As for your last job and how it compares to what your looking to get into...at your last job you had regular set schedule which most likely meant some sort of regular eating/sleeping/waking pattern...forget this with OTR.....

As for how your last job compares on a physical level ..driving for 11 hrs a day is physically demanding ,and when you factor in the irregular sleeping patterns of the job sometimes all you want to do at the end of your day is sleep for your full 10 hr ...and from experience most work days on the road turn out to be closer to 14 hours after you factor in the waiting time at shippers and receivers ....Not to mention all the times you will take your 10 hr break and either get assigned a load 12 hrs after the end of the 10 hr break or get pre-assigned a load you can't pick up for 12 hrs after the end of your 10 hr break ...and you will need to run it when you do pick it up ..this makes for very long day ..like 24 hr + day...


there is something to be said for going home at the end of a work day and having the week end off ...when you drive OTR it's like you never left the office or shop.....picture your last job but instead of going home you just went out to your car and passed out in the back seat ..and when you woke up you just started working again....this can wear you down mentally as well as physically ,and help add to how you feel physically....

Lets put it like this I worked 10-12 hr work days case picking at a food grade warehouse 6-7 days a week....this was a physical job...and driving over the road is far more demanding ..And if you count all the time spent that you wait for a load or wait to be loaded or un-loaded during a 24 hr day you will see your always putting in 12-14 hr days ...and when you realize you have not much of a life during you stay on the road it's really more like being at work 24/7 until you take home time .....


I've been OTR for 14 months ,and I made some calls this last 24 hours at home ..and will be taking a 30 day leave so I can go to a few interviews this coming Monday ...FOR LOCAL JOBS paid by the hour....I took a leave so I have my current job to easily fall back on if nothing turns out quickly....

That's well said, driver. And true, so very true. The supertruckers bury most of their waiting/delays in the funny book and then claim to "only" work 70 hours. Reality is more like 80-100. Lemme see if I remember this correctly...15 minutes on line 4 to check in, then up to line 2, and then 15 minutes to swing the doors closed and check out. Too bad it usually doesn't work that way. Traffic jam? Hmmm....let's bust the calculator out and see how we can average 50-58 mph over the GW bridge during rush hour. Need to fuel at the postage-stamp sized Pilot with trucks lined up onto the street and 2 pumps out? 15 minutes, yeah, sure. Drop-n-hook? 15 minutes...which is the time it should take just to inspect the trailer and hook-up.

I can go on and on but the point here is that the logbook is basically a revenue-generating device. Log it or lose it is the way it usually goes so everyone stays off Line 4 as much as possible. Line 3 gets compressed, and Lines 1&2 get abused....POOF!...welcome to the 100 hour workweek folks!!!

Then there's the whole HHG scam. Did you know that getting stiffed an average of 8% off your hub miles means that you're driving A WHOLE MONTH out of the year FOR FREE?!?!? Don't believe me? Do the math and you'll see just how much you're getting screwed. And that's not counting the 2 hours you wait for free at every dock you bump. Breakdown? That means you're sitting out on the median with your flashers on and triangles out waiting on road repair...FOR ZILCH!!!

I did OTR pulling vans/reefer for over 3 years for one reason and one reason alone...and that was to get the experience to land a good-paying local gig. I put up with all the BS/abuse/freebies in OTR because I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel. If you're happy doing the OTR lifestyle thing then I've got no beef with you...to each their own as the saying goes. But don't spin it like it's a good job because it isn't. It's long hours, low pay, sleeping in truckstops, huge liabilities in the event of an accident, boatloads of free labor/waiting around, too much time away from home, etc, etc etc...no wonder these companies are always hiring. You see, there is no real "driver shortage" like the industry tries to spin it. It's more like a lack of people willing to put up with the pay/working conditions in OTR.

Happy trails!

I must apologize, I'm not smart enough to keep my mouth shut.

I am currently in a crappy position where with two jobs at $10/hour, I should have everything ready for me to start CDL school in about six months. I have never thought about driving a truck up until recently simply because I thought I was supposed to want an office type job where I was home every day at 5pm, go to the Rotary or Lions Club meetings, choir practice, little league ... all that stuff. I'm realizing now that it's just not my dance.

After 20 years of managing hotels and restaurants I realized that I truly hated people. Not all people, just the "bad" ones; the ones you remember. The "good" ones never draw attention so they are forever forgotten.

