Attending Church While Trucking

Hello all. I plan to attempt to become a successful truck driver in a few years as my next career. Having been in law enforcement for 25 years I feel that I can handle the stress of the lifestyle, although I know it is a whole different kind of stress. I have wanted to do this for several years now but I felt I had to stick it out in my current job to get the early retirement.

So now that I am getting closer to realizing my dream, I have a couple questions.

As a devout Catholic, it is important to me to attend Mass every week. Or at least every other week, I know it is probably not realistic to expect this every week.

Are there any companies out there that would work with me to at least be able to take a couple hours out of my saturday evening or sunday morning if I am near a town in order to attend Mass?

Also, with my pension, I will only need to make about $20,000.00/year to replace my current income so I won't have the stress of having to get maximum miles all the time.

One more question if you don't mind. Are there any Christian truck driver groups, or organizations, that you know of. I plan to treat this new career as a truck driver as a ministry as well.

Thanks, I appreciate you all.

Welcome to TT. I don't know if any Christian trucking groups, then again, I haven't looked. Try looking on Google.

I understand your desire to attend Mass, but in the end, you know that God knows your heart and ultimately it's the willingness to love and obey Him that matters most. Just like David taking the the consecrated bread (I Samuel 21), the rituals and laws are fulfilled by the first Law - to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind; and to love our neighbor. You might not attend Mass as much as you'd like, but God knows your heart. You might be hard pressed to find a company that will willingly give you time in order to attend Mass. You'll probably have to work your attendance around your load schedules, and take those opportunities when you can. Perhaps you can get the number of a priest and call when you can't attend a Mass?

Best wishes in your endeavors, and thank you for your service.

It sounds like you would be interested in working at a company such as Roehl due to their hometime options.

7/7 Fleet

Exclusively from Roehl, our 7-On/7-Off Fleet drivers drive seven days and then they are home for seven days at a time. If you choose a 7-On/7-Off Fleet, you’ll have 26 weeks a year off. You must be fully rested prior to dispatch. Space in the 7-On/7-Off Fleets may be limited in some areas of the country.

7/4-7/3 Fleet

Getting more miles is a key feature of our 7/4-7/3 Fleets. When you join a 7/4-7/3 Fleet, you’ll drive seven days, then be home four days, then you’ll drive seven days followed by three days of home time. That’s an average of 120 days off and mileage goals between 95,000 and 105,000 per year. You must be fully rested prior to dispatch, and space in the 7/4–7/3 Fleets may be limited in some areas of the country.

14/7 Fleet

Roehl’s 14/7 Fleets are unique options that combine the mileage goals of a 7/4-7/3 Fleet (between 95,000 and 105,000 per year) with the extended home time of a 7/7 Fleet. You’ll drive fourteen days and then be home seven days. Space in our 14/7 Fleets is available in limited areas, and you must be fully rested prior to dispatch.

The issue is probably somewhat less - "will I have available time" on a Saturday evening/Sunday Morning - as the "logistics" of getting from where your rig is shut down, to where services are being held.

I used to face this, attending AA meetings when I was a "tour manager", on the road with a Rock band a few years ago - with the large difference of having a route/destination, planned way in advance - and the ability (via the internet) of finding meetings near to where we were going to have "down days".

It's a little different with OTR , as you are likely not going to know where you are going to be (unless you are on a regular/dedicated route), more than the current load ahead of time. That and I was able to use my tour bus as a POV (personal owned vehicle) to get to a meeting (since it was MY BUS, and the and was usually holed up at a hotel or a local friends), and you are likely not going to be able to use your rig as a POV (dependent on company policy), ESPECIALLY if you are under a load.

So there is, short of a company that does give you weekends off - no real way of predicting how close you are going to be to a parish, or how you are going to get there.

Though if you find yourself doing an overnight or reset, you could certainly look up the nearest parish, give them a call and see if some kind parishioner would be able to come pick you up at a WalMart of Truck Stop. WalMarts would be the better bet, as they are usually located closer to town - versus Truck Stops, which are usually a little more "off the beaten path".

Rick

At every truckstop I stop at TA/Petros) that is there is a mobile church. They have services everyday usually at 2 or 3 different set times. And its open 24/7 for worship. You wont find it difficult at all to attend church.

Hello all. I plan to attempt to become a successful truck driver in a few years as my next career. Having been in law enforcement for 25 years I feel that I can handle the stress of the lifestyle, although I know it is a whole different kind of stress. I have wanted to do this for several years now but I felt I had to stick it out in my current job to get the early retirement.

So now that I am getting closer to realizing my dream, I have a couple questions.

As a devout Catholic, it is important to me to attend Mass every week. Or at least every other week, I know it is probably not realistic to expect this every week.

Are there any companies out there that would work with me to at least be able to take a couple hours out of my saturday evening or sunday morning if I am near a town in order to attend Mass?

Also, with my pension, I will only need to make about $20,000.00/year to replace my current income so I won't have the stress of having to get maximum miles all the time.

One more question if you don't mind. Are there any Christian truck driver groups, or organizations, that you know of. I plan to treat this new career as a truck driver as a ministry as well.

Thanks, I appreciate you all.

Have you considered streaming a Mass? I know "Word on Fire" (Fr. Robert Barron) has sermons on his web-site or EWTN as well. If you find yourself on the road you can still catch a streamed Mass and then do Communion when you are on home time or are lucky enough to find a church you can get to on the road.

Though if you find yourself doing an overnight or reset, you could certainly look up the nearest parish, give them a call and see if some kind parishioner would be able to come pick you up at a WalMart of Truck Stop. WalMarts would be the better bet, as they are usually located closer to town - versus Truck Stops, which are usually a little more "off the beaten path".

Rick

Good idea, I never thought of that.

Have you considered streaming a Mass? I know "Word on Fire" (Fr. Robert Barron) has sermons on his web-site or EWTN as well. If you find yourself on the road you can still catch a streamed Mass and then do Communion when you are on home time or are lucky enough to find a church you can get to on the road.

Oh Yeah I forgot that EWTN has daily mass. If all else fails that will work. Thanks!

As Red had said, there are mobile church at truck stops. some pilots have them, but TA and Petrol have them at more of there stations.. my trainer was all about attending church every sunday morning, so we always found one in the area we would be in.