trucker's life advice from experienced lady trucker: Relationships

by Samantha
(Cascade, Colorado, USA)

I am an old retired lady trucker, with nearly 18 yrs OTR. I have driven trucks in the USA, Canada and even got to do a season down in western Australia, driving a roadtrain.

In my day I have seen and heard a lot. Truck driving is like a commercial fisherman, or being in the military. There are going to be extreme amounts of time, that the one in that job is going to be gone. And in the last 20 yrs I have seen that both guys & gals who just can't seem to accept that aspect in their relationships.

Let me give the ladies here some advice, if I may. Everything in the world, and I do mean everything, moves by truck. Truckers haul goods too and from ship ports, train rail yards and every factory and store out there. Some trucks are smaller than some. But if it were not for the trucker doing their job, the world wouldn't have what it does.

Yes you miss each other, but that is where you and your partner must learn better communication skills, and trust in each other. If one stays home, while the other is out there moving the world, 1 truckload at a time. It helps the truck driver to do their job, if they know that home is there, that they are loved, missed and wanted.

Yes you will spend a lot of time home alone, but if you think of your partner as a public servant, doing good for everyone. Then it helps to deal with the alone time.

Also, if you take the time your partner is home from the road, and turn it into a mini honeymoon, and plan to do romantic things, it might help keep the romance alive. Which would help keep your relationship stronger.

Remember your partner is out there dealing with lieing no good dispatchers, who just care about freight miles hauled. Dock supervisors that just want to yell at the trucker about being late.

The only other advice I could give, is set a month aside each year, so that your kids go spend time at their grandparents, during summer break, and go on the road with your partner.

By doing that, it helps you understand the daily grind that they deal with everyday. Which you could use to learn how to make your home time with your partner much nicer, calmer and more relaxed.

Remember, you might not be driving the truck with them, but your as much a part of the truckers support as it gets. Without you, your truck driver could lose themselves out there on the road. Take up bad habits, forget whats important.

The last thing you might consider, is once the kids are old enough to be on their own, go to truck driving school, and work hard to became a team driver with your partner.

Or go drive for the same company, but in your own truck.

Trucking is an honest profession. It's hard work, it's hard on the driver mentally, and physically. It's also one of the loneliest professions out there...

...but without truckers, the world doesn't move.