyle has destroyed two marriages for me take care and good luck

 

My soon-to-be trucker is leaving in a little over a week for company sponsored training CDL-A/OTR. I have been reading advice from other women with OTR SigOt and have been told trust is paramount along with open honest communication.

Wishing you best of luck.

 

I wish I had some more useful advice to give. My SigOt doesn't struggle with fatherhood although my ex-hub did. He never got that DAD=Sacrifice what you want for what your kids need.

I would recommend doing what you can to keep father and son connected, but remember it is up to DAD to find his feet when it comes to a relationship with his son.

When my SigOt goes we plan to talk everyday and he plans to talk to kids everyday. The kids and I will make things for him and take lots of picture to show him what is happening at home. He has agreed to take lots of pics too. We plan to Skype often especially with the kids and we plan to follow his adventures using a U.S. map. He says he will try to send postcards from places he goes for the kids too.

I hope you and your husband are able to agree on some minimum standards for communication ect. It was a real struggle when we were in the considering stage of OTR and it takes a lot of talking it out.

Wishing you all the best and a happy solution for your family.

Oh....BTW Feel free to come post in the Ladies Room. There are a lot of great gals there that have solid advice to give.