At this point I have to say, and you know who you are, SHAME ON YOU for blatantly berating a good industry and it's members. A vital industry where if all the drivers had the smarts to simply organize (not union, unions serve no purpose any more except to re-instill the "I had to do it so you have to do it too until you have seniority" rule) the Nation would have to stop, take notice and give the proper recognition.

I have been reading this and other boards for a month now and I am constantly amazed how so many of the posters on here sound just like the minimum wage employees I'm so used to hearing similar gripes from. Yes, these are the same employees who would refuse more hours because it would cost them Welfare money. Yes, these are the same employees who I would catch hooking in the hotel. Yes, these are the same employees who did everything in their power to extend the very stereotypes they hated so much. Is there some kind of mindset where some people think everything is supposed to be easy and handed over on a gilded plate? Whether the pay is good or bad, you're getting paid for a reason, not your stellar personality or good looks. You're getting paid to do the bad part of the job. Let's face it, if there's any part of the job you enjoy, you'd probably do it for free. When was the last time someone paid you to drive somewhere for recreation?

I also don't quite understand how drivers can complain about the companies they drive for when THEY AGREED TO DRIVE FOR THAT COMPANY IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!! I do understand and appreciate honest information that would lead to an educated decision by future recruits, but QUIT YOUR BITCHIN! Want to bitch? Work for Muslim for a Hindu. So what if your dispatcher wants you to drive 12 hours straight, you have laws to back you up. It's absolutely no different than running out of budgeted hours so the general manger has to wait tables twice a week, or cleans 10 rooms a day in order to make budget for the month. It all falls back to how greedy you are. If you are greedy, break the law.

Now let's not forget the customers. From what I can gather, customers (you and I included) are all the same, some are wise and some are otherwise. Everyone has bad shippers and good shippers. I've had hookers and meth labs, and some truly wonderful people.

I guess the point of this rant is simple; are you trying to give wannabees like me an honest picture of the industry, or are you trying to scare us off by bragging how tough you are for having to work in the worst job ever? Just sounds like some people are looking for a little attention. Being that I'm single, I seriously fear that I may become the same way after a few miles OTR.

I realize the many of you that this is directed to will quickly, loudly and proudly tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about, and I don't. I'm just sitting here in my studio apartment (I swear the only difference between my place and a sleeper cab is that the bathroom is two paces away) eating beans and rice and surfing on stolen internet access just to feel important and included. Maybe so. But nonetheless, I cannot complain about my situation because IT IS MINE. I put myself here and if I want anything to change, I have to change it. One thing I know I cannot change is that others would realize this same mantra and quit complaining just to hear themselves talk.

Now we all know that the worst vice is ad-vice, but my grandfather's advice is the best. "There is nothing that can't be solved by simply getting off your ass. Now you gonna talk or are you gonna fix it?"

Re: Questions
 

Try here : http://www.classadrivers.com/phpBB2/...erick+inverter

Be careful what you buy. Flatbedders are known to be too tired for X-box at the end of the day, but glued to them during resets.

Try here : http://roundtable.truck.net/viewtopic.php?t=18584

From what I've read, and the company drivers I've talked to, between Maverick and TMC, you can't go wrong.

Goldsboro? I can usderstand why you want to go OTR. Come up here to Winston. I'll take you to Lexington for some REAL barbeque.

Both TMC and Maverick assign you to a truck. When you have hometime, make sure you have a good and SAFE place to park the truck near home.

Mortgage Broker. Laptop and cel phone - but plan on 60 - 70 hours per week getting started. And don't mind the stress of 100% commission along with rude and obnoxious realtors that own your time for the first couple years. - You asked

Let's not forget that if you are working 2 full time fast food jobs you are still:
missing your childs first steps
missing that first little league game
not seeing your wife
living unhealthy

an so on and so on, there's no perfect job and I'm not saying otr is

i posted this a while back but it is true. if you look hard enough you will find a decnt regional job. never done otr ond wont if possible.

I drive for psc out of Houston. hauling hazardous waste. i have drove for 3 years all with them. i make about about 2400-2500 every 2 weeks before taxes. home most every night and off on the weekends. also get 20 a day to eat. so not to bad if you ask me. and i get paid mileage while driving and get paid hourly for all on duty hours including lunch. so just look around the right job is out there for you. but on a side not not all of mine is drop and hook or gets loaded by a forklift. its about 50/50 (takers,rails,no touch,load with drum dolly/pallet jack)

I also don't quite understand how drivers can complain about the companies they drive for when THEY AGREED TO DRIVE FOR THAT COMPANY IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!

