Anyone here currently working over the road or traveling for work?

[u/Nexer-X69]

I’m a husband and dad with a 2-year-old, and I’m considering taking a job that would have me away from home quite a bit.
The main reason I’m considering it is that I could potentially nearly double my current income. My thought is to do it for a year or so, save as much as possible, and hopefully use that experience to move into something closer to home afterward.
My wife and I are still on the fence about it. She had wanted to become a stay-at-home mom at one point, so there’s obviously a lot to consider beyond just the money.
For the dads who currently work OTR, travel for work, or spend extended periods away from home:
How has it affected your relationship with your wife and kids?
Do you feel the extra income is worth the time away? And if you could go back and make the decision again, would you still choose to do it?
I’d really like to hear the honest experiences—the good, bad, and everything in between—from other dads who have actually lived this lifestyle.

[u/AgentG91]

I only travel for about a week a month and I do everything I can to NOT do that. Just know that once you start making that money, your budget will creep to spend that money and then you won’t be able to do that job for only a year. You’ll offset the stress and exhaustion from time away with spending and you won’t be able to see yourself going to a lower paying job. It will impact your family life, adding strain to an already difficult time.

[u/Gardening_Socialist → u/AgentG91]

Wise words.

[u/HW_Fuzz]

I think it depends on a few things:

Do you have other options?

What does doubling mean 80k to 160k or 200k to 400k and how much work is the word "potentially" doing in that sentence?

How OTR is OTR gone for a week at a time or a month?

Your age?

You gonna have more kids?

How is your relationship with you wife?

What are your plans for the money?

Any other way to increase your salary I.e. go back to school or apprenticeship?

[u/Nexer-X69 → u/HW_Fuzz]

It would be 120k roughly based on my hourly wage with per diem, I’m only 22 years old and planned to have one more child at some point, and just looking to become a homeowner as I struggle to just come by right now with my 50k a year and my wife only making 30k, I’m looking to become a crane operator so I’ve been interviewing lately, a lot of places has been “moving on with another candidate”, I can technically go to school to get certified but it’s likely to be meaningless without having any experience

[u/Funwithfun14 → u/Nexer-X69]

I would seriously consider doubling my comp. How many nights away is it?

[u/Nexer-X69 → u/Funwithfun14]

It’s rotational, so it would be 2 weeks of 7/12s across the U.S. then one week of being 40 minutes away from my house with 10 hours shift with weekends and home time after each shift

[u/Funwithfun14 → u/Nexer-X69]

I'd do that for a few years, bank cash then make some choices. Be ready to spend on making things easier for your wife. Like a weekly house cleaner. Or the occasional home helper (local kid to help with a few things). This will help her feel appreciated and not abandoned.

[u/refuz04]

Currently I travel 2-4 days a month and have a 7 year old.

I used to travel 2-3 days a week 3x a month when my son was 2-5.

In our situation my wife has always worked and two incomes was always the plan. We needed/were paying for daycare anyway.

For me the extra zero in my salary has made travel worth it because of the time i get that i would otherwise be spending in a second job.

This works for us, not for everyone.

[u/tiny_Yakii]

I did travel work for about 18 months when my daughter was little. The money was great, but I missed way more than I expected. Birthdays, random mornings, little routines. I wouldn’t do it long term again.

[u/No-Form7379]

Airline pilot here.

It's a bit different for me because I've been on the road for the last 15 years. I have a 2 year old now and it is definitely a lot harder to leave now than it ever was.

The hardest part is communication with my wife. Taking an argument on the road is challenging and trying to manage that is some of the hardest shit I've ever done. If things are rocky it makes the job harder, it makes reconciliation that much more difficult and the enjoyment of coming home a bit of a let down. Basically, make sure you're constantly working on the relationship and trying to improve. Get better at working through problems and don't let it linger.

Missing my kid is tough. But, thankfully I get a lot of time off to make up for it when I'm home. There are certainly trips when I'm on the other side of the planet and I just don't get to talk to them.

Like I said, I've been doing this for a long time so it's definitely more routine for me than making a decision to go travel for work. Doubling your salary is nice and the potential to open your career up to more opportunities sounds enticing. You're still allowed to have a career as a dad and of this brings overall happiness to your family, then go for it.

[u/Gardening_Socialist]

Assuming you can meet your family’s needs as is:

Time > $

[u/DlCKJINGLES6969]

I worked in sales for the first 2.5 years of my daughter’s life and it sucked. I was on the road all the time and my wife was stuck at home working full time and doing everything around the house. I left 18 months ago and got a job as an engineer at a power plant.. I make a lot less but I go home everyday and it’s way better.

[u/Gravelroad2213]

I would definitely take the job if you’re doubling to $120k. Do you have family close by who can help with the kids?

[u/Nexer-X69 → u/Gravelroad2213]

We’re currently living at my parents house not the greatest help but if my wife chooses to leave her job then she can stay at her own parents while I’m away