Question:
Im sure there is a posting like this somewhere...i just cant find it. Anyway my hubby is the sweetest man, I adore him and he's the greatest father so if anyone can make this work he can. He's going to start school monday. My daughter is 3. Husband has been out of work in the tech feild for a long time. All I've been praying for is that he get a job any job to support our family and trucking is what we came up with. My concern is for our daughter not me. I can handle being on my own but if he's gone a long time my daughter may freak! We've been married 7 years and separated over the JOB thing. He saw it my way and is back!! I am happy but he needs a job. There are some in the tech field but thousands of applicants here in Denver. We have the Lord so we can handle anything but we need peace and security in this crazy world too. Any advice? Wives?

Answer:
pop someone's bubble on this board because there are way too many that seem to relish in that activity around here...but...I sure hope your husband will consider finding something local that will get him home every night. You have a young family with a small child. OTR is NOT an occupation compatible with staying close to family. No, cell phones won't cut it for replaceing real bodies to talk to. There is so much time, money and effort that goes into driving school and training just to find out driving over the road is no way to maintain a close family life with little ones. Now that he seems to be in the go get em mode I would suggest you keep looking for something that stays close to home even if it doesn't pay well. It will be a start and get him back into a productive frame of mind making it easier to keep looking for something better. He might consider a class B license to start. It's cheaper to obtain and opens doors for dump trucks, lumber deliveries, etc..Then maybe go for the class A if something close to home presents itself...BOL to you both.
Character: Doin the right thing when nobody's lookin..JC Watts

Answer:
You might want to post this over in the Family Section or even join the Loads Board. That is the two areas where most of the women/wives hang out.
You are off to a good start with the two of you agreeing on this change together. But please realize that after the school he is going to be required to go out with a trainer and he is going to be away from home for weeks at a time,
He will not always be able to call when he told you he would call. And also keep in mind that the pay is not really that good just starting out.

Answer:
My honey has been driving for about 11 years, and at no time has he ever gone OTR. He studied for the exam himself back when they made CDL's mandatory. He was working at a lumber yard at the time and they let him use their truck for the road test. This was back in Jersey. We have sinced moved West and finding a driving job without OTR experience was never a problem. There have been some really easy times, and then some not so easy times. You have that no matter what profession you are in. We have a 6 year old and a 2 year old who just love their dad to death. He does have to go overnight about once a week average (some weeks he doesn't go overnight at all). They don't even like that, but it is better then weeks at a time. Look into lumber yards, construction, cement..anything like that. Sean drives for a chemical company right now. He did need experience driving for this company, but just because of the nature of what he is hauling.
Good luck with whatever you decide, but just know that not everything will require OTR experience. You might have to do some searching, but those local jobs are out there.
Renee'

Answer:
From what i have read it's hard to get a local driving job without experience. I may be wrong here though.
If worse comes to worse maybe he could drive with a company that hires newbies for a year then start looking local or something that will get him home more often.
My hubby drives flatbed and by choice is home every weekend, always has been, unless there's a run too good to pass up, then he'll stay out. But we were able to wait until our sons were older to do this.
It's very hard in the beginning, just like anything else. But you hang in there and it gets better. As far as picking and choosing.
Kris
"This planet below you is our campsite, and you know of no other campground." Kalpana Chawla (Columbia crew member)

Answer:
I applied at one place and 40 people showed up for the class B driving job.
http://trucknet.infopop.net/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=475098473&f=250096683&m=7643065524
click on the above link to get some insight into getting started
sit home and starve or drive a truck long haul to get you through for awhile untill the economy improves
They enlisted the Teamsters’ help after the company decided that it would no longer pay them hourly wages but compensate them based on mileage, which would have cut their income in half
http://www.teamster.org/03news/hn_030110_1.htm
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Answer:
There is no way around it. OTR (over the road) trucking can and will place a strain on family life, but it does not have to end it. It takes a lot of adjusting on everyones part to make it work. The stay at home spouse will become responible for just about everything in the day to day operations and upkeep of the home and children. The children will have to learn to understand why the trucker can't always be there for special events, or every night for that matter, and the driver has to learn to adjust not having his/her loved ones around on a daily basis just to hit the basics.
The best way to keep the kids from "freaking" out is to be sure to "include" them in on the "decision" to become a truck driver from the get go. Explain to them how important of a job it is and why Daddy (or Mommy) has to do it. Then when the driver is gone be sure to keep in touch with the children. Be sure to talk to them for a few minutes every time you call home. Be sure to let them know that you still love them and that you are still there for them even though you are not at home. Send them post cards, get a map to chart where the driver of the family has been and is going. Keep them invovled.
Now with that out of the way have you looked into local type jobs. Often times places like Coke, Pepsi, a local beer distributor, etc have opening for class B drivers that never make it to the news papers or into the on line job ads. You simply have to go there and put in an application for a specific type of job, and if you are lucky you get called, or some of these type of places hire exclusively through the state employment office so be sure to keep your file up to date if you are unemployed.
Only two things I know of are infinite. The universe and human stupidity, and I am not real sure about the universe.
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Answer:
My kids were that age when I started trucking...and they're just fine.
My daughter would cry once in a while because she missed her Dad, and I felt bad when she did; but I call home every day since day one and talk to each of the kids and my wife.
When they ask when I was going to be home, I'd tell them the truth; never lie and give false hope.
Eventually everyone in the family will adjust to the situation.
It is difficult to miss sporting events and plays and such, but that is part of trucking...when you do finally get home you just have to make the best of your time and devotion to your family.
My kids are now 14 and 15 and get excellent grades in school and have no "abnormal" behavioral problems...that should tell you something.
As far as the job hunting goes; if he's going through with it...Denver has Navajo/Laprino right there in town (plus other companies), I recommend he check into a company in Denver...he will be home and/or "through the house" quite a bit, since companies like to maintain (oil changes, lubes etc...) their equipment at their main terminals.
Last thought: If he is not ready to be away from his family, and/or you are not ready for him to be away for week(s) at a time, give up the thought right now---unfortunately, your daughter has no vote, this is an adult decision...she will be fine.
Good Luck
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It's apparent this place is never going to change....then again; why should it? It gets the clientel it deserves.
Bette Midler

Answer:
has he checked out any companies in your area? I'd shy away from navajo as their drivers i talked to aren't to impressed with them, but i'd look around and see who has daycabs in the area, and check with otr companies too, alot of them use sleeper trucks, but only run them locally.(I think gordon trucking has a few up in the denver area, and i'm pretty sure they could use more.)
There are no stupid questions, only stupid people

Answer:
Try GI Trucking there in Denver. Here in Phoenix,they are always hiring drivers and will train them as far as I know. You start at $14.10/hr up to $17.10/hr after three years. Go to www.gitrucking.com and find the number for the Denver terminal. It never hurts to try.

Answer:
It is very hard. No matter what you imagine, the reality is harder.
It is going to be like it was when you were separated, but worse.
But you can get used to it. And kids are very adaptable, probably even more than adults are.
If you/he want to get into local work but are forced to take OTR to get experience first, DON'T let yourself get used to spending all the money he makes. At least in my area, local jobs pay less and there are plenty of drivers who complain they want to get into local driving but can't because they have the big house, etc. to pay for. Good luck.
Some of it's magic, and some of it's tragic, but I've had a good life all the way.
(Jimmy Buffett)