Truck driver recruiting is competitive. Recruiters provide job information because they want good drivers. The unmentioned part is the effect on the driver's home life.
It is hard for truck drivers to hold onto a family life if they are not prepared for the challenges that come with the trucker’s lifestyle. The (allegedly) higher than average divorce rate among truck drivers shows how difficult the trucking lifestyle is on family life.
Over the road trucking jobs affect the trucker, the spouse, the children, and even the pets. Understanding the challenges of the lifestyle from the onset of the career provides truckers and their families the chance to counteract some of the basic trucker's relationship problems.
Truck Drivers and Their Spouses Spend a Lot of Time Apart
It may be a good thing for some people to spend a lot of time apart, but for others it is just plain hard. Absence does not always make the heart grow fonder – sometimes it simply emphasizes the distance between people.
The truck driver is alone and away from home. The spouse is at home dealing with the everyday problems – plus upset children and sullen pets – with no emotional support beyond a quick phone call or email. Then, when the driver and spouse finally get a chance to see one another they often end up fighting and rehashing the hard times they spent apart.
How to Have a Family Life for Truck Drivers
If communication breaks down the truck driver ends up feeling like he - or she - is out on the road, risking his - or her - life to support a person who does not appreciate it. Then he - or she - comes home tired and wanting a meal at home while the "stuck at home" spouse wants to go out.
The spouse ends up feeling like the driver is out having fun and doing "who knows what" while she - or he - is stuck at home and taking care of everything. These differences do not, however, have to start problems for the couple.
Drivers and their spouses need to work extra hard on communicating effectively to avoid these problems. The most effective approach is to describe how lonely and isolated each one felt – and how much the other person was missed.
The spouse should also be prepared to use the time. Finding something fulfilling to focus attention on will make the separation easier. Taking a class, doing volunteer work, or taking up a new hobby are good examples. This is not to say the spouse will not have plenty to do – because the burden of carrying the household will fall to the one left at home. It just means – the one at home will benefit from having something unique to fill the void left by the driver’s absence.
It is possible, but not always easy, to maintain a healthy relationship even if one partner has an over the road truck driving career. Both partners in the relationship have to have a great deal of strength and stubbornness. It also requires extra communications effort from both the driver and the at home spouse when the work week is finally over.
Copyright Laure Justice. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication. Originaly published on Suite101.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I look forward to reading your comments or questions and will get back to you as quickly as possible.