Driving OTR With Family?

In the beginning I wanted my kids to ride with me. This is a dangerous job though and after what I’ve seen in 2 years, I wouldn’t recommend it at all. My 12 year old daughter has taken a trip across town with me. That is it. 3 hours of round trip Dallas morning traffic to do a drop. That was all she wrote.

 

Unless you've been living in a .closet with no bathroom, you may be under estimating your understanding of your family's experience with living in close quarters.

 

It wouldn't be fair to the kids. Kids need room to run, fresh air, exercise, and they get bored in a heartbeat.

 

One simple pair of words. Forget it.

There is problems of weight, accidents, evasive, insurance, hygiene etc etc etc ad nauseum.

With children you introduce a element of danger to them from predators. Either mountain lions, snakes or human variety.

I don't even know where to start. So many problems with that.

 

I only said that for maximum effect. Children should not be limited to looking out a windshield, there will be plenty of time for that when they get older. Kids need exposure, and that way, can make a better decision later on in life. To subject them to the rigors( and boredom) of a life of trucking, may not develop their full potential, and that's not fair to them. I was lucky, my ex-wife did everything with my kids, and yes, I did take them with me,,,once or twice, just so they knew what dad did so we could have a roof over our head, but I never, for a minute, wanted them to follow in my shoes, not in this day and age.

 

They're just lonesome and want you to reach in the partially open window to pet them!

 

I agree with everyone else here in that it’s probably not possible/a really bad idea.

Not exactly the same thing, but there was this ... 'Road scholar's' odyssey: From big rig to Harvard

And,
Cab-Schooled Student Earned Ticket To Harvard

About a young lady (along with her brother) who lived and was homeschooled on a big truck by their truck-driver single mom.

 

I think some families loosing their houses and possessions because of no job is a factor to deciding to take the family with them. Showers, even if you have to pay for an extra one would provided by fuel purchase. Food would be the main expense, if they visited McD's every other day and hit the value meals up for kids, they could live on sandwiches the rest of the time, or cook eggs and bacon in the microwave. With inverters a crockpot could be used along with George Foreman grill. There wouldn't be a lot of room to have an igloo with kids, unless an ice chest was strapped on to the catwalk. We had an old small tv with vcr/cd player unit, newer things are available now though.

It would be hard to tell a kid you can't get out of the truck period when waiting for a load or unload. Meat load places are stinky, have flies, and make keep you there 24 hrs or more waiting.