Both of my kids are away at college and pretty much on there own. I see them only when they are off from school.
Winger, Dude, don't for one minute think that truckers don't "have a life". Since you are married to your truck, you will never be lonely. You have "homes" all across the country, (any truck stop). All shippers/consignees/police agencys know you by your first name which will be "driver". You will be personally greeted each morning by your dispatcher with a friendly wake up call. He'll be asking about your ETA, but, in reality he has your well being in his thoughts. You'll get FREE legal advice anytime as well as medical and general knowledge from any driver out there via the C/B radio. Most every day will be like attending a 3 ring circus or Disneyland. Lookey, lookey at all the 4 wheelers and 18 wheelers slipping and sliding in the ice and snow. Wheeeeee! What fun. (and it's FREEEEEE). Your personal butler will clean your shower and toilet for you and serve you dinner. A lady of the evening will tuck you in for a small fee. There, now are you still having second thoughts?
hey winger i'm doing the same thing as you. my kids are grown and away having there own lives. i'm single and ready to do something different. i have been a mechanic for nissan and hyundai for 24 years and can't stand being locked into a dealer anymore... good luck to you !!
Winger, this doesn't touch on your original post about being away from home, but if you think you want to do this, you should start calling companies and asking if they hire out of FL. Lots of companies won't, it's like New England, where companies have atough time getting you home time. There are reefer companies based out of FL, if you don't mind seeing a lot of I-95 up tp NYC and NE, buy you'd have to check if they take on new drivers. Flatbed companies tend to be a bit better at getting you home, at least for a restart, on weekends. A lot of their consignees don't work on weekends. Cypress, out of J'ville hires out of FL, and the take new drivers (or did, you'd have to check). Life out on the road is far from great, or even much fun, but a lot is what you make of it. Good luck.
Life on the road is what you make it... I make the most of it and I am really enjoying the experience... I took up a few new hobbies... I bought a sketch book and drawing pencils and am learning to draw and have created some nice sketches... I bought a didgeridoo in Cali and am learning to play it... I don't like to park, hangout or eat at truck stops and have enjoyed developing my truck culinary skills... It also makes for some good memories and stories.. Like grilling a chicken breast in sub zero weather in a snow storm, parked in some little scenic place... Sometimes I park my truck at a truck stop and rent a car... Did that on my last 34 hour reset and took in the Grand Canyon... I had never seen it in the winter with snow... it was incredible.. I also call churches and groups and tell them I am a trucker and they will have someone pickm up at the truck stop take me to the services or whatever and take me back to my truck... I have found old friends on facebook who had moved away and met up with them for coffee... I have met a lot of people and made friends out here... Right now, I found a beautiful little place to park and relax a bit, I am cooking some chili, snaking on a yogurt and catching up on posts, then I will mosey on down the road a bit, and later,I am going to park my truck at a truck stop and call a cab, go into town to a coffee house and take in some live local music... perhaps met a person or two, then head back to my truck for some sleep.... tomorrow I will wake up, check out the sunrise and let the journey unfold... I stay out for weeks, but I like it that way... I make good money and when I am home I enjoy some quality time with my partner and have alot of pictures, stories and stuff to share... It is what you make it... Yeah, I get delays, and have had to hang out at freightliner or repairs... the last time, I played my didgeridoo for them... it was fun... and the mechanic and I had a great conversation about it... he is going to make his son one from pvc pipe... anyway, he also did a few extra things at no cost for me... Then I hit the road... I honestly don't get why so many truckers just hang out at a truck stop and then complain about how bad trucking is... It is what you make it...
Great post L Trucker. I too had fun when I was OTR. There's alot you can do and see if you just go ahead and do it. Being friendly to everyone was my greatest experience. Even the scale house people have stories to tell and when it's slow and it can be fun. You just have to make time for your well being. As far as the money goes, welllll I did make much more local. However, those friendly attributes paid off there too. You meet all kinds at the gas stations.
The best way to handle this is to change the definition of what fun is. I had a driver sit there at a truck stop diner and talk my ear off for a full hour on any subject from religion to the price of fuel and how much better it was in the old days. When it was time to leave, my students wanted to know what was wrong with that old guy and why I allowed him to rattle on like that. I said that the guy was lonely and it might have been weeks that he hadn't gotten to talk to anyone so I provided an ear for the man. It might not have been that fun listening to him talk about the war he was in or the struggle he still has today keeping off the road dope, but I provided a service for that lonely trucker who needed to talk. Becoming a trucker is not just a lifestyle change, it is a role change. You become something that doesn't stop when you punch the time clock and go home. It is hard to explain in non trucker terms but many on here know what I mean.
I have seen 7/7 seven days out on the road seven days hometime. Also 3 man per truck rotation. Generious rotation. I think is was 7 or 14 days on and one week hometime.Sounds to good to be true
