Hello my name is Rich. I have my class A cdl and currently drive local. Driving a city bus. I know it isn't a truck but it is what I picked for now. I have been doing this for the past 7 years.
I have a really wonderful wife, who is very supportive of my choices. We also have three great kids. My oldest is my step-daughter who is 13 and at the age of a lot of drama and fights with her mother and I on a regular basis. But under our roof we keep her in check but do not allow her to do what ever she wants.
My middle child is a 5 year old little girl who is so sweet and is just a little sponge on learning about her world around her. She is a real daddy's girl.
My youngest is almost three year old girl who is a mini-me. She has the devil in her a lot of the time. She is just a little clown. She is very loving and sweet, but always on the move. The poor cat doesn't stand a chance.
Anyhow, My wife is very supportive of what I've done so far in our life together. But she keeps me from getting in trouble sometimes with poor choices. Like buying a big ticket item that really we don't need. She is my balance in life for sure. I really am in love with my wife.
O.K. so here is where I'm torn. When I got my CDL back in 2004, I had plenty of chances to go OTR. I had many offers right out of the gate. But I decided that it wouldn't be such a great idea at the time because of my personal life. Because of I had both my parents in the area who were very sick and did pass a few years later.
By that time I became a new father and had my new wife. Well I put it in the back of my mind about going OTR. So I did work locally and drove for a local company. Which was alright. The job ended up being more labor intensive then just driving. I was loading and unloading 100% of the loads. Trust me that got old fast. I did this for about a year with that company.Finally I decided it wasn't where I wanted to be.
I tried another company locally and it seemed like the same thing. One of my friends called me about their company hiring. I wasn't really into it but I decided to apply. This is the bus company.
These are not the tour type bus rides. This is the type of bus job that deals with all the crackheads,low lifes, true scum. There are some good riders out there, but lets be honest.They are few and far in-between.I do make a great income but I do earn it with what I deal with. I'm sure I make as much as some truck drivers or even more. But sometimes I think that whats more important to me. Money or my desire to get back into a truck.
I know my kids are young and it is hard on a relationship. It is in my blood. My gradfather was a trucker. My father was a trucker. My Uncle's were truckers. I feel the pull to go trucking so bad. I know it sounds crazy. But I do miss it. As a child myself. I remember living on the truck with my dad, traveling the lower 48 more times then I can say. It was a great time. I just think about it so much.
I am so tired of dealing with the people I deal with at work now. My company does not back us on anything. We are just a number to them. Our union is nothing more then a waste of money. The union is in the back pocket of the company. Hell our union president for the local is a prior manager for the company. There is a red flag! Anyhow enough of politics and drama.
I guess where I am is I just can't get it out of my system. I miss the life style and the people on the road. Is this just the romance of the open road? Is this just a bunch of whining? I don't know.
Where do I choose the balance; trucking life or full time family life?
