Question:
Hello,
My husband is an OTR trucker for the past 26 - 27 yrs, and we recently started throwing around the idea of me going to truck driving school & going OTR team w/him. The only thing is we have two small children ages 4.5 yrs & almost 3 yrs old.
Does anyone know of any companies that would allow 2 young children to ride with a majority of the time (after CDL training & time w/a trainer)? They wouldn't be with us in the truck all the time. Any suggestions or ideas of which carriers would allow 2 children to ride with would be greatly appreciated.
Our decision would be made by July or August, so it gives us time to weigh the pro's and con's of me leaving my job that I have now.
And also another question with the job I have now I have really good benefits, does anyone know how much some carriers would charge for insurance usually?
Thanks so much,
Crystal

Answer:
You realize what team driving involves don't you? Team driving is one driving a shift,then the other takes over for a shift. So in essence while one team driver is sleeping the other is driving. Also I am sure some bearing for the HOS rules are also involved.
You have small children ,that require much care. Who will be taking care of their needs? It can not be the driver,they need their attention on the road. It can not be the sleeping team member as that will interfere with their rest .
Small children can not be expected to remain quiet or are they able to entertain themselves. There is frequent potty stops,meals to be gotten, not to mention that letting small children loose in a vehicle with out restraint is dangerous.
Then you have the question of room to move. The one team member trying to sleep while small kiddos are tumbling around the sleeper will not be conducive to getting the rest needed.
I am sure more will be adding their opinions ......Pro and Con.
My opinion is, stay at home with your children. Your children will be better off.

Answer:
Thanks for responding. Yes, I do know what is entailed in driving team, at least I've heard plenty from my husband, as he drove team for a long while.
As far as our children as I was saying they wouldn't be riding with us all the time, my ex would probably have them for a while as well. I was just wondering if some carriers would allow small children for a few weeks out of every few months.
And we're just doing some major thinking right now have about 5 month to consider the pro's and con's of me leaving my job and driving w/my husband. I thought this would be a good place to get started with information.
Crystal

Answer:

I understand now! You don't care that you will be exposing your children to dirty,dangerous truck stop parking lots, to bathrooms that look like they should be condemned.,you don't care that your kids will not be able to run free and play ,your kids will be cooped up in a truck for hours of a time till you decide to stop.
I can see it now,all of you pile out of the truck at a Pilot, overtired,in need of showers,kids need to go to the bathroom,they are hungry,you buy a quick meal of Subways and wash up in the bathroom sinks because there just isn't enough time to do it all and fuel up and get to that delivery time of 8AM the next morning!
What a lovely scenario isn't it?
Yep, I am sure some bottom feeder carrier like Prime will love to let you and your husband bring the little ones along. I seriously doubt any carrier worth it's salt will allow children under 14 to ride along.
I hope you reconsider doing this for the supposely few extra bucks you might make teaming. But I doubt it. You got that picture of you and your family running down the road together and having that oh so special familytime together!
Best of luck to you! Your going to really need it.

Answer:
All of the Major reliable Carriers will not allow Children that young
due to insurance restrictions. I will not be giving my usual diatribe
against "Kids in Trucks",I'm not as polite as Seven.
Answer:
Okay maybe I'm at the wrong place to ask this question...I thought it said before I posted this is for people contemplating driving truck, but I see even though I'm new here I may not come back again.
No I do not want to expose my children to a bad life, that's dead wrong, sorry from now on I'll try and find more info other places where I won't be criticized for getting info, I haven't decided to go onto driving truck right now I love my job that I have...but apparently it's wrong for me to ask for other opinions on the pros & con's of driving truck w/ children. I have been in a truck w/ my dad and my husband as well so I know what is out there on the road I'm not stupid.
But apparently you may think I am, and I'm sorry, but I thought this would be a good place to find out other pro's and con's other then what I already know.
Crystal

Answer:
RABELAM,
Thanks for answering my question. That's what I wanted to know not a major speel of the morals of bringing children out on the road... I know that already, thanks for replying though.
Crystal

Answer:
Crystall20
From a practical standpoint I don’t think it is a viable option.
You will be trying to get four people into a room that barely supports two people. One adult will need to be on constant guard watching the children. That cannot be the driver. As a team driver you will need to be sleeping while your husband drivers, and vice versa.
The other thing is that there are only two seats with seat belts. That means that in an accident there is significant risk of grave injury to the children.
Also a lot of places do not allow minors on their property. And a lot of those places are not safe for adults, much less children.
Trucks stops are not the best places in the world. But they are not the worst, either.
-J

Answer:
Thanks Driver J,
Yeah right now we are just thinking about this as an option. It's not like it's a money situation were we need to both be out on the road to make it...it's far from that.
But thank you for your insight on the question. I had gotten an email from a driving school that said some companies would allow children but not all the time I was just mainly in here to see if anyone had any input into that.
Crystal

Answer:

I would find out what companies are saying yes and contact them myself
-J

Answer:
Yeah Mike I know I wasn't as polite as some could be about this. But then again I am not near as bad about this issue as some have been in the past on here.
Crystall20..
I realize my presentation wasn't what you wanted to hear. I am sure you only want the best for your children. If someone coming along and being harsh will make even the smallest doubt creep in someone's mind about taking their children in a big truck for lengthly times,then I will continue to be harsh.
In my job I've had to go pick up children that had died in a big truck accident. They were left in the sleeper with no restraints and mom and dad were up front. The dad swerved to miss a 4 wheeler that cut him off and jackknifed and flipped over. It was determined the trucker was speeding too.
Both parents survived the accident. I saw those parents a week later when they came in to sign some papers,the looks of haunted desolation they both had was so sad. The mother said, If I only had not gone maybe........
The "If Onlys" can be unbearable.
I too have seen first hand what truck stops are like. I have also seen families pile out of a truck, children cranky and dirty,parents tired and frazzled.
It's not a life for children that are young. It's a hard enough lifestyle for adults with out bringing children in to the equation.
I do wish you luck .

