Baby On Board!?

[Anomaly]

Sorry dude but a lot of stupid people do stupid things with children around.

A lot of people do a lot of stupid things in four wheelers too. A lot of people do stupid things in WalMart. Michael Jackson hung his kid over a balcony. My point is simply that if you do not know the entire story, it may be a bit premature to shoot from the hip. Again, I am not questioning your reasoning or the validity of your points, only your initial reactionary conclusions. Whose to say they were not stranded and the truck driver picked them up from a snowbank somewhere? If you have been on the road long enough to see so much, perhaps you have seen the occasion when someone got stranded and needed a lift? Should I leave the baby with the parents in the snowbank or give them a ride into town? It is, as I stated in my original post, doubtful that I would ever do this, but how does one know what the book is all about if they just judge it by the cover? It really does pay to get all sides of the story for me ... and in certain cases, before taking drastic action based on assumption.

 

[cableguymn]

I really admire your wifes work ethic.. I think our country would be in a much better place if more had the same ethic here.

However, a truck is no place for a kid, nor is leaving the kid behind with family. I am/was in the same boat you are. My kids are 4 and 8. My wife does not want to be in a truck however.

I still won't do OTR until my kids are in their mid to late teens unless there is nothing else I can do to provide for my family. My wives health is another issue. But the main one is the kids.

I could be up on ND making tons of money (with nothing to do but make money..) but I choose to stay at home.

There is much more to live than money and a job.

No ones last words are "I should have been at the office more"

Raise the kid. Do what you have to to make money. But be there for them. It seems like my son was born just yesterday.. I owned a saltwater fish store for a year. It was a 12-14 hour a day job. I abruptly sold it when my son started calling the store "daddy's house". Things like that hit you right between the eyes if you know what I mean.

Now I work nights mainly. 8-1am.. Guess what. My son thinks I am home all the time now. even if getting daddy up in the morning is a bit of a chore. I pickup a few extra runs a week and we make ends meet. We gave up the new cars, the house payment (my last payment on my mobile home is next month!!!!)

I would *NOT* trade it for anything in the world. I love being able to watch my kids grow up.

 

[Newtothis]

As a parent myself I could never imagine have taking my children along for this type of work. Mine being grown now I'm sure they would thank me.

You mentioned you drove for a living in the past so you must have some memory of how the lifestyle is out here aside from the sight seeing. Many days will go by that you see only the interstate and if your lucky youll see the truck stop long enough to shower on a regular. This, and hopefully in between finding a decent meal besides the golden arches for your family once in a while.
How could you team a truck? When would you sleep, who's not at the wheel would be on baby duty.

What I am saying from my perspective as a new driver in expedite... it's hard enough to find time to rest and care for myself properly out here alot of days and highly advise against your idea.

 

[cheri1122]

Anomaly: I totally get how your wife feels. I'm a mother who drives over the road, and I love what I do. But I didn't start doing it until my job as Mom was mostly done, because I think parenting is the first priority of a parent. As both Jenny & The Enemy point out, there isn't even a way to secure the child in a van/truck, so the whole idea is a no go from the start.
The good news is, waiting until your kids are grown doesn't mean losing your chance, it means you can be better prepared for success when you do go, and your kids will be better off too.

 

[Anomaly]

Some very interesting points in these past couple of posts and ... oddly enough, seemingly based on some of the same criteria I used to make my initial decision to return. I will not allow my child anywhere near a public school and will be home schooling ... meaning probably not working too much or running locally only ... which makes it rather difficult to buy a home on that income level. I could go through the whole sob story but everybody has their own story and in all honesty, nobody really cares that much, but we are effectively starting with nothing. My wife is 37 and I am 47 and having a kid was not really in the books but ... since we are going to have one, it seems more prudent to provide it with a decent life as long as it is possible. Other options could include my taking others with me and teaming up with two teams or rotating somehow, or at the very least, working with another family member so that we will be there to raise the child as well. Sadly, even rolling heavy and packing lots of miles it looks like the income is about the same as it was some twenty odd years ago when I did drive. Still, it is looking to be about my best bet to get my life going in the proper direction and making sure my kid has a decent start. At 47, my career choices are pretty limited even in a good economy and given the way things are going right now ... there are other options but OTR looks to be my best bet ... and I still hate driving rigs.

