Any truck drivers or wives of truck drivers?

[Renee in NC]

I was just doing some research on truck driving jobs, and it seems that pay is around $35K per year. Does that seem accurate to you? I am looking at Over the Road truckers being paid by the mile.

 

Also, how much do you/your dh spend to live on the road? How much do you budget for food for him (or you?) What other expenses can you think of?

 

(Just trying to be inclusive here!;))

[TKs]

With regards to pay, when my hubby gets home I'll ask him what the rate is.

 

When my dh was over the road, he was gone 3 weeks, home for 2 or 3 days then gone again for 3 weeks.

 

It's been a while since dh was driving over the road, but the expenses that I can remember are:

 

1) Food

2) Showers at truck stops

3) Phone calls, cell or pay phone

4) Laundry, or would you rather do 3 weeks worth in the short time he is home.

5) Entertainment - Beer, internet access, TV.

 

Has your hubby ever been an over the road truck driver? Does he have a class A?

 

What are some of the companies that you are looking at? I'll get hubby to tell me if they are goods ones to work for.

 

Let me tell you, being the wife of an over the road truck driver is HARD! If you can deal with him being gone for 3 or 4 weeks at a stretch and no breaks from the kids, then go for it, other wise, don't. It will put a big strain and stress on both of you. He will want to do nothing but rest when he gets home. Ask me how I know.

Edited November 11, 2008 by TKs

[CheerMom]

My dh is an OTR driver for PAM Transport. He is now a trainer, which is more $$$. He is gone 4 weeks, then home for 5-7 days.

He is making .34 a mile, and his pay ranges from about 1000-2500 a week. He has great weeks when he has a student. He gets free showers and laundry at the truck stops that his company fuels up at.

He spends between 150-200 a month for food, but he is usually feeding his student too. We spend $70 a month for him to have internet access and he has a cell. He has a mini fridge and crock pot for his "kitchen."

Also, since he is considered a DOT employee, 60% of his expenses are tax deductable.

If you have any specific questions, PM me and I'll pass them to dh if I don't know the answer.

It's a tough life, but it is what we have had to do. Also, since we homeschool, we can take days off when he is home.

Sarah

[Renee in NC]

My dh has had his Class A for almost 8 years. He went OTR for 5 weeks right after he got it and HATED IT! I don't particularly want to be home for 3 weeks at a time alone with 7 dc (5 will be 8 and under!)

 

However, sometimes we have to do what we have to do. I was trying to determine whether it was worth it or not anyway - if you have all these expenses and the pay isn't great, then why put us through it, KWIM? I don't want to say "no way" if it would put us in that much better of a position, especially when local jobs are scarce.

[TraceyS/FL]

Mine drove local - 4 hours each way - for my MIL. I'd highly suggest NOT working for her :glare:

 

I'd look at places that say when you will be home and go from there. Are you near any big distribution centers? We have a few places that base out of this area and i think you are home more with them.

 

His cousin was an owner operator and was trying to get out of the business. It was hard on him and the family, and diesel prices were making it not worth leaving the house. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack a few months ago :(

 

But, you do what you have to do - and right now i wish mine was gone for 3-4 weeks at a time ;)

[Renee in NC]

Mine drove local - 4 hours each way - for my MIL. I'd highly suggest NOT working for her :glare:

 

I'd look at places that say when you will be home and go from there. Are you near any big distribution centers? We have a few places that base out of this area and i think you are home more with them.

 

His cousin was an owner operator and was trying to get out of the business. It was hard on him and the family, and diesel prices were making it not worth leaving the house. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack a few months ago :(

 

But, you do what you have to do - and right now i wish mine was gone for 3-4 weeks at a time ;)

 

We had a friend working for Schneider earlier this year and he just couldn't get enough miles to make it worthwhile. He had experience, though, so he got a higher per mile rate than my dh would.

 

The more I look into it, the more I think this is not the best idea. It definately stays on the "only if we are homeless/starving" list, KWIM? We need my dh for much more than just a paycheck, so it would have to be desperate to have him so uninvolved with the dc.

[Faith]

I would find something making more then that. OTR drivers usually make more.

Edited November 12, 2008 by Faith
too much info.

