Tips for Truck Driver Parents: Ways to Connect With Your Kids

Drivers spend much of their time away from home. Being a truck driver with a family can be challenging. You won’t be around for the day-to-day, but you can make intentional choices to stay in touch with your kids. 

Many truck drivers balance their careers with parenting. Planning contact and setting expectations allows you to support your spouse at home and catch up with your kids. Maintaining close relationships is necessary for a healthy and happy life. 

Truck Driving With a Family

The next time you’re gone, be ready with some ways to reach out. Try these tips for truck drivers to stay in touch with your children. You can make small moments matter.

1. Plan Time for Calls

The first tip for truck drivers is to plan your calls home. Your schedule won’t always match your kids’ school and bedtime routines. Trucking with family at home means shifting how and when you talk to each other. 

Try to reach out once a day. You’ll feel more connected to your kids’ lives, and they’ll know they can count on hearing from you.

You can schedule phone or video calls with your kids in the mornings before school or in the evenings. Plan and set a time so everyone is ready for the call. Scheduling helps the call feel like a family event. 

Catching up on calls with your kids is crucial—so is talking to your spouse. If you have a partner, set aside time to discuss the big stuff separately. Full family calls involving the kids are fantastic but don’t forget to plan additional time for you and your partner. You may need to discuss parenting concerns or finances.

Today, you can go beyond a phone call. With internet access, you can use FaceTime, Zoom or Skype to see everyone’s faces. 

2. Connect With Kids Each Day

Competing schedules may make it hard to call and speak to your kids every day. However, you can connect with them in smaller ways. Take five minutes to send a text message or voice memo their way.

Here are a few idea for quick connections: 

• Send an “I’m thinking of you text.”
• Share a short voice memo or message.
• Start a family group chat and update it with pictures.
• Send them an email.

3. Send Postcards 

Over-the-road (OTR) drivers travel the country. They drive across beautiful landscapes and through big cities. If you’re an OTR driver, sending postcards is a fun way to stay connected to your kids. Pick one up at your next stop and send it on. 

Some truck stops act as postal substations and sell stamps. You can always pack stamps so you’re ready to send a postcard on its way! Many truck stops have mail drop-off boxes. 

3. Collect Souvenirs 

Like postcards, you can collect and send souvenirs to your family. You can look for fun knick-knacks or items related to your child’s interests and hobbies. 

If you don’t want to send them by mail, you can “unbox” the mementos together each time you come home. Your child will look forward to what you bring back and have you there to tell the story behind it.

4. Share to Social 

In 2004, Facebook was made for college students to connect, but it could’ve been made for truckers! Social media platforms, like Facebook, let you connect with loved ones across the globe. 

Stay in touch with your kids by posting regular updates to your Facebook or Instagram accounts. You can create separate pages or profiles dedicated to your trucking travels. On Facebook, you can also make private groups to post pictures and updates for your closest family and friends only. 

5. Make Home Time Memorable 

One of the best things you can do is make the most of your home time. You may feel like lounging after several long days or weeks of driving. Resting up is OK, but remember to set aside time with your kids. 

Use your home time to build memories. You don’t have to spend a lot of money or do something big every time you return. Small things like playing catch in the backyard are just as wonderful. 

Any time you spend together will be meaningful if you are present. Set aside activities to focus solely on your kids. While you won’t be there for everything, the quality of the time you spend together means more than the quantity. 

Prime Good Dads

Just because you aren’t there physically, does not mean you are an absent parent. If you’re an OTR parent, Prime Good Dads offers support and education to help you strengthen relationships with your kids. 

Prime Good Dads helps you find practical ways to engage with your family. Despite its name, it’s not just for dads! All parents can benefit from the services offered. With Primed for Life counseling, you can talk to a licensed professional about anything and help improve your communication. It’s affordable and convenient, and sessions can be done while you’re on the road. 

Start Your OTR Driving Career

Truck driving with a family is possible. People do it every day—successfully! While there is an adjustment period, you and your family will make new routines to stay connected. 

With smartphones, wireless internet, and strategies from Prime Good Dads, your options for reaching your family and maintaining relationships are better than ever. 

When you are home, make it a point to spend time together. The time you spend away from one another will make your time together even more special. 

Start your trucking job today. Prime Inc. supports you and your family whether you’re switching trucking companies or career paths. 

Apply online today! Our Driver Training Program helps you earn your CDL and learn what you need to start driving.