Trucking Stories

Hi. I'm not a trucker. I'm a writer who writes stories about trucking. I've written for Freightliner, Western Star, Detroit, RoadPro, Wilson, RoadKing etc. I tend to do articles about truckers' lives, life-work balance, families etc. Right now, I'm working on an article about how truckers on the road use technology to participate in family events (birthdays, recitals, football games etc.). Does the stay-at-home spouse post pics to Facebook? Tweet the game? Does the driver Skype into the birthday party? Facetime?

Would like to hear from any drivers who can speak to this. Also, open to any story ideas or suggestions for articles you'd like to read about.

Thanks and I hope to hear from you.

Hi. I'm not a trucker. I'm a writer who writes stories about trucking. I've written for Freightliner, Western Star, Detroit, RoadPro, Wilson, RoadKing etc. I tend to do articles about truckers' lives, life-work balance, families etc. Right now, I'm working on an article about how truckers on the road use technology to participate in family events (birthdays, recitals, football games etc.). Does the stay-at-home spouse post pics to Facebook? Tweet the game? Does the driver Skype into the birthday party? Facetime?

Would like to hear from any drivers who can speak to this. Also, open to any story ideas or suggestions for articles you'd like to read about.

Thanks and I hope to hear from you.

As an OTR driver, I'm certainly away from home more than I like for personal relationships and it does present some problems dealing with financial issues, but I have a laptop computer, a scanner, a printer and a smartphone that acts as a hotspot which allows me to do most things as if I was sitting at home or in an office just down the street. I also download audiobooks from my hometown public library to my iPod or a USB Drive and play them through my truck stereo system that is every bit as sophisticated as what comes in higher end 4 wheelers.

Many truckers today have or can have a pretty sophisticated suite of equipment at their beck and call, most truck stops have wifi or the drivers has their own hotspot to access the Internet on. I know of some drivers who play online games such as World of Warcraft in their downtime while on the road. Technology being what it is, space is the only limiting factor to what technology you can have on the road.

Hope that helps. Tracy

Thanks, Tracy. Technology absolutely has made it easier to keep in touch. I was talking this morning to a retired driver who remembers sending postcards home from the road. Can you imagine? I'd like to use some of what you said in the article, but I'd need your full name. Can you help me out?

Thanks,

 I was talking this morning to a retired driver who remembers sending postcards home from the road. Can you imagine?

I send my little girl (she turned 5 yesterday) a postcard from every new place I go. I talk to her on the phone, but this little bit extra makes her feel special

Dropping post cards to my Mother while I'm traveling might take some of the sting out of me becoming a trucker. My Grandfather (her Father) was a trucker and died in an accident on the road. This happened in the 60's before I was born but it's still a concern for her.

Thought I'd share this link to a profile I wrote about Tony Justice, a driver/country musician out of Tennessee.

http://roadprobrands.com/articles/editorial/songs-from-the-road-tony-justice/

My classmate in TDA keeps all the truck cards in between every CAT Scale tickets. "I'll bring'em back to my son!" He said.

My classmate in TDA keeps all the truck cards in between every CAT Scale tickets. "I'll bring'em back to my son!" He said.

I do the same thing for my youngest son (12). I see him twice a year and load him up with the ones collected.