That's just the Nature of the Beast in the Trucking Industry-Could be the Greatest trucking company but there will always be someone to P and M about it :P

That sounds like a pretty good deal. But luggin' that radioactive stew around? Dunno about that. Glowing in the dark and shootin' blanks into the old lady just ain't my bag. :D

Truckers will complain about a free lunch!(IT WAS COLD,ect) :lol:
No job is perfect.Make the best of it and enjoy what you get everyday!

Don't worry, I've had the same problem most of my adult life........works out for the better when you don't let someone walk over you by keeping quite.

Your name wouldn't be "Patel" by chance would it............and do you look like you and members of your family look like you just came out of Jean Raspail's, "The Camp of the Saints"? :lol: :lol: (Great book BTW, just finished it)


That my friend is truly sad..........I couldn't imagine going through life like that........I've personally never met a truly "Bad" person.

Quite the opposite for me, I forget the undesirables, but, ALWAYS try to remeber the good ones........

you want to feel good about yourself, try doing something good for someone, without their knowledge...........and NOT expect any credit or accolades in return.

Actually, I was thinking, Shame on you..........you don't know "jack sh!t" about the trucking industry, yet you come in here and give us, the great "unwashed", you valuable insight into whats wrong with our industry and it's people...........NICE TRY!!! your heart might be in the right place.......unfortunately, you have ZERO credibility when it comes to giving advise.

I seriously owe you an apology............I was answering before I read your entire post............YOU my friend are a breath of fresh air...........honesty and frankness are attributes I highly respect............

as far working for Muslims, only if they or their children didn't carry backpacks filled with explosives...........NOT.

As far as Hindu's...........then I can assume your last name isn't, "Patel".
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Wrong there "Webster's" breath. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Douglas, sorry, couldn't help myself................used in the context I was speaking about when my father was alive............the definition of a "Blivit", is, 2-pounds of "Crap" in a 1-pound bag. :lol: :lol: :lol:

I've personally never met a truly "Bad" person

I have-In Iraq and a few other choice places

seriously....
 

Honestly i say the WHOLE ENTIRE TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEEDS TO BE FULLY REVOLUTIONIZED.. IN EVERY ASPECT..

everything this poster said is true, and i didnt even realize this truth from driving a tractor trailer. Surprisingly enough, i learned it from driving a School bus!!

**your hours are irregular. You start everyday at 6AM and sometimes dont get home untill 5 or 6.

**Sometimes the parents of the kids decide to come and pick up their children like a hour late, which makes you sit in the bus all that time.

**You are paid 10 $ an hour at most 12 and dont get paid overtime.

I imagine all these things are 10 fold worse in many cases with tractor trailer/otr driving with layovers and all that kinda stuff..

at least while driving in a tractor trailer you can whip out your piss bottle and do what you gotta do right there while driving (for those with true skills lol)
However in a bus you cant really do that because you got kids as well as a matron on the bus..

its all these little things that make your life HELL..

And speaking about health?! well yeah your health diminishes rapidly and surely because you are basically restricted to eating FAST FOOD everyday..

Alright, as I sit here and read this post I get extremely pissed off. I dont know how one person can sit here and blatantly claim to save everyones life by advising them that trucking is going to ruin everyones lives and family. I do agree that people need to know what they are getting into, instead of believing what they hear.

I happened to be raised by a father who is a PROFESSIONAL TRUCKER. I grew up riding on the dog house of a cab-over Freightliner and have seen first hand what a Trucker CAN do for his family. Me and my sister both were put through college by a trucking father that never made us work to pay our way through it. If the bills were mounting up he would turn more miles to make up for it. I never went without, because I had a dad who was always willing to keep the wheels turning to bring my family what we needed. I played Little League ball and that big blue Freightliner used to come rolling in the lot with a hot load to watch me play.

My father has missed out on a lot of things, but in almost 40 years as an O/O I have never heard him complain about his job once. Some people do this cause it is what they like.......others do it for a paycheck and because they cannot get hired anywhere else. Just dont forget there are a few professionals out there that love this job, and provide for their families everyday by doing it.