Thanks for your replies!

 

[cableguymn]

what part of the world are you in? Are you near a major airport? My company American Expediting has been VERY good to me. Although each office seems to have some different rules so read the contract before you sign.

Skip the house till you have 20% down. I bought a mobile home for 17K. Paid it off in 2 years. Work with what you have. you can make it work

 

[Anomaly]

what part of the world are you in? Are you near a major airport? My company American Expediting has been VERY good to me. Although each office seems to have some different rules so read the contract before you sign.

Skip the house till you have 20% down. I bought a mobile home for 17K. Paid it off in 2 years. Work with what you have. you can make it work

I went Galt in 2004 and have been residing here in the Philippines ever since. Nowhere near any major International Airport and as for the house, yeah, figure on buying some rural acreage, maybe somewhere right between nothing and nowhere ... and getting it paid off within ten years or so. Good time to buy but I have to have something to work with first. Right now, if I tried to explain it, most people would not understand but we are in pretty rough shape and waiting til my newborn is grown would put me in my sixties, and not very capable of looking for viable work. Would like to do some OTR to get the truck and the house started then move to local work when the kid is a few years old ... thinking between five to seven years or somewhere in that neighborhood.

Not afraid of the work so much as I am of failing my child and leaving them struggling too.

 

[jaminjim]

I went Galt in 2004

What is that?

 

[Anomaly]

What is that?

It is a long story is what it is but in effect, it means I quit supporting a system that would not give me any return for my support. I moved out of the nation, laid down roots in the Philippines where I have been doing volunteer work since 1998. I started my own non-profit here but with a kid on the way, I gotta get back in the rat race but people like me have issues with desks and thankfully, so does my wife

 

[cableguymn]

Always look out for number 1 first. While it's very noble to help others and volunteer look what it's done to your financial situation.

I just don't see how expediting would work for you.

 

[Anomaly]

Always look out for number 1 first. While it's very noble to help others and volunteer look what it's done to your financial situation.

I just don't see how expediting would work for you.

My reasons for leaving were because of someone else taking everything my dad and I had spent twenty years building, because he had a heart attack and wanted to go home. As for my situation here, two of the three worst storms in history wiped us out. It actually had nothing to do with the volunteer work, though in deference to your observation, that is a big reason we have not been able to rebuild to the degree we would like here, but it was already started before we lost our collective butts and it seemed worthwhile to keep it going.

Actually, I did quite well on the road before, just not so well in offices except when I worked as a tech.

 

[highway star]

read hick

Yep, no doubt...

 

[Anomaly]

Yep, no doubt...

Yup, one that gets the job done, gets it done safely, efficiently and on time ... every time

 

[paullud]

It is a long story is what it is but in effect, it means I quit supporting a system that would not give me any return for my support. I moved out of the nation, laid down roots in the Philippines where I have been doing volunteer work since 1998. I started my own non-profit here but with a kid on the way, I gotta get back in the rat race but people like me have issues with desks and thankfully, so does my wife

Why do you have to get back in the rat race? If you can provide food, water, and shelter for yourselves adding a kid to the mix shouldn't cost much more.

Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums

 

[Anomaly]

Why do you have to get back in the rat race? If you can provide food, water, and shelter for yourselves adding a kid to the mix shouldn't cost much more.

Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums

Because I have been struggling in a developing nation, living much the same as any of the poor, provincial local people do. Part of this is choice, part of it due to decisions I have made and part of it is due to circumstances far beyond my control. I am 47 and always enjoyed a simpler, quiet life so for me and my wife, it is not so bad. However, if I am going to bring a child in this world, I am not going to raise it in an environment where it has to struggle to survive and does not have the opportunity to truly live. After all, the only things we personally have from life are the experiences we have as we go through the journey. I think everybody wants the best for their kids but unlike many people here, I have the ability and the opportunity to provide those opportunities for my kid(s). If I wait until I am 65 and the child is grown, I am not going to have so much to offer to employers, owners or my kid(s).

