Comments By Homefire

My soon-to-be trucker is leaving for company sponsored training in 9 days. He is not guaranteed any hometime before he gets on a trainers truck (could be out a total of 8 weeks). His pack list is as follows:

Classroom (this depends on your company):

Pens/Pencils: Clear 6in Ruler Calculator Notebook Motor Carrier Road Atlas (I've heard this is essential even if not company required) CDL Study Guide from DMV Work gloves (one pair for general one for fueling) Multi-tool with changeable bits Flashlight

Personal Care:

Money! Everything he uses for hygiene Over the counter meds (ie: Ibuprophin, Allergy Meds,, Pepto) 4 Short Sleeve button down shirts 2 Long Sleeve button down shirts 4 pairs of Jeans LOTS of underwear and socks (!extra! in case laundry proves difficult) Steel Toed Boots (required by some companies) Flip Flops for Showers Laundry Bag Sleeping Bag Pillow Extra Pillow Case Vaping Liquid, Batteries, and Atomizers (for e-cig) Towel Shelf Stable Groceries Paper Plates/Bowls Plastic Forks/Spoons/Knives Truck Driver's Day Planner An empty backpack

Entertainment/Communication: Harmonica Nexus Tablet Cellphone (subscription to Spotify for music) Thumb Drives Loaded with Movies. Charger Cables/Power Sources

He is carrying most of these items in a half duffle. His bedding will travel in his laundry bag and his groceries will be boxed.

I am sure I am forgetting something...lol, but I hope this helps. :)

Text messages are better in some ways than phone calls because they can be read when the receiver has the time to do so. And it's so nice to get a message, hear the little tone and know you have something to look forward to when you have the time to answer it.

Thank you Mistelle!

We also learned how to Skype and I'll be trying to take lots of pics and send emails for "downtime" when he can't be on the phone or texting. An unlimited cell plan seems to be a MUST when your honey is OTR.

Thank you so much for the warm welcome Starcar!

When my soon-to-be brought up trucking I nearly dismissed the idea out of hand. It sounded nuts. I didn't think HE could handle the idea of being away from home and especially the children. After a long hard look at the local job market, talking about a lot of what ifs, researching the industry/companies/regulations, watching a ton of You-Tube videos, and reading so many shared experiences here and on another popular trucker's forum, we decided that this would be the best way to work our family out of poverty. When the decision was finalized and we decided to "go for it" we got incredibly excited.

TT has been a big help in finding and comparing company info. We didn't even know there was a such thing as company sponsored training at first! We were thrilled that he could get started quickly even though he had no recent work history and very little/no money to start. We had settled on a company with a fair/poor reputation with the idea he would work a year and then look for a better company once he had experience and CDL-A (and kinda dreading the piles of steaming annoyance that were sure to follow). On a whim he decided to try for a much better company he learned about here. To our amazement, they accepted him!

Knowing very little about trucking beforehand, I was surprised at all the requirements. The trucking industry is unlike any other. What typical American four-wheeler would have guessed the importance of the trucking industry to the economy and our daily lives-WHOA! All the hoops wannabes have to jump through and how important it is to learn SAFE driving. 80,000 lbs takes how long to stop at highway speeds???

My soon-to-be has less than two weeks before training begins. He will be gone for about 8 wks with no guaranteed home-time. It will take a minimum of 4 wks for him to draw a paycheck (training pay starts after classroom). Thankfully the company's home-time policy is good and we will see much more of him at home after completion of training.

The closer the time comes for him to go the more anxious I am about missing him and staying connected (and 1,000,001 other things...lol). The trucker's wives pages on facebook have been a huge help in getting a clearer picture of what it FEELS like to be the one at home, the problems that arise, and ways to keep them in the "loop" at home.

So much has changed in such a short period of time. I look at trucks on the road so much differently now. I get annoyed with accident reports on the local news that talk about TRAFFIC when a trucker and their family is going through a life-threatening injury. Even the way I talk to my friends and family about trucking has changed.

Sorry this is getting so long, but I will end with a few word for women who are just beginning to discuss this with their husband/sig other and considering this industry:

-Talk it through in real terms!

-Learn all you can about the industry and keep learning everyday.

-Build a support system of friends and family and forgive them when they are somewhat insensitive about the stresses that you are experiencing.

-Know that it is easy to talk about but gets harder emotionally as it nears "go time"

I hope to have more to share as time goes on and we get into the thick of this new adventure. Thank you for listening :)

Hello All!

My soon-to-be-trucker leaves for a company sponsored training program next month. All the info here on TruckingTruth has been priceless (he found his company here..lol). Big thanks for all the great info and advice.

It is going to be a big adjustment having him away from home so much. We have been together for 11 yrs and are a blended family with four kids and two critters.

I look forward to reading more great advice and info about trucking and sharing our experiences!