Truck Drivers Spending Time Alone Away From Family And Friends

There's plenty of information out there that talks about the technical aspects of becoming a truck driver. Things like how to get your CDL, the requirements for getting your CDL, how to choose the right truck driving school, and things like that. But what about all of the other aspects of being on the road? What is life really like? Is truck driving right for me? Are the meals good in the truck stops? Is there anyone to talk to in the evenings? Is there help when you need it with routing and mechanical issues? Will I be homesick all the time? There aren't too many places to find answers to these questions, but after almost 15 years on the road I'm going to help you understand a little bit about the solitude and separation you'll face.

Is Truck Driving Right For Me?

Now I can't tell you whether or not truck driving is right for you, but I can give you an idea of what it's like out there. For starters, the first thing that comes to mind is the amount of time you spend alone. It's a ton. I can honestly say you will be alone, mostly in your truck, for an average of about 18-22 hours per day. The remaining hours you will spend talking to waitresses, dock workers, and other drivers. But the vast majority of the time you'll be alone. I came to the realization in the early months of my career that I could either learn to enjoy being alone and make the best of it, or I could suffer through it, but I really couldn't do much to change it.

Back then (I started driving in '93), you didn't have computers and the Internet to keep you connected and entertain you. The information, emails, pictures, fun websites, news sites, and all the goodies that come with being online just didn't exist. After years of being on the road, the Internet and computers started to take hold. Slowly the truck stops began coming out with connections for cable TV and internet in your truck, and that really changed everything.

Nowadays, most truck stops and many of the places you'll find yourself will have some sort of wireless Internet connection. Laptops have gotten far less expensive, and you can add to that the ease of putting satellite television in your cab, and of course cell phones. The ability to stay connected to the news, entertainment, and your loved ones is a thousand times better than it was back then. A thousand times.

Leaving Your Family And Friends Behind

But the one thing you cant replace is the amount of time you'll spend away from your family and friends. A lot of companies can get you home on the weekends. Some will keep you out for two to three weeks at a time, or more. The choice is yours. Generally speaking, the longer you stay out at a time, the more money you'll make. There are truck driving jobs that will get you home every evening in fact, but often times you'll put in fifteen hour days and be lucky to bring home $150 per day. You can stay out one to three weeks at a time and make $50,000/year pretty easily, but there's a lot to consider when it comes to being gone that long.

I'm going to tell you something flat out - if you have a family, especially if you have children, please do not consider a job that keeps you away from home for more than five days at a time. I've heard countless stories, and I mean countless stories, of families that fell apart from the time spent away from each other. It's too hard on the spouses, and devastating for the children. Even being gone five days a week is hard on everyone, but there is a huge difference in the money you'll make being gone five days at a time compared to being home every night, and life is always a compromise. Sometimes you need the money and you don't have much of a choice.

I was young and single for most of the years I spent on the road, and I wasn't a bit lonely. There were truck stops, the CB, books, and places you could go in your free time like malls, night clubs, and sporting events to keep you entertained. It really was a ton of fun! But to have a wife and children, and have to leave them behind would have been almost too much to bear. In fact, probably more than almost too much to bear. I just don't think I could have done it.

Every decision we make in life is a compromise, and every compromise has its consequences. We all need the money to get by, but there's so much more to it than that. Be prepared to spend an enormous amount of time out there alone. If you have a family, especially children, please set a limit of five days gone at a time, and try to get by with even less. Time spent away from your family and friends is a million times nicer with the technologies that have come along, but holding your wife and children in your arms can never, ever be replaced, and neither can the time you lose without them by your side.

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