why would anyone stay out 3 weeks at a time?

**dbl_clutch** · 08-21-2002, 08:03 PM

To the companies and fleet owners:
how can you ask someone to do that my goodness you should be ashamed to ask people to do that. thats no life for a dog.

To the drivers that do it:
what the heck is wrong with you. you need a couple days a week to live, love ,and be human. quit now before it ruins everything. its just a job...

i hope this comment helps someone...;-)

**prescat** · 08-21-2002, 08:03 PM

Dbl Clutch, I'm sure your question and comments were well meaning, however, some people, (MY DOGS and I included) LOVE staying on the road for atleast five weeks at a time. That's one of the reasons that we are truck drivers that choose this as a profession and the allure of the road. Most regional and long distance drivers know the requirements for making money going in and that's why we're not doing city P & D work. I like the road and the lifestyle. No company or fleet owner is putting a gun to my head and making me stay out. Any research into expediting or similar work would tell you you need to be out to make money and with the money I make I can have more fun when we do come home. Granted, it's not for everyone, but hey, we're a special breed and even though I've done other things in life, I like what I'm doing now. If I get tired of it, I'll do local or something else!

Your Friends, Mark, "Cajun" Gypsy dog, & Chewy;-)

**NEVERHOME247** · 08-21-2002, 09:55 PM

Why not? My wife and I typically stay 2-3 months at a shot. You must have a passion for being out on the road. Its only all work if you make it,that way. You can have a life no matter if you are on the road or at the house. Trucking ain't for everyone. And by know means do you have to stay out that long. Thats just the way we do it. Expediting isn't just a job it's a way of life.

**louixo** · 08-21-2002, 10:13 PM

My wife and I stay out 4 months or better...only go home when it´s necessary. We have been doing it for years. When we need R&R, we go someplace we like, and enjoy ourselves for a few days. We go home 1st or 2nd week in December, don´t come back out til sometime in March. We both like the road and the lifestyle, like the others mentioned, we enjoy seeing the seasons change, and just plain running around our beautiful country. Never gets old. Someday we´ll be to old to do it, but for now...Show us more road!!

**Weave** · 08-21-2002, 11:34 PM

It's all personal preference, just like most everything is in trucking and life in general. I typically stay out 10-13 days and am home 3 or 4. I usually stick to running one region to do so. I guess my passion for the road wore off a long time ago, and I've taken up some pastimes one couldn't do unless at home. I do enjoy driving my truck, but I start going nuts after too much time in it, mainly because I run solo. True more money can be made staying out for longer stretches, but I try to balance things out. I've met some people who do expediting who live in their trucks and have no "home" at all except the truck. If that's how they choose to live, all fine and dandy with me. A BIT crazy, but they are happy with it.
-Weave-

**paperback1** · 08-22-2002, 03:49 PM

What is wrong with owners wanting our drivers staying out 3wks at a time? I ask them to stay out that long so we can both make good money. I have a problem with my drivers wanting to take time off, beacuse the money is so good. I make them take at least 4 days off after 6weeks, all my drivers want to stay out more than that, I guess it's beacuse I pay well. I don't have any driver turnover, and all my drivers have been with me since I started owning trucks in 1997. Back then it was the big rigs, but now I have 5 stright trucks and looking to get one more in a few weeks.:)

**zingfu25** · 08-24-2002, 01:56 AM

MY WIFE AND I LIKE TO STAY OUT FOR 2-3 MONTHS AT A TIME, THEN WE CAN ENJOY LONGER STAYS WHEN WE DO GO HOME. WE ORIGINALLY STAYED OUT FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AT A TIME AND THEN WOULD GO HOME FOR THE WEEKEND, BUT WE FOUND OUT BY THE TIME YOU UNPACKED, ENJOYED A FEW HOURS OF R & R, THEN REPACKED, IT WAS LIKE WE WERENT EVEN HOME. SO BY STAYING OUT FOR 2-3 MONTHS, WE COULD STAY HOME FOR A WEEK OR SO(AND ACTUALLY GET SOME THINGS DONE AROUND THE HOUSE). IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO TAKE THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS OF JULY OFF, AND THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS OF DECEMBER + NEW YEARS. THATS JUST WHAT WORKS FOR US, BUT TO EACH THEIR OWN.

HAVE A GOOD DAY!!:-)

**ihatejeffgordon** · 08-24-2002, 04:43 AM

i was beginning to think that i was the only one out here who was in this business because they really enjoy the work. everyone seems to want to make the seven-figure salaries that our recruiters promised us ;) but only be on the road monday through friday, and if possible, be home every other night. this industry is too crowded to have a bunch of homebodies sitting and waiting to snag the big fat loads from the people who actually want to be doing this for a living.

Remember, Two wrongs don't make a right... but three lefts do.

**Lostmarbles** · 08-25-2002, 10:04 PM

#1 Money
#2 Money
#3 Money
#4 House is too dirty to live in cause the wife was online all day! lol!
Why would anyone Hate a NASCAR driver? Cause He wins? Cause He is young? Maybe it's a money thing? I dunno but seems like a waste of energy to hate someone. Ever have ROAD RAGE there?

Stay Safe Yall.
Life is what happens to you while your busy makeing other plans.

**dbl_clutch** · 08-27-2002, 02:36 PM

sorry folks i was a bit home sick when i posted that comment.
i love the road and the job. i decided to buy my own unit. then i can go out as long as i want or vice versa.
take care
keep on truckin'
clutch

**teacel** · 08-27-2002, 05:50 PM

Home sick from what?

**RichM** · 08-28-2002, 09:58 PM

Well I think each to his own.No one forces you to stay out 3-4 weeks at a time.We used to spend 4-6 weeks out now it!s rarely more than 2 weekends away. A lot depends on the revenue that has come in.I pretty much know my monthly breakeven costs and when that is obtained it makes it much easier to go home.Distance to home is also a factor. I know of one couple that go home about every 8 months or so.I would have to question that and think "why have a home". I know a tractor trailer couple that literally have no home. They use a relative for their home address which is very important as if you don!t have a so called home,the IRS will not allow you to deduct road expenses. This couple takes 1-2 weeks every quarter and goes to a resort or on a cruise,fly somewhere etc. To them that is an ideal way to live,think about it,no mortgage or rent,no utilities or insurance,no automobile with those costs.So as I said what ever you want to do you should do.

**Trucker Matt** · 09-03-2002, 01:01 AM

My wife and I have been "Homefree" for more than four years now with no plans to settle down anytime soon. The only thing we are financially responsible for is our truck - and we're knocking that down fast while saving aggresively for retirement... Bad times in this industry simply do not hurt us. We just finished a near two month vacation and are excitedly planning next summer's big vacation. In the meantime, anytime we get road weary we simply go visit friends or relatives, go to a resort somewhere, or just stretch out in a motel and rent a car for running around.
Remember "It's hard to be homesick when you don't have one!"