[KidsHappen]

One makes about 35, the other about 50. The second one has been driving longer and has more experience. It is a hard life and if they could make that much money do just about anything else they would. They are gone about 3 or 4 weeks and then only home for 3-5 days. They almost never get off for holidays. And it is 8-10 hours driving everyday. Boring and tiring. Also many hours sitting somewhere waiting to load or unload and waiting for a load. Sometimes having to drive in the middle of the night. Having to deal with truly ignorant dispatchers who try to give you impossible deliveries (drive from NY to southern CA in two days when you can only drive 10 hours a day). It is almost impossible to get home in a reasonable amount of time in an emergency. My brother was in Oregon when my mother passed away and it took him 5 days to get home to TX. Sometimes you are snowed in places or your truck breaks down and you are stranded. The only good thing is that my brother gets to come through here about once a month so he can take his break and visit.

 

It would be very hard on a wife as well. My hubby is a traveling consultant. He is gone five days a week and that is very hard. I can't imagine if he was gone 3 weeks at a time. For us him being gone any more than he is now would difinitely be if he was starving only plan. In my opinion, he has a great deal though. He stays in very nice hotels and eats out everyday. His company pays all of his expenses. When he gets off work he is off. Time to read or study or what ever. And he gets to do this all in peace and quite. I would trade places with him in a heart beat if I had the ability to make the kind of money he does. And now that the kids are older he could do this job just as well as I could if not even better.

[Kris]

The more I look into it, the more I think this is not the best idea. It definately stays on the "only if we are homeless/starving" list, KWIM? We need my dh for much more than just a paycheck, so it would have to be desperate to have him so uninvolved with the dc.

 

We've been doing it so long, I've adjusted. But . . .

 

It's hard, it doesn't pay that well, and it's a lot of work trying to keep OTR expenses down. When you calculate how much it costs to have him gone, don't forget to include what you'll have to hire people to do because he isn't there to do it. Especially if you aren't interested in learning how to do some of those things yourself -- I certainly wasn't. Not all of them, anyway.

 

I don't know if people still think truck drivers make a lot of money. Maybe they used to, but they sure don't anymore. And most companies don't treat their drivers very well.

 

And when he *is* home it's a rat-race trying to get caught up on everything for the day or two he's there. But he is going to be tired and he isn't going to want to do it.

 

And you have to be *really* secure in your relationship to make this work. My Sweetie has never given me any reason not to trust him -- but I know *no* other couples, seriously, who don't have problems with this. They're constantly fighting about it when he doesn't call or when she thinks he isn't where he should be. The job is hard enough without adding this kind of thing to it.

 

I'd say my Sweetie has been seriously OTR for over half of the twenty years or so we've been together. Initially, it was really hard and I was pretty depressed when he left for his first OTR job. And so was he. He was gone all the time -- he wanted to be home, too -- and trainees don't make enough to justify that. Not if you have a family at home. But this was what he was doing when we met, and he told me "I'm not cut out for a desk job."

 

And once you *do* get used to it -- and that can take awhile -- then you have to be prepared to drop everything when he *is* home, because it's so rare, you need to make it "all about him." This is easy with one kid, but if you're trying to homeschool, be prepared for any schedule you're trying to keep to be very flexible.

 

If you have any options at all, I'd take a pass on this one.

[shell in SC]

It would definitely be harder on a wife that was used to having DH around. I have a friend who has always been a driver so his wife has known nothing else. . she adjusted to the long weeks alone and it worked out for them. If you're not an independent person I would probably be harder.

 

Just my .02

[Kris]

However, sometimes we have to do what we have to do. I was trying to determine whether it was worth it or not anyway - if you have all these expenses and the pay isn't great, then why put us through it, KWIM?

 

Yes -- that's exactly right. If there was a job around here that would pay better -- the cost of the commute is the problem here -- he'd be back home in a heartbeat.

 

As far as OTR expenses go, it really depends on how much your DH is willing to do while he's gone and how high maintenance he is. Does he think he needs three sit-down meals a day? Or is he willing to heat up a can of soup in the engine compartment and make himself a sandwich for his dinner at night? Does he want a lot of gadgets? Lap top, for instance?

 

You can usually count on 2,000 to 2,500 miles per week and most pay $0.25 to $0.30 per mile to start. So you can start with an estimate of $500 to $750 a week, and deduct from there. It's very easy to spend over $200 a week on the road.

 

The other thing to remember is that once you get behind, it's so hard to get caught up. When he's home for the weekend, your miles for that week are going to be almost non-existent -- which means not much of a paycheck. And though most companies will offer a paid vacation every year, it's based on an average week's pay. Most companies don't pay sick days or holidays.