Relationships, Trucking, Kids, Time Away, What new drivers need to know.

NewfieDriver · Apr 26, 2017

As a new driver to the industry getting ready to leave my family, thanks for the advise.

Keep them wheels rollin.

HumbledBeginnings. · Apr 28, 2017

malinorn said: ↑

I would go local too, but I'm glad I'm a regional driver. From what the local drivers are telling me, I get more home time and better miles, and they are home for a 10 - which is actually more like a 7 once they get settled at home - and I get 34-48 hours after being out 2-3 days and still average 2600mi/wk. My kids are very young, so home time is priceless to me, and I find I value the time with family more than I did before as well. Facetime or Facebook video chat are helpful tools too.
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I completely agree! We video chat every day too lol

x1Heavy · Apr 28, 2017

HumbledBeginnings. said: ↑

I completely agree! We video chat every day too lol
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That' actually pretty good. I spent hours in a J Koisk burning mex calling cards.

HumbledBeginnings. · Apr 28, 2017

x1Heavy said: ↑

When you do come home, don't chase the trucker spouse with a to do list or fill his head with noisy louts and boisterous relatives coming to visit. Save that for a few days.

One rule I had with spouse was we had a room set aside a small one for sleeping a cave basically. When I came home I would kiss her and greet her and make sure she is ok, then go into the cave for as long I need to become human again. There is a certain type of stress and mental thinking that goes along with predators, lizards etc on the road and I have to take a little me time to decompress and discard that type of thinking so I can be proper and myself again with family such as it is. How long it takes depends but never more than a day.

Sometimes there is a death pending in the family. Go home. To have a problem like that weighing in your heart and mind makes you less safe with a 18 wheeler. Go home. Get it out of your system. Then clear skies and happy trails get back out there. But not until you are ready.

The Spouse has to understand (Mine was present in the sleeper in our later years when a hooker asked me for a sexual good time at the bullpen in rochester Guiness Ale. I thanked her and declined her. Then warned her that I am married and wife up there through open window most certainly overhead and she should not be staying around talking to drivers for that play time right now. Hooker wisely took off. It's good she did that for her sake. Nothing BAD would happen. Not at all. Just that she had to go. I have been pretty lucky in life I suppose. What with the possibilities of getting really sick for immoral behavior along the 95/85 routes that are really bad for STD's

When that truck is parked. I don't want to hear or see it. Im off. It can burn for all I care. But it is on my land so... eh. I carried a million in civil insurance on top of concealed carry etc so that if anything did happen to it and I got sued for it it's covered. Cranking at midnight to warm up and get going requires pretty good neighbors or you will have problems.

Money is the number one challenge. You need to understand along with the spouse what it takes to keep you in good health and strong to do your work safely. But not living high on hog. Send money home.

Finally but not last. Send a few mailings during your week. It is nothing to pickup say a little soveinier somewhere in Cheyenne for example and fex ex it home as a gift to spouse. Little things is not that big of a deal to you but when a spouse begins to think that Post office might contain small presents or tokens of your affection, it makes things a little less onery out there.

That is all I have for now.
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Very solid advice in which I entirely appreciate! Just started the "mailing home deal", extremely effective gesture goes long way with a "wife at home with kiddo deal." Makes her feel happy and appreciated.

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