The road may be rought but...

by Amanda Mashak
(Greenville, SC)

I only started driving a mere 2 years ago. My ex-husband went from being a diesel mechanic to truck driver just before our daughter was born. He's not my ex-husband because he decided to become a truck driver, he's my ex-husband because he decided to become a cheating truck driver.

When I confronted him he took off to cuda and met a woman who is now his new wife. Of course I didn't know this at the time, as far as I knew he wasn't dead or in jail and that's all the information the police could legally give me.

I started taking a driving course as soon as I could stop nursing my daughter, at eight months. The day I received my license I went right to the company my husband had worked for, I took his job and his 2010 780 Volvo. It was a great moment in my life.

After the summer of running regional and the occasional local fill-in's my boss gave me Miami runs all winter long, another great accomplishment as far as I was concerned.

I swore I'd never date, marry, fall in love (fooling around was OK by my standard) with another truck driver but I ended up meeting my new husband at a Pilot in Jacksonville, FL one day I was running ahead of schedule.

I spent the majority of the day across the street at a TA until I figured it would probably be a good time to take a shower; I always fuel up at Pilot or flying J and get my free showers there's because I just love the friendly intercom announcements...

It is a very small truck stop and all the spaces are lined up so you have to blind side into them. Just as I was rounding the corner I sank my eye on the only spot left; as I lined myself up and put my 4-ways on, out came "Mr. Right". I'm a very self-sufficient woman and I absolutely loath when men try to lend a helping hand to poor little girls like myself. So as I cursed him off behind the safety of my windsheild it just so happened he's the proud driver of that very pretty grey and maroon Piterbilt 379 right beside me and he didn't want little ol' me putting a scratch on it... My dream truck, the truck I'd buy if I made it in this business. I even have it tattooed on my arm.

I figured I owed him a thank you but really I just wanted a closer look at that truck, however, he wasn't that bad looking, he was young and wasn't wearing a ring. We made small talk, he was even so kind to turns his marker lights on so I could shoot a picture. I hurried in for my free shower and rushed back to my truck only to find he had his curtains closed and lights off.

I still had a few hours to burn so I figured I should fix my logs and perhaps paint my toenail when I got a knock at my door; it was my good neighbor!

We chatted it up a bit before he asked me what it was like in those double bunk automatic Volvo's other drivers talk about, a line I've heard and dismissed many times before, but I was eager to show him. We stayed up most of the night sharing stories of family, pictures and listening to music. I would have stayed longer but I still had 400 miles to Miami and cutting it close.

This post is getting long and exaggerated so I'll tell you this, we met again on my way home and no, we didn't sleep together. We carried on our conversation, bought some Bluetooth speakers and drank until the sun came up. We met again on a trip to Miami and again a couple weeks later and that would be the last time we seen each other until I flew to Greenville, SC five months later. We conceived our new baby girl on that trip, in TN actually. What a trip!

Well, a year later and here we are in Greenville, SC. My husband is still a long haul driver and I'm now a stay at home mom and homemaker. I do love my children and my husband but I really miss the road. I guess each person has their own preferences, for me driving is just as good as a vacation compared to sleepless nights with a crying newborn, someone constantly needing your attention, endless dirty diapers, toys all over the floor like landmines in a battle zone, meals and snacks, laundry... I can go on.

Sometimes I wonder if I miss him or just need another responsible adult to look after these kids while I take a day off. So here comes my question; he's 34 with 15 years of driving experience. Local companies are begging him to join their team. Is he just so in love with the road that he doesn't want to come home (I wouldn't blame him) or is there any logic behind his decision?

I would love to hear from some husbands out there with families at home. I always wondered why truckers even had families.

P.S. Congrats it you made it this far, I almost considered writing a novel.