I know im a newb and not into driving yet, but one way I looked at it for not seeing the faimly is this, and based on experance. If I work as a machinest and wife works bank I work nights 10-12 hrs a day, wife works 9-5 I still will never see her or the kids during the week. On top of that if you arent happy in your current job, can't get one or what ever, its better than nothingand its better than that.
I know I'm looking threw some rose colored glasses but being in the military we are use to me being gone on short notice and not seeing each other for weeks to a year. To me being able for sure to see the faimly just on the weekends is better than going to Afganastain or Iraq again for a year. Time in the middle east for me since dessert shield one= 2 1/2 years. So when people complain about no home time it could be alot worse and with the Air Force putting out 40K people so we can buy new airplane its going to get worse. The 2 1/2 years dosnt count being sent on training or other deployements and if your faimly isnt strong enough it will fall with or without being gone. Love and comminication is what jeeps a faimly strong if it were time I would be devorced long time ago but 19 years of marriage and wife still looks dam good.

PS dont even get me started on pay when you do or dont get payed
US Air Force 22 years and looking foward to this kind of job!! It will beat my home time and pay I get now

None!!! They are all dying to make Iraq a safer place for Iraqi's.....which is even worse.

There is no such thing as the PERFECT job. At least that I have seen. Not everyone likes a regular schedule such as working in an office. Many office workers take work home with them which is not paid. You can eat more healthy if you stay away from the buffet's while on the road. Some people seem to have a more healthy marriage when they spend time apart. Others don't make it. I have known of people on both sides. My wife and I have been married for more than 26 years. I have traveled most of the time we have been married and been away from home. When I travel now, she will usually go with me. You can miss family events even though you work at home. This is not a profession for everyone. Some people just can't cut it. You need to be able to manage your time and be flexible. Some people need a regular schedule because they cannot manage themselves or their time. There are those who will blow their entire paycheck in video games and gambling machines. These people have no self control. It has nothing to do with the profession. These people will have problems regardless of what they do for a living. This is a job, a profession and a lifestyle. This profession offers a higher level of income than many would be able to earn by staying home. It offers a college level income after only a few weeks of training. It can be difficult on relationships, but so can many other professions. I know a number of professionals who work in town and have not been able to make their marriage work. If you want to earn an above average income, you will make sacrifices. Everything we do in life is a trade off. If you want to work 9-5 you will probably not earn as much money as if you did something else, but you will be home every night. If you are in this profession and hate it, stop complaining and go do something else. Life is too short to work at something which you detest. Most of us who elect to do this for a living enjoy it. Many of us have a good education and experience outside of trucking. We don't do this because we can't do anything else. We do this because we enjoy it. Most people make a good living driving a truck. Some people will be miserable no matter what they do for a living.

With all that being said....Why not opt for a regional or local driving job? There's plenty of them in my area. Hell they'll hire ppl fresh out of driver training schools for local or regional runs. I'll agree, OTR does suck if you have a family. I have a three year old son. I'm unfortunate if I have to spend the night somewhere and not to be home every night of the week. I couldn't imagine only beign home for two days out of two weeks. Something I just can't see myself doing for a lonngggg time, OTR driving. Maybe when me and my wife are old and gray, or she's retired. haha.

If you are in the process of considering over the road driving, you should understand that this is a profession which requires you to be away from home most of the time. It works for some people, but not everyone. It can be especially difficult for those with small children.

I want to put a new twist to this old thread.

Why don't we want to scare the newbies away? Won't a shortage of drivers increase the wages because OTR companies will want to try harder to keep their drivers happy? I've been driving for 2 years now as a company driver and come January I will be driving my own truck (not a fleece/purchase), but with the pennies I've stashed away. I wouldn't mind an increase in per mile rates because drivers are at a premium.

This thread helped me to understand the high turnover rate.
 

I am financially jumping sideways getting into trucking. I believe i am a custom fit for the business. I like a lot of time by myself, my friends are not very important to me anymore, my last child left for college this year,
My wife wants to do this as a team with me. I don't think i would have succeeded at this 10 years ago. Those with small children are making a gut wrenching choice to provide financial resources to their families at the expenses of providing full time parenting to their kids. The world is not perfect. You do what you have to and try to stay happy doing it. I know that i could not have done it back then. But now it sounds like a good fit. I do have a concern about lack of exercise turning me even more blog like than i am.
Any OTR guys that exercise while on the road. It has got to be tough to drive 12 hours get out of a truck and go jogging.

