My girlfriend and I have been goin out for a couple of months. But have known each other longer than that. Since grade school. Just never really talked much.

Well I'm getting ready to go OTR for a little while and am kinda of afraid that when I come back she won't be there. Trucking can be very hard if there ain't someone to look forward to coming home to. Family is great and all; no problems there. However it would be much better to see her pretty face once in a while when I come home.

Would make the wearyness of the road a little more bareable. We've talked about it. Still I just don't want to leave. I've had my mind made up for quite some time. Just when we met; things kinda changed. Made the decision making process a little harder.

Anyone have any advice about OTR relationships? Trucker families would be great to hear from.

Well I have never done trucking or anything like that but I do have something to add here.

When I met my wife I was a Pilot in the Navy. I met her at at a wedding and we really hit it off. I was a carrier pilot so that meant that I would spend 9 months at a time out at sea. I was on my state-side rotation when I met her so I did have a couple of months to date before heading back for my sea rotation. So I think I actually had it worse - not being able to be around her for 9 straight months!!

But here is the deal. We were both madly in love with each other when I left for sea. We were not engaged yet but we both knew in our hearts that we were meant for each other. We both made the committment to be true to each other when I left and we did a good job staying in communication during that time I was gone. I trusted her that she would never go behind my back and she trusted me. When I got back I proposed to her the 2nd day back (I had to buy the ring the first day back).

So the moral of the story here is that if you two are really meant for each other then whether you go on the road or not it shouldn't make a difference to your love and committment for each other. If you have a strong relationship now and she is ok with you doing this for a career then she should be waiting for you with great anticipation when you get back. If she (or you) mess around on each other while you are away then that is telling you that this relationship is pretty shallow and it was just a matter of time when it broke off.

One important thing you need to discuss with her is if she is ok with you making trucking a career. If she is thinking of being with you long term (i.e. marriage) then she needs to be ok with your career choice especially one that requiries significant time away. Talk it through with her and get her open feedback.