Bring wife OTR for a year or two

When I first started OTR 12 years ago my wife went with me for like a month. We had gotten rid of our apartment and got a house but the move in dates didn’t sync up, so she bagged it and hopped aboard. It was cool, you had company, someone to talk to, and she was taking online classes at the time, so I just drove and she was in the back doing her stuff. Then we’d get parked, eat, watch some tv hang out. We never had any problems as far as disrespect toward her, or anything like that. Then again I was 21 so maybe I was too naive to notice. I will say though, the hardest part for us, was on the weekends. And I know that sounds dumb, but we had nothing to talk about. Haha there was no “so how was your week?”. It’s a lot of togetherness, but as you stated OP you’re used to that and have been together awhile and I’m sure been through a lot together, just another chapter! Don’t sweat it, and try not to come into it with the what if’s, have fun and enjoy. Yea you’re gonna have arguments but anything we argued about wasn’t stuff we wouldn’t be gettin into at home. And rolling pin count for her to slam you with on the truck is zero!

 

Me & my girlfriend of a little over 7 years & our 12 year old 70lb American Bulldog pit mix have been on the road since 2013. I started as an owner op from the get go in 1 ton hotshot. Switched the beginning of the year to a older FLD but it has a small coffin sleeper. We'd sleep in the dodge a couple times a week, so the FLD is like the Taj Mahal. We do have a house, & generally go out 21-26 days & come home for about 10.

She is scared to drive as well, but has been thinking about it lately. She books all the freight, helps navigate, answers the phone, & keeps the books. Always checks up ahead for the best truck stop reviews for cleanliness, food, & safety..

Our dog helps to keep a lot of the weirdos away, & at night is an awesome guardian to alert me to any trouble. I'm also a CCW permit holder & exercise my right..

It's a tight squeeze, but we make it work. It's all about the type & quality of ya'lls relationship. Sure we may squabble from time to time but we get over it quick, & are not the type to slam doors & want to leave the room if we don't agree on something.. In our 7+ year relationship, we've spent 4 nights apart. We are just always together & it works for us..

 

What I wanna know is, do u couples out there share the bottom bunk and sleep snuggled up on the twin mattress? Or do you guys sleep on separate bunks.

I need a little space to sleep. Just wondering how that works.

 

All we have is a single 36"x80" bunk. We snuggle up & the dog sleeps on the floor between the front seats.. I'm 6'2" 180lbs & my girl is 5'2" 125bs. It's a squeeze but we don't mind, especially when it's cool..☺ My favorite is 40°-50°f..

We also have a sleep dog cool gel memory form mattress that's nice & comfy. Probably helps out cause when I fall asleep I don't move till the AM..

 

Never heard of a disrespectful trucker. Most all drivers I meet are the finest people. All drivers show class 24/7.

 

Took my girlfriend for a week when she was off from college and she made it clear she wanted to be back to the house in no more then 5 days. That was the last time she went with me.

 

We were invaded once in Jackson TA in TN by a trucker who did not have good things in mind against my spouse. I came out of the sleeper waking instantly with blade in hand going for his neck as he reached across for the spouse who was pretty much working on getting out of that cab and let whatever is going to happen happen inside there from me.

Bad guy bounces out of there when he saw the blade. And ran (Waddled) back to his truck parked somewhere in the row. We did not pursue it. It's fortunate for all concerned because he gets to stay alive and our truck isnt such a mess from the blood for sure.

We never did go back to that particular stop. And probably can recognize him if we saw him again. Which isnt likely.

Thats one situation.

Another was waiting to be loaded in Rochester Guiness Ale. Wife was in sleeper doing wife things to pass the waiting while I was outside doing mirrior and wheel cleanup. Pretty hooker came up to me asking if Id like to play with her. (Sex for money) and I said no thanks but you better take off wife heard you through the open window and that's a marine in there. So she did. Down the block she ran.

Guiness is one of those places that are not very good to others not of their kind so to speak but the good thing is they failed to remember me from like 25 years back when I used to get loads there. Nothing changes from that day to this. Loaded and gone. And that was the end of that.

Respect? That depends on how well she is doing. She learned to leave the radio the hell alone. If there was a problem I come in to solve it. No one else. You are going to find maybe three times the trash talking insult generating people more than those who are respectful (Usually other H/W teams who do well with us.) There are certain... problems that are made bigger when a man learns that a woman can do the same job as he can and then some. But not always.

Amended to special mention the west in general. We have more than enjoyed running the west. For the most people there, they would take a moment to help out in some small way if wife ran into trouble over something small. We consider those people some of the best America has to offer and that's the end of that.

The main thing is we got away with it for the time we had together. Overall we were happy to do it. But there are certain spots around the USA that do not care for female drivers. Most of the truckstops were pretty good. But once in a while someone asked her for the CDL, I tell the man shes my spouse and yes she has a full CDL like I do. Have a problem with that mister? And our future business with that truckstop will depend on the next reaction I get from the nosy employee. If he or she grovels and says so sorry and so forth then we will continue to spend money there. If the employee got all offended, loses temper and so on, that is literally the last place and time we will stop there. Most of the time they become nice and do what they can to help out while we are doing business there. Those are the good ones.

For her, being a former Marine sgt has it's advantages from time to time when necessary. But for the most part we did pretty good with good people as dispatchers etc. I think the office people enjoyed our company and willingness to drive into hell itself to retrieve a bad load at any time. So it worked out all around where it counts.

But, when you get into bad places around the USA people will see her as prey for a vareity of reasons, and when you are up against say 20 in a market in chicago those are very bad odds. We usually cleared with dispatch not to go into places like that more than once for that reason.

And that was in the days before licensed carry. Things are different now when we travel which isnt that often.

I hate to be difficult and summarize a little too much leaving out many details. But somewhere further back in the posts Im pretty sure there is a story here and there.

 

Right!

Does she understand this is a job with appointments to make and not a sightseeing tour so no lolly gaggling at the truck stop?

Does she understand the truck cannot fit in every mall where there is a sale or a salon where she wants to get her hair and nails done or cool restaurant to try new foods?

Does she understand after driving all day, you most likely won't be in the mood to be bothered especially after horrible traffic and getting an earful from dispatch?

Does she understand the truck will be bouncing up and down all over the highway making noise while she's trying to sleep and sometimes... she's going to have to pee in a bottle while you're driving because construction delays, weather, traffic, etc. has put you behind schedule and you just can't stop right now?

Does she understand that when you roll out at 3 in the morning she's going to have to wake up and make herself go because you can't stop 30 minutes down the road when her bladder wakes up?

Do you both understand how small a single sleeper is? You'll be bumping into each other and eventually... well, you know.

Talk amongst yourselves and get back to us.

I'd really like to know if she thinks she's built for this life.

SN: Don't even get me started on the challenges of "that time of the month"!

Also...

Truckers smiling at her and undressing her with their eyes is just a biological reaction when men have gone weeks, months without female companionship.

Consider it a compliment so long as they keep their hands to themselves. It has been my experience that they will.

If you're not with her they may think she's a working girl until she says she isn't and then they move on.

Rather than get bent out of shape, just smile knowing you have your good woman with you while they don't!

 

Buying a mini-fridge and 3 pot crock pot will cut down on the meals expense.

Being crammed in a small space with no individual air time is the killer.

If you have a disagreement...

Where you gonna go to cool off?

Behind the drivers seat?

Put that invisible wall up between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat.

(blinks left, then right)

LOL

 

Every couple I know married or not even team drivers have stated to me that there are times I hate that person. It is part of being a couple. And people think i'm the crazy one for never getting married!