A man who does not provide for his family is worse than a non-believer. Paraphrasing the First book of Timothy, 5:8

 

[paullud]

Because I have been struggling in a developing nation, living much the same as any of the poor, provincial local people do. Part of this is choice, part of it due to decisions I have made and part of it is due to circumstances far beyond my control. I am 47 and always enjoyed a simpler, quiet life so for me and my wife, it is not so bad. However, if I am going to bring a child in this world, I am not going to raise it in an environment where it has to struggle to survive and does not have the opportunity to truly live. After all, the only things we personally have from life are the experiences we have as we go through the journey. I think everybody wants the best for their kids but unlike many people here, I have the ability and the opportunity to provide those opportunities for my kid(s). If I wait until I am 65 and the child is grown, I am not going to have so much to offer to employers, owners or my kid(s).

A man who does not provide for his family is worse than a non-believer. Paraphrasing the First book of Timothy, 5:8

A simple life is great for a kid as they need to use their mind to entertain themselves. I would like to have my kids grow up in an environment where they aren't spoiled and don't realize how amazing life is which kids in the US miss out on. This is a video that I heard the hosts talking about and realized that kids now in the US won't get it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJB2QbKd3U&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Providing for your family doesn't mean they need extras and can be as basic as love in the tough times.

Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums

 

[Anomaly]

A simple life is great for a kid as they need to use their mind to entertain themselves. I would like to have my kids grow up in an environment where they aren't spoiled and don't realize how amazing life is which kids in the US miss out on. This is a video that I heard the hosts talking about and realized that kids now in the US won't get it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJB2QbKd3U&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Providing for your family doesn't mean they need extras and can be as basic as love in the tough times.

Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums

I have to add a hearty amen there! Ultimately, I am looking at buying some discounted property somewhere in between nothing and nowhere and rebuilding a decent library. My playground when I was a kid was my Grampa's library. He was a historian of some note and there were 23,000 non-fiction books to peruse ... mind you, he did not let me in until I had completed the Unabridged/Unexpurgated dictionary and the complete encyclopedia set but ... once I made it past the gates, it was heaven on earth. While the actual events are potentially years away, we are already looking at some tax sales and even foreclosures in some more rural areas. Before, I actually had 170 acres of high desert in Nevada, all run on wind and solar. I would love for my kid to have an opportunity to grow up in a similar environment. However, struggling here would be a bit much I am afraid.

 

[jujubeans]

I agree with Moot...let the wife do the OTR thing and you stay home and start a daddy day care center.

 

[Anomaly]

I agree with Moot...let the wife do the OTR thing and you stay home and start a daddy day care center.

Hahahahahaha

You know, I would trust my wife with that but I have a bit more experience with the trucks and a lot less with the kids. She has a lot more experience with the kids and a lot less with the truck. Still looking at some other options too though so if you have any more ideas, I am certainly open to suggestions.

Daddy Day Care huh? If I were looking for a challenge, that would be it LOL

 

[sluggo]

Raise the kid. Do what you have to to make money. But be there for them. It seems like my son was born just yesterday.. I owned a saltwater fish store for a year. It was a 12-14 hour a day job. I abruptly sold it when my son started calling the store "daddy's house". Things like that hit you right between the eyes if you know what I mean.

Yes I do know what you mean.

Now I work nights mainly. 8-1am.. Guess what. My son thinks I am home all the time now. even if getting daddy up in the morning is a bit of a chore. I pickup a few extra runs a week and we make ends meet. We gave up the new cars, the house payment (my last payment on my mobile home is next month!!!!)

I owe John Mueller a year or two but, after that, where does one find this gig of which you speak?