Advice for future student driver and what my family should expect

well first of all i will welcome you to iowa and your better half back to iowa

i would have to agree with what was said think long and hard about it

i was lucky when my son wasborn i had my cdl and drove school bus now that he will be 13 in april and since i let my cdl go i am going to school at the end of april i dont see him but i do call him every week and i make sure i call him on his b-day

i know what i am getting into as i come from a trucking family
and i have a understanding g/f who also come from a trucking family
her kids are old enough to understand but i also understand about wanting out of the in laws house

i just wish you luck and keep in mind trucking is not just a job it is also a lifestyle

 

Why don't you start of doing that? That's a pretty good gig for a newbie and bed buggin definitely pays more than regular otr. Its hard work but on the good side you will stay in shape.

 

It is NOT family friendly industry.

Nuff said.

 

You will be out 3-4 weeks at time. Then home for 3-4 days. Then back out for 3-4 weeks again. This will go on for 2-3 years until you're even considered for a local position with a local trucking company. Money will be about $300-$500 a week for the first couple of years. Good luck and keep on trukin'.

 

Dirty little secret: many local companies hire rookies.

 

What can your family expect?

To see you one or two days every 2 weeks.

Within hours of returning home you are getting ready to head out again.... wanting clean clothes, fresh foods, etc,etc. This can cause feelings of "you can't wait to get away from us".

Your wife and kids wanting to tell you their problems and getting short shrift cause you're unloading all the baggage you've built up out there; uncaring dispatchers, stupid people, running hard hours,etc,etc which they don't understand and don't care about.

Having to scrape by because you're always gone and this is all you bring home and Jimmy's dad next door gave him a new bike for his birthday an you forgot mine.

Oh, and something for you to think about..... your neighborhood is full of dogs who will come sniffing about an unhappy wife; being all sympathetic and smiling "whatever you need call me", just as soon as you're outa sight.

Trucking is such fun.