Answer:
Seven of Nine...you were VERY POLITE, much more diplomatic than I am going to be here as this is the craziest topic covered here. Cryatall20, please do your kids a favor and turn them over to your EX. By arguing here you are determined to do this, and myself and countless drivers don't want to put up with your's and any other's SNOT NOSED, ILL MANNERED and WHINING children. If you feel the urge to travel with your kids take them to McDonalds's in the town next to your's so it is like a road trip to ALL.
Do you honestly believe this is an appropriate enviornment to raise children? Heck, I'm not a parent (by choice) but I do spend time with neices and friend's kids and I am SMART enough to realize that children need to run and play. Were you intending on them walking in the back row with the lizards
OR would their exercise be playing dodge ball with pee bottles?
Give your head a big shake and if you still think this is viable, PLEASE take my first advice and turn your children over to your ex-husband as you are an unfit parent in my estimation!

Answer:
Ok here is what you are REALLY asking for:
A company that:
Hires teams
Will hire one member who is a newbie
Will allow a passenger in a team truck
Will allow more than one passenger in a team truck
Will allow very young children to be passengers.
The only company that comes to mind that allows something like that is a bottom feeder.....aka Prime, and then only on the lease purchases.
Now then have you really given thought to this?????
Where will the kids sleep while running down the road? The top bunk is a sure fast way to turn them into missles if you have to hit the brakes hard and fast. The bottom bunk? Ok then where will the other team member sleep? The top bunk? Hmmm.....see missle comment.
What will you do with the kids if you have to go someplace that only allows the drivers inside the facility? Leave them at the nearest truckstop with one of you until you get loaded? What happens if it ends up taking 12 or 14 hours to get loaded? What happens if it takes that long and you have just enough time to get the load there legally and now both drivers are tired because neither one of you got any sleep in the last ump-teen hours? How happy will your company be when you call them to say you need rescheduled because you both are too tired to drive.
Ok you say you understand what team driving is all about. Well then you know the idea is to keep the truck rolling 20-22 hours a day. Well how stir crazy is your kids going to be when they are kept cooped up in the vehicle for that long, and then the only place the can get out to run and play they cant because all you have time for is a shower and a hot meal.
What is going to happen when your ex wants the kids on the 22nd but you can't get them there until the 3rd of the following month because they cant find you a load going that way?
Lot and lots to think about, and I have only just scratched the surface.
Now then you came here looking for some answers to your questions and in the process you got more than what you wanted. No one here was rude to you or anything, but provided you with some very sound advice, but since you did not get the answers you hoped for you got your nose all out of joint. Well it is no skin off our backs. We have seen it before and will see it again. Most of us who haunt this board do so to HELP new and wannabe drivers, or anyone that comes here with a question or 50. 99% of the advice I have seen given here is good advice and we will still be here trying to help even if you choose not to come back and take a look.
Answer:
As far as someone saying I'm an unfit parent you are totally wrong!! If I was an unfit parent I wouldn't be doing research to get all the facts in this.
I'm trying to find out if anyone does hire that allows children...I didn't say I am hopping into a truck w/my children right now. I have a very good job right now and this is just something that my husband and I are discussing. He and I have been weighing the positives and negatives and have not been doing so lightly.
I know all about children being cooped up and those are weighing as a major negative, but I just wanted to see if there were any other positives out there to doing this. If I'm wrong for asking, that's fine everyone has an opinion.
To me when people say that they are being nice but have to say that...it seems like you have to take a step back and wonder why do I have to even say that. I wasn't asking to be jumped on, I was just asking a fact finding question.
I do see your point Seven and that is a scary scenario, my husband has seen that too. And I worry about things like that happening every day even when I'm driving my kids to daycare.
Now as far as me being an unfit parent, you are totally wrong. I am a very good mother and love my children dearly. Now with me asking these questions doesn't mean that come August I'll be doing truck driving school. Right now the way how it weighs I'm going to stay at my job and not because of what people have said here, because all of what everyone has said I already knew I was just trying to get other perspectives of if there is any other good out there.
As far as being scared off, you're wrong there too I deal with people like this day in and day at out my work. So it's no skin off my back to stay and listen.
As far as people handing out opinions that don't have children I find it hard to believe that you have any idea of what a fit or unfit parent is. If you consider seeing whiney children w/parents as unfit parents u gotta nother thing coming. Children go through their stages and if you become a parent you'll see that as you raise your children.
Crystal[/list]

Answer:
crystall20
You asked for opinions, you got opinions, they weren't the ones that you wanted to hear.
Fine; they are your kids, do what you want, you will anyway.
Please don't bother us with requests for information, if you have already decided.
Jeeze