Dear Kelly,

I am a new Trucker’s Lady and already I know he doesn’t eat properly – I would really like to prepare food for him to take with him on the road but his microwave doesn’t work so the food has to be able to be eaten cold. I’m looking for some recipes and or suggestions. Can you help me take care of him? His trips are usually one or one and a half weeks in length. I’m sure there must be lots of other wives out there with the same problem. Thanks in advance for your help!

Cold Meals Wanted

Dear Cold Meals Wanted,

Does he have the ability to refrigerate and/or freeze? Assuming this is the situation, the first thing that comes to mind is lots of fresh veggies and fruit that keep well.

You can send along mini-carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, apples, oranges and the like. Other types of fruits and vegetables that may not last as well can be sent and eaten in the first few days. These items may include salad lettuce, green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, bananas, berries and such. Many items can be frozen individually at home on cookie sheets and placed in freezer bags. Suggestions for frozen items may include, cubed hard cheese, slices of lunch meat, cooked chicken pieces or any other types of meat that your trucker will eat cold.

Sending along a loaf of bread will get him started and if you send frozen lunch meat, a sandwich can be thrown together quite quickly. A container of milk is also a good thing to throw in the fridge for cereal and drinking.

Items that can be kept in a cool place, but don’t need refrigeration could include, bottled water, juice in tetra packs, canned drinks, popcorn, granola, cereal, cookies, powdered drink mix, crackers and other snacking foods. Try to stay with the healthier items. Limit salt and sugars as often as you can.

When your trucker stops to fuel, hot water is available so he should take a good thermos. Then he can have instant noodles (throw in a handful of frozen peas for some iron), instant porridge and other quick foods that just require hot water.

Consider a small crock pot, steamer, cooler/warmer or alternative way to heat foods in the truck. Some items are made to plug into a lighter outlet, others may require an inverter. Take a trip to your grocery store when you aren’t in a rush, and look around at the types of food that your trucker likes and think if there is a way that you can make it work for him on the road.

Kelly

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Dear Kelly,

Last year my husband went to school to get into trucking. Just when he was done and ready to head out on the road, there was a family emergency and we had to travel across the country to live with his mother. In that time, he got a local job in a warehouse, but has never given up his dream of going on the road. He wants to be able to do this before we settle down and have children.

It’s something he really wants to experience and also a good way for us to make a little more money than he is working in the warehouse. We want to save for a down payment on a house. Anyway, what I would like some advice on, is he seems to feel a little anxious about heading out and filling out those forms when he has no experience and finished school eight months ago.

Looking for work

Dear Looking for work,

Your husband needs to realize that if he doesn’t put in applications, he isn’t going to get that job he wants. It sounds like he has been working during the last eight months, and that looks good on a resume. Sit down with him and get that resume together and printed out and visit some companies to see what their qualifications are. Some companies require experience; others look for a good work ethic and past employment.

Try some online searches for trucking companies. Take a ride by a truck stop and pick up the trucking magazines; they are a valuable resource for trucking companies looking to hire.

You may consider contacting and/or visiting your local HRDC office. They have job banks that you can search. You can access the job bank online as well, jobbank.gc.ca.

A local or delivery job may get him that bit of experience he needs to go on the road as well, so don’t overlook the jobs that aren’t exactly what he wants to do in the end.

All the best with the job hunting!

Kelly

– I welcome your questions and comments. I will try to answer as many questions as I can here. Feel free to send me an email at column@atruckerswife.com or snail mail at: Dear Kelly, PO Box 183 Stn. F, Winnipeg, MB, R2L 1M0.