Best Ways to Keep a Family Man Sane?

So I start out in like 10 days and will be gone for 3 weeks. I have 2 kids and my wife. They are going to obviously have a tough time of it and for the most part, so am I. I've been trying to think of ways to keep sane. My brother-in-law, faired horribly in his only year and so did his friend. Both left trucking and one of them told me I could never do this.

I was thinking bringing laminated pics to make a small collage for the bunk, adding unlimited data on my phone and buying a Kindle Fire HD to Skype with. This is all I have so far. Can anyone add reasonable ideas to mine?

(Edit, now I see why it looks like I'm having concern--bad wording choices, been a long day)

"most part, so am I."--should be "for some part, so will I"
"The part with the brother-in-law and his friend"--Well back story, it was him that told me I couldn't do it, cause he hates me. Threatened to shoot me a few times. He has mental problems.
"The overall tone of this should read kinda monotone and even. As a question, not frantic, like it can read"

 

I'm not having a concern. I'm trying to take all precautions I can to make everything easier on all. Personally, if I hadn't a family; I would be fine living in recluse 24/7. I prefer to be alone. But since I have family, I want them (the kids) to know their father enough to not think me a stranger when I come home.

My current job, is overnight cashier at a gas and go. My wife works days. I get on average when we're both working, 3-5 hours of sleep each day. I earn barely enough in minimum wage to feed us, let alone catch up bills or keep em current. Trucking could provide enough income to replace both the income from my old job and my wife's job. (I earn 225 a week, while she earns 250 a week) If I were to look for 2 jobs and not go trucking, job #2 would be wiped out by day care. I could go into details, but trust me; with my overpriced and undervalued college education, I've worked out the numbers backwards, forwards, sideways, upside down, and all possibilities.
The conclusion: Trucking is the only way I can marginally better all our lives, with the least cost to enter.

 

Ultimately I would like to get into something local and higher up on the pay scale of a first year. Even if that means trash truck. Both those companies have terminals round here. UPS is a tough one to get into I hear. Don't think I wanna drive doubles. So neither would be great for me that way.
The Rapid bus line round here is not union, from what I hear... that's a no go on the pay too.

Edited: want to share a little more back story
Another reason for me to do this, is because I need to earn enough
to dig my wife and I out of $95,000.00 hole with our combined student loan debts.
We've been through chaps 13 and 7 and now only have this debt.
I know the first year is tough cash wise for truckers...but there's potential I've heard.

 

First chance to upgrade will be March, but I can turn my Samsung Convoy 2 into a hotspot for a device--if I understand correctly.

 

That's actually a very painful thing for me. I've been working some 18 years in my current field. I've only had 3 opportunities at promotion in all that time.
The 1st I was passed over for management for someone with a criminal justice major. Mine was accounting.
The 2nd time, the store manager who was going to promote me, obtained a second store manager position closer to home and quit the first one. The new store managers laughed in my face, when I mentioned an interest in management.
The 3rd time, was this last January. I was friends (sorta) with the assistant manager. He was promoted to store manager when the old one got arrested in a drunk driving offense (his third and second time with his kids in car). Well, I let my new store manager know, I wanted the job. He let on he was going to interview me, but never did. Next thing I know, the employee that quit the job and came back was promoted immediately. Her skills? Don't know. Mine, almost a bachelors in accounting. The basic skill set of the job? Bookkeeper. I complained to him and he said, "The job was always going to be hers".

That immediately fanned my rage at this type of work forever! I have almost two decades of exp. and cannot be promoted even once?
No, never again. I'm done trying to get promoted. I want a career where hard work pays and is it's own reward. I want responsibility, trust, and honor. Given that, I will return in kind the same, responsibility, trust, and honor.

In short, I am tired of being a piss-ant's doormat.