Jim,
40+oz of coffee and blood pressure meds, I'm well flushed.
Valsdad,
It's not "Away from home".
Moving your family, or even military allows personal life to go on.
(Obviously, military varies in this)
I typically left the house sometime Sunday, sometimes Saturday.
From then on, it was sleep when you can, eat when you can,
shower when you can. No time to do anything much you wanted.
Maybe read a bit in the bunk. Stand around at a customer and listen
to drivers lie. Get home late Friday or Saturday morning.
Long hours? 3100miles/week
55mph, average.
Always was cooking the book to minimize hours.
Often started over with a new one because I had over 70 in
the last 8 days logged. No idea the real numbers, but it was around
$900/wk. Somehow, never broke $40k/yr. Mid 90's.
It literally was your life.
All the stuff you do after work on a week day.
None of that.
Not a cry fest.
Did it for a number of years, the company I was pulling for
closed, and I walked away.
Life ain't easy.
For years after I quit long haul, we struggled financially, but we got to
live our lives. We would have stuck with it, but it wasn't woth it.
Got into dumptrucks, then hauling gas/diesel.
As to weed?
Would love to say it's nothing.
But I know too many CDL holders with DUIs.
Do know that it's getting harder to hire clean pissers.
We had one hot recently. Cost the guy a good opportunity.
Other outfits have quit testing.
Don't ask don't tell!
They would rather have a pothead then no one.
