From house to road tech?

[shupack]

I'm currently a house tech, ANSI 18.1 certified, 5 years here, 2 years RP, 3 years AuxBldg operator, 2 years Navy radcon w/RCTQS school and 5 years submarine ops. 

I've been considering trading the security of a house job for the freedom of the road-tech life.  Travel is what we're seeking.  After Navy life, being stuck in one spot for 5 years is starting to bore us.  3-4 months off in the summer and winter is VERY attractive.  Finances will be fine, we have other means as well.


I've discussed my thoughts with several of the road techs here during our recent outage and I've gotten a good mix of you'll love it and you'll hate it.  I don't hate being a house tech, but I don't think I'm a 9-5 kind of guy.  We have 3 kids, I know I'll be missing things while I'm on the road, but I miss things while I'm at work 9-5, so I think that's about even.  But I ramble (frequently.....)

We've been pondering the change for a while, my main questions are:

Will I be miserable on the road?

What other questions should I be asking?

What have I not considered?

[Smart People]

Miserable is something you carry with you. be careful of the greener grass syndrome.

Personally I love traveling but it wouldn't hurt my feelings to be close to home. Working the outage life has its pluses and minuses. Have you looked into shared resources work first?

Maybe getting your 3.1 quals should be your first goal before going on the road. although your 108 qual and current experience should put you there as a contractor.

sounds like this idea is something you and your wife are on the same page with. that's a very important factor.

[retired nuke]

You will be missing more of your family being on the road than you do now with 9-5.

Benefits, especially insurance, will be a big change for you and your family.

As the outages get shorter, the less experienced get less work....

Advancement (from your current level) may be more challenging on the road. There are different opportunities than you get as a house mouse. House people get training, usually paid for by the company. Roadies pay for it on their own.

If money isn't a problem, work as little OT as possible, get involved in things outside of work. Scouts, Church, Coach - these things can bust the routine, and give you a focus beyond your wants and needs to those of others.

I have been house, and roadie. I got off the road when my kids were born, haven't regretted it one second. Seeing my kids every day, meeting their teachers, attending the sports events, class plays, scout trips, etc is something that enriches me. I would rather be a greeter at Walmart than to be away from my family. But, luckily, my job is a pretty good one, and I have learned to accept the routine parts of it.

Good luck with your decision.

[Chimera]

You don't mention the age of your children . . . and that can be critical to your ultimate decision.

So, from my perspective as both a house tech and a roadie with grown children and grandchildren:

Would I have made the same decisions if I had known what I know now?  That all depends on your personal orientation to life.  Is your job what defines you or is it your family?  As a roadie, I missed a lot even though my "off" times allowed me to do things other fathers couldn't do. 

My children were in elementary school when I first went on the road full-time.  I spent most of my free time while away from home trying to find a way that I could be home and work in the same day.  I had originally put myself in the position where the road was the only available money-earning place for me to go because I thought it would be harder on the kids to uproot them (I am a military brat).  After several years, I found that type of job and moved the family so that we could BE a family.

After a few years, when that job folded, I went back on the road.  After my divorce a few more years later, as the sole custodial parent, I had to find another "house" job rather than bounce my kids all over the country for a few months at a time.

Now that they are grown with families of their own, being on the road is fun.  I get plenty of "time off" to go visit them and the grandchildren while earning an adequate paycheck.  Besides, I like the traveling and the people.

So, from my personal point of view, stay home until the kids are on their own.  Your job is not who you are.  It merely pays the bills while you pursue being who you are.  Grow them kiddies up right and then you will have earned the "freedom" (as you phrased it) to pursue other interests in your and your wife's lives.  Parenthood is a full time job.  Wait until they "retire" you to an advisory capacity before you start looking for your "freedom".

Michael

[Lagunero]

Hi.

I`m 32 years old, I`m house tech (RP, 9 years experience), and I really like my job, but sometimes I get bored of the routine and start thinking about the road, I live in Mexico and I`ve been invited to work at USA and England, some friends had described me the experience and it seems nice, what makes me to think about:

a) More money than the one I`m making here.
b) I love traveling.
c) I love meeting interesting people.
d) I love diferent languages, I speak english, spanish and french
e) Some opportunities are given for how many time you`ve been working for the company and not for your hard work, it makes me feel bad because some people only make the minimum and if I do more than that.... it doesn`t matter.

What makes want to stay:

a) My 7 years old daughter.
b) The security of my permanent job

I read all your comments and they are really interesting, but....what would you do in my case?.

Thanks a lot for your attention if you read this.

I`d like to read some opinions, for me are really important, thanks!