Dale, there are some who walk or jog around the truck stop, do isometrics or other exercises in the truck or take dumb bells with them for weight training. Most get their exercise walking back and forth to the buffet. :lol:

:twisted: im just a rookie so i usually try to shut up and not cause too many accidents. try not to read too much big trucking company propaganda.after a couple years i quit the big company and got a day cab and a company that dont complain unless you crash

good post, josh. been off-line for a while. this job is gettin better all the time. altho , you are right, being sorta anti social is a plus. 34 of went thru orientation 15 months ago. i am only 1 left. also being a chemically controled psycotic helps. noone in their right mind could live as i do. most of my meals are cooked in my truck. i got george forman grill, microwave, stockpot, and a refridge/freezer combo. also got a mr. coffee maker. seems like only human contact for 8 weeks at a time is with shippers/recvrs. or with cashiers. 2 days before turkeyday i met up with a friend from home who drives for another company. these kind of meetings are rare. luckily my gal comes out with me quite often. if you don't mind sleeping in places that smell of urine whenever it is not below freezing, eating over priced over cooked food, having a loving relationship over the phone, always using public showers and restrooms, when everything you buy is overpriced, where the customers have no respect for you, and always being on the watch for lot lizards and crackheads, eating and sleeping around the customers needs not yours, well this is a pretty good job. forgot to mention loneliness, solitude, low pay, road hazards, other drivers. yeah this is not so much a job as a way of life.

Was wondering where you were-Find a Ditch Somewhere? :P

:oops: :cry: nah. hadda help dig my mom's grave. spent time with dad. they were married 54 years. i lost my wife years ago, and as the oldest kid, it was sorta the right thing to do. good side was my company set me up to go there and spend another week with dad. he spent 25 years in usaf sar. 2 wars. and needed help getting squared away. i was able to be there for him like he was there for me. been spending time getting ready to move to tucumcari. finally decided on who i am gonna drive for next. also made the decision with dad's advice to buy my own tractor. yeah, is gonna be an older one. but with my tools and wrenching skills, i should be able to keep us rollin' and making a living. hardest part of buying a truck was deciding what i want to use it for. seems like detroit with 13 speed and mid roof will fill my needs for the next few years. where i been running lately there is no room in the ditches, all the flipped over on side spaces were take already. thank god. just luck not any skill yet on my part. by the way who lost their oil on 5/20 in new york? first time i ever saw the whole side of trailer trying to pass me. my seat still smells bad.

Yes there is such a thing as the Perfect Job, ( Weather Man in San Diego or the Punter for The Indianapolis Colts :lol: :lol: :lol:

There are some REALLY great posts in this thread. I read through all 8 pages of them. Kudos to everyone who actually took the time to post their opinions, good or bad. But reading through them all I realized that what almost everyone had to say about the trucking biz was true; the good, the bad and the ugly. It's all right here in this thread. Any newbie can read this thread and take from it whats its worth - lots of nuggets of gold. Someone should put all these comments in this thread into an ebook and market it to newbies for $8.99 and donate all the proceeds to a charity.

Regardless of what anyone says or thinks, this IS a great country and you can do whatever you choose to do. The real bottom line is it all depends on your ATTITUDE. You can have a million dollar a year job (any pro athletes come to mind?) and still complain and not be happy no matter where you play. Guys/gals making tons less are perfectly happy in the same line of business because they enjoy what they do and are happy just to be in the position to like what they do and/or who they play for at the leagues minimum wage, whatever that may be. Why is that? Because they're passionate in what their doing and they have a good attitude. 2 key factors that the happy and content/successful professional truckers have that all the negative ones don't.

It is what it is. There is pro's and there are con's. Plenty of both. But if you have a good attitude, the con's don't seem so overwhelming on your bad trucking days and on your good trucking days you'll appreciate the simplier things like the sunshine, smooth roads, a hot shower, a good cooked meal and the wind at your back.


Your attitude will ALWAYS determine your latitude in life.
-Zig Ziglar

Yep, that is it, attitude. Long story in how I got into trucking, no need to go there as it involved a woman, an attorney, the sheriff and a judge. I already did the military, so trucking was the next best thing to put a roof over my head and get out of town. A very long long story...

