Working away from home

POTTSY 79 · Jan 11, 2020

I'm telling ya, this sucks...Not getting to come home everyday sucks...I'm liking the money but damn kinda hard to enjoy it when you can't spend it ... I'm a journeyman lineman and there is zero work around my home.. and gotta work ya know....wife and kids hate it but I'm the only income we have...anyone else in this boat???? Hell , just had a new shop built (40x60) and can't do anything to get the inside done and ready to start a new build ...just pouting (lol)

TBItoy · Jan 11, 2020

I quit a sales job that had me traveling staying in hotels 3-5 days a week 6 years ago. Now I work 6 miles from home and only have to travel once or twice a year.

I make less money and still don't seem to have time to get anything done, but I'm home a lot

Big David · Jan 11, 2020

Brother in law did the same thing for a few years. Good money but he spent most of it in bars & watched lots of porn.

POTTSY 79 · Jan 11, 2020

Lol... I'm not the bar guy....plus my watches the bank accounts like a hawk

crawler 129 · Jan 11, 2020

Big David said:
Brother in law did the same thing for a few years. Good money but he spent most of it in bars & watched lots of porn.

sounds like a role model! :drinkers:

Big David · Jan 11, 2020

crawler 129 said:
sounds like a role model!

I'm sure he will be. He was single then but now has 1 & 3 year old boys. Poor kids.

crawler 129 · Jan 11, 2020

Big David said:
I'm sure he will be. He was single then but now has 1 & 3 year old boys. Poor kids.

yea I know that would be a great single life but I couldn't stand being away from my family . Amazing how we grow up and out perspective changes

The Luke · Jan 11, 2020

I'm leaving my job of 4.5 years because of this reason. We lost our local contract and have taken on a ton of work out of state. It's quickly turning into all traveling work.

xjmarc · Jan 11, 2020

I spent 12 years staying in hotels during the week and sometimes not seeing my house for a month or more at a time. I took a local job almost 9 years ago which saved my marriage, less money but it was worth it and I've made it back passed where I was now. Still spent a night or two in hotels here and there the first few years but I took a management position so I'm home every day now. Living on the road sucks and I couldn't imagine doing it with kids at home.

kmcminn · Jan 11, 2020

Plenty of people do it. You chose the job go make the most out of it.

ToyotaTom · Jan 12, 2020

I did it for 12 years. You can enjoy it, bitch about it or change it. Either way the choice is your lol.

Dwalk · Jan 12, 2020

I travel also and enjoy it probably more than most. It is nice to work a couple months and take a month off. But its not uncommon to stay gone 4-6 months at a time. Living in a camper sure makes it better than a Hotel.

CHASMAN9 · Jan 13, 2020

Not that it helps, but who do you work for? Pike, Chain, Service and what region do you work in mostly?

POTTSY 79 · Jan 13, 2020

I've been with ARC since last February.. So far it's been a great place to work...I've been mainly in central Indiana

CHASMAN9 · Jan 13, 2020

POTTSY 79 said:
I've been with ARC since last February.. So far it's been a great place to work...I've been mainly in central Indiana

Got ya. I used to work for a clearing contractor and we did Transmission ROW's. We had crews that typically were on the road week in and week out, but the majority of our guys were daily driving distances away. Hate it for you and the family but glad you're doing what you have to do to provide for them. Stay strong and be safe.

ridered3 · Jan 13, 2020

I traveled within the state of Tennessee for all of 2019 and a little over half of 2018. Leave on Monday morning and return home Thursday afternoon or Friday afternoon. While it was not that much fun (being bored in a hotel is no fun for me), it was not that bad overall either. No kiddos and my wife is self sufficient so that makes traveling much easier.

It was nice to have the extra travel money, but the weather drove me nuts, as did only being home a few days each week. It seemed like all the good weather was during the week when I was stuck in a hotel and then it would rain all weekend while I was home.

All that said, my current work assignment has me at home for the next few months. Not sure either one of us is ready for me to be home every night again after so many months of being apart a few days each week. :****:

yankster · Jan 13, 2020

I've been working pipelines since 2007. Luckily no kids, the woman comes with me and the parents are still healthy. The last few jobs have been long enough I could bring the toys with me and rent a house.
I used to stay gone 10-12 months at a run but since Shannon passed I've made it a point to shoot home and see the folks every few months. Definitely not for everyone.

Obullfish · Jan 14, 2020

Worked as a government contractor for over 10 years that had me away from home 300-330 nights a year all over the world. It sucked but the money was really good but eventually got to where the money didn't matter. Couldn't plan **** no matter where I was due to last minute training exercises half way around the world from where I'd be. Ended up getting on with the phone company locally and haven't regretted it even with the loss of pay.

Turfmode · Jan 14, 2020

Did that for 8 years building towers. Now I'm a heavy equipment mechanic and I'm only out of town about 3 nights a month. And tonight is one of those nights.

jeeptj99 · Jan 15, 2020

If i could do it over again I passed up a job when I was 19 working for a contractor that did turbines at nuke plants. They paid hotel food time and half on saturday, double on sunday. Oh well.