[Shawnee Man]

Get as much education as you can get (degrees). Wait till your daughter graduates. You will only be 43. Good luck.

[Already Gone]

It depends on your prospects abroad.  Frankly, the money you can make as a contract technician in the States is not all that great when you take into consideration the short-term nature of the assignments.

From reading your post, I get the impression that your command of the English language is at least as good as most American techs.  So, that is a point in your favor.  From my experience with Mexican techs., I think that you all have good training and work ethic - which makes it a pleasure to work with them even with the language barrier in place.

Most of the traveling RP techs in the US would prefer the stability of a house job - but not all.  Just my opinion, though, is that the stability of a house job with a young child at home is worth quite a lot.

My advice is to weigh the options very carefully and get some assurances (in writing if possible) before you make the leap.  If it turns out to have been a poor choice, you may find it difficult to get your  job back.

[MeterSwangin]

It can be hard to find a "happy" road tech.  I am seldom one myself.  Most endure the work, the hours, the B.S., and look forward to time off.

Then, when finally off, many bitch about the lack of work.  Follow this forum for a while....

I am with others here.  Sink roots, raise kids, find fulfillment outside work.

[Lagunero]

Some people has suggested...working in US only on my vacations and with the authorization of my Union, some partners had done it.

That way I don`t have to loose my permanent job... could be?

Thanks for your opinions

[shupack]

Finances arn't an issue, SWMBO'd is a freelance photographer and doing well, I sell specialized car parts online, and do pretty well.  between the 2 we're almost self-sufficient, so road-teching is more of an interim step to us becoming fully self-sufficient.  the summer/winter off will provide us more time to work on our other interestes and travel.  I think I'll basically be a part time-part timer.

I've seen several techs go road to house, I kind of feel like a salmon, but I do that often and enjoy it...

I guess miserable was the wrong way to phrase it, I guess "buyers remorse" would be better?  Will I regret leaving?  If I don't drop a bomb over my shoulder I can always come back, Ops is ALWAYS short people (they've been asking me to come back since I left) if I can't get back into RP.

the short outages are appealing to us, I'm thinking one early season, one late so I can spend time at home between.  The family will probably drive out with me and fly home, or reverse on the other end, very Griswald....
My kids are young, so missing school is no big deal.

Thanks for the suggestion and support, keep the ideas coming.

[B.PRESGROVE]

As a former tech at our local DOE facility I saw alot of road techs.  I have to say most of them loved to work this site because they could lay down some ruts, watch the kids grow, and work making decent money (no benefits though).  Sometimes as a house tech I longed for the open road, but soon came back to my senses when I realized that I had to get a place to stay, insurance, food, and the like when on the road.  I would take into consideration all those things as well.

[azkidd]

My kids are young, so missing school is no big deal.


Hmm....pulling young kids in and out of schools, at a young age is the worst thing for them.  But the fact that you made this statement altogether....  I think you just need to put your family FIRST, and YOU last.  Right now, whether you realize it or not....it is not a matter of how YOU feel.  It is what is best for them!!  Pull your head out, dumb@$$!!

[shupack]

I'm talking about a few days for traveling with me on the way to/from jobs, not bouncing from school to school or staying the entire job.  Our kids get more education at home than at at school, they won't be sitting in front of the TV eating doritos.  I realize it's about more than me, my wife asked me what options to a 9-5 life are out there over a year ago, which is why I'm saying WE are considering.

We've been pondering the change for a while, my main questions are:

WE have decided it may be time for something different, trying to decide if road tech is it.  I may go teach gym instead.

I missed school now and then to travel with my parents: visiting relatives & friends, 3 day weekends to other cities, a month in Germany in 4th grade, my grades never suffered and I got all my homework done.  I learned more about the world that way than in social studies... My wife was a Navy brat, traveled around the world to her fathers duty stations.  We both turned out OK, in our opinions, even if not living like the Joneses. 

It sounds like my mind is already made up, but consciously it's not (might be sub-consciously..).  The house v. road pro/con lists are equal length.   I may not even stay in the Nuke world.....

I appreciate the constructive part of your feedback.

[Smart People]

Good luck in your decision. Let us know what you come up with. Maybe we'll see you down the road.

[UncaBuffalo]

I've seen too many marriages go bad because one partner went on the road...keep your house job.   

(Even if the wife & kids go with you, the abrupt change in lifestyle will put huge stress on everyone's lives...stay with what is working for you.)




Note:  I have been been on & off the road for the past 20+ years...and loved the lifestyle WHEN I WAS ALONE OR DATING ANOTHER RENT-A-TECH, but...now I'm house to make my marriage work...stick with your house job. 