It took over ten long years to get the ex off of my back, and another six to rid myself of the friend of the court. But I figured awhile ago that trucking was all I had, so let's make the best of it.

I kept a positive attitude, stayed away from the CB rambos, and looked for jobs that would gain myself more then just a pay check. I wanted to learn about trucking, and that is what I did. Sure, I have had my ups and downs, but that is life.

I had four trucks up until awhile ago. The fees, taxes, insurance and my poor hiring and baby sitting skills, put an end to the multiple trucks.

Now I have one truck, one trailer and my own authority, that's enough. I hope to semi-retire in a few months. God willing the house, truck and trailer will be paid for. And me and the wife can do a little traveling in our new motorhome.

Trucking ain't that bad, it's not easy, but I have done worse. And it has ALWAYS provided me and my family an income. No matter what ever happened, I could always get a job driving, anywhere in this country I wanted to.

And that is what I told the guys and gals that worked for me, look at this job that I am giving you as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. I would have liked to have seen them in their own trucks. But I guess it was bad advice, as most of them upgraded their lives to collecting unemployment and homelessness. Sad, but true.

I was told I was to nice and generous with my employees. I should have treated them like crap and things would have turned out different. And I have proof to base this assertion on. And now looking back, that is probably true. Go figure?

So far though, knock on wood, trucking has been very very good to me!

Why didn't you post this 2 1/2 weeks ago when my family was still together. My Fiance was going to stay at her mother's while I was in training, and then ended up leaving me. So not I only get to see my beloved 7m/o son every 2 weeks (once I get thru school and my 6 week otr time (i'm waiting to get my license fixed right now should have it done by mid-week)). I'm kicking myself in the ass every minute of every day, and I've begged her to come home.. that i'd say screw all this and go home and we'd be happy again but she won't do it. Its heartbreaking... but now I only have me... and my son that I'll only see every 2 weeks and have to send money back every week to make sure he's well cared for.

Thanks for the post.. just wish it'da been 2 1/2 weeks earlier.

I am going to be teaming with my wife... and we have no kids.. and about 2300$ outgoing bills... this doesent apply to us so much since, money, being with my family everyday stays in play!

You did know that the last post was in Dec. 2006, right?

Just checking. :wink:

Seems like someone lazarused a thread, but since it wasn't me gonna throw in my 2 cents.
I love my family. That ain't nothing special, everyone here can say the same I imagine. I ain't the smartest fella in the world. I cant do math and I have trouble learning new things ( i can, its just harder than it seems for most folks). Cant spell worth a damn either :).
So what is someone like me supposed to do besides drive a truck? And yeah that means im away from my wife and kids and that hurts. but ive done the mimimum wage thing and i want better than that for my family. i want them to have health insurance and good schoolin and things i didnt have like sports and instruments.
Man, show me a way i can make more than 500 a week with one job and i'll do it sure. but if i worked two 40 hour minimum wage jobs thats 80 hours times say 7 bucks (and that aint guaranteed), thats 560 a week gross. Minus the insurance, which is at least 75 off the net? I figure it at about $375 takehome.
Thats IF you could find two 40 hour jobs that didnt conflict with each other. And when would you sleep OR see your family?
Anyhow, guess Im just saying that we all do what we gotta do. In my mind the most irresponsible thing I could do would be less than my best for my kids no matter how much it sucks for me.

Did not relize the date that was last posted i was just searching and reading and researching and found it decided to reply.. lol

as someone getting considering the profession..thank you..this post made sense.

marry asian woman, make her drive with you, keep her wages and after she gets green card split and go get another one, the only way to get ahead in both ways. lol :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I have been driving a truck for around 10 yrs now. I am married and have a 8 yr old son. I have a great mariage and I make a decent living as well. Before I went into trucking I was a fireman. I would work 24 hr shifts and be stressed out all the time. I was also in the Marine Corps. I was always deployed and away from home. So, as you can see, I am no stranger to this AWAY game. It is not the job or jobs that break a family. It is the ones in the family that breaks the family. It is not necessarily the QUANTITY of time that builds a stong family but the QUALITY of time.

Its a job, just like any other, you either love it or hate it.
No one forces anyone into trucking, its choice you make
so live with it and stop whining or move on.