EX farmers and VERY NEW to trucking, HELP dont know what to do!

by Kathy StJohn
(New London, PA)

Hi
My husband has just completed the basic training for the SHNEIDER trucking company. He is 53, I am 52 and we have been married for 33 yrs. We are EX dairy farmers.

We forced to sell our farm and we are in the process of doing that. In the mean time my husband needed work and the only thing he knew besides milking cows and managing a Dairy Farm was driving Grain trucks for other farmers. So he came up with the idea of getting his CDL and Hazmat and I forget the others.

He went out to Pittsburgh, PA for 10 days to do their training and he was HIRED. Then he comes home for a day or two or three who knows and then he will head out with a Mentor for about 4-6 weeks depending on how well he does.

Right now he is the top of his class out of 8 men.The instructors really like him and says he will do GREAT.

He has learned ALOT and really likes the company. He will be driving their bulk tanks.
We have been Farmers and use to be with each other 24/7

He was always there when I needed him or I could walk out the door and see him or we worked together in the office or barn. But now we will NOT!!

I have been SCARED/LONELY and MISSING him terribly for the last 10 days. GESH what am I going to be like when he is gone for longer. We have talked everyday 2-3 times a day and at nights we talk or just watch tv together like we were sitting here at home. But he is NOT allowed cell usage at all with this company not even hands free.

The stuff they haul is dangerous and they want the drivers minds on the road at all times. So we will have to cut the phone calls down too. He gets 6 days off a month which does not sound like much to me coming from someone who has lived our lives for the past 33 yrs. He gets insurance which is NICE because right now we have ZERO!

I cannot ride with him for 6 months. Which I completely understand due to the stuff he will be hauling in the tanks and he needs to have his mind completely on what he is doing and not worrying about me or anyone else with him.

We have 3 grown children and 2 grandchildren. My father who is 87 use to live with us and we had to recently move him into a nursing home. We have a daughter who lives with us and she works all day. We have 2 chocolate labs that are our Babies. Both girls/sisters and 4 yrs old. He ADORES them and he is NOT allowed to take any animals with him.

Our daughter is a BIG help being home here and ALOT of company when she gets home after work. We eat dinner together and watch tv. But our bed is EMPTY and even with the dogs in there too I still MISS his body. I lay there at nights snuggled up with our babies and I cry. Why has our life come to this?

I married a farmer because I love the farm life NOT the trucking lifestyle.

Can anyone help this VERY NEW trucking wife out with some support?

I have looked and looked for support forums but so far NONE are being used. Hope someone reads this one.