Is it really what I think?

Hi guys,
I'm not truck driver. But I'm "wannabe".

I'm 46, web developer/system analyst with stable, well paid job. And I like my job.
Happy married, 2 kids (14 and 11). I know, everybody's asking right now "What the hell is he looking for on this forum then?!?"

I REALLY LOVE to travel. If I ever win lotto, I would buy RV, quit my job and I would TRAVEL. I want to see places and people.

I was asking myself for a while "Can I 'accomplish' my traveling "needs" if I change my job to be a truck driver?" My idea would be something like "... get my load for Seattle, get in there, load off, ask for next load in 2-3 days and then, in meantime, spend these 2-3 days in Seattle..." I mean, spend some time in the city I wasn't there before and THEN continue driving. Or, if I'm on I-90 in MO, would I be able to make a stop for a couple of hours at Little Bighorn Memorial (Gen. Custer) and take a look?

Maybe this sound totally unrealistic, but I need to know. I visited tons of websites, read tons of articles, check few forums but never find the answer.

I understand these "stops" in some cities for a couple of days, or working only 3 weeks a month, lower my weekly paycheck a lot, but I can live with it. To gain in something you have to lose something, right?

Let me clear one more thing: I LOVE driving. Just came few days ago from my vacation in Delaware. Over 3,500 miles of driving. I really enjoyed driving and it didn't make me tired at all after 12-14 hours of driving. Ok, I know that driving suburban is not even close hard as driving big truck, but driving 2 families (7 of us, 4 kids) in the same car wasn't fun either.

I was driving more then 10 times between Des Moines, IA and New York, NY (in one day if alone or two days if with family), to Washington DC, St. Louise, Black Hills SD, Route 66... I was sitting several times behind the wheel more then 10 hours and I don't see it as a problem (in my case). Actually driving comforts me, relaxing me...

My Brother in Law is truck driver. He's every weekend at home. He drives all over the States, from Texas to New Jersey, from Canada to Florida. Though, he's not into traveling and never made a stop to SEE something. He doesn't understand WHAT I'm talking about. But I saw him spending EVERY winter/spring break with kids 24/7 (and he doesn't need to ask anybody ). His wife, like my wife, is teacher and they spend over a month of Summer break on vacation while I'm "stretching" week or two of my PTO .

Thanks for any suggestion, thoughts, opinion... Spit it in my face - I'll survive

 

Could you please elaborate a little bit "no time"? do you MUST to accept EVERY load offered to you by your Agent or you can "skip"?

 

Sorry if I mix apples and oranges - this is not my "field"

With "O/O's" you mean drivers they operate their own trucks and are registered as "small business", right?

"Co's" are drivers they are employed by company and they drive company's truck?

"doing your 34 restart" - what does it mean?

 

If you with O/O mean "he has his own truck and registered himself as small business" - yes. He's really "king of his time"

I'm "tourist" now. 2, eventually 3 weeks a year. But I was thinking to have something more. It's not bad to ask for some more, right?

some people travel and record videos to pay off traveling. some travel and write articles. I'm bad at both. I was thinking to "drive" and travel.