My husband wants to be a truck driver.?

Question

MY husband wants to become a truck driver. He is thinking of going through a company who trains you to get your CDL such as Swift. He wants to do long haul for a few years to help us with our bills and then come back home and get a job where he will be home more often. Is anyone out there a truck driver or drivers wife with any advice? We have a 13 month old daughter who I know wont understand why daddy is gone so much. What is the amount of time you must work for a company that trains you (for your CDL) before you can leave with no strings attached and without having to pay your tution? How often will he beable to come home? Is there a monthly schedule or how is it organized so he knows when he will be home? How is the money? Insurance? Vacation? Any comments or information would be great. Thanks to anyone with a serious answer to my questions?

Answer 1

I am a truck drivers wife and I rode in the truck with him for a year and a half. I know quite a bit about it, so this answer may be long. Going through a company is a good way for your husband to get his CDL, but do not expect much of a paycheck at first, my husband did the same thing and when he started driving they only paid him about 25 cents per mile (as most companies do) till he got some experience then it increased about every 3 months, but at first he will only make about $250 a week which is rough. Another thing is most compaines want you to work for them about a year before you can leave no strings attached. As far as home time it depends on where you live, it is a good idea to find a company that has routes close to your house, if you can find that he can probably be home 3 days for every two weeks he stays out, but if the company does not travel through the area much it may be 3 weeks or a month before he can get home, so be careful of that. Must compaines have a one week paid vacation after you worked there for 1 year (I believe this is what Swift does) Most of the companies like Swift have good insurance, depending on the plan you get expect them to take out about 50-80 dollars a week for a family health plan usually something like Blue Cross Blue Shield or another big name insurance company. Really there is no schedule with truck driving which you will soon learn, but for more home time and a better schedule tell your husband to check out a dedicated route with Swift, if they have one where you live, then he could stop by the house a few times a week usually. As far as the baby, just make sure you have a great cell phone plan with a lot of minutes to talk to him while he is gone, also a laptop is great in a truck, because all the truckstops have wireless internet and he could e mail you a lot, just try to explain to her that daddy will be home soon and he is doing what he has to for the family. After your husband has been working for a while the pay will get better, my husband made around 33-36 cents per mile, which added up to about 700 dollars a week after taxes, the money is good, it is just really hard starting out, just don't get frustrated, the longer you stay with it the easier it becomes, and the money gets better too. Good Luck.

Answer 2

My father in law was a long time trucker. Numerous hours on the road. My husband tells me he was never home with him and his sisters. He worked 60+ hours a week. The training is I believe 3 weeks and you must repay the tution before leaving the company- I think there is a contract. My Uncle also a trucker- states they take a percentage from your weekly checks for the tuition. You and your daughter will be well taken care of once he is on the road. They do pull in a good salary. It's just the time not being spent together that would kill me. My father in law has a CDL and a Hazardous waste pass among others that took forever to get- but I can say we never have problems with directions. ** Pointer** Make sure your hubby doesn't drive into Mexico- It is really bad there and some truckers don't come back** Be careful in some areas** Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Not a driver but have known many. Had my own business 35 years, lots of contact.
Can't answer all your questions.
One may never know how long one may be out OTR. Over the road.

For the most part, great guys. Drivers rarely run dead head, empty. Deliver and then pick up for a diff. destination. Most I have known may get home 1-2 times a month for a few days, never sure. some more often. Course, the more miles, and deliveries, more bucks. Some make up to 100k plus.
A tough jaunt sometimes. Sleeping in truck. I do know that the new cabs are pretty comfortable, with lots of amenities. Expenses are tax deductible.
Good luck to him and you.

Sorry I can't help much.

Answer 4

I have a lot of relatives who are truck drivers. The hours are long and you are gone a lot on the road. It's hard on the family life, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do if you want to put food on the table. A lot of the time you will be gone for about 5 or 6 days and come home for a day before you leave again. As long as you both can trust each other, hit the road and put some food on the table.

Answer 5

My dad was a teamster, the union took good care of us. The job was tough on the family cause dad was gone, seriously, all the time.
The time I got to spend with my dad was watching the poor guy sleep all day (when he was home). The job is difficult and has got a pretty colorful reputation since the introduction of the owner/operator.
A buddy of mine, up in Frisco, drove a truck for three months and never saw home. His paychecks were eaten up by travel expenses. He quit.
So if hubby really wants to do this. The school thing is a good idea but tell him to try to do "locals" and stay off the road. It'll kill your marraige.

Answer 6

We did this several yrs back (about 3-4 yrs ago) & I didn't like it at all. I think there are some women who wouldn't mind at all though. It probably depends on your personality & marriage, you know?

My husband says it's like living like a hermit, all boxed up in that thing.

What I didn't like about it was that someone else controlled our time...like when I went to have the baby & they took a message & he was about an hour & a half getting it. & then the co that I spoke with on the phone while I was pg & we were just considering it all...he says "You've had kids before...it's not like you need him there to hold your hand or anything." Well that one made me roll my eyes, but I sure thought he'd be there - - guess what - - he wasn't. Then they routed him in several directions instead of bringing him home to see his new baby...he had to threaten to quit to make them bring him home. (He didn't go back to work for them.)

My advice to you is this: "There's a reason that trucking companies offer in their benefits packages "Family Counseling"."
You take that & go where you want to with it... ;-)

So I say I was basically like a single person or a widow for the 5 weeks or so he was out then one week of being w/him...oh boy! So that's why I say some people may like that...I didn't.

Best of luck to ya. Maybe you could become owner/operators & go together, is that an option? I did think of that. When I called a lady we both know to ask her opinion on it, she told me to "lock yourselves in the bathroom for 24 hrs - Oh & you can't use it while you're in there - there's no pottys in trucks - - & see how you feel." She said that was the best way to describe it.

Good luck.

Answer 7

Truck driver's are the backbone of this country. He might want to consider doing routes within the city since you got a family situation or some drivers travel with family depends on your situation.

Answer 8

not a truck driver but I play one on TV j/k
I know a truck driver and he was never home, made good money but was always on the rode. He said one year he drove over 100,000 miles! Remember most OTR drivers are paid per mile not hour.

Answer 9

My mom is a truck driver and honestly the money is not that great at all. She really dislikes it, but it may be diffrent for other people.