I know, I've been a trucker's wife for 20 years. My husband and I joke about only being married for one year because he has been gone so much of our married life. When we first started out we didn't have cell phones and we had only been married a short time.
Truck driver Dave and Jill being silly
Being the wife or girl friend of a trucker can be a blessing. Sounds crazy, but hear me out. Because you are gone so much when you are together it makes that time much more special. And how many times a day do you get to talk with your significant other?
I know people who live with their husbands. You know like they both have jobs and they work all of the time, come home at night they are tired, make dinner and watch tv. They don't really talk during the day and they don't make time for each other in the evening.
As a trucker, especially since the advent of cell phones, you can talk to your wife/girl friend whenever. My husband and I talk by phone at least two or three times a day. When you talk on the phone it is easy to be encouraging and to explore each other's lives, thoughts and really get to know each other because that is all you have to focus on.
As the wife of a trucker it is a good idea to not pick fights over the phone. Don't talk about money, or pick at the "sore" spots in your relationship. If you have kids share the good stuff. Leave the troubles until your hubby can do something about it.
A trucker's wife needs to be pretty independent, able to handle most of the things in life that just need to get done and be able to allow their husband to step back into the frey without feeling like they are an intruder in their own home. This is a skill that takes some doing. As the trucker coming back home, you need to allow your wife space to step back. You need to allow her to feel like she has done a good job holding down the home front.
Being the wife of a trucker allows us to live in the country, I don't have to work outside my home and have been able to enjoy raising and schooling my children.
Time at home should be special. That is sometimes hard to do with kids and a life, but those of us who have been at this for a while will all tell you, your trucker needs to feel important and everything else needs to go on the back burner when he is home.
...and don't forget to shave your legs
PS there are several groups over on Facebook for Trucker's wives. Low drama, but supportive:
A Trucker's Wife
Truckers Looking At America Through Their Windshield
