Does trucking really ruin your life at home?

This is true but also very difficult to get your body in to this state for long periods of time.

 

Not really. Just eat no more than 20 net grams of vegetable carbs a day. The original Atkins diet from the 70's was even more strict as it was 20 total grams. I read about a guy who was on a ketogenic diet for 14 years straight.

 

I have a BS in psych, still working on MA, I didn't say it caused PTSD but when you already have it, being away from home and any type of support system can cause some real bad things to happen. I feel that being gone from home for 9 years caused psychological damage that will take years to undo. it almost cost me my family and I wasn't a dad to my son for the first year of his life.

Try losing everything you have, then driving a truck to 46 states for up to 3 weeks at a time for less money than you made in college and having 14 hours a day to think about all of it. Clinical depression is a very real thing among OTR drivers. I did enjoy some of the weekend trips across CO and NM, didn't say it was all bad.

I have been out of the truck for 6 weeks, do you know what it feels like to be able to go to the grocery store on a Wed night and take food back home? I am still getting used to it.

6 weeks ago: wake up at 530am, drink a V8 energy to wake up, stagger into Upper Sandusky Pilot, swipe card, SORRY, AN ERROR HAS OCCURED! thought I had shower power. still asleep, ask at the counter for a shower. if they are really nice they'll give you one, otherwise I walk back to my truck and fuel, then come back in and try to shower again. once my number is called I shower in a shower cleaned by a high school dropout. On the way out I throw my card in the trash knowing I'll never shower here again. Best feeling ever.

today: wake up at 6AM in my new house, have coffee, walk into my clean tile shower.

a real man showers at TAs, right?

 

Sorry to hear it was so traumatic for YOU, you probably should have sought other employment sooner. Good luck!

 

Yes you've just described the typical life of most OTR drivers this is something one needs to really consider before they take up long haul truck driving although there are other professions where you may also be called away for long periods of time such as Navy, Army, Commercial pilots, etc etc

 

Trust me " driving truck " hurts your life. Not just the loss of close friends and family you suffer as an over the road driver. Just driving truck drains the mind because you are always thinking. Encountering traffic and all the battles that presents damage your attitude and love of people. Truck driving is a poison that you think you can handle. In the end your body dies from a life of sitting and fighting all the factors on the highways. You mind will always drift because you,be lived a life of road travel. And the worst thing is you gained no additional skills so when it's time to get away from trucks you can,t.

 

Do you still drive trucks?

 

If driving a truck killed your family and friend relationships then they weren't strong relationships. The truck did you a favor.

 

Yeah dude being gone for a month will ruin your relationships I’ve lost friends and the love of my life but if you choose this lifestyle you just gotta keep on trucking you could always go local