Toddler In The Tractor

I really don't like this idea. Many reasons:

Kids need to play. The space inside a truck is extremely tight and narrow even for one person. Now put in a wife and a child and you won't be able to move around. Kids need space to play. In my opinion, a truck is the worst place for a child.

Sometimes when you have to brake hard things can go flying. I can see it happening, you'll be going down a hill and you'll brake hard to slow yourself down and your kid will go flying forward and hit something.

I strongly allows this idea for a child this young. They need to be a kid, not spend every waking moment confined to the space of a walk in closet with two other people. You'll hardly have enough room for your stuff, then having your wife's stuff in with you will make every cramped up. Now add all the belonging a child needs and you won't have room for anything. You'll literally have to keep your child's toys on the dirty ground because the cabinet space is full.

There is no way to fully strap a child. You could use the harness that a sleeping driver must use when the truck is moving. But that harness will be a dangerous net for a child. And they definitely won't sit still in there.

The lifestyle just doesn't fit for a child. Like I've stressed already, they need to run and be kids. You can't play tag in a truck. It's very difficult to eat healthy. There just isn't enough room in a cooler/fridge for 3 people. So you'll have your child eating very unhealthy foods.

Just a bad idea all around. I strongly, strongly discourage it.

THanks for your reply Daniel. Unless I get a weekly home gig, I wouldn't attempt it. In fact, I've already been wondering if a week would be too much. Sometimes a long day trip as a family is too much ;) It was a novel idea, probably just not a practical one.

For anybody else that wanted to know about this, here's what I gathered. I contacted my local police dept and they have yet to return my call. I phoned an 800 number that I got from my local police dept website. It's an organization that focuses on child seat safety. Basically, you have to strap the car seat in the passenger seat, and then make sure the air bag is deactivated. This is what you do w/ a pickup truck. It's not illegal to have a car seat in the front of the vehicle, just not as safe, presumably.

The kicker, and this isn't a bash against Crete/Shaffer, is that when I spoke to a Shaffer recruiter, she had no idea of the safety laws or how to strap a child in a tractor. They probably don't get asked the question much. I confirmed their rider policy with them, and then after I asked how that would work, i.e. strapping a toddler in a car seat in a tractor, she actually had to ask another recruiter close by. The final answer was, "I have no idea!" If I was in her shoes, I would've at least asked for my number, and then said that I'd call back with an answer. Customer service is paramount, especially in sales! It's not something that'd dissuade me from choosing Crete/Shaffer, but merely a pet peeve of mine, especially since I try to provide the best customer service in my business. Treat others as you'd expect to be treated, right? You just can't hold a grudge if other people don't treat you as you'd expect to be treated ;)

My understanding of the law in just about every state..... If the child is in a moving vehicle, they must be in a car seat. Even when I worked as a Paramedic, we carried two different size car seats designed for ambulance use for when we transported children. My other understanding of the law..... if someone is in the sleeper while the truck is moving, they are supposed to be restrained. They make the cargo netting to tie someone in while they sleep. Many teams don't use them but the law says you are supposed to.

My understanding of the law in just about every state..... If the child is in a moving vehicle, they must be in a car seat. Even when I worked as a Paramedic, we carried two different size car seats designed for ambulance use for when we transporte My other understlittle of the law..... if someone is in the sleeper while the truck is moving, they are supposed to be restrained. They make the car netting to tie someone in while they sleep. Many teams don't use them but the law says you are supposed to.

Funny thing is they can not enforce the restraint net to be used while one driver is sleeping and one is driving. You see unless suspected of committing a crime or short of a Warrant of Search once your sleeper berth curtain is closed and you are legally in the sleeper berth you can not be disturbed for any reason. If they open the curtain there is all kinds of hot button issues that will come to the surface and to only name a few Reasonable Expectation of Privacy and a little rule saying that you are allowed a proper amount of sleep without being disstrubed. Of course if your suspected of comitting a crime like parking in No Parking zones then they can wake you up.

9ne thing besides accidents that scares me with having a kid that young on a trucks.....kids are often sick as they are growing up as they build up an immune system. Not going to be able to run to the doctor everytime the kid catches a cold. Not happening.

A lot of childhood illnesses are from exposure

1) in schools
2) to multiple children
3) on the playground
4) in the cafeteria while eating
5) several classes
6) all day

Since the child will be on the truck with you driving the majority of the time, and no where near the immense number of kids everyday all day with exposure to at least 10 diseases every day chances are she will be less sick.

My daughter had frequent headaches and colds at home. Once or twice a year she would get a fever. She came with me on the truck for several months she had one cold when the weather changed and headache one day which I discovered was just dehydration. She is healthier now than ever. If there is an emergency call 911 and rent a hotel until the kid gets better or live out the truck. same thing you'd do if a spouse or yourself got too I'll to stay on the truck.

Sorry this is totally unrelated...why did you decide to leave ODFL? I read alot of your thread on your linehaul job and it seemed like an awesome job and a great place to work. Just curious since your original thread got me interested in ltl.

Paul, it seems that this thread predates the linehaul job.

Melody, less frequent illness does not mean she's healthier than ever. A regularly taxed immune system tends to lead to better overall & longterm health. Keeping her from childhood illnesses now could lead to a weak or more frequently compromised immune system in adulthood. Forgive me the lecture, I'll go back to lurking now.

Paul, it seems that this thread predates the linehaul job.

Oops missed that