[Brett LaVigne]

UncaBuffalo makes good points, He's a smart guy, level headed and will run circles around anyone I have ever seen on a refuel floor

I have a little different opinion on this. I have had several jobs in my life, nuke and non-nuke. I have also been on and off the road for the last 20 years. Being on the road works for my family. I had a local job for over 5 years and slept at home every night. It was a job with responsibilities (I couldn't always leave it there). That job being my comparison, I spent more quality time with my wife and daughter when on the road. The time spent was higher quality than a couple hours here and there. I felt like I was missing developmental things when my daughter was really young, but now, if the job doesn't go more than 7 weeks or so it works. Even though I would always want my wife with me, these little breaks often generate a "honeymoon" for us a couple of times/year. I think there are some strong arguements either way.

The bottom line is this. I don't know what your best move is, neither does anyone else probably including you. I have a full time job currently and love it. We still spend plenty of time apart so my daughter/wife keep up relationships with grandparents etc. in Michigan (about 4 months/year). If going on the road doesn't work, find another house job. If I had not left the road (and RP job) for a few years, I would still be wondering if I was doing the right thing. I hear so many complain about some aspect of the job, travel, money, or just plain don't like the job. The only way to answer that question is to try something else. But no matter what you decide to do, the family is 1st priority. My wife and I have an agreement that if the seperations are too much, I will find something else to do. I would rather work at McDonalds than risk my family. Good luck with your decision.

[HenryBlack]

I believe that is a question that only you and your family can answer. I have been on the HP road for 29+ years now and I will say that I enjoy it. Would I rather have been working somewhere permanent and building retirement and the such? Looking back, the answer would be yes, I am close to retirement now(only 40 more years to go,lol) and it would really be nice to have all that stuff to fall back on. But you can build your own retirement accounts so you can be comfortable when you get older, but it isnt easy.
My family moved with me from 1981 till 1988 and my kids went to school all over the country, sometime two or three schools in one year. I don't believe it hurt them because they all turned out ok. When my oldest got in Middle school my wife started to stay home with them.
The road isnt for everyone though and it is really hard on marriages. Very few of them survive one family member being a road HP. Your wife will get tired of you being gone all the time and you will get tired of being away from your family. Lucky for me my wife came from an HP family and she knew how it was before we decided that I would start this job.
With all that being said, if I had to do it again I would take the house job and then I would not have missed the most important times in the lives of my wife and children. If your family means more to you than life itself then stay where you are and make the best of it or find another line of work that will keep your family together, so you can stay home more. This is just one man's opinion.

[Bonds 25]

My decision to go House has been the best decision I have ever made.....hands down.   I do miss the "outage" folks however, but I still get to see some of them every 24 months.  Ive never been married and I have no kids, but I was very sick of traveling.....and opportunity struck.  I haven't looked back yet.....

[Already Gone]

The optimum situation is the one that gives your family stability.

I, for example, was a roadie who settled down as a house tech and started a family.  When I lost that job, I had the choice of finding another house job or going on the road.  In my case, the road life was more stable for my family because they have firmly-planted roots here.  Rather than uproot them to some strange land so that they could see Daddy nearly every day (yes, even house techs have to work outages and rotating shifts) I chose to go on the road so that our family home could remain where it was.

I still travel, maybe less than before, so a house job would be a welcome respite for me -- but I will not take one if it means changing the family address.

The point is that you'll do what is best for your family and neither situation is perfect for everybody.

[B.PRESGROVE]

good point beercourt.  I am looking at that situation now if everything works out with the interview Im havin.  I would rather it be me doing the going back and forth on days off, then uproot my son in his senior year and my wife teaching job of 16 years.  Got to have at least one stable income in this family 

[Chimera]

Both BeerCourt and Presgrove make very good points.  Perhaps my view is somewhat tainted by my divorce while on the road.

[B.PRESGROVE]

Aaahhhh gotta love the taint.

[doctormoo]

stay with what ya got
volunteer for something
i was house for 20 yrs 6 oin the road my family was #1
  the fire dept i volunteered my family
its lonely on the road

pray hard about it
be blessed

kevin

[shupack]

we're still in the air, but discussing thoroughly.  I appreciate all the comments and suggestions so far. 

I think we see this more as a partial retirement than a changing of careers. 

[Already Gone]

The best way to retire partially, is to retire fully and still work.  What I mean is, stick with the certainty of your job as long as you can.  Then, when you start drawing your pension, you can pick up a job or two here and there.