Homesickness

How do you guys deal with homesickness on the road?

Call home and talk. Distract myself with comedy channels on satellite radio. Pray. Above all, DO NOT listen to emotional country songs

Get married and have teenagers.... LOL

Persian, I only listen to country music and talk radio.

I think of my ancestors and what they went through with separations and such. Then I say to myself don't be a wuss. If they can cross the country in a covered wagon or come from Europe on a boat then I have it easy and they survived.

Basically YOU have to figure out how to make it work for you. Everyone is different. It does take some time and you then get into a routine.

Toughest part of our job (or OTR) is being away from home.

The best thing is to call whenever you feel like quiting and going home. You'll hit a point where it starts getting easier. It'll still be hard but not as bad. I've cried on the phone with my wife for hrs wanting to just go home and be in the same bed, but after awhile it became second nature to be out. I'd call every morning, lunch and before bed just to say hi. Then I'd listen to music or toss a movie on my laptop and listen to it through my truck speakers. Whatever helped pass the time.

I don't really get homesick but I certainly use FaceTime more than I used to. With modern cellphones/computers it's a lot easier to stay in touch than it used to be.

Just think of the guys twenty years ago where a pay phone (or God forbid, mail) was the only option.

I saw good idea to test it out before going OTR.....Leave home, go stay with a friend for 30 days or so, as if you're on the road. See how ya handle that, before wasting time and money on schooling, and not like the lifestyle, in the end.

Thanks guys for the replies im leaving for my first load this afternoon with a trainer to Mississippi. Im excited but nervous as all get out lol.

My husband just got out of training and in his first week otr. He not dealing with it well at all. He calls me on the phone in tears and so unhappy. I feel so helpless, and at the same time cold hearted because I keep reminding him why we choose this to begin with. I don't want my husband to be unhappy but I also don't want him regretting quiting before trying to over come these feelings. Am I doing the right thing by reminding him why we choose this for our family. I want to help him not make things worse, I tell him I love him and thank him for doing what he is doing for our us but is it enough or making it worse.

Toughest part of our job (or OTR) is being away from home.

The best thing is to call whenever you feel like quiting and going home. You'll hit a point where it starts getting easier. It'll still be hard but not as bad. I've cried on the phone with my wife for hrs wanting to just go home and be in the same bed, but after awhile it became second nature to be out. I'd call every morning, lunch and before bed just to say hi. Then I'd listen to music or toss a movie on my laptop and listen to it through my truck speakers. Whatever helped pass the time.

You are being an excellent wife. He will thank you in the end.

His feelings are perfectly normal. You should have him join this forum, I know it has helped me tremendously in dealing with everything that goes on out here.

Just yesterday, after over 9 months on the job, I called my wife and broke down a little bit. I had pulled off the interstate in The Middle Of Nowhere, Illinois to tighten my straps, and I couldn't go straight through from the off-ramp to the on-ramp because of a curb in the middle of the road. So I turned right and decided to turn around in a large dirt lot next to a field about 100 feet down the road.

Long story short, the dirt turned out to be covered by about 6 inches of soft, wet, super-sticky mud, cleverly disguised by a dry top layer, and I got stuck. Before calling the company to ask for a wrecker, I tried chaining up my drive tires, and got UNBELIEVABLY mucky in the process. In getting in and out of the truck to keep trying to get out, the whole inside of the truck also became covered in mud. It was a mess, I was exhausted, I kept falling in the mud, the wind was gusting up to 60mph and steady at 30-40mph, it felt like every little thing was going wrong, and I was embarrassed, knowing I was going to cost the company money.

So in the heart of the moment, I called my wife and basically had a moment of weakness. In that moment, all I wanted was to be home. I felt like I couldn't handle it anymore and I really felt like just quitting the whole thing.

But after I let it all out, I remembered how much I have already accomplished out here, how good trucking has been for my family's financial future, and how there was no way I was going to quit another job in a stressful moment. I also figured this was just going to end up being another one of my trucking stories to tell at parties.

I called the company and they sent a truck to pull me out, saying, "these things happen." I had a cigarette while I waited and felt better. When the tow truck arrived, I was back on the road within 30 minutes and things were back to normal.

So what I'm getting at is that there if always something to cause feelings of loneliness and homesickness out here. It's just a part of the job. If he spends some time on this forum he will see that, and hopefully he can get some extra support to stay strong.

P.S. You're not doing anything wrong.