Q & A Day!

I'd asked for questions and one person sent an email FULL of questions. I also received two other questions via comment which will be answered at the end. So sit back and enjoy!

1. Did you have any trepidation making this decision, knowing that it would take you away from your family, friends and boyfriend?

My goodness I was blind at first to the actual reality of what this career was going to entail. I knew I'd be over-the-road but I did NOT realize how much time it took to be over-the-road. I didn't know really how much of my "real life" I'd miss out on.

I just wanted to drive a big truck and see the country while I did it. It wasn't until after I'd completed school yard training with my company and was set to meet up with my training engineer (TE) that it sank in. My sweetie still reminds me frequently of how hard I cried the whole drive to meet my TE, I was scared, tired, scared some more, freaking out, and did I mention scared?

2. I assume you and your sweetie live together - is that right? If so, how did he feel about you being away from home, on the road, for weeks at a time?

My sweetie was sooo supportive when I made the choice to go from sitting behind a desk to sitting behind a steering wheel of an 18-wheeler. He has always told me he just wants me to be happy in life. He knew how passionate I was about making the leap from desk jockey to freight jockey and so he went along with it. I'm sure he could probably answer this better than I, as I will probably never know what really went through his head as all of it was happening. But I have to say, even now... three years later he's my #1 supporter.

3. Do you ever question your decision to do this and be on the road alone?

OMG Everyday! It's not as easy as it seems. It's a tough job, it's a tough lifestyle. And while I'm not necessarily a "people person", I do get awful lonely at times. Plus, it's just crazy. I love this job, career, lifestyle, whatever you wanna call it. It's something I'm good at. It's something I enjoy, even after a bad day. But it's still insane. haha Of course, there are days that I wonder if I'm missing out on something else, something better at home. But I know that I'm not stuck, I can choose to leave the road and do something else when the time is right to do so. And in that I take comfort and keep on truckin'. ;o)

4. Have you ever asked your sweetie to get his CDL and come along with you?

Only a couple times a month. haha! But he's not interested. We have other business ventures going at home that he feels that it is best served with him close at hand. And I don't hold that against him too much...he's good at taking care of that part of our life and it's much better than paying someone else to do it for us, at least for the time being. I have dragged him out with me once, for three weeks, and hoped he'd come away from that experience just itching to get his CDL... but no... that didn't work. haha

5. Have you ever thought of teaming up with someone else you know - girlfriend or other company driver?

I've been battling this idea from the beginning, mainly because I don't think I'd make a very good team partner. I am noisy, stinky, and talkative and no one wants to try to sleep in the bunk while I'm singing along with Lady Ga-Ga. But lately, I've been thinking it might be a good idea, at least for a little while, to try it out. I could increase my pay, which would in turn increase my savings, and prepare me for whatever lies ahead in life. But I can't make a concrete decision on it. I suppose if someone I knew approached me with the offer, I'd think about giving it a shot. But I'd have to think about it long and hard before I committed.

6. Do you ever worry about your safety as a woman?

A LOT. Which is why I'm getting fatter by the minute. I have this fear about getting out of my truck dressed for exercising, say to take a nice brisk walk around the lot or nearby and end getting attacked. I have never seen it happen with my own eyes, never really even heard about it happening, but I still fear it. I'm also very vigilant. I have pulled into places before with the intention to park over night or even just take a lunch break and ended up getting a bad vibe and hightailing it outta there. I trust my intuition to help keep me safe. I also trust a small discreet taser while I'm out and about and a giant can of wasp spray when I'm in or near my rig.

7. Do you think being a woman has advantages when at a shipper/receiver? Or is it a disadvantage?

I hate to answer this question really. But I will because I think other females might find it interesting (or something). I have had it both ways really. But most of the time time, it's more in favor of the advantage side of things. If I have trouble with something, very rarely does someone fail to come to my aid. If I ask for help, I've never been told "no way babe". I feel like there have been times when a shipper/receiver has done something for me that they would NEVER do for a guy, like let me drop a trailer in the middle of the yard and have them dock it or drop it in a slot that was a little too tight for my liking. I can't really think of any true disadvantages I've found from being a lady trucker except that almost every truck stop has only a mens bathroom in the fuel desk area and I have to go further into the place to find a ladies room. Oh the lady truckers plight! haha

8. What is your favorite thing about being alone?

I can sing as loudly and as badly along with the radio as I want, without anyone getting irritated and telling me to shut up. That's #1. #2, I have time to think (aka talk aloud to myself) while I'm rolling down the road without being told I'm crazy. And I don't have to worry about keeping up with or holding up someone else. I go at my own pace, do my own thing, and if I wanna eat crackers in bed.... no one else will complain about finding any crumbs in between their butt cheeks in the morning.

9. Do you ever worry about your being home without you and being tempted by other women?

I trust that he is as faithful to me as I am to him. (which is 100%) He's not the only party with possible temptations, have you seen some of the hotties that drive trucks these days? I am of a mindset that he's a grown man. So if he finds that our situation isn't working for him and he needs something else/more/different, I expect that he would tell me so that we could make any change(s) required, whatever change(s) that may be. I would do the same for him. It sucks being away from each other so much, but it makes our time together that much more important and amazing.

10. Does your sweetie worry about you out here and does he ever feel as if you're around too many other men and he doesn't like it?

I'm sure he worries a lot more than he lets on. He has expressed some worry, especially when I've expressed my own or have talked about something that might make anyone worrisome. On the latter, he's never expressed as much. I have made one particularly good friend within my company that I talk to on the telephone quite frequently as well as we hang out whenever we happen to run into each other. If my sweetie had any qualms about it, I know he'd be honest and upfront about it.

Thanks to The Daily Rant for her fabulous questions!

TJ asks: Just a question about gettin' sleeved... more precisely, does it matter which arm you get done? I mean, there's so many "hidden meanings" behind some things in our culture, and I was just curious if gettin' your left arm done instead of your right(or vice versa)had any sort of special significance... of course, you could always just say, "screw it," and get BOTH done haha!

A: I have no idea if there is any meaning behind which arm a person chooses to sleeve. I had a simple means of deciding which arm I wanted to start with (and yes, start as in I intend to hopefully one day sport double sleeves). Being in the drivers' seat of my rig all day with the sun bronzing up the left arm I figured it would be best to start on the right arm! Simple as that for me.

Crazy Joe asks: Yo G! When are they gonna give you one of those new "Black Pumpkins?" They look BADA$$! Those orange graphics really pop and look great with the orange trailers!

A: The black pumpkins are sharp but honestly, I wouldn't want one. Just for the reason that they are gonna be even more of a magnet for the sun. The orange already heats up like a microwave in the sunlight, black would be 10 times worse. Now, if they wanna toss a white international my way... haha!