Good afternoon ladies, I sit here in my 8x8 cubicle day after day, bored to death. The pay isn’t great but after being suddenly unemployed for 18 months, I was happy to get this job…. Notice I said job, not career. I have been back in the workforce for just 24 months now. Don’t get me wrong, I know plenty of folks that would love to get paid for sitting here and being underutilized and I’m thankful to have an income of sorts but I’m bored as heck….

Anyhoo, my fiancé (soon to be husband, April 2) has been a driver off and on for the last 20 years. He has been OTR for the last 5 years that we have been together. He currently is with Walmart as a Fleet Driver (where’s the money?), but has always wanted to be an O/O…. (can we actually make any money?)

Like all Trucker Wives, I miss him terribly when he leaves and it puts me in a funk for the first 4 days, but I try to be strong so he doesn’t worry about me. That is the last thing they need while they are out there. I have been on one trip with him while I was not working, a short 4 day trip to Oregon from Southern California. And a couple of evening rides with him to the warehouse and I really enjoyed it. He is good about stopping at rest area’s for me.

So I sit here thinking, do I ??? Or don’t I ???

I have been going thru the Training Guide here and I am in the 98% range so far and am half way through it. I figure I have plenty of time to study and maybe take my permit test on my own before jumping into school.

I already haul a horse trailer around and can back that sucker with no problems (ya I know, it’s half the size) but hey! Lots of my Cowgirl friends can’t do that.

I wouldn’t have to be on the truck full time, maybe a few weeks a month or more if I want, then I can stay home for a while and enjoy my grandchildren and my horse. As it is now, working full time and owning a large property keeps me so busy and exhausted that I don’t have the time or energy to ride or visit anyone. I’m a slave to the property. Again, I’m exhausted.. And frustrated that I just can’t catch up with the bills. So I’m thinking about selling the house, boarding the horse and jumping on the truck with my man. Hoping that might ease the financial burden and allow us to catch up from my time of unemployment. He would love for me to be on the truck with him, but only wants me to do it if it is really something I want to do… This would be as an O/O.

My question is…… How many of you still keep a home? Or do you rent an apartment/condo somewhere so you have a quiet place to come home too in your off time with little to no responsibilities other than to pay rent? Live in a Travel Trailer on somebody’s property?

The logistics of it all seem so overwhelming...

Thanks for your input.

I lease a small apartment. It's quiet, inexpensive, and i don't have to deal with upkeep or yard work.

My only questions about going as a codriver (inexperienced) with your man--

If he runs on his own authority, this isn't much problem, but if he leases his truck to a company, then you would probably have to meet that company's hiring criteria, even though its your own truck like for experience etc.

Go for it and have fun.

Hi Susan, You are correct, with the company he wants to lease on to, he would have to be with them for 6 months before he could "Train" me as his team driver.

I'm not sure I would make it if I had to be out with a trainer other than him. I don't have this driving biz in my blood like you all do. It would just be a way for me to make the bills and spend time with Hubby... I really would rather not work and just stay home to tend to my yard, but the reality of it is that is just not an option. I'm trying to list the pro's and con's of it all and make a smart decision. The job I have now is hard to get into and before I walk, I need to be absolutely sure it's the right thing to do. There will be no going back if being OTR doesn't work out for me.

Thanks for the feedback.

Good luck on getting all that sorted out. I'm sure it's not an easy decision.

Best of luck and we're here for you if you have any questions. I don't have all the answers but will certainly try to find them.