Trucking Dad: Showing Up for Your Kids as a Trucker

There are so many incredible experiences and benefits that come with a career in trucking. Trucking dads get plenty of freedom on the road and great pay, all while getting to travel and see the world. 

But for OTR and regional truckers, there are some potential limitations that can arise with a career in trucking, especially for those who have responsibilities back home. If you have kids, being a trucking dad, mom, parent, or caregiver comes with missing parts of your children’s lives, which makes it all the more important that you put in 100% effort where you can.

At Truck Driver Institute, we know firsthand how a career in trucking can require some personal sacrifices to achieve big rewards. We’re committed to giving our students and graduates the tools they need to have a fruitful career in trucking without slacking on their responsibilities back home.

The Reality of Being a Trucking Dad

It’s no secret that being a trucking dad comes with a lot of time spent away from home. As an OTR trucker, you will likely spend 2–3 weeks on the road at a time. Inevitably, this means missed milestones in your kids’ lives: bedtime routines, school events, and even birthdays can get skipped during your time on the road. This can be painful for you as a trucking dad or parental figure, just as it’s painful for your kids.

You may feel some guilt about the time you spend away from your family, and that’s understandable. Just make sure that you process this in an open, positive way. Don’t take your frustrations with the situation out on your kids, or snap when they voice their disappointment. When you’re on the road, you’re providing for your family, but sometimes that conflicts with your responsibilities at home. That’s no one’s fault, but it is something you can mitigate.

Communication: Staying Connected on the Road 

Just because you’re away from home doesn’t mean you need to go radio-silent. Technology makes it easier than ever to be a present parent, even as a trucking dad or mom out on the road. 

• Video Calls: Video-calling your family is the closest you can make it feel to actually being at home. If you can find time daily that works for you and your kids’ schedules, try to video call each day so that they can hear your voice and see your face and body language. And if you can’t make it work with your schedules, sending a short video through an app like Marco Polo is a great alternative.
• Texting: Make sure to text your family updates throughout the day. One of the best parts about being a trucker is seeing so many new places, so make sure to share them with your kids. Driving past roadside attractions like Corn Palace or Carhenge? Send a picture!
• Phone Calls: As a trucking dad, you’re on the road for hours. So why not use that time to chat? Just make sure you have a hands-free setup if you talk on the phone while driving—any handheld phone use can result in fines or points on your CDL.
• Postcards: Pick up postcards along your route to send family and friends back home as a little surprise. It’s a great way to share your experiences while traveling and let your loved ones know that they’re always on your mind.
• Bring Them Along: In some cases, you may be able to bring a spouse, child, friend, or pet along with you! Ask your employer about taking family and friends on the road. This can be a fun way to show your kids what you do on occasion and create new bonding opportunities for you both.

Even when you’re away from home, your kids are a huge part of your life, and they want to be included. Telling them what you’re up to is a great way to let them know that no matter where you go, you’re always thinking of them.

And strategies for staying in touch can change as they age. Maybe you create a routine around telling bedtime stories over video call when they’re young, and then send TikToks or Reels back and forth with your teenagers. Adapt to your family’s needs, but make sure they know you’re just a call (or text) away.

Making Home Time Count 

Some parents work standard 9-to-5 jobs—or don’t work at all—and still spend little quality time with their kids. Even if you can’t be home all the time, you can make sure that the time you do spend with your kids is high-quality. Experts agree: quality time is more important than quantity of time.

Quality time looks like different things for each family. But these are some tips to start with:

• Put away phones. When you’re watching your kids or spending time with your kids, get off the phone. If you need to be on your phone for whatever reason—such as communicating with your partner or employer, or reading something important—make sure you communicate to your children that you’re doing something urgent but you’ll give them your full attention soon.
• Create special traditions. Maybe you take your kid to see a movie each time you come home from the road, or maybe you make your famous pancakes for breakfast. It doesn’t need to be extravagant, but having consistent traditions creates something to look forward to and a routine everyone can count on.
• Foster one-on-one time. If you have multiple kids, it can be easy to forget to foster your individual relationships with each one of them, or to feel like everyone will get more time if you just do group activities. But those personal relationships are important. Each time you’re home, try to get some one-on-one time bonding with each child.
• Participate in their routines. If you’re away most of the time, it can be easy for all your time at home to feel like having a fun house guest come to visit. But try to be involved in their daily activities. Help them with homework, take them to soccer practice, or make sure they brush their teeth too.
• Don’t overcompensate with gifts. It’s fine to pick up presents on the road that remind you of your children, but don’t overdo it. A special gift is more meaningful because there’s thought behind it.

There are a lot of ways to show up for your kids. Just make an effort, and they’ll know you’re trying.

Involving Your Kids in Your Career as a Trucking Dad

As a trucking dad or caregiver, you might see your children and your career as two totally separate parts of your life. But it doesn’t need to be that way! You can make them feel included in your life on the road by telling them about what you actually do.

Share stories from the road with your kids. Teach them about geography through your routes, or come up with future road trips for you to do with them. If you can, take them to see your truck.

As we mentioned earlier, some companies allow for drivers to bring a rider along with them (though they often have to be a certain age). If you have older children, ask them to come along for one of your routes. It’ll be a trip they’ll never forget.

Choosing the Right Trucking Route for Your Family

You don’t necessarily need to take on long OTR jobs if that doesn’t make sense for your family. Consider getting a local route driving job while your kids are young, or working a regional route so that you can be gone for shorter periods of time.

What makes sense for your family might change as your kids grow. Maybe time at home is more important for young kids, while higher earning is more important with older kids looking to go to college or a trade school. One of the great things about a career as a trucking dad is that you have many options, so take advantage of them!

Become a Trucking Dad Today with TDI

You can have both a successful trucking career and be present for your kids; it just requires intentionality and effort.

If you attend TDI, you’ll benefit from our team of trucking professionals eager to support students balancing career and family. We understand that different students have different responsibilities, and we’re happy to make recommendations about what carriers to work with and what types of jobs to look for based on your needs. Our lifetime job placement assistance for graduates means we’re available at any point in your career to share advice, make connections, and help you find a job that works for you.

If trucking sounds like the right career for your family, call us at (800) 848-7364 or fill out our quick contact form. In just three weeks, you’ll be a trucking dad!