Say What?
Question: Is it possible to maintain a good family life and drive over-the-road?
Herschell “Hershey Bar” Gordon, 47, Findlay, OH
Professional driving experience: 20 years
“It is, but you need a very a very strong wife. I’m lucky in that regard. My wife has a military background, so she understands what has to be done. She’s a go-getter. If she had to wait on me to mow the yard, our grass would be 12-feet tall. Now that our kids are grown, she rides with me. During driver training, nobody every talks about family problems or what you do when the plumbing goes out when you’re 2,000 miles away. Those are the things that they need to teach these guys.”
Ken Harrison, 62, Dunedin, FL
Professional driving experience: 10 years
“I don’t know. You probably need to ask my wife about that. I really don’t know. You have to have someone at home who is capable of taking over and doing all those things that you would normally being doing. They don’t necessarily have to like it, but they have to be capable of doing it while you’re gone.”
Robert Miller, 56, Mount Pleasant, IA
Professional driving experience: 33 years
“You definitely need a good wife, and you have to make the best of your time when you are home. When our kids were younger and growing up, every Saturday when I was home we’d go boating, fishing and do stuff as a family. I never went golfing or fishing with my buddies. It was all about family.”
John Miller, 29, Mount Pleasant, IA
Professional driving experience: 6 months
“You can, but it takes a certain partner like my mom. All the time my dad was out on the road, mom raised me and my brother. There were times before cell phones when my mom couldn’t get a hold of him, so she would do whatever needed to be done on her own. Then when dad came home, he spent time with us. That was really important. I drove for about six months, but then I got out of it. I would love to get back out there, but I have a girlfriend, and we’re thinking about starting a family. My girlfriend doesn’t understand what it’s like to be in a trucking family. She thinks I should be home every night.”
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